Drawing inspiration from the political satire of Devo, the unorthodox humour of Frank Zappa, and the rebellious spirit of The Damned, Boston’s Feeney Vix sets loose a blazing political critique titled “Spot The Neanderthal.” This infectious fusion of new wave and punk strikes a chord as an anthem, deftly skewering the troubled state of affairs within the United States government. The song points a scathing finger particularly at human rights infractions and the turbulent quagmire of the Supreme Court.
“The so-called Neanderthal could be any of these power-hungry politicians and or judges, who seek to destroy equality and autonomy,” says the band.
In the self-produced visual companion piece, Feeney Vix is garbed in costumes referencing the 1960s British cult series The Prisoner as they engage in a perilous round of Russian roulette. Vix plays the role of a grimly fiendish dystopian Vanna White, as they gleefully spin the Wheel of Fortune.
The Prisoner encapsulates the struggle of an ex-secret agent who’s trapped in a mysterious seaside village after resigning from his post. The series explores themes of individuality, freedom, surveillance, and manipulative governance, as the protagonist, known only as Number Six, resists attempts to extract his knowledge and conform him to societal norms.
Drawing a parallel with today’s political unrest, The Prisoner’s themes resonate profoundly. The growing encroachment on personal freedoms, the spiraling surveillance culture, and polarized societies wrestling with issues of conformity mirror the allegorical Village’s oppressive regime. The insidious quest to decipher ‘why Number Six resigned’ mirrors attempts to control narratives, enforce loyalty and silence dissent in our world, making The Prisoner as relevant today as it was at its inception.
Back to the 21st century and the message behind “Spot The Neanderthal”: the United States is currently in the throes of a troubling legislative assault aimed at throttling the life breath of intellectual liberty. This right-wing siege has the potential to thrust our custodians of knowledge into a scorching battleground, where they risk harsh punishments inclusive of prolonged imprisonment and astronomical fines, all for the simple act of enlightening young minds. This assault against intellectualism is, in fact, a desire to throw the country into a dark age, one that is oppressed, perpetually terrified…and easily manipulated. This behaviour is, some assert, that of the Neanderthal, seeing life in black and white terms of morality…and those who do not fall in line must be tamed or destroyed.
The game Feeney Vix play in the video and describe in the song is a poetic stand-in for the cyclical dance of elections. It’s a cryptic game of power shuffle, punctuated with an uneasy question hanging in the air: Who will ascend the throne, and what new wave of havoc will their reign unleash?
With these neanderthals in power, everyone loses.
The track was mastered by multiple Grammy nominee, Chris Gehringer, of Sterling Sound.
Feeney Vix is the formidable duo of electronic rock recording artist, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Jenn Vix, and Feeney, of Boston, who have teamed up to create compelling post-punk music pulling from their storied backgrounds with luminaries of the music scene. Vix dances in a solitary symphony, yet her performance has been enriched by the harmonic brushstrokes of famed band members who once shared the stage with luminaries like David Bowie, The Cure, the Psychedelic Furs, Vernon Reid, and a constellation of other musical legends. Vix appears on a myriad of albums, a trilogy of EPs, and a string of soulful singles, all contributing to her resounding oeuvre.
Feeney’s musical journey has meandered through several band collaborations as well as intimate solo explorations, all rooted in the vibrant music scene of Boston, MA. His fingers have danced on the guitar strings under the tutelage of Roger Miller (Mission of Burma).
Their first EP, “ORANGE is the color of OUR DISCONTENT” was released on October 16, 2020. Their second release was “Dummies,” released in November 2022.
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