Amsterdam Throwdown, King Street Showdown! (Solex vs. Cristina Martinez & Jon Spencer)

iTunes Review

No one enjoys turning music inside out more than Jon Spencer (with Pussy Galore, Heavy Trash and his Blues Explosion) and Solex’s Elisabeth Esselink. Throw in Boss Hog’s Cristina Martinez, who always delivered the tough rock riff and you’ve got a trio made for tearing up the streets and the studio. Samples work their way into the uneasy funk and the genres melt as the trio finds ways to mess around with whatever expectations might be relevant. “Galaxy Man” sprints towards the future, while “R Is for Ring-a-Ding” jams hip-hop rhythms underneath a bucolic flute solo. “Dog Hit” twists a flute with the deepest grungy-blues guitar they can find. “Too Much, Too Fast” picks up the breezier end. “Dirty” sounds like a stalker walking down the alley in a film noir B-movie. Many additional musicians add to the crazy mix that often sounds like it’s been hijacked by a malicious bystander who’s determined to check out what each button and knob can do. It’s a true adventure in Hi and Lo-Fi.