Irreverent absurdity fueled their initial popularity, particularly among college DJs. Topics for their music include satire on the 1980s music scene, toxic waste, jellyfish afterlifes, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and cover bands. Videos, notably Punk Rock Girl, even found their way onto MTV in the late 1980s. The Dead Milkmen's songs found moderate success on alternative and college radio stations. The original version of the band formed in 1980 around Genaro's songwriting (a predominantly acoustic and often satirical take on New Wave Punk Rock) when he was seventeen Genaro produced several home tapes as The Dead Milkmen. The band's best known lineup consisted of Joe Jack Talcum (Joe Genaro guitar, vocals), Dave Blood (Dave Schulthise bass), Dean Clean (Dean Sabatino drums), and Rodney Anonymous (Rodney Linderman vocals, synth). The Dead Milkmen are a satirical punk rock band that formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
