mom + pop music Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Meat + Bone”

sfilzen — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 17:54:32 +0000

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Meat + Bone” released 10 years ago yesterday, September 18th, 2012. Pre-order from Mom + Pop Music that came with a limited edition Meat + Bone apron, which I obviously had to have, and took this photo 10 years ago when I got the package:

About the apron from an article/interview on The Agit Reader with Judah Bauer: “You’ve got to come up with stupid ideas. The apron idea was mine, and I tried to kill it. I thought it was too domestic, but it ended up happening. Maybe that’s savvy, though, because maybe our fanbase is more domesticated now…” It’s funny because it’s true and I have absolutely worn this apron to bake cookies.

Meat + Bone is JSBX’s ninth(ish) LP and, I’ll be honest, one of my less-listened to of their catalog but as a huge fan, it’s still great. The lead track “Black Mold” (which is something I’m unfortunately literally dealing with today) was “pulled…from the Damage [2005] outtakes pile” (Bauer). The rest of the tracks were written in 10 days between July and August 2012 in between Spencer’s touring with Heavy Trash and Bauer’s tour with Cat Power. The record’s title reflects the sound: just the meat and the bone, no fat, no filler: basic (but JSBX is never basic) punk blues. Besides “Black Mold” my top tracks are “Boot Cut” which is raw and funky, the bluesy, buzzy “Ice Cream Killer” and the frenetic “Danger” with its wild and pounding piano and screaming guitar. Warning: the video below for “Black Mold” is beyond disturbing.

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Sleigh Bells “Texis”

sfilzen — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 18:11:34 +0000

Sleigh Bells “Texis” 2021. Torn Clean Records/Mom+Pop Music, on clear vinyl. Noisy experimental pop, Texis is duo Alexis Krauss’ and Derek Miller’s fifth album (the hype sticker on this record’s plastic sleeve weirdly says it’s their 6th record but literally every reputable website says it’s their 5th). I’ve been a Sleigh Bells fan since their first LP Treats (2010), blown away by their combination of a dense wall of hard electronica and killer beats that are overlaid with Krauss’ soaring and gorgeously angelic voice. I also really liked Reign of Terror (2012) and Bitter Rivals (2013) but while I enjoyed Jessica Rabbit OK I don’t think I’ve listened to it since 2016 when it came out. Texis, however, brings back some of the earlier excitement from their older releases. An Allmusic review describes their sound as “cheerleader metal” which is pretty perfect: sweet, poppy and infectious but also gritty, loud and dangerous. My top tracks from Texis are the lead track “Sweet 75,” “Locust Laced” (about which an NME review describes as “a crazed mash of go-go pop, torture-porn thrash metal and dubstep”), “Tennessee Tips” (“a barrage of ray gun synth-punk,” NME), “Red Flag Flies” and the album closer “Hummingbird Bomb” which is weird and excellent: light and fluttery with layers upon layers of intense/insane synth-rock explosions.

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The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “That’s It Baby Right Now We Got To Do It Let’s Dance! (Live in Tokyo 2015)”

sfilzen — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 15:10:26 +0000

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “That’s It Baby Right Now We Got To Do It Let’s Dance! (Live in Tokyo 2015)” Record Store Day 2016 exclusive release. Mom+Pop Records/Shove! Records/Bronze Rat Records. Heavy 180g Pink Cadillac Vinyl.

A loud, shrieking and howling, heavy and blistering live performance from JSBX’s Freedom Tower tour, which we saw in Madison in June at the High Noon Saloon. “2015 and the Blues is still #1!” Spencer proclaims at the intro to “Bellevue Baby” and he is so spot on. The Record Store Day release is filled with a mix of ass-shaking tracks from Freedom Tower like “Joe Buck” and “Betty” as well as older songs like “Flavor” and “Dang” (both from the most excellent Orange) and “She’s on It-Jack the Ripper” (the Beastie Boys-Link Wray mash-up JSBX put out for RSD ‘14).

Run-off groove: Side A – “Elvis Presley Gold-Toned Microphone” Side B – “Free James Brown”

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