Thee Impossibles
Shut Up and Play!
Birthmark/X
It’s like they never left. The Ramones, I mean. Thee Impossibles (not to be confused with “the Impossibles” on Fueled By Ramen) are one of the several (Huntingtons, Riverdales, the Crumbs, and old standby Screeching Weasel) bands that’ve appeared over the years, forming the punk subgenre I like to call “post-Ramonesia.”
Thee Impossibles are neck and neck with the Huntingtons on wearing their hearts/influences on their musical sleeves, making no bones about their unabashed worship of the Ramones. On this outing, “Riff Randell” makes clear that these guys know their Ramones and don’t mind you knowing it. Of the 13 songs, a good ten are “girl songs” in the vein of “Sheena is a Punk Rocker,” numerous of them titularly addressed directly to their targets (in addition to “Riff Randell,” there’s “Kelly,” Lori,” and “Jamie,” the last about Jamie Lee Curtis); another three (there’s some overlap here) reference sci-fi/horror flicks and TV shows or themes. Plus they name-check MTX’s Dr. Frank on one song, and thank not only MTX, but also Groovie Ghoulies and the Eyeliners, all bands you should already know and love. Plus they call their band vehicle the “Van-a-lope.” What’s not to love?
Birthmark Records, PO Box 3701, Livermore, CA 94551; X-Records, 2484 Hamner Ave., Norco, CA 92860
