Jon Spencer has been an innovativeforce in the independent music scene since the mid-80s. An acclaimed live performer, he has toured all the continents except Antarctica and has amassed a dizzying discography as the leader of Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, andJon Spencer & the HITmakers, as well as with Boss Hog, The Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, and Taxi Girls. His collaborations include (but are not limited to) working with Steve Albini, Add N To X, Nicole Atkins, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bomb The Bass, R.L. Burnside, James Chance, Coldcut, Chuck D, Dan The Automator, Jim Dickinson, DJ Shadow,Einsturzende Neubauten, Guitar Wolf, GZA, David Holmes, Japanese Popstars, Dr. John, Calvin Johnson, Steve Jordan, Khan, Moby, Money Mark, The Muffs, The North Mississippi All Stars, Princess Superstar, Puffy AmiYumi, The Sadies, Nancy Sinatra, Solex, Solomon Burke, Speedball Baby, Rufus Thomas, UNKLE, Unloved, Andre Williams, and Bernie Worrell. His production credits include: Cheater Slicks, Demolition Doll Rods, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, Perrosky, Mike Edison, Jesper Munk, Sunshine & The Rain, The Bobby Lees, and Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton.

What we don’t have here is “Omelette Punk,” or “Country-Rawk,” or ANYTHING but stripped-down ROCK’N’ROLL from Missouri’s STILL ANIMALS. The 10 tracks on this eponymous debut are short, and to the point. In a perfect world, real kids everywhere are dancing to it on real radios while ditching real lame study hall, and they Look Kool doin’ it. This is the sound of St. Louis: the city’s lead and limestone from a dead era, revitalized, and without a lick of gentrification. A couple of the cats here picked up their axes for the first time for this band, and the others cut their teeth touring with some excellent punk and hardcore combos. “Still Animals” fully represents uncharted territory for this crew, and it sounds to Slovenly like they were born to kill in their simplicity and ineptitude. We demand they don’t get any “better” (it’s in the contract).