Dr. Hector & The Groove Injectors - Emergency (1991)

One of the pleasures of traveling around the U.S. is listening to bar bands in out of the way dives. Whether you're in Oregon, Georgia, Colorado, or Pennsylvania, a good bar band may not be cutting-edge, trendy, or experimental but can win you over with its infectiousness and its sense of fun. One such bar band is Dr. Hector & the Groove Injectors, whose Emergency makes you feel like you've wandered into a cool dive somewhere in Middle America.

People who heard this 1991 release tended to place it in the blues-rock category - and, to be sure, "Downtown Drinking" "14 Carat Fool," and "Bad News" are catchy examples of blues-rock. But many of the other tunes are best described as roots rock with a strong southern soul influence. Tracks like "Southern Fried Groove" and "Don't Be Afraid" give the impression that Dr. Hector & the Groove Injectors have spent a lot of time listening to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, and other southern-style soulsters who were big in the 1960s.

And, in fact, Dr. Hector & the Groove Injectors are a southern band; Emergency was recorded at King Snake's Sanford, FL studio. Although not the most original album in the world, Emergency is easy to enjoy if you have a taste for earthy, unpretentious bar bands. /Alex Henderson, AllMusic