The Mekons (band)
Encyclopedia
The Mekons are a British
rock
band. Formed in the late 1970s, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock
bands.
art students : Jon Langford
, Kevin Lycett, Mark White, Andy Corrigan and Tom Greenhalgh
- the Gang of Four
and Delta 5
formed from the same group of students. They took the band's name from the Mekon
, an evil
, super-intelligent Venus
ian featured in the British 1950s-1960s comic Dan Dare
(printed in the Eagle
). The band's first single was "Never Been in a Riot", a satirical
take on the Clash
's White Riot
. For several years the loose-knit band played noisy, bare-bones post-punk
, releasing singles on a variety of labels. The Mekons' first album, The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen, was recorded using the Gang of Four
's instruments, and due to an error by the Virgin Records
art department, featured pictures of the Gang of Four on the back cover. After 1982's The Mekons Story, a compilation of old recordings, the band ceased activity for a while, with Langford forming The Three Johns
.
By the mid-1980s (revitalised by the 1984 miners' strike) the Mekons had returned as an active group. The band was now augmented by vocalist Sally Timms
, violinist Susie Honeyman, ex-Damned member Lu Edmonds, accordionist/vocalist Rico Bell
(a.k.a. Eric Bellis), and former The Rumour
drummer Steve Goulding
, among others. They began to experiment with musical styles derived from traditional English folk
(tentatively explored on the English Dancing Master EP
prior to the hiatus), and American country music
. Fear and Whiskey (1985), The Edge of the World (1986) and Honky Tonkin (1987) exemplified the band's new sound, which built on the innovations of Gram Parsons
and blended punk ethos and left wing politics with the minimalist
country of Hank Williams. Subsequent albums, such as The Mekons Rock'n'Roll, continued to experiment with diverse instrumentation (notably the fiddle
and slide guitar
).
The Mekons Rock and Roll was the band's first major label release. Issued by A&M Records
in 1989, Rock and Roll was not a commercial success, but it was met with critical acclaim.
Just as the Mekons began to grow in critical stature, their relationship with A&M Records became tense, and the Mekons were soon dropped by the label, unable to fulfill their commercial expectations. However, they continued to record at a prolific rate, releasing such notable albums as 1991's The Curse of the Mekons, 2000's Journey to the End of the Night, and 2002's OOOH!. Natural moved the band to a more folk-flavoured sound. In April 2009 the Mekons returned to the studio to complete a new collection of songs, released in 2011 as Ancient and Modern on Bloodshot Records
.
Jon Langford has been busy as an artist and as founder of several solo and band projects, including the Waco Brothers (a punk-meets-Johnny Cash
-like ensemble) and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts
(exploring the music of Bob Wills
, Johnny Cash and others). Besides his solo albums he has released CDs with Richard Buckner
, Kevin Coyne
, The Sadies
, Kat Ex (Katherina Bornefeld) of The Ex (band).
The band has toured and recorded with a mostly unaltered lineup (Langford, Greenhalgh, Timms, Goulding, Bell, Edmonds, Honeyman, and bassist Sarah Corina
) throughout the 1990s and early 21st century, and has a highly devoted following.
In a September 2010 interview, Jon Langford revealed that new Mekons album called Ancient & Modern has been recorded and that the band will tour the United States in 2011.
In a February 2011 interview, Langford discussed the music documentary about the band, Revenge of the Mekons, directed by Joe Angio and tentatively scheduled for release in late 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band. Formed in the late 1970s, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands.
History
The band was formed in 1977 by a group of University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
art students : Jon Langford
Jon Langford
Jon Langford born October 11, 1957, Newport, Monmouthshire is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is presently based in Chicago. He is the younger brother of science-fiction author and critic David Langford...
, Kevin Lycett, Mark White, Andy Corrigan and Tom Greenhalgh
Tom Greenhalgh
Thomas Charles Greenhalgh is a multimedia artist and singer-songwriter best known for his work with the Mekons.-Education:...
- the Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
and Delta 5
Delta 5
-Career:The original members of Delta 5, Julz Sale , Ros Allen and Bethan Peters , formed the band "on a lark", but soon became a part of the thriving Leeds post-punk scene, and later added Kelvin Knight on drums and Alan Riggs on guitar...
formed from the same group of students. They took the band's name from the Mekon
The Mekon
The Mekon is the arch-enemy of the British comic book hero Dan Dare, first appearing in 1950 in the Eagle comic strip Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future and created by Frank Hampson. Apart from Dan Dare himself, he is the only character to appear in every one of the numerous versions of the comic strip...
