9/5/06: RightWingTrashMen: Deadsy

We’ll spend the rest of this week in the ’80s, so let’s take this chance to listen to the youth of today. No, not that youth. We hate that youth. We mean the youth of Deadsy—who’ve already spanned decades of hating the same youth that we hate.

That’s especially commendable since Deadsy has more in common with them than us. We took an immediate liking to the band back when they were struggling to get their debut album released in the ’90s. Two release dates (and record companies) came and went, but Deadsy never gave up their proud pose as preppies—right down to old school ties and jackets.

That long-delayed debut got heard as leaked promo copies, and you had to admire the pluck of rich kids whose synthy prog-metal embraced an uncool upbringing. The heavily hyped Strokes were busy downplaying their boarding-school past. Deadsy was looking like the band Christopher Buckley still wishes he had formed.

Even better, frontman P. Exeter Blue had good reason to celebrate a good education and sense of community. As the offspring of two hippies, he’d already gotten a crash course in crashing.

Commencement finally came out in 2002. Phantasmagore was released last month, and it’s a heavier and scarier take on the same synthy greatness. The band’s new image will scare away Green Day fans, but don’t worry about fascist overtones. The profiles on their website suggest that Deadsy is more about fighting off assimilation.

We recently interviewed Exeter, and he was certainly happy with the idea of having a Republican following. That isn’t to smear the band by suggesting that they’re conservatives. It’s just nice to be invited to their dinner party. Also, Exeter was talking to us the day after telling Howard Stern about using a household cleanser on his genitals after having sex with Paris Hilton. That’s our kind of guy. Exeter added that he still had a lot of respect for the heiress. That’s a gentleman.

Make them your own: Feel free to pick up Commencement on the cheap. Phantasmagore, however, is reasonably priced at retail. Buy a new copy. They're not planning to live off their parents, you know.

 

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