Me First & the Gimme Gimmes punk-ify the classics

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:58:00 GMT

Musical parody...such a fine art. Back in the day, I was a big "Weird Al" Yankovic fan ("It's all about the Pentiums, baby!"). There are also bands that take well-known music and reinterpret it: some of my favs include Hayseed Dixie (they play AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, etc. as bluegrass!), Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine (90s-00s rock as lounge music), and the String Quartet Tribute series (Dylan, Clapton, Evanescence, Eagles, Rolling Stones).

My favorite parody band is, hands down, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes. On their albums, they take a wide variety of popular tunes and turn em into blazing punk rock songs. That probably doesn't sound too appealing...but you'd be pleasantly surprised. They are masters of their craft, creating a catchy, brilliant mix of new and old...nothing beats hearing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" with blaring power chords, a constant bassline, and driving toms with double-kick on the drums!

Below I'll list the albums the EVPL has, the particular theme, as well as highlights from each album.

Are A Drag
1999
Showtunes!

This album features covers of beloved showtunes, including "Over the Rainbow", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Favorite Things", and "Rainbow Connection". I'm not that big of a showtunes fan (surprising, right?), but I love their interpretations of the songs I do know!

Blow in the Wind
2001
60s songs

Covers of songs from the 60s, including "Blowin' in the Wind", "Sloop John B.", "Elenor", "Stand by Your Man", and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

Take a Break
2003
R&B songs

An amazing collection of classic R&B songs, punkified. Highlights include "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", "Hello", "Ain't No Sunshine", "I Believe I Can Fly", and "Nothing Compares 2 U". A couple songs mash-up other songs with brilliant results: their cover of "I'll Be There" incorporates parts of The Cars' "Just What I Needed".

Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah
2004

This album doesn't have a "theme", per se, as it's a compilation of awesome tracks they performed live at...you guessed it, Jonny's Bar Mitzvah. This album features covers of "Stairway to Heaven", "Come Sail Away", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "The Longest Time", "On My Mind", and "Take It on the Run". Between the tracks, there's also lots of hilarious banter.

Love Their Country
2006
Country

I am not a fan of country music (I was subjected to it by my dad & sis when I was young), so I find this particular album hilarious! Check out "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Desperado", "Jolene", "On the Road Again", and "East Bound & Down" to hear these songs rock like you've never heard them before!

The Gimmes are brilliantly hilarious, as well as being excellent musicians, so I highly recommend checking them out!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check availability of albums by Me First & the Gimme Gimmes at EVPL libraries.
DailyMotion: Watch the Gimmes perform "Take it on the Run" live on Last Call with Carson Daly.
Amazon.com: Use this link to purchase their albums at Amazon, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase!

Conor Oberst's Mexican Getaway

HoodooVoodoo@evpl — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:28:00 GMT

I've never listened to a Bright Eyes album before. This revelation usually comes as a surprise to most of my friends who know my musical tastes. However, for some reason I decided to give Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) a shot. Maybe it was the fact that Conor used his real name for the album, I don't know and it doesn't matter, but what matters is that this album is very good.

Singer/songwriter types are usually hit or miss for me. Bob Dylan for example is my musical hero but artists like Jackson Browne or James Taylor just don't do it for me. I'm a big fan of Ryan Adams (although that is souring), Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Mason Jennings, and Steve Earle, but not Paul Simon or Jack Johnson. It's a fine line with me, but this album has struck that nerve.

Conor Oberst, using his birth name for the first time, gathered a group of musicans he called the Mystic Valley Band and headed down to Mexico to record the album. The album itself has some references to Mexico in it but the music has more a country-rock feel. There are a few melodic slow songs and some raucous bar beauties in this twelve collection. I recommend this album to anyone who enjoys good music, because that's what it is. Good music has no catergory or label, it's just good and so is this album. Check it out or reserve your copy today.

"Souled Out" off Conor Oberst's new self titled album:

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Music Blog : country-rock

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes punk-ify the classics

Conor Oberst's Mexican Getaway