The Frogs

Thanks to their 1989 pseudo-gay album It's Only Right and Natural, the Frogs became a hip name to drop as fans like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Smashing Pumpkins ascended to superstardom in the 1990s. Milwaukee brothers Dennis (drums) and Jimmy Flemion (guitar) have an edgy sense of humor, skewering stereotypes — sometimes racial, but mostly homosexual — by pretending to be the minorities they sing about. Some critics have blasted the Frogs as juvenile and insensitive, especially when the duo wallows in graphic sexual imagery, but with such politically correct bands affirming themselves devotees, it's clear whose side of the fence the Frogs are ultimately on. The Flemion brothers began performing in local coffeehouses in 1980, when both were in their early twenties. Bassist Jay Tiller (also of Couch Flambeau) was added in 1983, the same year Jimmy debuted his trademark stage gimmick — a pair of six-foot bat wings. In between live shows, the Frogs developed a voluminous home-taping habit, which eventually resulted in a collection of self-released material. Further home tapes found their way to Homestead Records head Gerard Cosloy, who issued a collection of 12 tracks under the title It's Only Right and Natural. And then, the Frogs fell silent. Not by choice, but due more to a series of record company difficulties and bankruptcies. In particular, an album called Racially Yours, which featured one Flemion brother in blackface and one in white, went unreleased due to squeamishness over songs like "Purification of the Race," although the record contained pro-black anthems like "Freedom" as well. A slew of releases shut out the '90s.