In the reissue of their last 7″ single, Zegota delivers a nostalgic look into the past of idealist punk rock, as well as a glimpse into the future of a subculture the band proves is anything but dead.
The self-titled single was released originally in 2005, just a month before the band decided to go on hiatus to spend more time with their families. The single, as well as its reissue, was released through Crimethinc Ex-Workers Collective. The CWC is not merely a record label but an online anarchist collective, consisting of many cells worldwide that release various forms of media from books, zines to albums and also scheduling gatherings, protests and conferences worldwide.
Many know Zegota as a flagship band in the current scene, as they were one of the first to successfully mix the basics of punk with dramatic instrumentation made famous by Slint or Mogwai. This single was reissued as the band chose to go on a reunion tour after their three-year hiatus. The elements of the record move away from what made Zegota famous and more in the direction of their roots, showing that basic, minimalist punk can survive in the post-punk scene that has immerged since the mid 1990’s.
The single, like most singles, only consists of a couple tracks. They have one original, “The Anarchist Cheerleader Song,” as well one cover on the B-side of the 7″, “Sinner Man,” á la Nina Simone. Packaged in recycled wallpaper, taped closed with scotch tape and hand-numbered, the single comes reminiscent of the D.I.Y. culture Zegota professed throughout their musical careers.
The first song, “The Anarchist Cheerleader Song,” is of the typical late 80’s hardcore style, reminiscent of bands like “Minor Threat.” It’s fast, it’s angry, and it gets its point across. The lyrics as well are typical of the classic 80’s punk, as they start a few seconds in: “Went out to the streets to see what we could do, the capitalists had their cups of tea and the fascists were there too.” As far as this song goes, it is an honest reflection of what punk once was, even as far as the chorus, as it states: “A, give me an A.” The “A,” of coarse, being for anarchy, as the song may prove to be overly typical and cliché for those who wish this era of punk had stayed, and died, in the past.
The B-side, a cover of Nina Simone’s “Sinner Man,” is a praiseworthy track as well. Starting off in a very classic tone, the song eventually erupts into a fast-paced track that soon descends into the loose instrumentation that made the band famous. Finally it returns back to the song, ending serenely with a sense of completion, not only to the single but also to the bands career.
When they re-released this single, it was not to make money, but more in an effort to reunite with each other as friends and do what they love doing. Since the bands Hiatus, three out of the four members have moved out of their North Carolina homes to new homes, one moving to the UK and the other two moving to Sweden. The reissue is important to those that did not get it the first time around, and to those that like to reflect on the past of the culture. But, more importantly, the reissue was for the four musicians that make up Zegota, releasing their last work again as they nostalgically reunited for one last hoorah, touring the world and doing what they love doing with the people they love best.
This 7″ single, while two songs long, should be proof enough to anybody that punks not dead, but instead that it is alive in those that believe in it and let it live through their actions and ideals.