POP MUSIC REVIEWS : G. Love Blends Blues, Laid-Back Hip-Hop

Philadelphia’s blues mutation G. Love and Special Sauce played a show Thursday at the small, smoky West L.A. club the Mint that had the charm of a scratchy old 78 and the hypnotic flare of stoned hip-hop.

The trio, one of the first bands to release an album on Sony’s recently revived blues label Okeh, plays scratchy back-porch blues with a low-fi, fuzzy edge and adds tiny traces of hip-hop for flavor. Far from the smooth and slick nature of acid jazz, G. Love’s organic rhythms are substantially imperfect and real.

The unique blend, which sounded even better live than on the band’s self-titled debut, attracted a full house of mainly twentysome-things that howled and swayed to the sound.

Singer and guitarist G. Love, clad in mustard and brown polyester pants and ‘70s buckle boots, sat on a wooden stool and plucked a Dobro guitar, seemingly tasting every note. The baby-faced front man sang with a self-induced Mississippi accent that came off as one more part of the lugubrious sound rather than an insulting affectation. His vocals went from laid-back, slow rambles to rhythmic rapping. Barefoot stand-up bassist Jimmy Jass Prescot plucked sleepy notes as G. Love’s vintage electric guitar reverberated through an old amp.

A groovy vibe from jazzy drum beats, incense and candles also came off the stage, causing some members of the audience to dance as if they were at a Grateful Dead show.

* G. Love and Special Sauce plays two sets tonight at 9 and 11 at the Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., (310) 276-6168. Tickets are $8.