Look, pull up a chair and pour yourself something stiff. We need to talk about the beautiful, loud, and slightly unhinged world of DESU TAEM. If the music industry is a gated community with manicured lawns and โNo Trespassingโ signs, these guys are the neighbors who just moved in next door, set up a stage in the driveway, and started a bonfire with their eviction notices.
Iโve been sitting with their latest offering from the Cyclops Girlfriend sagaโspecifically “Irreverent Resident President”โand Iโve come to a conclusion: we don’t deserve Shan and Nick Greene. But God, do we ever need them.
The Gospel According to the Father and the Son
Thereโs a special kind of magic that happens when a 59-year-old rock veteran (Shan) and his 25-year-old audio-engineer son (Nick) decide to stop making sense and start making noise. Itโs like Black Sabbath and Nirvana got into a bar fight, and the resulting bruises turned into songs. They call it “Savage Retro Rock.” I call it a much-needed cardiac massage for a genre thatโs been flatlining on TikTok-friendly hooks for too long.
In “Irreverent Resident President,” DESU TAEM takes a swing at leadershipโor perhaps the lack thereof. Itโs a shout-out to our “great leaders,” delivered with enough sarcasm to pickle a cucumber. Itโs bluegrass meets punk, a combination that shouldn’t work, yet it hits you like a shot of moonshine at a funeral.
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists… when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” โ Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu clearly never met the “Resident President” Shan is singing about. This track isn’t about the quiet, humble leader of ancient philosophy; itโs about the loud, irreverent figureheads we find ourselves stuck with in 2026. Itโs about the theater of power, played out over a beat thatโs as “engaging and danceable” as it is “deeply passionate.”
Why This Track Stays in Your Teeth
I gave this a solid 10, and Iโm not known for being generous. Usually, Iโm the guy pointing out that the drummer sounds like heโs falling down a flight of stairs, but here? The chaos is the point.
- The Vocals: Emotionally raw. Shan delivers lines like heโs trying to exorcise a demon and win a karaoke contest at the same time.
- The Structure: Simple. Chorus-verse-chorus. Itโs clean, itโs effective, and it leaves a mark. Itโs the musical equivalent of a “punch in the face,” as the band so eloquently puts it on their website.
- The Vibe: It creates this bizarre, calming atmosphere that somehow makes you want to mosh. Itโs the “calm before the storm,” if the storm was made of distorted guitars and cynical punchlines.
The DESU TAEM Reality Check
Letโs be real for a second. Most bands today are worried about their “brand.” They want to be “relatable.” DESU TAEM wants to know “Who Fucked the Crash Test Dummy?!” or why there’s a “Pile of Shit on the Carpet.” They aren’t trying to be your best friend; theyโre trying to be the wake-up call you keep hitting snooze on.
Theyโve released eight albums in 2025 alone. At this rate, theyโll have more tracks than the Atlantic Records archives by next Tuesday. Itโs prolific, itโs messy, and it smells like authentic rock n’ roll.
Final Thoughts from the Desk of Mr. Benjamins
If youโre looking for polished, radio-ready perfection, go find a boy band with matching outfits. But if you want something that feels like it was forged in a garage during a lightning stormโsomething that questions the “Resident President” while making you tap your footโthen youโre home.
DESU TAEM is a reminder that rock isn’t dead; itโs just been hiding in the basement with a bottle of whiskey and a loud amplifier.
Stay loud, stay irreverent, and for the love of all that is holy, go check out the rest of the Cyclops Girlfriend album. Itโs a wild ride, and I promise you won’t come back the same.
Warmly (and with a bit of a ringing in my ears),
Mr. Benjamins
This Is Hip Hop HQ
