The Reatards

True to the title, these 22 songs were recorded between 1996 and 1999 in the bedrooms of the Reatards' co-leaders, singer/guitarist Jay Lindsey and drummer Ryan "Elvis" Wong. The pair were between the ages of 16 and 19 at the time, and considering some of the things teenage boys get up to in the privacy of their bedrooms, it shouldn't be surprising that the songs are uniformly scabrous punk rock with gleefully vulgar and spite-filled lyrics, occasionally leavened by some Queers-style goofball humor (titles like "Dildo Darlin'" and "Chuck Taylor Allstars Blues" should give you some idea) and hints of pop-punk catchiness like the sardonic Beach Boys-style backing vocals on "Loretta" and the New York Dolls-like bratty whine of "No Brains." As a nod to their hardcore roots, the trio also throw in a cover of the Angry Samoans' classic "Stupid Asshole." There's a wide variance in the quality of these songs, many of which sound like they were recorded live on to a cheapo cassette tape in a Dictaphone and some of which almost approach basic lo-fi listenability. For collectors of the Memphis trio, the album also includes both sides of the group's three singles on the Goner label. Fans of Lindsey's more polished neo-new wave band the Lost Sounds might want to check out the slightly less rudimentary Reatards' album Grown Up Fucked Up first. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide