My NTS
Live now
1
London
14:00 - 16:00

Minus Kendal trods the outer reaches foraging for aural morsels, slinging you a monthly smorgasbord of sultry sonix from trenchcoat folk to silicone synthwave.

2
New York
13:00 - 15:00

There's an old Brian Eno quote that is inevitably referenced when talking about the Velvet Underground - something along the lines of "They only sold 30,000 copies of their first album, but everyone who bought the album started a band". It's slightly inaccurate (they sold a lot more copies), but the message is clear: few bands have had such an outsized, potent, and wide reaching effect on the musicians that followed in their footsteps. Their stubborn desire to continually approach songwriting from the left field, and continuous sonic reinvention reverberated for decades, influencing punk, post-punk, art rock, ambient music, even notably influencing real political revolution in Czechoslovakia. Two hours of The Velvets' best, selected and mixed by Claire Rousay.

Mecca Normal

Mecca Normal

Mecca Normal has been played on NTS shows including Yesterday's News, with What About The Boy? first played on 25 November 2021.

Mecca Normal is an influential two-piece indie rock band from Vancouver, Canada. Formed by Jean Smith and David Lester in 1984, Mecca Normal is considered one of the archetypal, pioneering leaders of the riot grrrl movement. Smith writes lyrics and sings in a style that is often confrontational and laced with feminist themes; Lester's melodic yet dissonant guitar swirls and loops around her vocals. Merging the personal with the political in their songs and art-related activism, they helped define the sound and spirit of the early diy / indie rock / riot grrrl movement alongside bands such as Beat Happening and Bikini Kill. Indeed, they are perhaps the only band to have full-length releases on three of the largest indie labels of the 90s: K Records, Kill Rock Stars and Matador Records. They also had a 7" single released by Sub Pop. In the 80s they formed their own record label, Smarten Up!, which later merged with Lester's small press publishing company Get To The Point to form Smarten Up! And Get To The Point. Both Smith and Lester have authored their own books. Smith also formed 2 Foot Flame with Peter Jefferies and Michael Morley (Dead C). The band released two LPs on Matador Records, 1995's self-titled LP, and 1997's Ultra Drowning.

2010: Magnet Magazine online posts a new illustration by David Lester every Saturday with a free Mecca Normal mp3. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events in his band's 26 year history, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.

2010: Mecca Normal releases two new songs in the fall of 2010 on a K Records 7" -- available now as a K Singles Zip Pak with Special Apps: Malachi -- Inspired Agitators poster by David Lester -- suitable for printing -- video: Recording at Dub Narcotic Studio with Calvin Johnson, Intro to Malachi video.

read more

Mecca Normal

Mecca Normal has been played on NTS shows including Yesterday's News, with What About The Boy? first played on 25 November 2021.

Mecca Normal is an influential two-piece indie rock band from Vancouver, Canada. Formed by Jean Smith and David Lester in 1984, Mecca Normal is considered one of the archetypal, pioneering leaders of the riot grrrl movement. Smith writes lyrics and sings in a style that is often confrontational and laced with feminist themes; Lester's melodic yet dissonant guitar swirls and loops around her vocals. Merging the personal with the political in their songs and art-related activism, they helped define the sound and spirit of the early diy / indie rock / riot grrrl movement alongside bands such as Beat Happening and Bikini Kill. Indeed, they are perhaps the only band to have full-length releases on three of the largest indie labels of the 90s: K Records, Kill Rock Stars and Matador Records. They also had a 7" single released by Sub Pop. In the 80s they formed their own record label, Smarten Up!, which later merged with Lester's small press publishing company Get To The Point to form Smarten Up! And Get To The Point. Both Smith and Lester have authored their own books. Smith also formed 2 Foot Flame with Peter Jefferies and Michael Morley (Dead C). The band released two LPs on Matador Records, 1995's self-titled LP, and 1997's Ultra Drowning.

2010: Magnet Magazine online posts a new illustration by David Lester every Saturday with a free Mecca Normal mp3. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events in his band's 26 year history, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.

2010: Mecca Normal releases two new songs in the fall of 2010 on a K Records 7" -- available now as a K Singles Zip Pak with Special Apps: Malachi -- Inspired Agitators poster by David Lester -- suitable for printing -- video: Recording at Dub Narcotic Studio with Calvin Johnson, Intro to Malachi video.

Original source Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

I Walk Alone
Mecca Normal
Smarten Up! Records1986
What About The Boy?
Mecca Normal
Kill Rock Stars2002