at a glance...

Hometown: New York, NY
Year Formed: 1991

Personnel:
Jon Spencer -vocals, guitars, theremin
Judah Bauer -guitar ace
Russell Simins -drums
...and guest: Beck -telephone rap

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.

You're in a primal setting, sweating your ass off. Some guy in front of you starts doing splits - a real showman here in the jungle. Wading chest-deep through the swamp, you find your hips are moving soulfully here in the bayou. The strings come in, and you're ready to hear the gospel. Now you're beginning to feel really blue-collar. Is this adrenaline at work, you ask? Is it testosterone? No, it's rock 'n' roll!!! You begin jingling your boots like a rockabilly fool and throwing your hands in the air like a big hip-hopper. It's time to crash the celebrity dinner.

A kick in the groin. So much for the butler. Three skinny punks force their way into the stuffy formal soirée, shoving the string quartet out of their way. Trays of hors d'oeuvres are overturned by these bellbottom-wearing, snot-nosed, dirty, brash youth, causing quite a commotion amid all the tuxes and fine evening dresses. They want to dance! The way they shake their booties, you'd think these studs just got off a day of laying railroad tracks in the hot Mississippi sun. All the young teenage girls titter hysterically around these urban cowboys who don't even seem to notice the fuss. Instead, they make for the prettiest southern belles in the crowd, who sit blushing under their bonnets. Pulling his newly found sweetie close in a slow dance, I hear one of our heroes whisper, "Baby - you got the flavor..."

If you like Orange, check out:
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Xtra Acme USA
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Now I Got Worry
James Brown Hot Pants
Danko Jones Self-Titled EP
Railroad Jerk The Third Rail
Various Artists Pulp Fiction Soundtrack
Boss Hog Boss Hog

-- Lars Rosenblum Sorgenfrei