Mekons - "Lawrence of California"

Photo by Ricky Malpas

Mekons are one of the more interesting bands I need to fully explore. Depending on who you ask and what period of their forty year career you're talking about, they can be described as punk, post punk, cowpunk, alternative, and even folk. Their latest single, "Lawrence of California," can be called all of that. It's a romping, rollicking song that just plows ahead. It never quite breaks out into the all out fracas it threatens to, but that's perfectly fine. It's probably too country to be punk and too punk to be country, existing in its very own world. I don't think I could even call this outlaw country, which is the category this kind of music gets shuffled into. It just has too many noisy and strange elements. Instead, it's just the Mekons.

You can watch the video for "Lawrence of California" below. Deserted, the new album from Mekons, will be out March 29 on Bloodshot Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Mekons, check out their Facebook. Current tour dates are below the video, and include an interesting Green River Festival sized hole in July, so we can hope and dream.

April 2 – Newport, United Kingdom –  Le Public Space Newport
April 3 – Leeds, United Kingdom – Brudenell Social Club 
April 4 –  Brighton, United Kingdom – Patterns 
April 5 – London, United Kingdom – 100 Club 
April 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Cinetol
April 7 – Berlin, Germany – Music & Frieden
April 8 – Hamburg, Germany – Hafenklang
April 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Alice
April 10 – Frankfurt, Germany – Mousonturm 
April 11 – Linz, Austria – Stwst Stadtwerkstatt
April 12 – Vienna, Austria – Chelsea
April 13 – Reutlingen, Germany – Franz.K 
April 14 – Bad Salgau, Germany – Franziskaner 
July 14 – Chicago, IL, United States – Hideout 
July 15 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 
July 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol Entrance Space 
July 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
July 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg 
July 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room 
July 23 – Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Library 
July 24 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel 
July 25 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern