Unlike their forerunners, however, Wheatus may ostensibly be attempting to make a grab at the college crowd but are actually aiming far lower. The band spring from the same long, proud tradition as Weezer, Ween, Fountains Of Wayne and Blink-182 – that is, they’re having a laugh, they’re relentlessly self-deprecating, and occasionally they turn out something utterly irresistible (hence, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’). If not here, then certainly in Long Island, where Wheatus formed and recorded their debut in singer Brendan B Brown’s suburban living room. It’s called ‘Wannabe Gangstar’, and it involves – oh joy! – some bad rapping. For variety, there’s a cover of Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’, and a song about wanting to be a gangster.

Power chords filched straight out of Pop-Punk Made Easy, over which a whiny-voiced nerd complains about being fucked over by girls (‘Hump’Em N’ Dump’Em’), the boss (‘Hey, Mr Brown’) and his own intractable nerdiness (‘Punk Ass Bitch’). And if you have heard it, well, multiply it by ten and you’ve got a pretty good idea what the album sounds like. This collection exclusively features material from their sophomore album on, serving as a celebration of their longevity and as a compliment to the forthcoming re-release of album 1.If you haven’t already heard Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, you’re either deaf or dead.

The band’s first proper live album, M (Live in America), came from these shows and was released April 10th, 2020. The band spent the beginning of 2019 doing a coast-to-coast, almost entirely sold-out tour of America opening for (and then collaborating with) Mike Doughty on his Ruby Vroom 25th Anniversary shows. The twenty-song version of the album will feature the originally-conceived track listing and sequence, plus the extra ten songs that have finally found a home on a record.”

So now we’re giving them a proper chance to be heard. Says Brendan B Brown, “We found demos of ten more songs from throughout the band’s history, that had such an album-one vibe that they never made it on to our more recent records. In honor of this anniversary, Wheatus will release a new and expanded edition of their now classic debut album, in conjunction with a world tour. It’s hard to believe Wheatus are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album and still-ubiquitous single “Teenage Dirtbag.” Yes, that’s right – Dirtbag is no longer a teenager. *This interview with conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic*

Wheatus album cover