Jon Spencer is currently a man without a Blues Explosion, but that won't stop him from rocking out as if he still had a Blues Explosion behind him. (The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion haven't been active since 2016, so he's been a man with no Blues Explosion for a decade.) Spencer released a solo album called Sick Of Being Sick! in 2024, and this summer he'll release a new LP called Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest.
Spencer recorded Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest with his current backing band, the Bobby Lees members Kendall Wind and Spider Bowman. Along with his Blues Explosion past, Spencer was an important part of great noise-rock bands like Pussy Galore and Boss Hog. This album, however, appears to be Spencer doing the kind of stuff that he used to do with JSBX. I wonder if he has to stop himself from instinctively yelling the phrase "Blues Explosion!" these days.
Lead single "Knock 'Em Out" finds Spencer in his classic preening-holler mode. It sounds less like a song of personal loss and protest, more like a song about being Jon Spencer. That works for me! Nobody, with or without a Blues Explosion, is better at being Jon Spencer. Below, check out "Knock 'Em Out" and the new album's tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Fanfare (Another Point Of View)"
02 "Vermin Attack!"
03 "Hangover"
04 "Knock ‘Em Out"
05 "Give It Up 4 The Devil"
06 "Mr. Lion"
07 "Orange Slice Blues"
08 "Slip Away"
09 "Step On the Gas"
10 "I’m Taking Off"
11 "Wet & Wild"
12 "No More"
Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest is out 6/12 on Shove.
