Mecca Normal profile picture

Mecca Normal

we will, we will try to rock you, try to rock you

About Me


June 23, 2008
Working on new songs.
Songs in the player are mostly about my experiences online dating. "I'll Call You" is what a guy, not all guys, might write in their profile if he were being truthful.

Mecca Normal began in 1984. We have released 13 CDs on KIll Rock Stars, Matador, K Records, Smarten UP! Records
"The most visionary of punk's political bands, Mecca Normal see things in a different light. Because their tactics are more evocative than provocative, the Vancouver, Canada, duo hasn't gotten as much attention as its fans and colleagues in Fugazi and Bikini Kill. But through seven albums over nine years, vocalist Jean Smith and guitarist David Lester have presented a consistent, evolving and luminous challenge to the reigning social order." – Rolling Stone, 1995
Jean Smtih and David Lester began Mecca Normal in 1984.
Janis Zeppelin is the twelfth CD -- early recordings, covers, experimental pieces and a long version of In January -- Janis Zeppelin is on Smarten Up! Records.
..
1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. Ain't Goin' Out That Door
3. I Went Away For A While (1984)
4. It's Called Rock 'n Roll (1984)
5. In January (21 min)
6. I Don't Need To Hold Your Hand
7. Pocket Of Scribbly Gums
8. This Is My Summer Vacation
9. I Don't Get It
10. Don't Look In The Mirror
11. War Between the Neighbours
12. Elemental Steamer
Mecca Normal is paradoxically intuitive and highly stylized. Smith is an extraordinary rock poet delivering compact short stories from her next book. Lester's adventurous guitar playing creates a sonic equivalent to Smith's voice -- a language all his own.
"Arguably the greatest rock band without a rhythm section ever, the duo of acid-voiced singer Jean Smith and guitar hero David Lester must be seen to be believed." Douglas Wolk
Click here to buy the NEW CD
Attraction is Ephemeral
I'll Call You
The Caribou and The Oil Pipeline
Buy The Observer -- CD
The Observer -- iTunes
Buy CDs, books, posters, post cards, paintings, and t-shirts directly from Mecca Normal -- we accept PayPal.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/31/2004
Band Website: mecca_normal.tripod.com
Band Members: Jean Smith deals with lyrics and vocals. David Lester plays the guitar. On "The Observer" CD Jean also plays piano, keyboard, synth, guitars, percussion and sax.

Influences: Au Pairs, Stiff Little Fingers, Phil Ochs, abstract painters, non-rhyming poets, smiling strangers, well-wishers, whale watchers, trades people, librarians, touring bands, behind-the-scenesters, Poison Girls, Gang of Four, X-Ray Spex, The Clash, The Jam, PiL, UT, Buzzcocks, Joy Division, Scrawl, beat happening, Chris Knox, Can, The Slits, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Sun Ra, Pere Ubu, Young Marble Giants, feedtime, Fugazi, Minor Threat, Tall Dwarfs, The Velvet Underground, The Clean, Raincoats, The Stooges, Shoplifting, Wax Mannequin, Swearing at Motorists, Al Green, Rolling Stones, Lester Young, Meredith Monk, Jimmy Cliff, Ry Cooder, Pretenders, Neil Young, CCR, Yo La Tengo, Xiu Xiu, Robert Johnson, Van Morrison, Eno, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Joni Mitchell, Nina Hagen, friends and colleagues.
Sounds Like: (same as above)
Record Label: Kill Rock Stars
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Lenny Kaye review

Jean Smith -- Solo CD (KIll Rock Stars, 2000)   "I have not been able to get beyond your solo album, play it over and again...truly mesmerizing, full of undulation and atmosphere.  No idea t...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:50:00 PST

mailbox

from: Peter JacobsonWrecks Viva RadioWednesdays @ 11 AMSundays @ 10 AM Hi there! I just wanted to get in touch because I was talking about Mecca Normal recently in a little interview on the ...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:20:00 PST

mailbox

Can you tell me more about how art and music can change the world? Art, music and writing -- poetry, literature -- have a long history of informing, inspiring and raising awareness of important socia...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:16:00 PST

Live in Olympia

Live in Olympia, WA on May 3, 2008. Recorded by J. Free of Sonic Archives. The debut of "Malachi" -- if you don't count Second Life.    ...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Wed, 21 May 2008 10:30:00 PST

going to the store in drizzle

          ...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Wed, 14 May 2008 11:59:00 PST

found online

mecca normal: "forlorn" bw "he didn't say" -- one of my favorite punk bands. no kidding. jean smith is the female equivalent of henry rollins to me. -- Terrainus Shogunate blog, 2008   Mix tape b...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Wed, 14 May 2008 05:05:00 PST

NPR -- Monitor Mix

Monitor Mix -- NPR     Dynamic Duos   This past weekend I saw two duos perform. One was Tim and Eric of Tim and Eric Awsome Show and the other was Mecca Normal. In a completely differe...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Thu, 08 May 2008 07:21:00 PST

the weekend

We played the song 'Malachi' three times over the weekend to about 250 people. Calvin of K Records it's the best song we've ever written. It'll be 25 years for Mecca Normal in 2009 -- so that's a lot ...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Tue, 06 May 2008 07:50:00 PST

mailbox

I saw you many years ago in Olympia WA. To this day is one of the most impressive live performances I have ever seen. I haven't seen you since. I think it was in the late 1380's that I saw you. ******...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:56:00 PST

Malachi

Chicago, November 2006 -- Malachi Ritscher lit himself on fire to protest the war in Iraq. Malachi was part of the thriving jazz scene in Chicago -- he recorded live shows. Chicago, November 2002 -- M...
Posted by Mecca Normal on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:27:00 PST