You could describe these Bay Area funk rockers as “quirky” in their approach to songwriting and instrumentation, but it wouldn’t offer you the whole picture. Combining vulgar humor, bitter satire, and idiosyncratic influences, they’ve somehow assembled a devoted fan base, whose passionate cries of “Primus sucks!” are intended as endearment, not insult. These are my favorite songs from El Sobrante’s purveyors of strange.

*This list will be updated in the event of any future (including posthumous) releases.

Honorable mentions

American Life

Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread

Here Come the Bastards

Pudding Time

Shake Hands with Beef

Top 10

10. DMV

9. Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats

8. Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers

7. Mrs. Blaileen

6. Southbound Pachyderm

5. Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver

4. My Name Is Mud

3. Over the Electric Grapevine

2. Jerry Was a Race Car Driver

1. Tommy the Cat

Favorite Album Cover

Green Naugahyde (2011)

Favorite Track on Each Album

Frizzle Fry (1990)

Pudding Time

Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991)

Tommy the Cat

Pork Soda (1993)

My Name Is Mud

Tales from the Punchbowl (1995)

Over the Electric Grapevine

Brown Album (1997)

Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread

Antipop (1999)

Natural Joe

Green Naugahyde (2011)

Last Salmon Man (Fisherman’s Chronicles, Part IV)

Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (2014)

I Want It Now

The Desaturating Seven

The Trek

Albums Ranked

9. Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (2014)

8. Antipop (1999)

7. Green Naugahyde (2011)

6. Pork Soda (1993)

5. The Desaturating Seven (2017)

4. Brown Album (1997)

3. Frizzle Fry (1990)

2. Tales from the Punchbowl (1995)

1. Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991)