Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Funerals Are Fun!

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's new album, 'Freedom Tower-No Wave Dance Party 2015,' offers a reflection on the band's origins in the seedy New York City of the early 1980s. It simultaneously serves as an elegy for that era and an attempt to reconcile with the city's present-day gentrified landscape. This release explores themes of change and nostalgia, but crucially, it infuses the project with a playful spirit, ensuring the "fun" aspect is not lost amidst the "funeral" undertones.

Having regrouped in 2010 after a six-year hiatus, the band operates in a vastly different cultural context. Their past provocations are now seen through a lens of contemporary sensibilities. The album embraces a unique sound, characterized by punk performances that adopt the cadence of rap music, marking it as potentially their most overtly hip-hop-influenced work. This stylistic choice reflects the band's evolving artistic direction while honoring their distinctive gritty groove.