Watch out Blink 182. This isn’t your moment, Green Day. Punk music has a new sound. It is so different than the typical that it even enters the realm of the rock/brass Boss Tones and indy-ska groups like Save Ferris. The Blue Meanies has arrived. This is no misnomer.
Their zany in your-face music style and loud lyrics leave no doubt that “Blue” has nothing to do with their mood, and it is certainly not some catchy techno beat you’ll hear in a club. That’s right, Eiffel 65! They’re such meanies.
The septet has been partying like rock stars for nearly a decade. The group is based in Chicago, and has gained infamy for the spasmodic performances on stage. Meanie’s front man, Billy Spunke, described the band as “bizzarro punk.”
Spunke sings with a megaphone and goes nuts on stage. The group has a unique sound that comes from a wide range of music. There are four guys on vocals, a saxophone and trumpet player and an organist along with your usual recipe for a rock group.
They have released at least six indy-rock albums and toured all over the world, at least where anyone will let them crash. Their most recent addition to their record archive has been Full Throttle and Pig both released under Thick Records. The Blue Meanies have been picked up by RCA Records and released its first major album The Post Wave in September.The album is a fun and varied musical montage. Spunke sounds British, giving more lean to their punk side with a B52 sound, but with attitude. Each song is different than the next.
The lyrics are tough to understand at times because they are drowned out by the musical frenzy. However, that does not mean they have nothing to say. Such songs as “All the Same,” “Big Brother’s Watching,” and “Mama Getting High on Chardonnay” all make some interesting statements. It makes you want to listen to the song again. The first listening can come off as being nothing but musical schizophrenia, but you come back for more and enjoy it more the next time.
Even though some of their songs may be serious, the mood is anything but. All of their melodies are fast, creative, varied and not too long! One of the best examples is “Creepy,” it has a weird Halloween sound that you have to listen to, to understand. Each song has its own characteristic that you would not expect to hear all in the same CD.
Further delving into their “absurd” status, according to RCA records, they have jumped into the political game running under the Anger and Fear Party for president. Seven lying presidents are better than one. They have also challenged punk brethren Green Day to a debate pie-eating contest. Politics has taken a turn for the surreal. God help us. B
