Boingo—The Best in New Wave

Hello! My name is Jeb, and welcome to Jeb's Jukebox!

If you're reading this page, I can only assume that you might enjoy music. Hopefully you do. I know I do—hence the blog.

This blog is dedicated to music that:

1. might not be well-known,
2. and has something special to it.

Each week, I'll provide a history of the artist, fun facts, and information about the music itself through a ranked list of albums. So, without further ado, let's get started!

------

Wake Up! It's 1984! Won't you listen to me?

Oingo Boingo—A Brief History

Danny Elfman—you may have heard this name in relation to your favorite movie soundtracks. Movies like Beetlejuice or The Nightmare Before Christmas feature music composed by Elfman. Something many people might not know about him, however, is that he is the former frontman of the 80s/90s band Oingo Boingo.

Oingo Boingo EP (1980)

Oingo Boingo was a Los Angeles-based American rock band influenced by a mix of ska, punk, and new wave genres. In 1994, however, they made a significant genre shift to alternative rock, and later disbanded in 1995.

Notable members of Oingo Boingo include: Danny Elfman (1972-1995), Steve Bartek (1976-1995), and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez (1978-1995), among many others.

It all began with The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a theater troupe of musicians, formed in 1972 by filmmaker Richard Elfman. Richard, Danny Elfman's older brother, invited Danny into the group. Danny later took over.

In 1979 Oingo Boingo officially formed, and later released their first EP in 1980. They then went on to release seven more albums throughout the 1980s to the mid 1990s, listed below:

• Only A Lad (1981)
• Nothing to Fear (1982)
• Good for Your Soul (1983)
• Dead Man's Party (1985)
• Boi-ngo (1987)
• Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)
• Boingo (1994)

Frontman Feature—Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman is a composer, singer, and songwriter. According to his website, Elfman has written over 100 film scores, and also wrote the theme songs to The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. During his Boingo days, Elfman was noticed by Tim Burton, thus beginning his composing career.

In 2021, Elfman released his first solo album since Boingo, titled Big Mess. In 2022, he released Bigger. Messier. He will likely continue releasing new music.

Extra Silly Tidbits

• Elfman still performs Oingo Boingo songs, as shown in his live shows of 2022.
• Johnny "Vatos" formed a Boingo tribute band in 2005.
• The L.A. city council declared 04/20 "National Oingo Boingo Day".
• The video game Five Nights at Freddy's helped me discover Oingo Boingo.

Album Ranking

#7: Boingo (1994)

This album is very much a tone shift. However, with songs like Hey!, Mary, and Change, the album is still a banger. The album wasn't overly popular, but is still looked upon fondly.

#6: Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)

This, in my opinion, is the superior of the 90s albums. With songs like Skin, Out of Control, and When the Lights Go Out, this album fulfills the switch to alternative rock while still holding onto the original funk of the band. The songs have more of a sense of meaning than their later album.

#5: Boi-ngo (1987)

This album wasn't as popular as its predecessor, but is still a very good album. Notable songs are Elevator Man, New Generation, and We Close Our Eyes. Underrated.

#4: Dead Man's Party (1985)

Boingo's most popular album. Featuring songs like Dead Man's Party, Weird Science, and Stay, this is likely the album someone will remember when you say you like Oingo Boingo. Stay is my 2nd favorite Boingo song.

#3: Good for Your Soul (1983)

Such a banger album. Good For Your Soul, Little Guns, and Wake Up (It's 1984) are definitely the stars here. Only put in third because of Cry of the Vatos.

#2: Nothing to Fear (1982)

A very popular album amongst diehard fans. This album is banger after banger, especially with songs like Private Life on the roster. Insects is a song Danny Elfman has remade on his new 2022 album.

#1: Only a Lad (1981)

My absolute favorite Boingo album, and what helped the band become popular. My favorite song is What You See, but the most popular song is Only a Lad. Perfect blend of the funk, the brass, and showcases the weirdness of the 80s.

Thank you for tuning in to Jeb's Jukebox! I hope you enjoyed, and that you give Oingo Boingo a listen!