I love music. I always have. Considering that I’m now 49 years old, I’ve been through so many “trends” in music that even I’m amazed at what I find listenable.

But, the one thing I’ve never lost a love for is NEW music, particularly new pop. I constantly search for new bands who put out tunes that make me want to get up and move - or turn the amp up until my ears bleed.

Right now I’m into a new band from Britain named DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? Their first and only album came out last September, and it’s titled YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.

Buy it today! (Here are links for more info: Does It Offend You homepage and their MySpace page.)

I think it’s one of the best I’ve heard in the last 12 months. They have the kind of sound and the type of energy that I go ape shit over. I can’t wait to see them live. I’ve been listening to it almost endlessly since I first put it in my player.

Some say they are a “dance band”, but I don’t get that. Others say they remind them of JUSTICE or DAFT PUNK, or even DIGITALISM or MUSE. I suppose I get the MUSE comparison, but I think they are quite different than any of them. They remind me of some of the best “New Wave” bands from the early 80’s. In particular, they have a song called “ATTACK OF THE 60ft LESBIAN OCTOPUS” (the name alone should hook you) that totally reminds me of something the B-52’s would have done. It has screams and whistle blasts!

My favorite songs are “DAWN OF THE DEAD”, “DOOMED NOW”, and “BEING BAD FEELS PRETTY GOOD”. They each have their own charms, but I like them because they combine many different styles to form something that I find completely compelling.

I read that they like to destroy their equipment when playing live, and any band that does that goes WAY up in my estimation. They use synthesizers throughout, and that will get me happy every time.

They use steel drums on DAWN OF THE DEAD, which sends me over the top, and they do it in a way that I thought made them sound like mandolins. It has a heavy pop base line and fantastic lyrics, with a background chorus of “Hoo, HA!” that I really dig.

On DOOMED NOW they use a vocoder distortion on the vocals. And the drums are very pulsating, and a fast pizzicato style on the guitar riff that is completely killer.

One listening to BEING BAD FEELS PRETTY GOOD will hook anyone who loves the best of 80’s pop. It positively makes me want to do the POGO! Lyrics like “I’ll take it day by day” almost brings tears to my eyes. The way the vocalist sings is devastating.

I really like fast, driving, crazy music, and I highly recommend this album. I think this band has a great future ahead of them.

~ SamSez