Andrew Who?

Andrew W. K. is his name, and if you thought that party animals always grow up, think again. The 22-year-old hard-pop punk-rocker is redefining the term “party” for a new generation, mixing down an eclectic range of influences and using them for the ultimate fraternity soundtrack.Imagine a product of the eighties using pounding keyboards and repetitive riffs; now add screaming vocals, upbeat lyrics, and a few influences like KMFDM and the Ramones. Put it in a blender, add some blood and sweat, drink it down and bang your head – now you’ve got Andrew W.K.’s album I Get Wet. The songs are short, most no more than 3.5 minutes, and the word “slow” never enters the picture. “She Is Beautiful” starts out with a guitar riff that sounds like hard rock on a combination of Prozac and speed, then launches into drums and a chorus of na-na’s. Yet you still find yourself banging and moshing, if you can believe it.

The Detroit-area native has just recently exploded onto the scene after a successful breakout in the U.K. His neck-snapping nose-smashing good-boy routine is finding a home where teens are sick of depressing death-metal and campy pop. Landing on a strange middle ground, Andrew W.K. may be the first bubblegum-metal artist.