G. Love & Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce are one of those rare bands that truly own their sound. While the early ’90s boasted no shortage of idiosyncratic artists smashing up hip-hop with college rock, none sounded anything like the blues-obsessed junkyard racket concocted by the trio of Garrett Dutton (a.k.a. G. Love), Jeffrey Clemens, and Jim Prescott. Coming together in 1992 and releasing their self-titled debut two years later, the Philly act dropped a string of sloppy, funky hits like “Cold Beverage” and “Rodeo Clowns” that have one foot planted in the alt-rock ’90s and the other in a Southern juke joint in the ’30s. With the band’s activity slowing down in the 2000s, Dutton stuck with the G. Love moniker for solo records that approached roots music with a more measured though no less infectious tone. The original trio got back to business beginning with 2014’s Sugar. Since then, G. Love & Special Sauce have consistently demonstrated their chemistry to be unique while also teaming up with collaborators (including celebrated bluesman Keb’ Mo’, a coproducer of 2020’s The Juice) who have helped to draw new clangs out of their lovable clatter.