Every so often, an album comes across our desks that defies explanation. It may be a particularly inept concept album, a bizarre collection of covers, a field recording of migratory geese set to smooth jazz, or spoken word poetry. Or, it might be the debut album from The Blue Mooners. Yes, there is a Milwaukee “band” called The Blue Mooners, and they’re really obsessed with butts.
What do we know about The Blue Mooners? Not a lot. Other than a Bandcamp site, the ironic-country-ish band seems to have no web presence at all. Nor can we find out anything about the band’s apparent frontman, Spud Butler, who sent us the link to the album. All we do know is that the first song on The Blue Mooners is called “Never Meant To Moon You,” the next song is called “Are The Raccoons Out Tonight?” there’s a cover of “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah,” and the song “Yummy Yummy” contains the lyric “Yummy yummy / I saw your butt crack, honey / Now I want to see more.”
So yeah, The Blue Mooners is pretty jokey (which is always welcome, by the way), but it’s also pretty great. Like, seriously great. Check out the lovely “Nose Picker” and the scorching “The Wasatch Animal,” and enjoy the crack musicianship from top to—ahem—bottom. Fans of Ween’s 12 Golden Country Greats should find a lot to love here, as well as fans of a certain local band that bears a striking sonic resemblance to The Blue Mooners…