The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Dave Schulthise ("Dave Blood") and drummer Dean Sabatino ("Dean Clean").

The band distinguished itself in the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s through its jangly punk sound and sardonic humor delivered with thick Philadelphia accents. They attracted college radio attention with their 1985 debut album, Big Lizard in My Backyard, and the song "Bitchin' Camaro". Extensive touring and further releases helped the band garner an underground following.

The band enjoyed international success on the strength of "Punk Rock Girl", a single from their 1988 Beelzebubba album which entered into MTV rotation. After an ill-fated stint with major record label Hollywood Records, health problems and industry frustrations in the wake of their success led to the group's 1995 breakup.

The group reunited in 2008, with Dan Stevens replacing the deceased Schulthise. In 2011, they released The King in Yellow, their first studio album in 16 years. The band remained active thereafter, touring sporadically and releasing further records.

History

Formative period (1979–83)

Conceptually, the group began in 1979 as Genaro's home-recording project. Then based in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Genaro and his high school friend Garth created an imaginary band called The Dead Milkmen with a mythological back-story, recording homemade cassettes in keeping with their fictional characters. According to Genaro, the band's moniker came from a character named "Milkman Dead" in Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomon. Linderman, who attended high school with Genaro, later participated in this embryonic stage of the group. The project became inactive when Garth departed to join the United States Air Force and Genaro relocated to the dormitories of Philadelphia's Temple University. Walewander invited the band to Tiger Stadium to see a game in which he hit his first and only major league home run.

In 1988, they issued Beelzebubba, a comparatively polished record that yielded their most successful single, "Punk Rock Girl". Featuring Genaro on lead vocals, the track saw extensive rotation on MTV and propelled the album to number 101 on Billboards Top 200. They later released the Smokin' Banana Peels EP and music video from this album. The 1990 followup, Metaphysical Graffiti, did not yield a hit, but also charted He hoped to contribute to the country's regrowth and development, was released in digital form on the band's website, with a self-released CD following shortly thereafter.

In late 2012, they released "Dark Clouds Gather Over Middlemarch" and "Big Words Make the Baby Jesus Cry", the first two installments in a series of limited-run singles. This was also the year they appeared on nerdcore rapper MC Lars' EP, Edgar Allan Poe EP, for a new recording of Lars' song, "Mr. Raven", which was originally released on his 2006 album, The Graduate. "The Great Boston Molasses Flood", the third release in their singles series, was released on March 15, 2013; the fourth, "Welcome to Undertown", followed on June 21.

The band released Pretty Music for Pretty People, their tenth studio album, on October 7, 2014. The following year, SRA Records issued their split 7-inch with the 1980s Philadelphia hardcore band Flag of Democracy (also known as F.O.D.)

In July 2017, The Dead Milkmen joined with philanthropic record label the Giving Groove.

From 2021 through 2025 The Dead Milkmen published over 150 videos on YouTube. The general format has each member giving their thoughts on a particular question. They take turns deciding what the weekly question is. This is typically followed by another round where they give a general recommendation.

On June 9, 2023, The Dead Milkmen released the LP Quaker City Quiet Pills.

Members

;Current members

  • Joseph Genaro (Joe Jack Talcum, Jasper Thread, Butterfly Fairweather)– guitar, vocals, keyboards <small>(1983–1995, 2004, 2008–present)</small>
  • Rodney Linderman (Rodney Anonymous, Rodney Anonymous Melloncamp, Rodney "Cosloy" Anonymous, Rodney Amadeus Anonymous, H.P Hovercraft)– vocals, keyboards, tin whistle <small>(1983–1995, 2004, 2008–present)</small>
  • Dean Sabatino (Dean Clean, Malory)– drums, percussion, vocals <small>(1983–1995, 2004, 2008–present)</small>
  • Dan Stevens (Dandrew)– bass guitar <small>(2004, 2008–present)</small>

;Former members

  • Dave Schulthise (Dave Blood, Lord Maniac, 11070)– bass guitar, vocals <small>(1983–1995; died 2004)</small>

Discography

Studio albums

  • Big Lizard in My Backyard (1985)
  • Eat Your Paisley! (1986)
  • Bucky Fellini (1987)
  • Beelzebubba (1988)
  • Metaphysical Graffiti (1990)
  • Soul Rotation (1992)
  • Not Richard, But Dick (1993)
  • Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig) (1995)
  • The King in Yellow (2011)
  • Pretty Music for Pretty People (2014)
  • Quaker City Quiet Pills (2023)

Live albums

  • Chaos Rules: Live at the Trocadero (1994)

Compilations

  • Now We Are 10 (1993)
  • Death Rides a Pale Cow (The Ultimate Collection) (1997)
  • Cream of the Crop (1998)
  • Now We Are 20 (2003)
  • The Dead Milkmen Present: Philadelphia in Love DVD (2003)
  • "Depends On the Horse..." (2020)

Singles and EPs

  • The Thing that Only Eats Hippies (1987)
  • Instant Club Hit EP (1987)
  • Punk Rock Girl (1988, 1989)
  • Smokin' Banana Peels EP (1988, 1989)
  • If I Had a Gun EP (1992)
  • Dark Clouds Gather Over Middlemarch (2012)
  • Big Words Make the Baby Jesus Cry (2012)
  • The Great Boston Molasses Flood (2013)
  • Welcome to Undertown (2013)
  • Split 7-inch with Flag of Democracy (2015)
  • Prisoner's Cinema (2015)
  • Welcome to the End of the World EP (2017)
  • (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang EP (2020)
  • Grandpa's Not a Racist (He Just Voted For One) (2023)

Self-released cassettes

  • So Long Seventies (1979)
  • Folk Songs for the 80s (1980)
  • Sour Milk (1980)
  • Music for the Mindless (1980)
  • For Die Hard Fans Only (1980)
  • Doctor Talcum's Studio of Fear (1981)
  • Cows and Gals (1981)
  • Raging Cow (1981)
  • Paradise Lagoon (1981)
  • The Salamander Sessions (1981)
  • Living Death in the Cellar of Sin (1981)
  • Nine New Sins (1982)
  • Purgatory Beat (1982)
  • Wisconsin (1983)
  • A Date with The Dead Milkmen (1983)
  • Millersville Delivery (1983)
  • Funky Farm (1983)
  • Death Rides a Pale Cow (1984)
  • The Dead Milkmen Take the Airwaves (1984)
  • Someone Shot Sunshine (1984)

Further reading

  • The Dead Milkmen by Tyler Sonnichsen. J-Card Press.

References

  • Official Dead Milkmen website
  • JackTalcum.com
  • Rodney Anonymous website
  • Dead Alive: Interview w/The Dead Milkmen (11/08/08) on MonsterFresh.com