Chivalrous Amoekons - Fanatic Voyage LP

Sea Note and Palace Records join forces to welcome Chivalrous Amoekons to our rowdy collective stable! Here we have one of the hottest road-leathered bands in recent memory, laying it all on the line for a joyous Fanatic Voyage to the center of the never-ending enigma of The Mekons. Pouring out from the bars of the opening number, the soulful strut of “Curse” makes us realize that we are in the hands of a fiendish and indomitable force — but ain’t we always been? Once upon a long time ago, The Mekons shot through the sprawl of the British punk scene and soon thereafter, found themselves born again to rock and roll to their roots. Once they’d found how to play it that way (with a sharp-quilled approach to the writing), their songs of politics made personal, outraged satire served both wet and dry and heartstruck humanity hit many listeners right between the ears, landing the kind of blow that only the most essential rock music can. Their anomaly has evolved over four decades and eighteen albums (with a new release coming on Bloodshot in September!), but those entranced listeners aren’t yet ready to back down on their claim. Bonny ‘Prince’ Billy’s Will Oldham is one such listener. In fact, the guys in the office next door to us first heard him singing a song called “For the Mekons, et al” in the company of the Palace Brothers back in 1992, and that right there was enough to get the ball rolling. The Mekons inspired an optimism in this young man that accepted the course of all paths and all fates in life, so long as they could be righteous. And the path from there has never been less than that. In those early days of Brothers, Songs and Music, the third Palace single featured a fine-toothed rendition of Sally Timms’ “Horses.” Some years later, Bonny himself performed at The Mekons’ 30th anniversary shows at The Mutiny in Chicago, filling in for Tom Greenhalgh in true deputy style. But all this wasn’t enough — nor were the thousand nights of bellowing along with the stereo. Something more needed doing; a bellowing all-Mekons blowout with a kick-ass band, squint-eyed and gnarled fist in the air! Equipped with a variety of voices, Bonnie’s band of 2012 was ideally suited to the multi-headed attack of The Mekons, and literally prepared too — they were packing a whole set of whole set of Mekons material in addition to the extensive Bonny catalog and, in the midst of a European tour, dropped it on an unsuspecting audience in Zurich! Is it this that accounts for the high spirits, thick-bottomed rock ’n‘ roll and fleet-footed country style on display here? Or is it that the songs of The Mekons simply rock? Fanatic Voyage was mixed in homage to Lou Reed’s Street Hassle , removing all aspects of the live event beyond the musical performance. Bitchin Bajas’ Cooper Crain was brought in to commit this execution; his deft edits allow the band their breathless frenzy while leaving no trace of what must surely have been an gobsmacked Swiss crowd. Featuring the playing and singing of Ben Boye, Van Campbell, Danny Kiely, Emmett “The Cairo Gang” Kelly, Angel Olsen and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Fanatic Voyage is an exquisite tribute not just to The Mekons, but to the spirit and image of rock and roll, the rights of the righteous man and to time, that great elevator and annihilator, from which we will always have much to learn. In the spirit as well of The Mekons to pay forward to the next generation with all efforts, proceeds from the sale of these recordings will go to Roots of Music in New Orleans, Louisiana, whose work empowers local youth through music education, academic support and mentorship, while preserving and promoting the unique music and cultural heritage of their city, which has transformed so many lives already. Oh there was a day that heroes walked the earth. It was today. Come on the Fanatic voyage, and learn what you should know!