German band, The Melmacs take an obscure 80’s sitcom reference to the next level. So you may be saying I know that name “Melmac” and you’d be referring to home planet of 80’s sitcom star Alf. However the band, The Melmacs not only borrow the name but in their video for “Stage Fright” put the sitcom alien front and center. Through clever videos the band has started to really make a name for themselves. The music is a mix of classic punk rock pretty in line with a good mix of Ramones and Joan Jett.
Simple phrases in songs like “Good Advices” where the female vocal shouts “You need some good advices” give this song such a charming spin. Well yes, to use correct English it’d be “good advice” but I find it so much more entertaining as they use the plural as if they are receiving more than one piece of advice, which actually is still wrong, as it's an uncountable noun. Slight English lesson here, instead, it's common to use expressions like “a word of advice,” or “two pieces of advice.” The misuse of grammar reminds me a little bit of what I always liked about Cibo Matto, and their use of words they had a hard time pronouncing. However in other tracks like “Watch Out” the band plays it a little more straight forward and produce a track that is part Go Go’s and part Runaways. The German accent isn’t thick but it’s there on certain phrases which I kind of like. These guys throughout the handful of videos I’ve seen, seem to always be having a lot of fun and I’m sure that translates into their live show.
The ‘Good Advice’ album is available now in it’s entirety on streaming services, but do yourself a favor and check out the videos because they are very fun. The album has an analog feel and literally if someone said this was recorded in 1978 I would believe them. It’s got a very retro vibe and the recording doesn’t really rely on any bells and whistles, just a solid band playing a mix of punky upbeat rock songs. Now if you check out this release you might be saying this came out last year, why the coverage? Well you can now own this gem on vinyl. Spaghetty Town Records is the Exclusive label for North America with a limited amount of vinyl.