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The Dead Milkmen was a satirical punk rock/pop band that formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Joe Jack Talcum (Joe Genaro; guitar, vocals), Dave Blood (bass), Dean Clean (Dean Sabatino; drums), and Rodney Anonymous (vocals, synth).
There are several stories about how they got their name. "The Dead Milkmen" apparently existed as Joe's concept before the band became a reality. The band has claimed the name comes from a character in Toni Morrison's book Song of Solomon ("Milkmen Dead"), or from one of Joe's high school projects. The most appropriate explanation is that the name, like the band's songs, is satire: a reference to the punk band Dead Kennedys. This joke is manifest because the band member adopted absurd stage names much like the Kennedys' Jello Biafra, Klaus Flouride, etc.
The Dead Milkmen's songs found moderate success on alternative radio stations and music. Videos, notably "Punk Rock Girl", even found their way onto MTV in the late 1980s. Topics for their music include satire on the 1980s music scene, toxic waste, jellyfish afterlifes, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and cover bands.
Irreverent absurdity fueled their initial popularity, particularly among college DJs. However, this genre was somewhat abandoned with the 1992 release of Soul Rotation, a much more subtle album.
Having broken up in 1994, Joe and Dean formed a new band, Butterfly Joe. Rodney is in a band called Burn Witch Burn. Dave is apparently no longer in music.
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