Cover bands usually get scant respect, but leave it up to a few punks to screw with the natural order of things. Comprised of members of Lagwagon, NOFX, Swingin' Utters and Foo Fighters, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes have spent a decade reworking famous pop, R&B and show tunes. Their sixth release, "Love Their Country," covers a dozen classic and contemporary country and western artists.
Me First pay homage rather than ridicule, breathing new life into the songs with their hard-edged, skate-punk rhythms: Garth Brooks' "Much Too Young" starts off with a bit of Americana twang before exploding with a blast of thrashing guitars; the fast-paced "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" could be a modern-day Bad Religion hardcore anthem; while Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" is given an infectious pop-punk makeover. Anchored by Dave Raun's blistering drumming, Dolly Parton's "Jolene" may lack the longing of the original, but still packs enough of an emotional wallop to tug at the hearts of the kids moshing along. Unintended to be groundbreaking, "Love Their Country" is an extremely fun album.