"Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything)" (1987)
"Punk Rock Girl" (1988)
"Smokin' Banana Peels" (1988)
"Punk Rock Girl" is a song by American rock band the Dead Milkmen. It was the first single released from the band's fourth album Beelzebubba (1988). Released in December 1988, the track was primarily composed by guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro and bassist Dave Schulthise, though it is credited to all four band members. The idea behind the song was to create a punk rocknursery rhyme; as such, it is a simple love song, written from the perspective of a sheltered boy dreaming of a rowdy, delinquent girlfriend. Lyrically, it depicts the duo bonding over record-shopping and eating pizza.
The song was recorded with producer Brian Beattie in Austin, Texas. In addition to the band's normal lineup, the song also incorporates an accordion. Beattie hoped to emulate the quality of the quartet's original demo, by ensuring the guitar solo seemed stifled or imperfect. "Punk Rock Girl" makes several pop culture references, from comedian Minnie Pearl to musicians Mojo Nixon and the Beach Boys. It mentions several locations in the band's hometown of Philadelphia, including the counter-culture shop Zipperhead.
The track was the group's biggest commercial hit; it peaked at number eleven on Billboard'sModern Rock Tracks chart, the band's only such entry on the charts. Its music video was a surprise success when it was picked up by MTV, where it became a staple of the era. The song has been considered one of the first pop punk hits, as well as a breakthrough for the comedy rock genre. "Punk Rock Girl" remains the band's best-known song, and has been covered by numerous artists and licensed for a variety of media. The song is the namesake of a stage musical by Joe Iconis that first premiered in January 2022.
Background
"Punk Rock Girl" was written several years prior to its recording, primarily by Genaro and Schulthise. Genaro had just graduated from Temple University and was working in its library when a musician friend spoke about wanting to write a punk rock-inflected nursery rhyme. Using this as his basis melodically, Genaro wrote much of the song but stalled when running out of words that rhymed with "girl". He enlisted the assistance of Schulthise, who contributed a reference to comedian Minnie Pearl, as well as the word "beau". The two were uncertain it would fit within the Dead Milkmen's catalogue, and took to performing it within a side project they called Ornamental Wigwam. They received positive responses from audiences, who suggested they share it with their main band, though it took them several years to do so.[1]
"Punk Rock Girl" has alternately been described as a pop punk[2] and comedy rock song.[3] The story of the song is penned from the perspective of a character who is not interested in punk rock music, only a punk rock girlfriend.[1] Genaro describes the protagonist as a "middle of the road" kid who just wants to "walk on the wild side".[4] In the song, the narrator meets the titular girl one Saturday evening, and launches "into a series of boredom-avoiding, punk-themed adventures with her".[3] The song references several locations from the band's hometown of Philadelphia: the couple meet at Zipperhead, a legendary counterculture clothing store in the city.[5] From there, they venture to the Philadelphia Pizza Company, a real-life pizza shop open at the time of the song's release.[6] When the waitress explains they only serve iced tea over hot tea, the duo hop onto the table and rebel, crying out "anarchy".[3] Steve Huey of AllMusic observes that Genaro's vocals are often "spoken-more-than-sung, stream-of-consciousness lyrical rants".[3]
The song also makes reference to psychobilly musician Mojo Nixon, whose albums the couple search for a record store, to no avail.[7] It also mentions the rock band the Beach Boys. Their cover of "California Dreamin'", which the song references, was released in 1986.[8] Genaro's concept was that the protagonist of the song–a sheltered, conservative kid–might not know the original version and mistake the Beach Boys' cover for the original.[4] As the song progresses, the listener discovers the punk-rock girlfriend drives a stolen car and may possibly be the daughter of the Vice President of the United States (at the time of the single's popularity, Dan Quayle).[3] The song concludes with the quartet finding increasingly creative ways to rhyme words with "girl", including "Duke of Earl", "Minnie Pearl", and "fudge banana swirl".[3][9]
Recording and production
Eventually, the song was recorded for the band's fourth album, Beelzebubba (1988). It was produced by friend Brian Beattie, and recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas. The group had forged a friendship with the producer over the years, having hosted each other when performing in the band's hometown of Philadelphia, and in Texas, where Beattie resided. They had previously worked with the producer on their last album, Bucky Fellini (1987). The album was recorded over the period of a month, during which the group rented a home with a pool, which made them "[feel] like rock stars." The album was largely recorded live in the studio's main tracking room, with vocals overdubbed in one week later. Mike Stewart engineered the sessions, and was credited as the album's co-producer.[1]
Beattie suggested incorporating an accordion in the song, and lent Genaro one to learn how to use over the course of a weekend. He only improved at the instrument enough to play the melody with his right hand, and Beattie overdubbed the left-handed part himself. The final piece of recording was double-tracking the full-band chorus at the song's conclusion. Beattie found the effect amusing, comparing it to the Sherman Brothers' song "It's a Small World".[1] For Genaro's guitar solo, Beattie attempted to capture Genaro's original demo track, which was poorly-recorded. To achieve an imperfect sound, Beattie pushed the compression on the mix using a 1176 Peak Limiter.[1]
Music video
The music video was partially filmed at Eastern State Penitentiary, an abandoned prison seen here in 2009.
The "gritty" and "low-budget"[10] music video was partially filmed at the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.[11] Parts of the video were filmed at Zipperhead, "a popular counterculture store on Philly's South Street" which is mentioned in the song.[12] It was directed by Adam Bernstein.[13][14]
The video was first added to MTV's rotation the week it reached its peak position on the Billboard charts;[15] peaking at number one on the channel's Dial MTVrequest list.[16] Several years later, the song saw a resurgence in popularity when it was featured in a segment of MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-Head, in which the titular duo criticized the band's lax attitude and numerous mistakes and Butt-Head noted on seeing the video's conclusion where the eponymous woman and a band member steal a man's car and drive away "a real punk rock girl would eat this guy alive".[17] MTV included the video among its annual yearbook of videos from 1988 on its website, calling it among the "biggest, best, most memorable music videos".[10]
Commercial performance and reception
"Punk Rock Girl" was first issued as a 7" single in the U.S. by Engima in December 1988.[18] It debuted on Billboard'sModern Rock Tracks chart on January 7, 1989 at position 27;[19] it spent ten weeks on the chart,[20] peaking at number eleven on February 4, 1989.[21] It was issued as a single in the UK with cover art, illustrated by artist Melissa Bell, on February 13, 1989.[22] To promote the single, the band guested on Club MTV with host Downtown Julie Brown, a show typically relegated for dance artists. The channel demanded the quartet lip-sync their taped performance, and to agree, the band got MTV to agree to some conditions: a tuba for Linderman, an oversized drum kit that Sabatino ends up playing little of, and more. The band viewed the opportunity as a joke, and still found it "hilarious" years later.[23]
Jason Heller wrote about the song in a 2012 piece for The A.V. Club examining classic singles. He called it "a classic pop song: well crafted, well played, well produced, and impeccably infectious." Heller praised the tune as "rife with smart, subversive flourishes: The asthmatic accordion. Genaro's strangulated un-solo. And some sly, mischievous runs from founding bassist Dave "Blood" Schulthise."[12] AllMusic's Ned Raggett, reviewing Beelzebubba, singled out the song for praise, calling it "near-perfect" and commenting, "Sprightly and catchy, it mixes the unexpectedly tender, sweet side of the band with the usual drawling humor."[24] The song has been covered by MxPx,[25]Ben Gibbard,[26]Diesel Boy,[27] and Streetlight Manifesto.[28]
Zipperhead, the iconic punk clothing shop in Philadelphia's South Street district referenced in the song
"Punk Rock Girl" was one of the first punk rock crossover hits, and balances between the genre's early days and its poppier, more mainstream interpretation.[30] The Dead Milkmen were among the first artists to gain attention playing this more melodic strain of punk, like fellow genre pioneers NOFX and Green Day. However, Genaro declined to be considered part of the "pop punk" scene; in a 2015 interview, he stated he "[doesn't] really think that we fit into that genre. I don't know what genre that we fit into".[30] The band's impact on later musicians, specifically through the wide popularity of "Punk Rock Girl", is evident. MXPX covered the song in 2009 on their album On the Cover II. Tom DeLonge, guitarist for Blink-182, recalls that his first concert was the Dead Milkmen and mentions "Punk Rock Girl" fondly in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2019.[31] Steve Huey of AllMusic writes that the single was "one of the first comedy rock songs from the alternative world to break through to a wider audience; in that sense, it prefigured the post-grunge breakthrough of a wave of quirky collegiate comedy bands".[3]
For the Milkmen, this newfound spotlight was fleeting and not to their liking. The label pushed Genaro to write more songs to feature his solo vocals, to capitalize on the success of the single, but the group refused.[23] Their follow-up album, Metaphysical Graffiti (1990), received a divided response from fans and critics, and stalled the band's momentum.[32] After the band broke up in 1995,[33] the band members got day jobs but continued to occasionally pursue music part-time.[10] Since 2008, the Milkmen have recorded two new albums and have continued to tour; "Punk Rock Girl" remains the band's best-known song.[4]
The song is also the namesake and title track of a stage musical by Joe Iconis, which had been in development in 2018 and 2019.[34] It premiered on-stage at the Argyle Theatre in Long Island, New York during January 22 through February 27, 2022.[35]
The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman, guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro, bassist Dave Schulthise and drummer Dean Sabatino.
From Here to Infirmary is the third studio album by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio. It was their first album for Vagrant and their only album with Mike Felumlee, who replaced their previous drummer, Glenn Porter. When Felumlee left the band shortly after the album's release, Atom Willard filled in on tour and appeared in the music video for "Private Eye", before Derek Grant became their new permanent drummer.
