On April 10, the guys will be playing a one-off at Manchester University in England.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion embody the “either you love them or hate them” expression, sometimes bridging both poles simultaneously. After serving time as the lead in Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer left and hooked up with Judah Bauer and Russell Simins to create the “scuzz-blues” trio.

While their name implies they’d be a serious blues band, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion tend to defy and at the same time embrace the cliché aspects of blues music; thus the love-hate relationship fans and critics share in regards to the band. Are they a serious blues band, or do they mock the convention?

Their early sound was a mesh of distortion, both on the music front and vocally as well. Over time, their sound tightened up and they began to branch out of their cult status and touch the mainstream vein, all the while dividing critics and fans on the group’s true musical identity.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion have put out nine consecutive albums – averaging one per year. Their last, Xtra Acme USA, was a collection of B-sides from 1998’s Acme. That has become somewhat of a trend with the group, as Mo’ Width followed Extra Width, and Experimental Remixes followed Orange before that.