In the early 90's LA punk rockers Thelonious Monster put out Beautiful Mess, a gorgeous album of heartbreakingly genuine introspection.The songs were strained through a precision pop filter into a glass of raw rock energy, and pretty much all of them have a likeable, anthemic, sing-along quality. Whether proclaiming "Bill Cosby is my black friend" or bragging "Flea's got us tickets for Julio Iglacias", the music and songs are charming, even bittersweet due to their honesty. The ups and downs of love and life scar the album, in all their profound glory. From the fuck you scorn of "Song For A Politically Correct Girl From The Valley", to the vulnerability of "I Get So Scared", or the free-spirited abandon of "Ain't Never Be Nuthin' For Me In This World", the tone always goes just far enough to drawn you in and share the emotion, but never overboard.
Singer Bob Forrest still plays around town, either solo or under the moniker The Bicycle Thief, but he was not the only pedegree in the lineup. Guitarist Zander Schloss is from old school punk circles, and bassist Martyn Le Noble was a big part of Porno For Pyros unique sound. Plus there's a duet with Tom Waits on the album...c'mon, that's badass!
Although they broke up after the album (to breifly reunite in 2004), you have to dig a band that, prior to this masterpiece, wrote a song called "Sammy Hagar Weekend".
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
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