Mr. Mirainga

(Way Cool Music/RCA)
by Robert Parsons

“Mr. Mirainga is pronounced Mer-aine-GAY, with the emphasis on the gay,” explains guitarist Stevoreno. Alrighty, then. These four total bastards are radio-friendly, that’s for sure. The debut from this Orange County, California band with the big/cooler-than-cool hit single, “Burnin’ Rubber,” has opened another door for a pop-punk rock band that writes memorable songs. The tunes are catchy, with powerful bass lines and uncharacteristically non-Brit (rather than screeching) vocals picking up the slack. Already dubbed Mamba-Punk/Samba-Core, Mr. Mirainga is Potz (vocals), Hedge (bass), DRT (drums) and Stevoreno. These guys are shallow and geeky, but it works. It’s not hard to listen to this album over and over again. Pixies meet Everclear and get slapped around by the Del Fuegos and Los Lobos. They look like the guys in Weezer, just a little balder and rougher around the edges. Mr. Mirainga kind of grows on you in a Presidents of the USA sort of way.
“Burnin’ Rubber” is the song of the hour with many other radio ready singles waiting for the nod. The song is also on the Ace Ventura II soundtrack. Jim Carrey and Mr. Mirainga mix well, with other tracks straying slightly. “Waterdog” is pretty much straightforward hardcore, while “Grandma’s Cookin'” has an unmistakable country edge. “Loaded” is a song you could drown your sorrows in, while “Saguarro’s Cryin'” is Latin-punk at its memorable best.

Dorky yet cool, hard yet easy, dumb as a stick yet practically witty. And they are men’s men, “drivin’ (their) speed demon machines,” and not afraid to “drink and drink until the day’s gone by.” Mr. Mirainga taste good, leaving a salsa-powered aftertaste. Listen to Mr. Mirainga and you’re guaranteed to see how lame and bad ass these guys really are.