One Year Ago Today

real unemployment is 1 out of every 5 amercans and no one cares

nobody in government is gonna do shit about it.  the nation is corroding one life at a time.  this bullshit is yet another inanity killing all of us slowly. 

mittens gets kicked

the one thing you can say about the horrible fucking teabagger bigot assholes: they're simple in every possible sense.

stupid sparkles in texas

if you are feeling a flat and lifeless and some vibrant idiocy will perk you up like an overdose of cialis, well, jeebus has answered your prayers.  nothing says dumb like texas dumb.  everything is bigger in texas, especially the stupid.  don't fuck with texas.  duh. 

mekons!!!

2 days, 2 mekons shows in new york city.  it was hot as fuck at the bell house and packed with a crowd that mostly appeared to be hipster douchebag assholes and their parents in about equal numbers.  unfortunately, i was stone cold sober as i had to walk back to park slope where my car was parked and drive back home afterwards, so unlike the mercury lounge show in 09, i was not completely shouty-sweaty drunk.

they played many of the songs off the new album, and they fit in well with the 35 years of mekons material.  the album itself is also very enjoyable and works nicely as a concept album.  the rockinest song on the album, 'space in your face' was played in 2009 at the show i saw and probably rocked a tiny bit harder this year.

one thing that really stands out is how tight and good they are now.  all eight of the mekons were there, so with 6 singers, a crazy-looking lu edmonds playing his electric saz the whole show, suzy on violin and tom in attendance, it was a amazing performance.  steve and sarah are now an unflappable and powerful rhythm section, and even though you could hardly see her behind jon and sally, her bass was pulsing and dominant in old-timey rock 'n roll tradition.  it was great to have tom with 'em; a little less lead singing for rico, and none for lu this time, but the vocals were awesome all around.  at times tom looked a little lost, but the mekons really are better with him even if he's a boring old family man and working guy now.