, an evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, super-intelligent Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
ian featured in the British 1950s-1960s comic Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
(printed in the Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
). The band's first single was "Never Been in a Riot", a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
take on the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's White Riot
White Riot
"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band's first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version , and a different version on the UK album...
. For several years the loose-knit band played noisy, bare-bones post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, releasing singles on a variety of labels. The Mekons' first album, The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen, was recorded using the Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
's instruments, and due to an error by the Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
art department, featured pictures of the Gang of Four on the back cover. After 1982's The Mekons Story, a compilation of old recordings, the band ceased activity for a while, with Langford forming The Three Johns
The Three Johns
The Three Johns were a Post Punk/Indie Rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds originally consisting of The Mekons co-founder, Jon Langford as well as John Hyatt and Phillip "John" Brennan , augmented by a drum machine.-History:...
.
By the mid-1980s (revitalised by the 1984 miners' strike) the Mekons had returned as an active group. The band was now augmented by vocalist Sally Timms
Sally Timms
Sally Timms is an English singer and songwriter. Timms is best known for her long involvement with the Mekons whom she joined in 1985....
, violinist Susie Honeyman, ex-Damned member Lu Edmonds, accordionist/vocalist Rico Bell
Rico Bell
Rico Bell is a UK and California based artist and musician best known for his work as a member of the British punk rock band the Mekons which he joined in 1983...
(a.k.a. Eric Bellis), and former The Rumour
The Rumour
The Rumour were a British rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour...
drummer Steve Goulding
Steve Goulding
Steve Goulding is an English drummer, best known for his memberships with Graham Parker and The Rumour, The Associates, Poi Dog Pondering and The Mekons. With the Associates he had a UK #9 hit single with "Party Fears Two"...
, among others. They began to experiment with musical styles derived from traditional English folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
(tentatively explored on the English Dancing Master EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
prior to the hiatus), and American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. Fear and Whiskey (1985), The Edge of the World (1986) and Honky Tonkin (1987) exemplified the band's new sound, which built on the innovations of Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
and blended punk ethos and left wing politics with the minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
country of Hank Williams. Subsequent albums, such as The Mekons Rock'n'Roll, continued to experiment with diverse instrumentation (notably the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
).
The Mekons Rock and Roll was the band's first major label release. Issued by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in 1989, Rock and Roll was not a commercial success, but it was met with critical acclaim.
Just as the Mekons began to grow in critical stature, their relationship with A&M Records became tense, and the Mekons were soon dropped by the label, unable to fulfill their commercial expectations. However, they continued to record at a prolific rate, releasing such notable albums as 1991's The Curse of the Mekons, 2000's Journey to the End of the Night, and 2002's OOOH!. Natural moved the band to a more folk-flavoured sound. In April 2009 the Mekons returned to the studio to complete a new collection of songs, released in 2011 as Ancient and Modern on Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois which specializes in roots-inflected indie rock, punk blues, and a Chicago brand of outlaw country...
.
Jon Langford has been busy as an artist and as founder of several solo and band projects, including the Waco Brothers (a punk-meets-Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
-like ensemble) and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Pine Valley Cosmonauts
-History:The group was initiated by Jon Langford as a covers group, with a constantly shifting repertory and cast of backing members. The name was first used for Langford's 1995 album of Johnny Cash cover songs...
(exploring the music of Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
, Johnny Cash and others). Besides his solo albums he has released CDs with Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner is an American singer-songwriter born in California. After living in Edmonton, Alberta for a number of years, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY...
, Kevin Coyne
Kevin Coyne
Kevin Coyne was a musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star" was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, UK, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004....
, The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
, Kat Ex (Katherina Bornefeld) of The Ex (band).
The band has toured and recorded with a mostly unaltered lineup (Langford, Greenhalgh, Timms, Goulding, Bell, Edmonds, Honeyman, and bassist Sarah Corina
Sarah Corina
Sarah Corina is a bass guitarist and founder member of bands The Bomb Party, Die Cheerleader and .She is currently the bassist for The Mekons and is writing and recording a solo album under the name .-References:...
) throughout the 1990s and early 21st century, and has a highly devoted following.
In a September 2010 interview, Jon Langford revealed that new Mekons album called Ancient & Modern has been recorded and that the band will tour the United States in 2011.
In a February 2011 interview, Langford discussed the music documentary about the band, Revenge of the Mekons, directed by Joe Angio and tentatively scheduled for release in late 2011.
