by Bryan Buss

Hailing from Tempe, AZ, the Refreshments is a solid frat boy band, and Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy is their definitive album. Don't let their good ol' boy sound discourage you, however. Though much of their oeuvre is about alcohol, Mexico, and girls, there is a lack of pretension and a definitive sense of humor about their material that makes them harmless and endlessly enjoyable. Listening to "Girly" or "Banditos" is like kicking back with a college bud and a brew: summery, smirky, and somewhat yearning. The irreverence in the Refreshments' lyrics makes all the difference between them and other more self-serious bands in the same vein, because it determines the group as accessible, and that is one thing that cannot be feigned or manufactured. All the grunge and post-grunge posing got old fast, and with clever, ironic lyrics, fast driving guitars, and earnest vocals, the Refreshments kept fun alive on the alternative scene through the '90s.