The Mekons
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The Mekons are a rollicking, anarchic and inventive punk rock/post punk band. Formed by Leeds University art students Jon Langford and Tom Greenhalgh in 1977, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk bands (being rivaled in both categories only by The Fall).
They first gained widepread popularity with the single "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 in the vein of fellow Leeds students Gang of Four. Yet Langford and Greenhalgh never hewed closely to formulaic genre conventions, and by the mid-80s (now augmented by vocalist Sally Timms and violinist Susie Honeyman) they began to experiment with musical styles derived from traditional folk and country. 1985's Fear and Whiskey and 1987's Honky Tonkin exemplified the band's unique new sound, which blended punk ethos with the minimalist country of Hank Williams. This style, sometimes referred to as "post-modern country", is a direct forerunner of the alt-country genre represented by bands like Uncle Tupelo. Subsequent albums such as The Mekons Rock'n'Roll, while containing several straightforward rock songs, continued to explore the boundaries of the punk genre by utilizing diverse instrumentation (notably the fiddle and slide guitar) and Timm's haunting vocals.
The Mekons Rock and Roll is probably the best introduction to the band, since it is an accessible synthesis of their country, punk and rock aspects. The band continues to tour under an altered lineup, and has a highly devoted following.