Yesterday’s (totally justified) love letter to the Hold Steady’s Stay Positive got me thinking about the numerous Craig Finn rants on that record, especially that great line about Joe Strummer:

“Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer. I think he might’ve been our only decent teacher.”

Technically, I always thought Ian MacKaye was a better teacher—Strummer was totally the cool uncle—but there’s no point to raising a toast to the guy who pretty much invented straight-edge. Anyway, songs that mention “St. Joe” are nothing new—everyone from Powerman 5000 to General Public have written about him in the past—but few capture the fanboy respect like the Pernice Brother’s drug-happy salute to the former Clash icon, “High as a Kite.”

“We wore pictures of Strummer/Fell over ourselves all summer.”

Void of the urgency and tattered punk anthems of Strummer himself (if you want blatant style aping in your odes to the man, look no further than this song), the song is proof that his legacy stretched far from the punk landscape and touched even the most sensitive of poetic Smiths fans. In that great breathy voice Joe Pernice hazily reminisces on his Clash-soundtracked teenage years, which seem to be have been primarily spent wasting the long summer days away while getting high (as a kite). It would make for great summer listening, that is, if today wasn’t another goddamn miserable day here in Portland.

MP3:
The Pernice Brothers - High As A Kite