It’s safe to say there is no band quite like the Mekons. Formed in Leeds, England, in 1977 in the art-school scene that birthed their friends Gang of Four, the Mekons had no idea what they were doing, and maybe still don’t—and that’s the best thing about them.

Their earliest interest was punk, the then-new genre that welcomed their leftist ideas and notable lack of musical skill. While their peers were spitting and snarling out their anger onstage, the Mekons grinned about the same angry subjects with unpretentious intellectualism and egalitarian charm.

One of their earliest press photos shows more of their friends than actual band members; one of their earliest songs, “Never Been in a Riot,” is a perfectly smirking, ramshackle retort to the Clash single “White Riot.”

Nearly 40 years and several missed record-label opportunities later, the Mekons are not famous. But no matter, the band—still made up of a good portion of the original members—continue to enjoy each other's company and the act of making music for the sake of making music.

As their interests evolved, their music shifted from punk to avant-garde to folk to country to alternative rock and beyond, through some 18 albums (I know what you’re thinking, but an above-average number of these records are very good).

If you’re not already in the cult of Mekon, Revenge of the Mekons invites you in with a firsthand view of the truly alternative: making music without traditional expectations, persevering without traditional ego. recommended