Aren’t familiar with Mekons? Well, you may be in the majority, even among punk historians—and that’s a damn shame. It’s one thing when an artist isn’t heralded for having made an indelible imprint on music in their time (Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, and Sixto Rodríguez come to mind), but it’s even more of an injustice when a dozen-plus still-active musicians broke ground decades ago and never got their just desserts, despite some of them even going on to achieve impressive solo careers in their own right. If only Scorsese had made a documentary about Mekons as he did with The Band, they might be considered alt-country royalty.
Mekons were formed in Leeds in 1976 as a rock band and art collective, and they’re still kicking today. They were cowpunk before cowpunk existed, and there’s a case to be made that they even blazed the trail for post-punk, as they formed in the same year as Gang of Four and Wire. Mekons never broke up and thus don’t have the stereotypical rise-and-fall-and-rise-again trajectory that neatly fits the Behind the Music formula. The decentralized group has even retained its core members over the duration of its career. However, even when they were on prominent indie labels like Bloodshot and Touch and Go Records spinoff Quarterstick—and, eyebrow-raisingly, major labels Virgin and A&M—they weren’t just the odd men out, they were (and continue to be) odd ducks who have more in common with Pere Ubu and The Residents than Shipping News and Old 97’s.
But with all that said, there are undeniable perks when the limelight is allergic to a band. Groups that go it alone often reap the benefits of more creative freedom; just look at Pere Ubu and The Residents, who are in many respects peers of Mekons, and who practically have ultimate artistic control. Now at the ripe age of 50, Mekons not only haven’t lost sight of that perk but are continuing to use it to their full advantage. Last April, Mekons slipped out a fairly under-the-radar album called Horror that they’ve since reworked as Horrorble (Mekons vs. Tony Maimone in Dub Conference). By remixing Horror songs in dub fashion, Pere Ubu’s Maimone effectively turns all 12 tracks inside-out, and as a result we can appreciate the release in a whole new light.
The near-spoken-word number “Private Defense Contractor” is a standout here, as are the catchy “You’re Not Singing Anymore” and the melancholic “A Horse Has Escaped.” Sally Timms’ singing sounds even brighter on this version of “Sanctuary,” while opener “Before the Ice Age” sounds more ethereal this time around; meanwhile, “War Economy” and “Mudcrawlers” retain their nimble peppiness. In an irony of all ironies, Maimone’s work is so true to the spirit of Mekons that he should be endowed as an honorary member—or at least receive an honorary degree at Mekons U.
