Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Love Their Country

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Love Their Country
Fat Wrech Records

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes were first formed more as a thing to do from time to time when not on tour by front man Chris Shiflett best know for NO Use for a Name. The rest of the band was filled out by Spike Slawson of the Swing Utters, Fat Mike of NOFX, Joey Cape of Lagwagon and Dave Raun also of Lawwagaon. After a comp appearance and a strange amount of interest, they started releasing records. The Gimmes are a basically a cover band that takes songs from the past and then, well, punks them up. On past records they have covered a style per record. From pop to classic rock to R&B. This time around they applied their 10 year old punk rock inside joke to Country.

Now first off, I have really never thought much of their past efforts.I mean there as also been a tradition of Punk bands covering pop songs from Stepping Stone by Minor Threat to Fear doing We Got to Get Out of this Place to the Gold Shower of Hits by the Circle Jerks. However a whole record full of covers of shit I hated as a kid never did it for me. Plus Manic Hispanic's stuff was always by far more entertaining and well, funny. With that said, I have to say that they hit on something this time. Maybe it's my father listening to all those Country Gold 8 track when I was kid every time I got in his 68 bug or the popularity of Alt. Country. Then again it could be that I've always had a soft spot for Cow Punk from the 80s, like LA's most underrated band Blood on the Saddle. Someone needs to reissue that BOTB stuff or hell even the Vandals 2 country records or the Scream Sirens. All I know is I like this thing. Oh and don't for get Tex and the Horseheads.

The highlights are (Ghost) Riders in the Sky, On the Road Again, Desparado, East Bound and Down, Sunday Morning Coming Down and they receive extra punk points for their cover of Hank William' I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. By far their best yet.