Go Down Under
Los Angeles, CA
“Throw some covers on the barbie…”
Having resorted to “sequel” albums in recent years, it was starting to seem as though Me First and the Gimme Gimmes had exhausted all their options. Born as a super-group of sorts between borrowed members of various California punk acts, Me First “broke out” (as far as a cover band can, anyway) with Have a Ball in 1997, went on to tackle show tunes in Are a Drag, and even slipped into modern-rock radio rotation in the Bay Area with their cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” in 2001. Go Down Under confirms that, though they may have covered pretty much everything (literally), Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are, in fact, still in fine form.
Go Down Under, as the name implies, is an EP of covers of songs by Australian artists. Not a whole lot of Australian music reaches our shores, but Go Down Under is comprised of five Aussie-originated tunes that should be recognizable to an American audience, from Olivia Newton-John, INXS, Rick Springfield and more. In usual fashion, the Gimmes put their own silly punk spin on each tune. This EP isn’t looking to change the world, which is fine, because not every band has to. On Go Down Under, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are, as always, nothing but good fun. (Fat Wreck Chords)
Produced and mixed by Jamie McMann // Recorded at Motor Studios // Mastered by Tardon Feathered at Mr. Toad’s
-Jody Amable