While Philadelphia looks ahead to its mayoral primaries in a couple weeks, Philly punk veterans Dead Milkmen have different election cycles in their sights. In particular, they’re thinking about the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020 — while keeping a concerned eye on 2024 — in their new single “Grandpa’s Not A Racist (He Just Voted For One).”
The Milkmen are long-time practitioners of darkly comedic social critique, and this song fits along with back catalog highlights in both content — character sketches of conservatives and conspiracy-theorists in “Stuart” and “Peter Bazooka,” for instance — and style — fast, punchy two-minute punk rock, delivered scorchingly by Rodney Anonymous, Joe Jack Talcum, Dean Clean, and Dandrew.
The song is the first release from the Milkmen’s forthcoming 11th studio album, Quaker City Quiet Pills — their first in nine years — due out on charitable label The Giving groove on June 9th. Proceeds from the record will support local music and education nonprofit Rock To The Future; read more about the release here and listen to the single below.