iDunnö – “Pissed Off and Married”
iDunnö founding members Deano and Alex were persuaded by friends to bring forward a single release after hearing the band’s early demos. Something they promptly done, by dropping the track “Pissed Off and Married”. The band, who has been spending time in Salt recording studios in Melbourne, Australia laying down tracks for a forthcoming record, got there name from Australian humor: “What’s your bands name”? ……..I dunno. “What?” iDunnö, it’s really the name……get it?
Besides the humor of course, iDunnö is a kick-ass punk-rock band. One of the many relatively unknown bands in the genre getting together and slogging it out in this part of the decade, trying to ply their trade and passion and maybe make ends meet at the same time. Not dissimilar to what punk rock was eons ago with the Sex Pistols and The Clash among others.
The only difference is Johnny Rotten never had a MacBook Pro to record with. Poor bloke, can you imagine the crap he had to go through to record and release his records? Thank god that doesn’t happen anymore, and with the technology at hand, left-field bands like iDunnö have the right, and privilege, of being able to record and release music on their own terms – Which is exactly what they do!
iDunnö sound both young and grownup: Young in voice, grownup lyrically. They sing of the good times and bad, reflecting on life’s experiences. And musically, the band has blended early punk styles with some classic rock influences.
This balance works wonderfully, and really helps make the single an easy grasp for new listeners. Too many pop-punk bands in these latter years have lost the plot of punk and strayed too far from its sweet spot. Totaling derailing the genre’s momentum and integrity.
Wisely, iDunnö sticks to the kind of no-frills, rock-leaning punk that first brought the genre fame and success. “Pissed Off and Married” boasts a generous chugging tempo and wind tunnel-like guitar surges. Better still is the overall raw, urgent musical arrangement, with its unexpected grit.
The bursts of vocal frustration add a welcome mix of melody and roughness. In a smarter move, however, iDunnö generally doesn’t try to copy the good old days of punk, but to recapture it. There is a massive difference between the two. Simply pandering to the old school would have been embarrassingly stale, more than anything else.
However iDunnö embrace the genre’s authentic traits admirably, updating its sound in ways that should please both long-term and new fans of punk rock. Those who hated the sound back in the day likely won’t be swayed by this record either—but anyone looking for a rush of well-crafted punk rock can crank “Pissed Off and Married” up guilt-free!
