The Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen were a light punk rock/satire pop band that formed in 1983 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Joe Jack Talcum (Joe Genaro, guitar, vocals), Dave Blood (bass), Dean Clean (Dean Sabatino, drums), and Rodney Anonymous (vocals, synth).
There are several stories about how they got their name. "The Dead Milkmen" apparently existed as Joe's concept before the band became a reality. The band has claimed the name comes from a character in Toni Morrison's book Song of Solomon ("Milkmen Dead"), or as a Joe's high school project. The most appropriate explaination is that the name, like the band's songs, is satire: a reference to the punk band Dead Kennedys. This joke is manifest because the band member adopted absurd stage names much like the Kennedys' Jello Biafra, Klaus Flouride, ect.
The Dead Milkmen's satirical punk/pop songs found moderate success among alternative radio stations and music videos (notably "Punk Rock Girl") even found their way onto MTV in the late 80's. Topics for their music include satire on the 1980's music scene, toxic waste, jellyfish afterlifes, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and cover bands.
Irreverent absurdity fueled their initial popularity, particularly among college DJs. However, this genre was somewhat abandoned with the 1992 release of Soul Rotation, a much more subtle album.
Breaking up around 1995, Joe and Dean formed a new band Butterfly Joe. Rodney is in a band called Burn Witch Burn, and Dave left music to tour Europe.
Discography
- Various self-released cassettes before 1985
- Big Lizard in my Backyard - 1985, their first published albumn
- Eat Your Paisley - 1986
- The Thing that Only Eats Hippies - 1987, Australian Single
- Bucky Fellini - 1987
- Instant Club Hit -1987
- Beelzebubba - 1988
- Punk Rock Girl (single) - 1988, 1989
- Smokin' Banana Peels EP - 1988, 1989
- Metaphysical Graffiti - 1990
- Soul Rotatio - 1992
- If I Had a Gun EP - 1992
- Now We Are 10 - 1993, retrospective
- Not Richard, But Dick - 1993
- Chaos Rules - Live at the Trocadero - 1994
- Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig) - 1995
- Death Rides a Pale Cow - 1997, compilation
- Cream of the Crop - 1998, compilation
- Now We Are 20 - 2003, compilation