Is the current state of affairs getting you down? Longing for the Leave it to Beaver style good old times. Well guess what, Wally and the Beaver attended racially segregated schools and June wasn't allowed to wear pants. There were no "good old times", and unless you were Ward Clever, everything has pretty much always sucked. But never fear, through hard times comes great art, music in particular, "American" music. Indeed through our countries most shameful practices of slavery and racial segregation, came one of the greatest gifts ever given the human race. The Blues.
We've sure made a mess of that one didn't we? You'll never find me copping out with "music sucks nowadays" or "Punks Dead" nonsense, we just have to dig a little deeper for the goods and when you dig deep enough, you might just find a hidden treasure.
Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots in one of those hidden treasures, though I didn't have to dig very deep, Munly is a member of another one of my favorite bands, "Slim Cessna's Auto Club".
For anyone whose perception of country music is a power ballad singing Gap model like Kenny what’s his nuts, this album is a much needed history lesson. And for any shoe gazing, eye make-up wearing, black haired teen who thinks that Interpol epitomizes gloom, this album is also a necessity, though I'm sure Munly is unlikely to tap either the Nascar or Hot Topic market. The album is a released under Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, which has been frightening, and pissing parents off ever since I was a toddler.
Lyrically fearless and as beautiful as it is frightening, this album is the type of well-rounded and sophisticated masterpiece that is simply impossible to market to a general populace whose artistic standards seem plunge lower and lower every day. Dark acoustic "thinking mans country" with string accompaniments and hypnotic female back ups is not exactly a hip new fad in popular music, but hopefully the slowly swelling psycobilly revival will sway some young people in Munly's general direction. My man Jello knows it is important to support independent artistic innovators, as they are the ones who make all of our lives more bearable as we hopelessly long for those imagined "good old days", or pray for thier eventual arrival.
Step out of your musical comfort zone for a couple minutes and give Munly a listen... Jerk.
"Amen Corner"
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