Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Meat and Bone
Boombox/Mom + Pop
For those
who love their
“blues” chock-full
of surliness,
attitude, and
raw energy,
it’s time to
rejoice. The Jon
Spencer Blues Explosion is back after an
eight-year hiatus.
Blending a stew of punk, blues,
twang, noise, rock, indie, and plenty
more, this veteran NYC trio—featuring
Spencer on guitar and vox, Judah
Bauer on guitar, and Russell Simins on
drums—has been knocking down barriers
and influencing a number of successful
mainstream bands (that offer up
a somewhat lighter version of the JSBX)
for more than 20 years.
You know you’re in for a wild ride
with the first track’s fuzz-laden, feverish
drive that would make Iggy proud.
Delicious jams on tunes like “Black
Thoughts” to the slow-moving and
syrupy “Unclear” make for an engaging
assortment. Produced by Spencer, who
howls like a possessed songbird from prehistoric
times, the record has a chaotic
flavor with an aggressive and ultra-dirty
delivery that’s beautifully put together at
the same time. —Rich Osweiler
Must-hear track: “Black Mold”