You’d be forgiven if you have never heard of The Mommyheads. A definitive example of a cult band, the San Francisco, by way of New York, indie band had a handful of small label releases throughout the 90’s, one shot at the majors with a Geffen release, then disbanded shortly after in 1998.
During their time together, the band did manage to collect a slew of positive reviews from critics and help lay the ground work for other bands inspired by their original sound. Many of those songs can be found on the 21-track release Finest Specimens, a greatest hits collections of sorts for a talented band that never really enjoyed the mass appeal the first time around.
A fantastic starting point for those who’ve never heard of the band and a must-have for all Mommyhead disciples, Finest Specimens includes remastered songs, previously unreleased live recordings and one new song. The band reunited in 2008 to put out a new record, so now is your chance to finally catch up with what you likely missed out on in the 90’s.
Rating 7 out of 10
Top Track: “Work” and “Needmore, PA”
The Mommyheads – Finest Specimens /21 tracks/ Dromedary Records/2010