Certainly even the most casual pop punk fans are familiar with the Gimme Gimmes by this point. Composed of members of Swingin Utters, Foo Fighters, NOFX and Lagwagon, the veritable supergroup have been churning out punkified versions of your favourite songs since their inception in 1995. Having already tackled such genre goldmines as show tunes and R&B, their fifth studio record finds them assaulting such country classics as "Sunday Morning Coming Down and "Im So Lonesome I Could Cry. More interesting is the bands selection of relatively modern material by such artists as the Dixie Chicks and Garth Brooks, whose "Goodbye Earl and "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old), respectively, are each given the double-time punk treatment. The bands pedigree has always meant solid collections of covers with each of their releases, and Love Their Country is no exception. The bands propensity for lifting other recognisable riffs is in full effect once again; listen for a few distinct moments by the Clash, the Damned and the Misfits where you wouldnt expect them. With the strength of Spike Slawsons vocals, the band have once again risen above the typical bullshit of punk covers to create a collection of other peoples songs that actually feels like record.
Why country this time around? Slawson: We hadnt done it yet. And in the back of your mind, you know its just four-on-the-floor with very simple rhythm templates. I think thats exactly why a lot of that R&B record (2003s Take A Break) did not work. Half of R&B is the "R. In this case, its more melodies driving the songs, and even if it is a rhythm, its usually very similar to punk.
Is there an era of music you look forward to getting to cover with Me First? I think we might do rock ballads some time soon. Not good ones, but bad ones. If they were 80s ones, they could be really bad or they could be really special. The stuff that I like, I like, and I dont want to ruin it.
Are you happy that this has lasted longer than you originally assumed in 1995? Sometimes. That sounds weird, but when youre on tour for a month and a half, it gets really fucking tedious playing covers. Its like when youre at a bar, and its fun sometimes in the present tense, but when youve been drinking at that bar every single day, the compound effect on your body, your psyche, your stamina You dont want to go on. Its depressing.
(Fat Wreck)Why country this time around? Slawson: We hadnt done it yet. And in the back of your mind, you know its just four-on-the-floor with very simple rhythm templates. I think thats exactly why a lot of that R&B record (2003s Take A Break) did not work. Half of R&B is the "R. In this case, its more melodies driving the songs, and even if it is a rhythm, its usually very similar to punk.
Is there an era of music you look forward to getting to cover with Me First? I think we might do rock ballads some time soon. Not good ones, but bad ones. If they were 80s ones, they could be really bad or they could be really special. The stuff that I like, I like, and I dont want to ruin it.
Are you happy that this has lasted longer than you originally assumed in 1995? Sometimes. That sounds weird, but when youre on tour for a month and a half, it gets really fucking tedious playing covers. Its like when youre at a bar, and its fun sometimes in the present tense, but when youve been drinking at that bar every single day, the compound effect on your body, your psyche, your stamina You dont want to go on. Its depressing.
