Song Of The Day 5/2/2015: Newtown Neurotics – “When the Oil Runs Out”

General Punk Week: See? You see how quick punk weeks go? That’s why they’re one of my fallback genres. The others are new age and sherpa calls. Seven days later, with minimal effort from me, and we’ve finished a whole block of punk songs that teeter on the edge of relevance. This is why they pay me the big bitcoins. In fact I’m not even typing this now; I’m just throwing a dictionary at my laptop and letting auto-correct fill this whole thing out.

The Newtown Neurotics were the inspiration of Steve Drewett, still very much around, still maintaining a fierce political commitment after 35+ years. Yes, yes, I realize the hair's not standard-issue in the video, but your expectations are meaningless. They’re playing later this month at the Voodoo Club in Belfast if you happen to be in Northern Ireland. (You’re probably not though. We ran the numbers trying to figure out which country gives this blog the most page views aside from the U.S.A., and it’s not an English-speaking country. But more on that in a couple of months, hint hint.) Les Neurotiques got scads of attention in 1982, very understandably, with their rib-tickler “Kick Out the Tories,” backed by the great raver “Mindless Violence.” One of their earliest songs, and the one I’m most inclined to feature because it still has some drop of relevance in these confusing times, is “When the Oil Runs Out.” Listen closely, you’ll learn a great deal.

All right, that’s enough punk. Time to dig out my chaise lounge, put it on the roof, crank up the Kenneth Gorelick, roust up a pitcher of Rikers Island Ice Tea and lob spitballs at the auto repair shop across the street. Tomorrow, something else.