Now, what do they sound like? Well, they're Fat Wreck Chords pop-punk a la NOFX, No Use For A Name, Lagwagon, and Swingin' Utters. Funny how that works, eh? Well, if you've heard those for bands, or even one or two of them, you've heard Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' music. No offense to them or anything, but its true. Though, the thing that makes Me First different is the fact that they don't write their own songs, they have their "serious" bands for that, this band is all about taking classic show tunes like "Over the Rainbow" and "Favorite Things" and turning them into pop-punk gems that sparkle. And that is exactly what this does.

You've probably heard bands cover songs before and either go, "Wow, they took the original and made it sound cool," or, "Damn, that band shouldn't cover any more songs. They butcher the classics." But, with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, you'll get a whole new take on things. They may cover the songs, but their style is so drastically different than the songs they're covering (they don't cover pop-punk or punk songs) that they sound completely new. This is what makes them so great. Songs like "Science Fiction Double Feature," "Rainbow Connection," "Phantom of the Opera Song," and "Tomorrow" sound like new works of art, while also staying true and familiar to the originals.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are just plain great. You'll hear them, you'll love them, and you'll be singing along. I mean, damn, they take songs you'll instantly recognize and amp them up with some pop-punk fun and turn them into some new and exciting. I'll give this album an A.

MDFMK: MDFMK

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Blow In The Wind

[Issue Twenty-One // July 1999]