ASHTRAY BABYHEAD
Radio (Glue Factory)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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It must be really flattering to guys like Bruce Springsteen to hear about Tramps Like Us, the tribute band who plays most of his hits (except for Born to Run, oddly enough). The Tramps singer even does Bruce Raps. You know, where Springsteen talks to the crowd while the E Street Band tunes up, etc. There’s practically a tribute band for everybody these days, and now Weezer gets one as well.

Coming straight outta Arkansas, you would probably expect a group of Ashtray Babyhead’s caliber to have about nine guys, eight on dueling banjos, and one on a water jug, but these kids wanna be different, crazy even! Like, they’ll wear Styx t-shirts on the cd sleeve! Holy shit! That’s so nutty! And no one ever has pictures of amplifier knobs on their records or guitar input plugs on their album covers! WOW!!!

Instead of a set list awash in Southern Pride this outfit heads North to pillage from a group already guilty of being reminiscent of milking an entire career a single Cars outtake Ric Ocasek never got around to putting out. Ashtray Babyhead are what Ghostface Killa would call "sharks." They take big, stingy gulps from the Weezer songbook. Thing is, Weezer are still together!

And no, the name Ashtray Babyhead isn’t clever either. Sorry, fellas. It’s just dumb. An unoriginal, shite waste of my time.

© 2001 - Jason Thornberry