Albums
- 1979 – The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen (LPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
) - 1980 - The Mekons [aka Devils Rats and Piggies a Special Message from Godzilla] (re-released in 1997)
- 1982 - The Mekons Story (re-released in 1986)
- 1985 - Fear and WhiskeyFear and WhiskeyFear and Whiskey is a 1985 album by Mekons, which marked their return from a several-year hiatus. It is credited as being the first alternative country album, as it blends the bands previously-established punk rock style with a country & western sound. The album was initially released by Sin...
(re-released in 2002) - 1986 - Edge of the World (re-released in 1996)
- 1987 - The Mekons Honky Tonkin
- 1988 - So Good It Hurts
- 1989 - The Mekons Rock'n'Roll (re-released in 2000)
- 1991 - The Curse of the Mekons
- 1993 - I ♥ Mekons
- 1994 - Retreat from Memphis
- 1996 - Pussy, King of the Pirates (with Kathy AckerKathy AckerKathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer. She was strongly influenced by the Black Mountain School, William S...
) - 1998 - Me
- 2000 - Journey to the End of the Night
- 2002 - Oooh! (Out of Our Heads)
- 2004 - Punk Rock
- 2007 - NaturalNatural (The Mekons album)Natural is an album by The Mekons. It was released on August 21, 2007 by Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "Dark Dark Dark" – 4:57# "Dickie Chalkie and Nobby" – 3:05# "The Old Fox" – 3:50# "White Stone Door" – 3:58...
- 2011 - Ancient and Modern
EPs
- 1986 - Slightly South of the Border
- 1986 - Crime and Punishmnet
- 1989 - The Dream and Lie of...
- 1990 - Fun '90
- 1992 - Wicked Midnite
- 1993 - Millionaire
Singles
- "Never Been In A Riot" b/w "32 Weeks" and "Heart & Soul" (FAST 1Fast ProductFast Product was an independent record label, established in Edinburgh by Bob Last in December 1977. Its first release was also the first single by the Mekons, released on 20 January 1978....
Jan. 1978) - "Where Were You?" b/w "I'll Have To Dance Then (On My Own)" (FAST 7Fast ProductFast Product was an independent record label, established in Edinburgh by Bob Last in December 1977. Its first release was also the first single by the Mekons, released on 20 January 1978....
1978) - "Work All Week" b/w "Unknown Wrecks" (VS300Virgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
1979) - "Teeth" b/w "Guardian" and "Kill" b/w "Stay Cool" (VirginVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
double 7" - 1980) - "This Sporting Life" b/w Frustration" (CNT1 1986)
- "Hello Cruel World" b/w "Alone & Forsaken" (Sin004 1986)
- "Ghosts of American Astronauts" (Twin/Tone 1988)
- "Untitled 1" b/w "Untitled 2" (qs31Quarterstick Records-Artists:*Bad Livers*Calexico*DK3*Dead Child*June of 44*Kepone*The Mekons*Mi Ami*Peter Móren *Mule*Naked Raygun*Tara Jane O'Neil*Pegboy*Phono-Comb*Rachel's*Rodan*Henry Rollins*Shipping News*Sholi*The Sonora Pine*Therapy?...
1995)
Compilations
- 1980 -- Mutant Pop (PVC/Jem), a US reissue of various early Fast ProductFast ProductFast Product was an independent record label, established in Edinburgh by Bob Last in December 1977. Its first release was also the first single by the Mekons, released on 20 January 1978....
singles, including the Mekons first 7", Never Been in a Riot b/w 32 Weeks, as well as Where Were You?, both first released in 1978. - 1986 - The Mekons Story (re-released in 1993/2008)
- 1987 - New York (re-released in 1990/2001)
- 1989 - Original Sin (Fear & Whiskey with bonus tracks)
- 1999 - I Have Been to Heaven and Back
- 1999 - Where were you? Hen's Teeth and other lost fragments of unpopular culture Vol. 2
- 2001 - The Curse of the Mekons/Fun '90 (combined reissue)
- 2004 - Heaven & Hell (The Very Best of the Mekons)
External links
- http://www.mekons.de/mekonhom.htm - Official fan-run website with discography
- http://www.wacobrothers.com/ - Homepage of the Waco Brothers
- http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/ - BloodshotBloodshot RecordsBloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois which specializes in roots-inflected indie rock, punk blues, and a Chicago brand of outlaw country...
-site, a record label where many members of the Mekons release their material (Sally Timms, Jon Langford, Rico Bell) / side projects (Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Waco Brothers) - An interview with the Mekons - Stay Free! magazine
- The Mekons collection on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive