Blow in the Wind
In an era of math-rock calculations and emotionally scarred alt-metal, the rock & roll party feels a little dry on humor. Thank god for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, a punk supergroup whose only purpose in plugging into an amp is to have a good time playing covers of songs from the days before concert venues had metal detectors.On their third full-length,Blow in the Wind, Me First continue with a lineup that's like the top pick of the underground scene: vocalist "Spike" (Swinging Utters), bassist Fat Mike (NOFX), guitarist "Jackson" (a.k.a. Chris Shifflet of theFoo Fighters), along with drummer Dave Raun and guitarist Joey Cape (both ofLagwagon). The goofy, talented musicians travel back four decades this time, picking up 13 classic songs of the '60s and racing through them at lightening speed (the whole disc clocks in at a little over 27 minutes). From the raucous "Who Put the Bomp" and "Sloop John B." to the heartsick "I Only Want to Be With You," Me First put the pop back in pop punk as they bounce their way through the years. The two standouts on the disc, though, are "My Boyfriend's Back" (on which the tough rockers show their sensitive side) and "Stand by Your Man" (whose words Me First twist around to implore listeners to "stand by your band"). With their high-spirited attitude toward music and their healthy dose of humor, Me First prove once again that there still is a party raging in the world of rock & roll.--Jennifer Maerz