KatJonBand
KatJonBand
(Carrot Top, 2008)

If you were wondering when the next Evens record was coming out, even if only because the days we live in simply beg for one, maybe you should take a breath and consider listening to KatJonBand instead. Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina just welcomed their first child into the world this past May, so it might be awhile before they tackle writing and recording. And besides, Kat and Jon of the KatJonBand have invariably had untold influence over MacKaye’s strict moral code (rather than vice versa), so you’d only be sacrificing insomuch that you’d be conceding to the musical forefathers of fiery ideology.

Kat Ex of the almighty Ex from the Netherlands and Jon Langford of the almighty Mekons from Britain have both been rooted in staunchly, politically-driven punk since the late ’70s. And both bands/musicians have maintained relevance by continuing to experiment with sounds from world folk music to minimalist country to avant art rock. Kat and Jon bring those disparate sounds together here on their debut self-titled album for a barebones, politically ardent statement that continues on in the grand tradition of their pioneering fundamentals of lo-fi, experimental punk.

That these two musicians haven’t already done something together previous to this might be the only surprising fact about their debut. The Ex and the Mekons have an intertwining history to the extent that Langford produced several Ex albums. It’s not surprising (at least to me) that they’ve created a record that is seamlessly equal in the duo’s individual contributions, which begets an effort uniquely their own—a powerful one that invigorates with its palpable urgency. For musicians that have been at it for the better part of three decades, it’s not surprising that they’d find a creative and fresh way to marry all of their disparate sounds; Kat’s clear voice, world influences, and polyrhythmic drumming comes together in perfect unison with Jon’s gravel-growl of a voice and his punk/country/British folk-inflected sound, which is all hinged on songs about (not surprisingly) class, greed, globalization, the Iraq War, etc. It’s a tough record, but also fun. Okay, my bad, that is surprising… that these two musicians can keep finding new, interesting ways to deliver the same basic messages without the pathetic feeling of longing for a time already gone by. I can’t name many other musicians who’ve done the same, especially ones that made their name in the realm of punk (aside from Joe Strummer, that is).

The record starts off with “Do You?”, and showcases the duo at their best. The uptempo song is infused with a stark message about Iraq: “I love it / Do you? / I’ll leave it / When I’m through / You break it / You buy / Your country / Bye bye.” Slowing down the pace quite nicely with shimmering, sparse guitars and drums that follow suit into “Albion”, the oldest known name of the isle of Great Britain, is basically a Celtic ode modernized into a tune about greed. “Machine Gun & the Ugly Doll”, has an immediate punk rock meets Spaghetti Western vibe with such biting lyrics on patriotism as, “Slaughterhouse governors / Heroes of darkness,” while “Conquered” takes a more indifferent approach to betrayal that is a no less potent message: “Colonial power struggled for hours / I was distracted when you conquered me.” “Bad Apples” takes a serious, almost hypnotic tone with Kat singing from the perspective of a soldier that’s “walking a thin line between survival and shame.”

There is one brief pause from the serious political matters at the core of this record for a countrified love ballad called “Hey You Don’t Love Me”, which is quite a pretty tune seeing Kat and Jon harmonizing, even if it does still channel the central theme of betrayal and disgrace that graces each song on KatJonBand. The album closes off with “Red Flag” and starts off informed by Gang of Four, building intensity for each stanza with chugging guitars and traipsing drums.

Even though it’s been talked about, real change hasn’t infiltrated the White House yet, and daily headlines aren’t getting any better either. In fact, they are actually worse as of late. And for these heady, anxiety-induced times, we have a new meaningful record about it all to set us straight. Kat Ex and Jon Langford have made careers out of reporting political wrongdoings from a place that’s always maintained a fresh and powerful message for the past 30 odd years. Here we are, and so it goes…

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

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The Smoke-Filled Room: Ian MacKaye Still Burning Too

The Mekons: Three Decades Outside the Mainstream

Album review: Mekons, Natural