Above: Mecca Normal's new digi-single, "Ancient Fire." Illustration by Jean Smith.
Two early Mecca Normal albums, Calico Kills the Cat [KLP004] and Water Cuts My Hands [KLP008], have never been available in the digital realm. It's a real Ripley's Believe it or Not scenario - - - however, we here at the K are about to rectify this situation with digi-releases of both albums. Yay!
Mecca Normal are the Vancouver, B.C. duo of vocalist Jean Smith and guitarist David Lester who've been rocking the political and cultural left side of the fence since 1985, releasing their music via K since 1986. These two early albums from 1988 and 1991 have been available on physical formats for decades, now they will be streamable, as well.
Up first is Calico Kills the Cat [KLP004]. Recorded by Calvin Johnson and Patrick Maley at the original Yo-Yo Studio in a far Northwest corner of Olympia, Washington in one momentous day, then mixed the day after. Calico Kills the Cat has it all - - - love, murder, hate, frying pans, jealousy, prison, bullets, bonfires and a blue TV behind the Iron Curtain. Wordsmith Jean takes on the world while guitar man David rocks 'n' rolls it. Calico Kills the Cat is Mecca Normal’s second album, and first with K. Originally released in 1988, Mecca Normal describes the album on the history page on their website:
“Record Calico Kills the Cat in 2 days at Yo Yo Studios (a former chicken coop) in Olympia with Calvin Johnson. David’s favorite songs on the album: ‘One Woman’ because musically it revolves around two chords. One rises, one falls. The struggle between the two worked perfectly with the lyric content: one person's efforts for change.”
The first digi-single from Calico kills the Cat is "Ancient Fire," about which Jean Smith explains "In ancient times, a group of men sat around the fire while a woman watched from the darkness of the woods, fairly certain she knew what they were talking about."
Calico Kills the Cat [KLP004] may be digitally PRE-ORDERED from Bandcamp, and will be available on all the usual digi-plats November 15, 2024.
“Jean’s the one with ‘that voice’, a completely riveting presence that’s only more powerful when backed solely by Lester’s guitar. Zero star potential, they’d sound totally incongruous coming out of your radio, but so would Woody Guthrie, so don’t worry about it.” – Gerard Cosloy, Conflict
Above: Mecca Normal, David Lester and Jean Smith.