I met Downtown first. Me and Billy the Kid. Billy the Kid was from the East Village, Allen Street from what I understand. There are one of maybe two addresses that could have been him, depending on his father's name or something like that. His father was a veteran of the Civil War and his mother a washerwoman or girl. She was just a kid too, which does not mean you are not responsible for your actions is what she found out. The difference between a squat and an abandoned building is night [...]
Complete and utterly killer blues punk track and video by Black Mekon from Eastside, Birmingham UK. Watch | Black Mekon - Comeback Kitty
Beat Surrender's Halloween mix-tape Cat Power - Werewolf (BBC) ( buy ) Willard Grant Conspiracy -Bring the Monster Inside ( buy ) Rachel Harrington - Halloween Leaves ( buy ) Jon Langford And His Sadies - Little Vampires ( buy ) Halfway - Monster City ( buy ) Deadman - Ghost Story ( buy ) Eric Ambel -Vampire Blues ( buy ) Jolie Holland - Ghostly Girl ( buy ) Betty & The Werewolves - Werewolves ( buy ) Mekons -Big [...]
Beat Surrender's Halloween mix-tape Cat Power - Werewolf (BBC) ( buy ) Willard Grant Conspiracy -Bring the Monster Inside ( buy ) Rachel Harrington - Halloween Leaves ( buy ) Jon Langford And His Sadies - Little Vampires ( buy ) Halfway - Monster City ( buy ) Deadman - Ghost Story ( buy ) Eric Ambel -Vampire Blues ( buy ) Jolie Holland - Ghostly Girl ( buy ) Betty & The Werewolves - Werewolves ( buy ) Mekons -Big [...]
[photo courtesy of Edwina Hay ] The Mekons played two local shows this past week, and while we were not able to attend either (as we did in 2007 and again in 2009 ), friend of the site and occasional contributor neild was in the house. He reports: "To say that a Mekons performance is an odd one would seem to be redundant: For a band that has donned cowboy shirts and performed Hank Williams covers for 1980s punk crowds, collaborated with [...]
Interviewing an artist like Jon Langford of the Mekons is a definite "get" for an indie rock writer. I know this, because the day of the interview I found myself casually asking people if they had any plans in hopes they would return the question. I could then explain that Langford and his fellow musicians comprised the longest-tenured English punk rock band, and then add that they were so much more than that. I might throw in that the Mekons have inspired near-fanatic loyalty among their fellow musicians, critics, and a tight group of fans. Also worth noting is that [...]
![[soundscape] the sum of its parts](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3782440_lg.jpg)
photo: 'things without name' song: the mekons – "where were you" [stream only] ( buy ) "we are all alone, born alone, die alone, and - in spite of True Romance magazines - we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. i do not say lonely - at least, not all the time - but essentially, and finally, alone." - hunter s. thompson i remember them all. some are almost lost in a hazy dream of city lights, whiskey, [...]
Filed under: News Peter Pakvis, Redferns After more than 30 years as a band, the Mekons still have plenty say. This is true both on record -- their latest, the just-released 'Ancient & Modern,' compares our troubled present to Britain's whacked Edwardian era -- and onstage, where the post-punk lifers haven't lost the_thumbnail.gift of gab. Performing Friday (Oct. 7) at the Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Mekons were at full strength: eight [...]
The Mekons boast an impressive resumé, with 26 albums and 34 years of music-making to their name. Though their roots can be found in the first wave of British punk, their sound has evolved continuously since, gradually accumulating a distinct feel of country and Americana. With a virtually untarnished lineup (the newest member, Sarah Corina, joined in 1991), the Mekons today played a free concert at World Cafe Live to promote their new album, Ancient & Modern on Bloodshot Records. Each member of the eight piece band brought something unique to the [...]
For their 26th album, this Leeds-founded ensemble in their 34th year can look back themselves on a career from heaven to hell and back of raucous merriment and searing sorrow in their diverse, punk-folk rooted approach. This starts, the subtitle tells us, in 1911. Edwardian hopes emerge from the tinkling and creaking sounds opening "Warm Summer Sun": "Firelight and toast after I come home from playing cricket", the narrator muses. But this is no Village Green preserved from a sunny afternoon on a Kinks record. "I look out on corpses, skeleton trees" reveals the "unimaginable hell in front of [...]
tom and sally "The Mekons are the most revolutionary group in the history of Rock and Roll" - Lester Bangs Amen Lester, RIP. This is the 6th year Mekons have come to play the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in some form or other. Happily most years also include a bonus Friday night show at the awesome Swedish American Hall . No booze, but it's right on top of the Cafe du Nord where you can score some yummy food to take upstairs. The Mekons formed in Leeds in [...]
The undefinable elder statesmen of British Indie Rock, the Mekons, are back with a celebration of tradi tional song. Incorrectly dubbed a Punk band throughout their history, Ancient & Modern is an intriguing mix of European Folk and Pub Rock. Without the edge the edge that one might expect from a Mekons record, it satisfies like a comfortable pair of shoes. Read more » http://rpc.blogcatalog.com/ http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ ping
Filed under: News , Exclusive Francesca Allen In British history, the Edwardian era (1901-1919) was characterized by imperialism, wealth and contrasts between the affluent and the impoverished. For the Mekons , the era serves a reference point for their 26th and latest album, 'Ancient and Modern.' While a lot has changed since 1911, history repeats itself as far as politics and society are concerned. "The idea behind it was that, [...]
The Mekons—the notorious British-bred outfit that's been cranking out music for more than 30 years—have released a second track from their 26th record, Ancient & Modern (Sin Record Label). "Geeshie" derives its name from '30s blues singer Geeshie Wiley. Frontman Jon Langford heard and was inspired by Jeff Tweedy's version of Wiley's song "Last Kind [...]
The seminal British punk band The Mekons will be stopping by World Cafe Live for a Free At Noon concert on Friday, October 7th, prior to heading to NYC for a show at The Bell House later that night. Tickets to the show are free, but you have to RSVP—which you can do here (once tickets become available). Tickets for tomorrow's Free At Noon concert with Rachael Yamagata are still available; you can RSVP here .
As far as the quality of the individual lead singles from this week's Best New Releases, this is a great mix of fantastic tracks - the type of singles that make you want to hear the whole album. In fact, we partly put them in the order we have below to highlight the best singles. [...] Read more, get songs or stream the entire mix on Indie Rock Cafe
To celebrate today's crop of releases, here are new mp3s from Big Troubles, Dum Dum Girls, Extra Classic, Gem Club, the Gift, itsnotyouitsme, Dan Mangan, the Mekons, Pallers, Rapids!, Caitlin Rose, Southern Culture On The Skids, the Stepkids, Twin Sister, Vanish Valley, VHS Or Beta, the V-Roys, Young Man and Zechs Marquise. Also, vote for [...]
ARTIST: The SWAG Report 75 with freebie mp3 downlods for songs by St. Vincent, Way Yes, Groove Armada and more! A few more! DATE: 09-19-11 WRITER: Don Loder Hey Junky, Awright, I can't make dis long - since ol' fi' dollar Billy went onn'is honeymoon, I ben trying ta keep myself occupied an' - how wid'e say it? - "pursue other avenues." Anyway, I'm a little slower than usual [view more]
Every day, Daily Downloads offers 10 free and legal mp3 downloads, plus free and legal live sets from around the internet. Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: AZITA : "September" [mp3] from Disturbing the Air (out September 20th) search for more AZITA posts at Largehearted Boy The Beets : "Doing as I [...]
Like most bands whose members have been playing together for half of their lives, the Mekons have mellowed out as time has gone on. The rollicking punk of the English octet's earliest days has been steadily replaced with sparser compositions that invite labels including "folk-punk" and "alt-country." But the important elements of the band's sound have remained intact, including Jon Langford's quirky voice and lyrics that beam with vivid detail and LOL-inducing quips. What the Mekons have lost in energy has been made up for with their unique charm, which has never shone more brightly than during the [...]
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