Though largely unsubstantiated, rumors abounded that the mystery group known as the Network is actually Green Day, joined by members of Devo. Whether or not these rumors were true, it's not a stretch to imagine that Green Day and Devo are behind the Network, because the music falls firmly within the hook-filled, post-punk ken of both bands. The synth-driven, herky-jerky grooves and stylized, robotic singing come straight out of the Devo rulebook, while the hard-hitting, up-tempo tunes and the tightness of the group (powered by some intensely propulsive drumming) bears a marked similarity to Green Day's pop-punk aesthetic.
With its nervous energy and tech-minded themes, the music directly recalls early-1980s New Wave. Song titles like "Transistors Gone Wild," "Supermodel Robots," and "X-Ray Hamburger" unabashedly conjure up the era of Max Headroom, parachute pants, and Kraftwerk. The title track owes something to early-MTV goth-tinged dance music, as does the post-industrial "Spike." While it's easy to play spot-the-influence here (the lead singer does his best Sid Vicious impression on "Right Hand-a-Rama"), MONEY MONEY 2020 is still great fun, updating and energizing '80s styles for a new generation.