The punk approach to the blues and to soul music was refined by Washington's Delta 72, whose The R&B Of Membership (1996) and particularly Soul Of A New Machine (1997) were derailed by Sarah Stolfa's organ and Gregg Foreman's primordial howl. Their conceptual revisitation of black music eventually led to imitate the Rolling Stones circa Exile On Main Street on the more professional 000 (2000).

Formed in June 1994 in Washington by guitarist Gregg Foreman (formerly of Junction), the Delta 72 first added organist Sarah Stolfa, followed by bassist Kim Thompson, and finally drummer Jason Kourkounis (formerly of Mule). The single Hip Coat/ On The Rocks (Kill Rock Stars, 1995) and then Triple Crown (Touch & Go, 1996) launched their career.

On the album The R&B Of Membership (Touch & Go, 1996), the Delta 72 perform garage rhythm and blues with overwhelming punk passion. The thin timbre of the organ gets somewhat lost in the loud racket of Jason Kourkounis's drums, Kim Thompson's bass, and Foreman's distorted riffs, but it remains the group's distinctive hallmark. Foreman digs his claws into the blues of Rich Girls Like To Steal, complete with croaking harmonica and swampy reverb; the backing musicians let loose on the swinging instrumentals Frigid and Hustler. They are even better when the group loses its bearings, as in Satellite (insane fuzz, female shrieks, a disconnected tribal beat, and hysterically "acidic" Farfisa) and the even more demoniacal On The Rocks (same vocals, same tribalism).

Kim Thompson (who joined Skull Control) was replaced by Bruce Reckahn, formerly of the Goats, and the group relocated to Philadelphia.

With Soul Of A New Machine (Touch & Go, 1997), the Delta 72 continue their mission of grafting 1950s rhythm and blues onto the lopsided structures of 1990s alternative rock. Monopoly Of Your Mouth represents the archetype: Sarah Stolfa's increasingly wild and "acidic" Farfisa, Gregg Foreman's increasingly lycanthropic vocals, and the four instruments' increasingly incandescent jams. We Hate The Blues is no less impressive, crowded as it is with reckless duets, funk jolts, hard-rock guitar strumming, African tribalisms, and assorted dissonances. Floorboard Shake, driven by the horn section, the slurred blues instrumental Blow Out, and the surf instrumental Cut are the more traditional tributes. The exuberance of their live concerts is conveyed above all by the rough garage-rock of Go Go Kitty and the punk energy of Up In The High Numbers. The masterful and highly calculated swing and blues instrumental Scratch testifies to the competence of the musicians, who play the tough guys only because the script calls for it, but could just as easily play in a fashionable big band.

With Mark Boyce (another ex Goats, who also plays in Boss Hog) replacing Sarah Stolfa on keyboards, 000 (Touch & Go, 2000) is a far more professional affair. But what marks a definite break with the past is the vehement, passionate approach to soul music. Foreman and his fabulous rhythm section leave behind any vestige of intellectual noise-rock or angry hardcore and focus on what they do best: an apocalyptic mess of fierce grooves and wild wah-wah guitars. Add Boyce's loud and versatile keyboards to the recipe and the Delta 72 become the leading soul combo at the turn of the century. Unlike Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Black Crowes, which merely "quote" rhythm and blues, Delta 72 eats it alive. Are You Ready and Just Another Let Down recall the depraved Rolling Stones of Exile On Main Street and Sly Stone's psychedelic funk-rock. The production team (i.e., the two Royal Trux leaders) leaves a strong mark on this album, which at every step echoes the white rhythm and blues of the 1960s (Spencer Davis Group, Martha and the Vandellas, Mitch Ryder, Wilson Pickett, etc). The keyboards are far more prominent and the rhythm is far more direct. They rule over epileptic jams like Incident at 23rd. When the noise escalates, the guitar becomes a mere accessory. Songs such as 3 Day Packet Plan and I Feel Fine are played with a torrid enthusiasm that mixes garage-rock's raw energy and James Brown's hyper-funk moves. Great Paper Chase charges like a southern boogie or hard-rock anthem.
The band relaxes in a bluesier mood on the instrumental tracks: The Doctor Is In blends Janis Joplin's Big Brother band and the Cream, a remake of Hip Coat (their debut single) boasts a superb guitar solo, and the experiments are left for the last track, Sun The Secret Prince, an instrumental jam that crosses over acid-rock, jazz-rock and samba.

Foreman joined Cat Power in 2006.

Foreman died in 2026.