at a glance...

Hometown: New York, NY
Year Formed: 1991

Personnel:
Jon Spencer -vocals, guitars, theremin
Judah Bauer -guitar ace
Russell Simins -drums
...and various guests

Bands In The Family:
20 Miles, Boss Hog, Butter 08, Cibo Matto, Pussy Galore, Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, R.L. Burnside, Rufus Thomas, Beck, The Beastie Boys

Notes:
After the demise of Pussy Galore, Jon hooked up with Honeymoon Killers drummer Russell Simins and guitar ace Judah Bauer. Their cult of transgressive cool grew bigger with each release - Crypt Style (1992), Extra Width (1993), Orange (1994), Experimental Remixes EP (1995), Now I Got Worry (1996), and last year's Acme. They have toured relentlessly, and their sound has ranged from raucous rock to slick funk to dark blues and remixed techno. The Explosion's stripped-down, bassless three piece sound has recently been lovingly remixed by the likes of Alec Empire, The Automator, Moby, Calvin Johnson, David Holmes, Dante Ross, and Steve Albini.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is one of the best bands on Earth. It's as simple as that. Sådan er det bare, as the Danes say. That's just the way it is.

As a good friend of mine once told me, the two best live bands on the planet are Thinking Fellers Local Union 282 and the Blues Explosion. I still haven't had the pleasure of seeing the Fellers, so in my mind the Blues are number one. If you haven't seen them live, GO DO IT. But i'm not reviewing a live show here. I'm reviewing their latest release, Xtra Acme USA.

But severing the Blues Explosion from their live setting, their natural habitat so to speak, isn't really possible. Sure, the show is a more gut-wrenching, primal affair, but the recorded versions are still supply a powerful kick in the groin. Xtra Acme USA is no exception - 20 songs that run the gamut from more laid-back bluesy numbers, to blasts of punk fury, to the band's specialty: booty-shaking, postmodern, singalong cocktails of the two.

The remixed versions of songs from Acme are a mixed bag (don't miss the new lyrics on "Magical Colors"), but the B-sides and unreleased tracks are fantastic. So much so that you wonder why they didn't put them on Acme. If you find the idea of recording a rock band, remixing it, and then remixing it again a strange one, this is what Spencer has to say: "With us, it's all about fuck the last one. Shit or get off the pot. This is a new record. We wanted a different sound." Wow. What will they think of next? Come next record, for all I know, the "different sound" might be ambient chamber music...

If you like Xtra Acme USA, check out:
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Orange
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Acme
James Brown Hot Pants
Speedball Baby Cinema!
The Beastie Boys The In Sound From Way Out
Boss Hog Boss Hog

-- Lars Rosenblum Sorgenfrei