Ranking Mean Jeans’ 6 Albums
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the denim-clad Mean Jeans consists of Billy Jeans on vocals and guitar, Junior Jeans on bass, and Wally Jeans on drums. The band deliver high-octane anthems that blend catchy melodies with irreverent humor, earning them a reputation as the life of the party wherever they go.
Since their formation in 2006, Mean Jeans have been on a mission to inject some good old-fashioned fun back into punk rock. Their music is a joyful celebration of the absurdities of everyday life, from late-night fast food runs to questionable fashion choices. They’ve perfected their brand of party punk, earning legions of fans who can’t help but sing along to every chorus.
Whether they’re tearing up dive bars across the country or causing a ruckus at festivals like The Fest or Punk Rock Bowling, Mean Jeans are always ready to bring the party.
6. Jingles Collection (2018)
What can I say about this short release? It’s 20 minutes of rock n’ roll product jingles that nobody really asked for, but guess what? It’s still awesome. Most of the songs barely clock in at a minute, but then again, they don’t really need to be any longer than that. There’s a fun little hook, you have a laugh, and then it’s over.
I love that they picked products that have either gone out of business or aren’t that particularly well-liked or noteworthy. It’s a testament to how this band handles themselves — they just want to have a good time while making sure their fans are also enjoying themselves. That said, as you may expect, the album doesn’t have a lot of replay value. Once you’ve listened a couple of times, there’s not a lot of draw to come back.
Recommended Tracks: Kinkos / 180069SHRED / Coors Light
5. Gigantic Strike (2019)
Veering off slightly from the carefree partying of their other albums, Gigantic Sike takes a look into what happens when the partying stops or the people you used to party with no longer want to hang out. This theme of growing up is, of course, layered between some lighter, classic Ramones-style tunes so it’s still easy to have a good time if you want.
Gigantic Sike is a relatively short album that doesn’t seem to hold quite the same level of charm as most of their releases. There are still some undeniably excellent stand-out tracks, like “Stuck in a Head”, but overall, I found myself losing interest in several songs. All-in-all, it’s not a bad album, just not up there with their best.
Recommended Tracks: Stuck in a Head / What the Fuck is up Tonight? / Time Warp
4. On Mars (2012)
Double-downing on the party aspect of their debut, On Mars begins with the anthemic “Ready 2 Rip” and transports you right back to that Ramonescore fun that they established on the first record. Mean Jeans manages to pay more of an homage to the genre rather than reinvent it, but they do it with such a clear sense of joy. The last track, “2 Twisted 2 Luv U” (with its 50s pop rock style), closes the record on a somber but fitting end.
As opposed to their debut, this record runs a little long for this genre style and you may get a little exhausted towards the end. Had they shortened some songs or cut a couple of the weaker tracks like “School Lunch Victim” or “Come Toobin’”, it would’ve benefited the record. That said, this is a fun, no-surprises release that lets you turn off your brain a little and just enjoy the pleasure of party punk.
Recommended Tracks: Ready 2 Rip / Nite of the Creeps / Don’t Stop Partying
3. Tight New Dimension (2016)
Tight New Dimension is the first album the band released after signing to Fat Wreck Chords (one of the label’s few signings over the past decade), and it takes a slight detour into a more spacey direction compared to their first 2 releases. Don’t worry, it’s still party first, but with a little sci-fi thrown in for good measure. The record also features slightly improved production, but not enough to deter original fans.
The first 4 songs of the album are where the magic is and are honestly some of the band’s strongest material. These 4 tracks are so good that it makes the rest of the otherwise solid album sound somewhat dull in comparison. That said, there’s still a lot to still love on the rest of the album, like the great (but simple) lyricism on “Trash Can”. This is yet another fun album from Mean Jeans that features all the elements that make the band so lovable.
Recommended Tracks: Michael Jackson Was Tight / Long Dumb Road / Night Vision
2. Are You Serious? (2009)
Straightforward, Ramonescore fun. That’s exactly what Mean Jeans’ debut album offers and it does it in spades. If you’re looking for an album that reinvents a sound or genre, this isn’t it, but when the style is done so well, does it really need to be revolutionary?
Are You Serious? is an infinitely listenable album, as the songs just never get old. They clearly set up the band’s mythos as partiers who rarely take themselves too seriously and are always up for being the center of a joke. Ultimately though, this album is just extremely catchy. It’s hard to avoid dancing around when you’ve got this record cranked up.
Recommended Tracks: Born on a Saturday Night / 2 Much Cocaine / Rats Roaches and Jeans
1. Blasted (2024)
On the Mean Jeans’ latest, everything that they’ve put out so far seems to have been the fuel to creating their best album yet. Every track is soaked in Ramonescore catchiness. The lyrics are fun, silly, and sprinkled with a tinge of seriousness. If the band hasn’t found wide appeal yet, this might be the album to finally change that or they’ll just remain beloved in their little corner of the music scene.
Sonically, Blasted sounds great — clean, crisp production that shows off the band’s improved musicianship over the years. Billy Jeans and Jeans Wilder’s vocals play off each other better than ever before and there’s a little layer of synth on several of the tracks to help give them a big and more livelier sound. This has a good chance to be one of the best albums of the year.
Recommended Tracks: Diagnosis / Something’s Going On / Look What Punk’s Done to You
