In the '90s, few NYC punk bands were as sleazy and bluesy and profane and funky as Boss Hog. You hear stories about confrontational live shows and the husband and wife's contentious stage personas. It was dangerous rock 'n' roll.
Boss Hog hung it up in 2000 so Jon Spencer could pursue music full-time in Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Cristina Martinez could raise their child. But now that their son is full grown, Boss Hog is back. Brood X, the band's first album in 17 years, picks up where Spencer and Martinez left off, but with a dark and apocalyptic drive.
On the LP's lead single, "Shh Shh Shh," Martinez's vocal gyrations are coated in nervous anticipation, and director Aaron C. Lazar's video for the song picks up on that mysterious vibe. The band (including bassist Jens Jurgensen, drummer Hollis Queens and keyboardist Mickey Finn) investigates a mass murder through creepy halls and barely lit rooms.
"'Sh Sh Sh' is a voyage into the id," Martinez tells NPR. "An adventure in free association. Many of the songs on Brood X deal with moments of struggle or growth. We are always searching for a better way, a better self. Here you'll see Boss Hog searching through the darkness in true Scooby-Doo fashion."
Brood X is out now on In The Red.
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