"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Rodney Linderman, also known by his stage name Rodney Anonymous, is an American musician, journalist, and humorist currently based in Philadelphia. He is best known as the lead vocalist, keyboardist and co-songwriter of the satirical punk rock band The Dead Milkmen.
Anthony Joseph Genaro is an American musician, best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the punk rock group The Dead Milkmen. Residing in Philadelphia, Genaro has performed with a number of punk and indie rock groups, most recently including The Low Budgets, and is also a solo artist.
American Hi-Fi is the debut studio album by American rock band American Hi-Fi. It was released on February 27, 2001, by Island Records. Stacy Jones formed American Hi-Fi in 2000; later that year he went to Maui, Hawaii to record drums for Nina Gordon's debut solo album. The rest of American Hi-Fi joined Jones and recorded their debut album with producer Bob Rock at Planation Mixing and Recording. Described as a pop punk and power pop album, American Hi-Fi was compared to Blink-182, Foo Fighters, and Weezer.
Beelzebubba is the fourth studio album by the American satirical punk rock band the Dead Milkmen, released in 1988. It peaked at No. 101 on the Billboard 200. The album contains perhaps the band's best-known song, "Punk Rock Girl".
Bucky Fellini is the third studio album by The Dead Milkmen. It was released in 1987 by Enigma. The album peaked at No. 163 on the Billboard 200.
"Salvation" is the lead single from Irish rock band the Cranberries' third studio album, To the Faithful Departed (1996). Released on 8 April 1996 by Island Records, the single reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks and was a chart hit in Europe and Australia, peaking at number four in Iceland, number six in Italy, number seven in New Zealand, and number eight in Australia and Ireland. The music video for the song was directed by Olivier Dahan and filmed in France.
So Wrong, It's Right is the second studio album and major label debut by American rock band All Time Low. Following an unsuccessful showcase for Fueled by Ramen, Hopeless Records signed All Time Low in March 2006. They released an EP, Put Up or Shut Up, through the label in July of that year. After amassing 12 songs by January 2007, the band demoed some of them for Paul Leavitt. The group began recording So Wrong, It's Right in April at SOMD Studios in Beltsville, Maryland with producers Leavitt and Matt Squire. The band wrote five additional songs while in the studio. Following an acoustic tour in June, the band participated in Warped Tour, and "Dear Maria, Count Me In" was made available for streaming. After premiering a music video for "Six Feet Under the Stars", So Wrong, It's Right was released on September 25. The band spent the next three months supporting Boys Like Girls on their US tour.
Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig) is the eighth studio album by the Dead Milkmen. It was released by Restless Records in 1995. The Dead Milkmen had decided to break up prior to its release; the band (minus deceased bass player Dave Schulthise) would not record again until 2011's The King in Yellow.
Metaphysical Graffiti is the fifth studio album by the Dead Milkmen, released by Enigma Records in 1990. The album title and cover art, the latter designed by the band's drummer Dean Clean, parody the 1975 album Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. Two tracks appear on Death Rides a Pale Cow.
"Wish You Were Here" is a song by American rock band Incubus and the lead single from their fourth studio album, Morning View. Released on August 14, 2001, it peaked at number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart that year. "Wish You Were Here" would later be included on the 2009 greatest hits compilation Monuments and Melodies.
Dean Sabatino is an American musician, best known as Dean Clean, the drummer of the satirical punk rock group the Dead Milkmen. Sabatino lives with his family in Media, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Having earned a degree in commercial art, Clean designed the album covers for the band's releases, including the cover art for their 1985 debut album Big Lizard in My Backyard.
Death Rides a Pale Cow is a greatest hits album by the punk rock band the Dead Milkmen, released in 1997.
The Low Budgets was an American punk/garage rock band based in Philadelphia. They were a project of Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Genaro, and current bassist Dan Stevens. Vocalist and guitarist Chris Seegel and drummer Steve Levandoski completed the band's lineup. The Low Budgets released three albums and toured throughout North America and Europe.
"Bitchin' Camaro" is a song by American rock band the Dead Milkmen, released on their debut album Big Lizard in My Backyard (1985). The song was written by vocalist Rodney Linderman, guitarist and vocalist Joseph Genaro, bassist Dave Schulthise, and drummer Dean Sabatino. The track contains an extended, rambling intro of two characters having a conversation, after which the song shifts into a hardcore punk song about the bitchin' Chevrolet Camaro.
Daniel Keith "Dandrew" Stevens is an American musician and songwriter.
The Second British Invasion was a sharp increase in the popularity of British synth-pop and new pop artists in the United States. It began in the summer of 1982, peaked in 1983, and continued throughout much of the 1980s. MTV began in 1981. Its popularity was the main catalyst for the second British Invasion. According to Rolling Stone, British acts brought a "revolution in sound and style" to the US.
Chaos Rules: Live at the Trocadero is a live album by the punk band the Dead Milkmen. It was released by Restless Records on November 8, 1994.
↑ Lambert, Philip (2016). Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in Critical Perspective. University of Michigan Press. pp.29–30. ISBN978-0472119950.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
