The Dead Milkmen - "The Sun Turns Our Patio Into a Lifeless Hell"

The Dead Milkmen have released a new video for their song "The Sun Turns Our Patio Into a Lifeless Hell." The song is inspired by an infomercial Rodney Anonymous saw depicting how awful your life can be without a patio awning. The video was inspired by old silent German expressionist films and features all the creepy baby doll heads you could possibly want. It's all the perfect blend of humor, trippy abstraction, punk, and humor that categorizes the best of The Dead Milkmen. 

You can watch the video below. If you happen to be in either Baltimore, MD or Lancaster, PA, you can see them next weekend at Metro Gallery or Chameleon Club respectively. And in case you haven't, go to their website for more info and order their album on Amazon (the cd format is currently on sale for $9.00!).

The Dead Milkmen - Pretty Music For Pretty People

We're now two albums into the resurgence of The Dead Milkmen, and the band still hasn't slowed down. Most punk bands from the 80s and 90s started watering down their sound, becoming more and more mellow and generic. Happily, The Dead Milkmen still sound like The Dead Milkmen. It's almost like they didn't go away, they were just paused for a decade or so before coming back.

Somehow they still seem just as angry as ever. It could be because so many of the same issues they sang about 25 years ago are still relevant. A song like "Right Wing Pigeons" from 1985's Big Lizard in My Backyard still has some of the same themes as "Welcome to Undertown," 29 years later. They even still get to take shots at Ronald Reagan in "Ronald Reagan Killed the Black Dahlia."

It's not all politics that The Dead Milkmen rage against on their new album. "Pretty Music For Pretty People" criticizes today's pop (and rock) stars who don't seem capable or interested in making music that stands for anything besides being something for the pretty people to mindlessly enjoy. "The Great Boston Molasses Flood" remembers one of the more obscure but important historical events from last century and also name checks The Dresden Dolls. "Now I Wanna Hold Your Dog" might be the heaviest thing they've ever recorded. And it wouldn't be a true Dead Milkmen album without truly bizarre songs like "The Sun Turns Our Patio Into a Lifeless Hell."

For anyone worried Pretty Music For Pretty People will tarnish the legacy of The Dead Milkmen, don't be. This could have come out anytime during their entire first run. I can't wait to see what comes next.

For more information, and to order Pretty Music For Pretty People, head over to the band's website. They currently only have two tour dates coming up (10/25 Metro Gallery in Baltimore, MD and 10/26 at Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA) but have promised more, hopefully soon.

Monday Mix: Favorite Dead Milkmen Songs That Aren't "Punk Rock Girl"

With tomorrow's release of the new Dead Milkmen album, Pretty Music For Pretty People, I wanted to explore their catalog a bit. Now, everyone knows "Punk Rock Girl," even those that have no idea who The Dead Milkmen are, which is why it's off this list. I'm in no way saying these are their best songs, but these are my personal favorite songs. I wanted to include some of their more obscure offerings, including their attempts at major label stardom. Of course, since Metaphysical Graffiti isn't on Spotify, this can't be a complete list. Hopefully this helps prepare you for tomorrow's fantastic new release!

The Dead Milkmen - "Make It Witchy"

The Dead Milkmen have released a 2nd song of their forthcoming (and fantastic) album Pretty Music For Pretty People. "Make It Witchy" is a synth-heavy punk song that leans very heavily on Rodney Anonymous' trademark snarl. It sounds like a lost song from the Bucky Fellini sessions. You can listen to it below, and while you're at it you can preorder Pretty Music For Pretty People at Amazon, and check out the Dead Milkmen's official website.

The Dead Milkmen - "Pretty Music For Pretty People"

Next month there's a new album from the Dead Milkmen coming out, and they just released the first song from it, the title track "Pretty Music For Pretty People." It's a typical rambling happy sounding upbeat punk song with angry, evil lyrics. In other words, it's the best type of Dead Milkmen song. It's a diatribe against the fluffy, meaningless popular music that means absolutely nothing that wins awards. The type of music that is more about how pretty the musician is than anything meaningful, and is meant to be enjoyed for being... well, pretty. It's more bitter and angry than almost anything so-called punks in their 20s have come out with for years.

Pretty Music For Pretty People is due to come out on 10/7. You can pre-order it now on Amazon. You can also check out their website for more info and tour dates. I'm sure we'll be all over any Dead Milkmen news as soon as it becomes available.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #10: The Dead Milkmen - "Welcome to Undertown"

I probably would have ranked this higher on the list, but it's supposed to be albums and this is a three song single, so #10 it is! Instead of following up 2011's unbelievably great The King in Yellow with another album, the Dead Milkmen opted to release four 7" singles throughout 2012 and 2013. The most recent, "Welcome to Undertown," is my favorite of the batch.

The beauty of the Dead Milkmen's return to recording is how well the songs hold up when compared to their previous work. A lot of punk/alternative bands' new material sticks out completely during a live show. Back in April when I saw the Dead Milkmen, I completely forgot that "William Bloat" wasn't on one of their classic albums. Their new material is just that good. The single "Welcome to Undertown" is written from the perspective of an angry gun owner and fits right in with their classic gun themed anthems ("Right Wing Pigeons," "If I Had a Gun," etc.). It always seems bizarre to me that a band can sing about political issues 25-30 years ago and then sing about the same issues now, but I digress. "The Sun Turns Our Patio Into a Lifeless Hell" might just be the angriest song about middle age of all time. It also has a killer noisy guitar solo you wouldn't normally associate with the Milkmen. It's odd that this particular release is all Rodney Anonymous without a Dean Clean song. That's more of an observation than a complaint. 

For more information on the Dead Milkmen, head over to their website. You can stream "Welcome to Undertown" below via Soundcloud.

ShiSho - The Sisters EP

Normally I try to avoid copying a band’s description directly from their bio and have an original thought, but this one is just perfect: “If They Might Be Giants and Kimya Dawson had baby daughters whom they powdered regularly with Joe Jack Talcum, they'd grow up to be ShiSho.”

Hailing from Akron, Ohio (home of Lebron James and The Black Keys) ShiSho are real life sisters (Vivian and Midge Ramone), aged 16 and 13. They’ve been recording together for 9 years. Yeah, I know. I want to hate them. I really do. But they are just too damn good. At first their songs are adorable and cutesy girly pop with accordion, guitar, and ukulele. “The Dead Milkmen Song (featuring The Dead Milkmen)” consists mostly of lyrics from Dead Milkmen songs, which immediately makes your own children seem inferior. Oh, and the Dead Milkmen play on the song. “Shrouded in Silence” captures adolescent angst and awkwardness perfectly, probably because they’re in the midst of it. Sure, they’re literally children, which is kind of odd. But they have the seal of approval from both Dr. Demento and The Dead Milkmen, and do you really need anything more?

You can get a copy of The Sisters EP on Bandcamp where you can name your own price. You can also check out ShiSho’s website here, and below if the video for “It’s Coming to Get You (The Evil Clown Song).”

The Dead Milkmen - "Dark Clouds Over Middlemarch," "Big Words Make the Baby Jesus Cry," & "The Great Boston Molasses Flood"

Starting last year, The Dead Milkmen started following up their 2011 comeback album by releasing 7” singles, available for both download and as a physical record. The first one to be released was “Dark Clouds Over Middlemarch.” The B-Side is “Ronald Reagan Killed the Black Dahlia,” a song implicating Ronald Reagan in the Black Dahlia murder. Both songs feature Rodney Anonymous at the top of his game. Most punk bands from the 80s/90s tend to have mellowed out with age and even at their most rocking, their new material is almost easy listening compared to their original output. Apparently the secret is to take 16 years off. Rodney just sounds like he’s been festering since 1995, just waiting to get his chance to attack mainstream American culture and politics. There is also a digital bonus track (all vinyl copies come with a download code for both tracks and a bonus song, as well) of a cover of ROME’s “Little Rebel Mine” as a duet with Audrey Crash.

The second single, “Big Words Make the Baby Jesus Cry,” mellows out a little bit while attacking religion and the right wing refusal to accept science and facts. It’s a throwback to such Milkmen classics as “Right Wing Pigeons.” The b-side, “Somewhere Over Antarctica,” is a trippy Joe Jack Talcum song along the lines of “Dean’s Dream.” 

Most recently, The Dead Milkmen have released “The Great Boston Molasses Flood,” which is one of my personal favorite obscure historical events (read more about the subject material here). “The Great Boston Molasses Flood” is a much more noisy and experimental song, while somehow being the most straightforward rock song in any of the 3 singles. Written from the perspective of a victim of the disaster, Rodney even finds a way to name check The Dresden Dolls, his favorite Boston band. “Now I Wanna Hold Your Dog” is an obvious reference to The Stooges, and is one of the loudest, most rockin’ Milkmen songs in existence. The bonus song, “Anthropology Days,” feels like the most standard Milkmen song in the collection.

You can preview all 9 songs on The Dead Milkmen’s storefront and website. You can also purchase them through Amazon, but why not give the money directly to a decent, American artist, like The Dead Milkmen?