Someone like Beyonce acually has a killer voice as well. She can dance quite well, is quite pretty, and can sing well enough, but her song writing, coupled with her production, is what's really strong. The arrangement/production is a part of that, but I dont think good production can turn a poor song into a good song.īut definitely I do think good songwriting and production can make a less strong performer really be amazing, and thats britney spears to me. Listen to the Devo-referencing, pop-laden record above, and I'll see you in the pit when "Straight Up" comes on.Īre We Not Men? We Are Diva! is out now on Fat Wreck Chords, and you can order it through Amazon.I think the thing is, the most important thing for a pop song, really, is neither the production nor the performance, but its really the songwriting. They don't change things up too much - with the exception of Spike shouting "NOOO!" a few times instead of his signature "YEAH!" - but they wouldn't be themselves if they did. We Are Diva! is solid, fun, hilarious, and excellent all the way through, with excellent playing, pitch-perfect vocals, and diverse song choices. The stripped-down, uke and sax cover of Madonna's "Crazy for You" comes next, before Donna Summers' "On The Radio" and Babs' "The Way We Were" act as the powerhouse closers. The Buzzcocks' "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" introduces Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon." The inclusion of Boy George as a "diva" could be read as an immature joke, but the gender-bending theme of the record swings both ways. The intro from The Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" leads into Lady Gaga's "Speechless." Their version is a chugging, palm-muted ballad, complete with a ripping guitar solo between the melancholy verses. The singalong outro skewers the genre perfectly before leading into a pop punk version of "I Will Always Love You." In true Ramones-core style, the layered guitars bounce back and forth during the chorus while Spike belts out his best Whitney Houston.Īs per usual, they co-opt some old-school punk songs, too. "My Heart Will Go On" takes things down into the ever-expanding world of folk punk, with a thumping kick drum and acoustic guitar leading the track. The hard-hitting cover of " Beautiful" comes next, with Spike's falsetto nailing every note. It's one of the most hilarious parts of the record, with the warbling autotune satirizing the original. Cher's autotuned epic "Believe" follows, and the Gimmes' version is the only time the track has ever been listenable. The catchy riffage and powerful bellowing make it an album standout.
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Paula Abdul's " Straight Up" acted as the lead single, and with good reason. No matter what style of music the band transforms, their musical talent and the quality of the original song remain unchanged. The juxtaposition of Spike's vocals and the classic anthem isn't as stark as one would think. It's no-frills punk rock with equal parts sincerity and irony. Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" will give you a taste of what to expect for the rest of the record.
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For this album, the boys decided to pull out hardcore covers of some of the most beautiful, touching, and romantic songs ever written, from Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," to Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were," to Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." It is also, for you nerds out there, the first Gimmes record whose name can't be used as a complete sentence, like with Have a Ball or Blow in the Wind. We Are Diva! is the band's first studio record in 8 years, following 2006's Love Their Country.
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Spike Slawson of Swingin’ Utters, Fat Mike of NOFX, Joey Cape and Dave Raun of Lagwagon, and Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters have teamed up once again to create Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!, a brand new Gimmes record with "divas" as its central concept. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes might be a one-trick pony, but that's totally ok considering that their one trick is playing maddeningly excellent punk rock covers of popular songs.