The Refreshments: Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy

     So just how far down do you wanna go? / well we could talk it out over a cup of joe / and you could look deep into my eyes like I was a supermodel / uh-huh. Thus begins "Banditos" by The Refreshments, one of my favorite songs of the 90's. If you like your American Southwest, bordertown rock 'n' roll with a lime The Refreshments are your band and Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy is your album. Just grab yourself a Corona and rock out to a collection of clever songs about Mexico, girls and drinking. "Banditos" was a semi-major hit about a heist which included the classic line "everybody knows, that the world is full of stupid people / so meet me at the mission at midnight, we'll divvy up there" Actually, the entirety of the song's lyrics are classic. "well I got the pistol, so I'll keep the pesos, yeah that seems fair". "give your i.d. card to the border guard, got your alias set, you got Jean Luc Picard of the United Federation of Planets, cuz he won't speak English anyway".
     The clever lyrics and muscular guitars keep coming on standout tracks like "Blue Collar Suicide", "Down Together", Girly", "Mexico", "Suckerpunch", "Carefree" and my personal fav "Interstate". Unfortunately, their next album, The Bottle & Fresh Horses, didn't have a hit and Mercury Records were bought out, and that was the end of The Refreshments. They did have one lucky break, however. They landed the theme song for the animated tv show King of the Hill. Lead singer, Roger Clyne, still tours with the drummer as Roger Clyne and the Peace Makers. Next time they're in town I plan on seeing them. Instead of breaking down every song, I thought I'd list some of my favorite lyrics from FFB&B. After that is my list of favorite goofy 90's songs. Peace.

* we could find a speck of dust and scribble down our life stories
* we could both wear cowboy hats and pretend that we could speak Italian
* over there at the trailer park they got a million souls at the lost and found
* I don't need a miracle but i could use a push in the right direction
* baby I was never cool enough to get a job at a record store but if I had I wouldn't want you
     anymore
* heads I tell the truth, tails I lie
* here comes another song about Mexico, i just can't help myself
* well I guess I could have run away when I saw that look in her eye
* she can't count all the pills I took
* cars break down and people break down and other things break down too

Goofy 90's songs

1) Banditos
2) Lump- Presidents of the United States of America
3) Loser- Beck
4) Cut Your Hair- Pavement
5) She Don't Use Jelly- Flaming Lips