Fact: The Luv Machine maintains a hugely popular myspace, with some 3,938 friends signed on to the site (myself included).

Fact: The Luv Machine cracked the college radio top ten, were feature in a VH1 website special, and were an iTunes listed artist all in the same year.

Fact: various radio stations from around the world have added the Luv Machine to their top blues lists, such as KMSU & KMSK in Minnesota, who placed them at #10 on the charts in February of this year.

Fact: the band's namesake guitarist, Robert Fairweather, has played with such a list of blues musicians as to be absurdly long. Most notable to my eyes(gathered from a list on the band's myspace page) are Vino Louden (B.B. King and Buddy Guy), Shirley King (B.B.'s daughter), and the Fender Guitar endorsee Anthony Gomes.

After seeing the above, one should recognize the amount of anticipation I had for this band, and the level of hype present to inspire me. After all the accolades and awards, would I personally dig Blizzard in Chicago? After several spins, the answer is a resounding yes. Robert Fairweather and the Luv Machine craft catchy, carefree, and ultimately entertaining blues boogies that sound perfectly normal even in this day and age. In fact, I'd say Blizzard could eventually top the radio charts, in the way that a rhythm guitarist like Carlos Santana has done on-and-off for years.

The first track, "Hollywood" is a grooving ode to Tinsel Town, with hopeful aspirations and all. "Veronica" is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard; seriously, this is nothing but pure audio crack in the syringe of bluesy pop-rock. "No Good Cat" is a song about a poorly behaved pet, or is it? I'm not sure I can take something like this as joke, or as something beyond face value. Regardless, Robert Fairweather knows how to play some sweet guitar and bassist Bobby Midnight has some nice, fat, meaty bass lines to add.

The disc really heats up with the next couple songs; "Let's Go With It" kicks things off with swinging, feel-good dance rock. The soulful backing vocals on this track are sweet, and there's something very "doo-wop" about this tune. "Voudon Man" is in my opinion one of the best songs on the CD; the band sheds some of the goofy hijinks of previous song and let loose with a dark, bluesy rocker that sounds like a good-old boogie from the Deep South. The drums on this track (courtesy of Robert Wimmers) are upbeat and tinny, making the song sound even jumpier than what it really is.

"Gravedigger's Son" starts with some Latin drums, before settling into a swampy groove that for some reason conjured images of Primus in my head. The title track of this album, "Blizzard in Chicago" could not be anymore perfect. A piece of vintage electric guitar blues so old-school you'd swear it was played by the genre's founding fathers, it also captures the spirit of one of my favorite cities with relative ease. "Blizzard" is definitely a song to get excited about.

"Ride my Bike" is a sweet bar jam, and follow-up "Powder Keg" allows Bobby Midnight to kick things off with some leaden bass. Hearing the band launch the song even further into a soulful rant over grooving guitars is magic, and I hope the band pursues songs like this more often. "So Tired and so Blue" and "Mississippi Water" run into each other a tad, as they both feature prominent, old-fashioned blues, one on the rigors of life and the other singing the virtues of the Delta. Regardless, neither is a bad song, and taken separately the two are solid tracks. "TYFKTBA" has such smokey licks you could light up to them, and I'll be damned if there's a better example of purist, fun, electric guitar on this whole CD. "Bluesman's Delight" is just as its name; a delight for anyone even remotely interested in blues. Hell, the song even proclaims that "if you want to play the blues, you have to give up half your life."

Regardless of whether or not all that jazz about giving up half your life to play the blues is true, you surely don't have to give up anywhere near as much for a good time listening to Blizzard in Chicago. Clocking in at just over an hour, Blizzard is the sound of a band just having fun and jamming. In a world where most rock has steadily evolved far away from the source (i.e. blues), The Luv Machine sounds surprisingly well-oiled, and they are more than talented in the music department. A must for mellow guitar fans, happy hour attendees, Parrotheads, and rock 'n roll old-timers. Take some time to listen, and see a band that finally outlives their own buzz. This one has my stamp of approval.

If you enjoyed this review, be on the lookout for a review of the newest Luv Machine CD, "Big Maracas!" It's coming soon!