Menthol

by Tracy FreyMixing wry, intelligent lyrics and erotic overtones with alternate tunings and distortion, Menthol creates its own version of loud punk pop. The band started out in 1991 in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., where the three band members, former Hum bassist Balthazar De Ley (vocals and guitar), Joel Spencer (bass and vocals) and Colin Koteles (drums), grew up. They recorded one full-length album and a 45 on Mud Records under the name Mother. A few years later, the band relocated to Chicago and signed with Capitol Records. After discovering that Mother was a common band name, the trio renamed themselves Menthol and put out an album of the same name in 1995.