Before starting the band Mindless Self Indulgence, James Euringer launched a solo album in 1995, called Mindless Self-Indulgence, which he had produced by himself and was limited to 500 copies. Contrary to popular belief, this was not an album by the band Mindless Self Indulgence, however, Steve Righ? played guitar for the track "Bed of Roses".
Another large influence in the band's music comes from early 1980s culture. Frequently the music contains samples of early 80's hip-hop or rock, as well as Atari-style beeps and tones. Their second album as a band, 1999's Tight, was even allegedly mixed on Atari equipment. Many of Urine's dress styles consist of the juxtaposition of popular 1980s clothing or bastardized versions thereof.
Later in February 2000, MSI launched the album Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy, featuring 30 tracks that were sorted alphabetically. Kitty (Drummer) designed and ran the official site of MSI when the album came out.
After Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy , Vanessa YT (Bass player) decided to leave MSI to start a family. Her replacement in the band was Lyn-Z (Bass player).
Mindless Self Indulgence is distinguished from mainstream punk, however, by their incorporating lyrics about being gay and related topics into nearly all of their songs - even titling one of their songs Faggot. Also, Euringer and Steve, Righ? (Guitarist) possess wide vocal ranges, stretching from tenor to high falsetto. The band also has no qualms about using words deemed offensive by some, such as nigga (Jimmy Urine argues that he doesn't say the word out of anger, and often it is more or less used in the sense that it is used in the hip-hop world), and faggot heavily in many of their songs. Many critics have used their word choice to dismiss the band as juvenile.
And although this may be the case, with some songs being of a 'juvenile' subject and tone, they also use clever lyrics and stance to give meaning to songs, such as You'll rebel to anything, which is a song that talks about how punk culture is being exploited by misdirected youths as a way to be unique or get noticed.
In keeping with their confrontational posture, Euringer has been arrested for pulling his penis out of his pants and attempting to set his pubic hair on fire, allegedly succeeding on one such occasion. Other notable stage antics include him drinking his own urine, inviting audience members to punch him in the face and/or throw objects at him, making out with both genders during the show, and roaming through the audience after the set blaring hip-hop music from a boom box perched on his shoulder.
The band's energetic live shows have gained them much recognition. The band is known to stay after the show has finished, signing whatever fans want until not one person is left wanting an autograph. They also take photographs with all desiring fans. They have opened for a number of popular bands, including System of a Down, KoRn, Staind, Sum 41, Mushroomhead, Insane Clown Posse, My Chemical Romance, and Rammstein. They have also played many large musical festivals including Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans in October of 2003 (and in Memphis, TN after Hurricane Katrina in 2006), as well as headlining the Mojave tent at the 2004 Coachella Festival, and the main stage of 2007's Give It A Name. They also headlined the second stage of the Projekt Revolution tour in Summer 2007.
Their DVD, called Our Pain, Your Gain, was released on September 11, 2007, featuring one of their concerts in New York.
On 29th April 2008, their 4th studio album, If, was released. The standard edition contains 15 tracks, the deluxe edition has the same tracklist and a bonus DVD. The Clean version has 16 tracks, Uncle being the additional track. The International edition (UK version) has 21 tracks; 3S as bonus track and four Never Wanted To Dance remixes.
On 25th October 2012, they began a Kickstarter to crowdfund their next studio album, which reached its goal by December 24th of that year. Digital downloads for their fifth studio album, How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence, were released on 13 March 2013. There are three different versions of the album, with each including the standard 13-song tracklist as well as bonus tracks. The Kickstarter exclusive downloads include the bonus tracks Angel, I Am Not Here to Make Any Friends, and Last Gay Song. The Kickstarter exclusive digipak CD includes the bonus track Sex for Homework. The tour edition CD includes the bonus track Seven Minutes in Heaven. The Metropolis Records released CD includes the bonus cover, The Logical Song (originally by Supertramp).
After the 2014 tour concluded, Mindless Self Indulgence began a hiatus from touring to spend time with their families. On 18 September 2015, the band released the supposed "lost" album Pink, a 19-song album of remastered versions of the "Pink Demos" from 1990-1997, including covers Personal Jesus (originally by Depeche Mode and Girls On Film (originally by Duran Duran). The album includes redone versions of tracks from the self-titled EP from 1995. It’s also known that there are 31 “lost” tracks from 1990-1997 (“Pink Demos” era), and that 15 of those tracks were added onto Pink, then also implying that there are another 16 “lost” tracks that could be released in future, however chances are slim due to recent events.
Ghetto Blaster
Mindless Self Indulgence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so nope i don't need that rest - i say
lately i've been ghetto blastin
motherfuck me double o double o double o fresh
ghetto blasting
step up if you want to get
fuck hey if you want to get
fuck ho if you want to get
you could be right - that's a fact - don't get uptight - all the time
i'm an alright sucka and i'm gonna get a sucka
i'm an alright sucka and no punk motherfucker double one motherfucker
The song "Step Up Ghetto Blaster" by Mindless Self Indulgence is a commentary on the popularity of ghetto blasting, which is the act of playing loud music on a portable stereo. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been participating in this activity, and he has no desire to rest or stop. He even goes as far as to call himself "double o double o double o fresh" which is a reference to James Bond, indicating that he sees himself as suave and cool. The chorus of the song is a call to action for anyone who wants to join him in ghetto blasting. He tells them to step up and use profanity as a way to encourage them to embrace the rebellious nature of the activity.
The second verse continues with the idea of being an "alright sucka." This line is likely a reference to the song "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, where one of the lines is "Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head. It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under." This line was seen as an anthem for the struggles faced by marginalized communities in poor neighborhoods. By using this phrase, Mindless Self Indulgence is acknowledging the struggles of these communities and positioning themselves as allies. The song is a celebration of rebellion against authority and an embrace of counterculture.
Line by Line Meaning
lately i've been ghetto blastin
Recently, I have been playing loud music from the ghetto
so nope i don't need that rest - i say
I do not require any rest, thank you
motherfuck me double o double o double o fresh
A slang phrase implying that one is absolutely confident in themselves and their abilities
ghetto blasting
Continuation of the opening line, referring to the act of playing loud music from the ghetto
step up if you want to get
If one wants something, they should take action towards it
fuck hey if you want to get
A vulgar way of saying the same thing as the previous line, implying that one needs to put in effort to achieve their goals
fuck ho if you want to get
Same meaning as previous, using different slang language
fuck hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
Continuation of previous lines, using multiple repetitions of slang language
you could be right - that's a fact - don't get uptight - all the time
Acknowledging the possibility of someone being correct and advising against becoming unnecessarily stressed or anxious
i'm an alright sucka and i'm gonna get a sucka
Despite acknowledging previous mistakes, the artist is confident that they will succeed in their endeavors
i'm an alright sucka and no punk motherfucker double one motherfucker
Continuation of the previous line, boasting one's own capabilities and resilience
Lyrics © JAMES IS A GIRL MUSIC C/O CITRIN COOPERMAN, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES EURINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind