The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
K Records
New York City's postmodern skuzz-blues impresario Jon Spencer has been deconstructing and reconstructing rock and roll clich's with the help of guitarist Judah Bauer and drummer Russell Simins for the better part of a decade now. He's been doing it ever since the breakup of his old band, the legendary trash-punk superheroes (or supervillains, depending on your perspective) Pussy Galore, whose other members went on to form Royal Trux and Boss Hog.
Even after a brief, superficial listen to the Blues Explosion you'll realize that Spencer's blues bears little resemblance to the blues of, say, Robert Johnson or Howlin' Wolf, but then that's not really the pond Spencer's fishing from. For him, the blues is the down and dirty, hot and sweaty, dirty-old-man sound of guys like R.L. Burnside (who has played with the Blues Explosion on occasion) and Andre Williams. Make what you will of the band's name, what they really do is take traditional blues, soul, funk, hip hop, and bloated rock, slice and dice them all into a nasty-good musical stew, add lots of whiskey and irony, and shove the whole mess down your throat. You might lose it a little, start stumbling around like you're drunk, muttering, "the blues is number one, the blues is number one..."
On the song "Blues Explosion Attack," Spencer and Co. get crazy in the house of Olympia's chief indie oddball (and Blues Explosion buddy) Calvin Johnson, frontman of Dub Narcotic Sound System.
Jesse Ashlock
last updated:
09/21/01
Similar Artists:
Dub Narcotic Sound System, Royal Trux, Red Red Meat, The Grifters, Soledad Brothers, Reverend Horton Heat, Butter 08, Russell Simins, The Hot Monkey, Thee Headcoats, Rocket from the Crypt, Cash Audio, The Delta 72, Junior Communist Club, Enduro, The White Stripes, Electric Six
Other Suggestions:
The Silver Jews,
Beck,
Weezer,
Tim 'Love' Lee,
Fatal Flying Guilloteens,
Billy Childish and Dan Melchior,
Billy Childish,
John Lee Hooker,
The Stooges,
Rolling Stones,
The Drags,
Pussy Galore,
Brian Jonestown Massacre,
Vue,
Zen Guerrilla,
King Tubby,
Built To Spill,
Chik Chik Chik,
Tight Bros from Way Back When,
Cop Shoot Cop,
The Strokes,
Make Up,
Inside Five Minutes,
'68 Comeback,
The Starlite Desperation,
Andrew WK,
New Wet Kojak,
Menthol,
The Memphis Goons,
The Mooney Suzuki,
Girls Against Boys,
We Ragazzi,
Chisel,
The Black Halos,
The Hot Snakes,
Gonzales,
Dub Narcotic Sound System Meets The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion,
Yeah Yeah Yeahs,
The Pattern,
BS2000,
The Simple Ones,
Harriet the Spy,
Three 4 Tens,
Guided by Voices,
The Paper Chase,
The Beatings,
Speedbuggy USA,
Free Kitten,
Redd Kross,
Love Life,
Lost Kids,
Jucifer,
Eiffel Tower,
Chris Mills,
Califone,
Gorillaz
