Jon Spencer is sick of people pointing fingers -- saying he doesn't have a right to play the music he does, calling him a racist, attacking him for where he grew up, where he went to college and what his father does for a living.

Regardless, Spencer's been delivering the goods this year. For one, he polished off ACME, a down 'n' dirty rock record that hit the streets on Oct. 21. More importantly, he and his wife, Boss Hog frontwoman Christina Martinez, brought little Charley Spencer into the world, a child far too young to understand the splendor of his gene pool.

Spencer also landed himself in the Rolling Stone blues issue, alongside such greats as Muddy Waters and Keith Richards, an honor which spurred the paranoia that resulted in the new single "Talk About the Blues." The song finds Spencer answering his critics with the lines, "I ain't singing the blues/I sing rock & roll."

Nonetheless, the song is the catchiest cut off the album, and the video may have the winning ticket that sends the Blues Explosion into MTVs Buzz Bin: Winona Ryder doing a mean Spencer impersonation. From the tousled hair to the bulging eyes to slapping the ground while on all fours, Hollywood's favorite waif goes all out in the name of rock & roll.

But the man who's known to go all-out himself has surprisingly side-stepped the limelight with ACME. With less theatrical songs, fewer trademark yelps and a handful of unexpected fatherhood references, America's favorite new rock & roll daddy says "it was time to shit or get off the pot."

Was the song "Talk About the Blues" intended to blast Rolling Stone for classifying you as a blues artist, or was it just to clarify it?

The song is more of a reaction to the criticism the band received over the past couple of years. People accusing us of being racist or a lot of bad stuff. I was thrilled to death to be a part of the blues issue. I just got so nervous about being interviewed because I'd caught so much flak about being in a band called the Blues Explosion. And the interview was fine. Then a couple of days later I was in the studio and that came out as an improv. So, maybe I'm blasting Rolling Stone a little bit. The blues issue and that interview was the hook because it was a recent event. More than anything it was just a statement of intent.

How has this criticism affected you?

It was stuff that I didn't agree with, and it was very upsetting to me. I'm afraid to take a step now because of people calling me all sorts of names and the worst is the race stuff and it's fucked up. It goes to show that rock & roll is still dangerous. Maybe people get confused or upset by the Blues Explosion because it's kind of funny, kind of crazy and it's out there. But it's also dangerous music because rock & roll is the thing that broke down the barriers between races and between classes.

So you don't agree that you have to be a homegrown Southern boy to play the blues?

Fuck no, why? It's music, not agriculture. Then why is f---ing Mick Jagger embraced? I have no problem with Mick Jagger or the Rolling Stones, it's just that English people playing blues music are held up as heroes by the American press, but we're fucking taken to the cleaners for it. We're American, if anything it should be more than okay, that's our culture. I think what we do is very true to ourselves. And, yes, the Blues Explosion is influenced by blues, but we're also influenced by rap, soul, punk and country. There's lots of different influences, but the thing that drives the band -- and that is the heart of it -- is rock & roll.

Was it your idea to cast Winona Ryder as yourself in the new video "Talk About the Blues," and what did you think of her impersonation?

It was my idea to have actors portraying the band, but I didn't cast Winona Ryder. She knew the director, Evan Bernard. I think it turned out great. It's kind of difficult for me to watch anybody pretending to be me. She did a good job. I think she's a fan of the band and I hope she likes the Blues Explosion (laughs). I've never met her. The actors were filmed in Los Angeles and the Blues Explosion was filmed in New York City.

How has your life changed now that you're a dad?

In some ways I've given up my life. It may sound kind of grim, but I don't mean it that way. I'm just trying to convey such a complete and total change, or at least it was for me. It's forced me to confront a lot of things about who I am or where I'm from. In a lot of ways, some things I know about, some things I'm still not sure about or I'm still figuring out or I don't really understand. I do think it was a huge influence on me for this record, much more than any music that I listen to.

And so does Jon Spencer change diapers? Are you totally involved?

Yeah, it's been more than a year since we've been touring much, and I've been home raising a baby. My wife and I are the ones doing it. I did an interview with a Japanese woman and she couldn't believe that I was changing diapers. My wife and I wanted to have a child and so, along with that, there comes a lot to do, a lot of responsibility. And not all of it's fun and happy stuff, there's some things that are very, very scary, but I'm very happy.

What are your thoughts on the accusations that your showiness and theatrical vibe takes away from the music?

I took a step back on the songs that are on the record. They're not as theatrical or goofy. And live, people didn't come there to see me get up in a T-shirt and stand there looking at my feet. There's a way that I think rock & roll should be and that's what the Blues Explosion is all about. It's not just the record, it's the show as well. I think you need to have a little sparkle, a little something special. You're up on stage. Some people might bitch about it, but most people want somebody up there bigger than life.

LIZA GHORBANI
(October 29, 1998)