Jon Spencer is back and he’s got something to say: ‘Songs of Personal Loss and Protest’

Can rock’n’roll change the world? Jon Spencer says yes — and he’s got twelve new songs to prove it.

The legendary Mr. Blues Explosion is back with ‘Songs of Personal Loss and Protest,’ a brand new full-length due June 12th via Shove Records on vinyl, CD (with bonus tracks), and all digital platforms. First single Knock ‘Em Out is out now — go ahead, press play, we’ll wait.

“I’m in a time of spiritual reckoning. These past few years there has been a lot of emotional conflict and personal loss — the passing of time takes its toll. Losing friends, losing family, and all of this set against a world gone topsy turvy where it feels like we are losing basic freedoms… I’m trying to balance a lot of things, but the answer is always rock’n’roll.“— Jon Spencer

Picking up the thread from 2024’s mini-LP ‘Sick of Being Sick,’ Spencer recorded the album with his road-hardened trio: Kendall Wind on bass and Macky “Spider” Bowman on drums — the same rhythm section holding it down for Woodstock punk outfit The Bobby Lees. The sessions went down at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY (with two tracks tracked in Santiago, Chile), and if you’ve caught this band live recently, you already know: Spencer is playing with a fire that has no interest in burning out quietly.

MOJO called it “inescapably re-igniting the primal three-pronged assault” of the old Blues Explosion, while Parklife DC put it best: “No nostalgia act energy here. This was confrontational rock and roll, the kind that reminds you how much danger used to live inside a three-minute song.” Hard agree.

‘Songs of Personal Loss and Protest’ is garage-punk blues for a world that’s earned it. North American tour dates are incoming — stay tuned.

‘Songs of Personal Loss and Protest’ track list

Side One

1. Fanfare (Another Point of View)
2. Vermin Attack!
3. Hangover
4. Knock ‘Em Out
5. Give It Up 4 the Devil
6. Mr. Lion

Side Two

1. Orange Slice Blues
2. Slip Away
3. Step On the Gas
4. I’m Taking Off
5. Wet & Wild
6. No More

CD edition includes the full ‘Sick of Being Sick’ mini-LP plus the single Come On!

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