Heavy Trash, 'Midnight Soul Serenade'

Release date: October 13, 2009
Record label: Fat Possum/Big Legal Mess
Official Web site: http://www.heavytrash.net/

The buzz: Jon Spencer mastered the art of the blues-punk stomp as frontman for Pussy Galore and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. But he's been grinding a bit more slowly than the jagged madness of those former bands in this side project with Madder Rose and Speedball Baby guitarist Matt Verta-Ray. The duo is hitting its stride on this sinister third full-length, which merges rockabilly's raunchy roots and the 21st century's space-out psychedelia with skill and ease.

The verdict: Spencer can thrash out the blues, rock and cowpunk with the best of them, and is in fine form with Verta-Ray on throwback burners like "Bedevilment" and "Bumble Bee." But it's the spacey freakouts of chilled weirdoes such as "The Pill" and "Isolation" that stick out like sore astronauts here. Even when the tone turns sassy on junkyard ballads like "Pimento," "Good Man" and "Sweet Little Bird," nothing is lost in translation. A killer backing band comprised of Lambchop drummer Sam Baker, Danish rockers PowerSolo, Motown pianist Mickey Finn, the Phenomenal Handclap Band organist Daniel Collas and more sure doesn't hurt either. 

Did you know? Jon Spencer wrote the theme song for Anthony Bourdain's irreverent cooking and travel show, "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations."

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