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What ever happened to the days of old-fashioned family values? The days when cameramen on the Ed Sullivan show would only shoot special guest Elvis Presley from the waist up for fear he would poison the minds of America's youth with his hip-swiveling antics; the days when the United States went through a culture shock as a result of the invasion of four mop-topped Brits who happened to like their hair long; the days when rock and roll was "the devil," and playing "Stairway to Heaven" backwards would reveal Satanic messages. The age of repression and good taste seems so far away now, as bands like Mindless Self Indulgence flourish regularly, and our popular culture is inundated with perversity and obscenity, good-natured outrageousness and sexuality, porn shops, and semen humor.
This all isn't necessarily bad, mind you. It's just an interesting commentary on the evolution of the human mind. It seems that societal interest in good, clean fun has waned, and with each cultural twist and turn, our entertainment grows steadily crazier. Therefore, it's not a surprise to see bands like Mindless Self Indulgence and The Bloodhound Gang signed to major labels. The public's appetite for base titillation has been whetted with the release of films such as "Very Bad Things" and "There's Something About Mary," along with the emergence of musicians such as Eminem and Juvenile. Grunge came and went; gangsta' rap is rapidly going out of style. Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to your newest trend: filth. |
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With song titles like "A Lap Dance is So Much Better When the Stripper is Crying," it's hard to imagine how anyone could possibly release the latest disc from The Bloodhoung Gang, Hooray For Boobies. Yet, to my surprise, the band pulls it off... sort of. To be honest, this album is damn funny at times. Highlights include the aforementioned "A Lap Dance is So Much Better When the Stripper is Crying," as well as comparisons of the late, great Falco ("Rock Me Amadeus") to Biggie Smallz. With those funny songs, however, comes an equal amount of throwaways. "The Inevitable Return Of The Great White Dope" and "Hell Yeah" both sound like tame Ween rip-offs. Lead singer Jimmy Pop Ali certainly proves that he can write ballads about porno stars with the best of them. He also comes across as an amateur Tom Green; how many of you would call up your mom to ask her if she could rhyme a word with vagina?
But alas, songs about vaginas, Falco, and depressed strippers can't save The Bloodhound Gang from the bottomless pit of mediocrity. Next time, stick to the basics: GENITALIA FOR EVERYONE!!! |
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How does Mindless Self Indulgence stack up next to such towers of the music industry as Ol' Dirty Bastard and the ICP? They don't, but I guess that's the point. MSI's brand of Atari-driven (that's right, Atari, as in the old computer) grime is stupid, disgusting, and nearly intolerable, yet they challenge taboos so openly and with such dedication that it's hard not to smile. Songs such as "Bitches," "Faggot," and "I Hate Jimmy Page" are both nauseating and giggle-inducing (Note: Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy is the second album I've seen in six months, along with ICP's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, to have a song entitled "Bitches." Could it be that the pioneers of the fruitful filth-rock genre are running low on creative juices? Perish the thought!) The band is not talented. Period. End of Story. They are, however, damn good at being untalented.
Mindless Self Indulgence's lead singer, Little Jimmy Urine, has come out in saying that his style of music will have "no chance of getting you laid." Take that quote for what it is: a sniggering social pariah addressing his dick-obsessed masses, and Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy is not only fun, but also fascinating. |
