[$12 for the Record // http://www.sickroomrecords.com/shop/srr086]
I really had no idea what to expect from a band that simply calls themselves "Motherfucker". If I had to pick what it would sound like in my head- before pressing play- I'd have to say somewhere between Andrew W.K. and Disturbed. I just expected it to be testosterone-fueled dude rock with the type of guys who like to say "bro" a lot. (Bro, do you even know who Motherfucker is, bro?) So needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by actually listening to this album.
The music is a grinding punk with some art rock thrown in, a more controlled Deerhoof though not controlled too much. It's Joan Jett meets Be Your Own Pet with elements of Boom Said Thunder and even Blondie. It's not catchy, but it is rocking to the extent that you can eventually sing along and there is even a lot of musicianship in here, which is not something I'd expect from a band I've nicknamed MF'er.
I'd certainly like to hear the story as to how this came to be because most places are going to have to censor this name. I'm not talking about your local Sam Goody (R.I.P.) store in the mall but rather just posters at clubs you might play at even. I'm not saying everyone who forms a band has hopes of being on the radio and, yes, I'd say bands like Fucked Up and Fuck the Facts have done fine for themselves with swear words for names (Maybe they could all get together and create a "Fuck This! Tour") but it just doesn't seem like something people would do to me-- make a band name you know will inevitably be censored for any number of reasons.
But this just goes back to my often discussed and debated idea of how much band names really matter. So long as your music is solid you could call yourself "Shit McGee and the Poopers" for all I care. When people ask me, "Hey, that's cool, what is that you're listening to there?" I have to tell them the name, sure, but I didn't name my band that I'm simply passing it along. And in this case the band name isn't particularly bad but rather just one of those words society has deemed to be offensive. (Though I'm more offended by words like "war", "rape", "hunger", etc.)
Look, if you're going to seriously be offended by the name or not listen to music because of what someone calls it then you're obviously not a fan of music. I remember back when The Jonbenet was a band and some publication said they wouldn't review them because of their name and to me that's just stupid. It should be about the music not what you call the band or album or song titles even. And this is a wild, punk rock type of ride that everyone should take at least once in their life because I imagine Motherfucker as the type of band that comes onto a stage when no one knows who they are and they just light up the dance floor.
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