The Explosion

Let's eliminate any potential confusion right off the top: The Explosion is not the Blues Explosion. Besides, the Explosion couldn't be more different from Jon Spencer's garage-rock project. This Boston five-piece digs into punk rock the way it was done in Berkeley's Gilman Street club, D.C.'s F Street club, and on the grimiest corners of Hollywood Boulevard back in the '80s. Singer Matt Hock's spirited growl has a bit of Government Issue singer John Stabb in it, while the group's tight, anthemlike blasts might remind you of Social Distortion. True to its name, the Explosion may, in fact, blow the roof off the joint.