Sunday, February 02, 2025

Bladder Bladder Bladder - Giving Punk A Bad Name

I've been waiting a quarter century for someone to have the good sense to give the greatest '77-style Brit-punk band of the '90s (that was actually based in Southern California) the proper compilation album treatment. I always thought that if you collected all of Bladder Bladder Bladder's singles along with some choice comp cuts, you'd have something that could stand toe-to-toe with just about any punk rock album released in the '90s. Finally, in 2025, Marco from No Front Teeth Records has proven me right! NFT had previously reissued Bladder Bladder Bladder's lone LP, 2000's On the Job. But I always maintained that the band's odds and sods were just as good if not superior to the album. Now Giving Punk a Bad Name collects most of that stuff, and it's essential listening for any human who never tires of listening to first wave UK punk rock. Yes, these tracks were recorded in the late '90s in California, but this album will practically transport you to 1977 London. As British expats who relocated to the U.S.A., the Bladder lads stood out like a sore thumb in the '90s SoCal punk scene. In classic tracks like "White American National Killer," "Crime Pays," "Living a Lie," "U.S. Dole Queue," and "No Go Girl," you can hear the influence of the music these guys grew up on. They simply ignored two decades of punk rock's evolution and wrote songs that today's algorithms would lump in with the likes of The Clash, Sex Pistols, Chelsea, Cock Sparrer, Generation X, and The Damned. Mick Bladder was the larger-than-life front man — a big, brash personality with a sharp wit and sense of humor that was unafraid to offend. Sterling Paramour was the guitar hero and occasional lead vocalist. Bassist Alex Creith wrote and sang a fair number of ace tunes as well. This was a band willing to engage in serious social commentary but never willing to take itself seriously. These guys had swagger in spades and the tunes to back it all up. Their songs were meant to be enjoyed under the influence of alcohol and were most likely written that way as well. In my book, Bladder Bladder Bladder should have been massive. 

In today's sprawling digitalized underground music scene, Bladder Bladder Bladder has been largely lost to history. As you may imagine, Google searches for "Bladder Bladder Bladder" mostly turn up unpleasant medical information. Outside of the band's contributions to High Society International's The British Punkinvasion Vol. 5, its music cannot be found on music streaming sites (although you can find the collected singles on The Switchblade New Wave's YouTube channel). The release of Giving Punk A Bad Name on perhaps the planet's preeminent punk rock record label will introduce the band's music to a whole new generation of fans — and delight old ones like me who have been wishing this record into existence for decades. Bladder Bladder Bladder was one of a handful of bands that I'd describe as the soundtrack to the very worst years of my life. And when life is at its bleakest, the music matters the most. As I listen back to these songs, I'm encouraged to discover that they really hold up — that I wasn't 100% full of shit when I championed these hooligans the first time around. Included here are tracks from 7" releases on Pelado Records and 77 RPM Records as well as a number of cuts from compilations you may have forgotten about (who remembers the Battle For The Airwaves Vol. 1 7" on Radio Records?!). It has all been remastered for your listening pleasure. 

What I like about reviewing music in the streaming era is that I can absolve myself of any responsibility for you spending money on music you end up not liking. I'm merely asking you to hit that play button and invest a few moments of your time in something you might want to buy. But with Giving Punk A Bad Name, it's a tougher sell. I'm asking you to fork over some of your hard-earned cash for a record you cannot listen to first. Some of you will have to pay exorbitant overseas shipping fees. But trust me: you will not be disappointed. And it's not like No Front Teeth has ever let you down. Bladder Bladder Bladder are giving punk a band name, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

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The Prostitutes - Broken Ballads & Savage Beats


How about this for an incredible, hard-to-believe fact: Broken Ballads & Savage Beats is the first vinyl album by The Prostitutes in nearly 28 years! I have had the honor of writing about this band dozens of times since 1996, but this is only my second time reviewing a Prostitutes release on 12" vinyl. That's wild! 

The Prostitutes as an entity within the punk rock universe have survived numerous breakups, implosions, relocations, and reboots. I was reasonably certain when the first iteration of the band collapsed in 1998 that The Prostitutes were gone forever — destined to become one of those bands of punk lore that burned hard and fast before irreversibly going up in flames. But two years later, Kevin McGovern revived the band from the ashes with a mostly new lineup — and within months it seemed The Prostitutes were again dead and buried, surely this time obliterated beyond the point of no return. Or so we all thought. Nothing, it turned out, could really kill The Prostitutes. What started out as a punk rock band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania became a compulsion that followed Kevin McGovern wherever he went. And even as time passed and the supporting casts continued to revolve, the music continued to fiercely rage against the dull trappings of conformity. If an esteemed scribe like Mick Fletcher describes McGovern as a "punk rock legend," that's not an overstatement. The Prostitutes were more than worthy of a second proper LP, and I love that it comes to us courtesy of SahLugg Records and super-fan Kenney Garrett. 

Broken Ballads & Savage Beats is a Prostitutes retrospective that aims to cover the band's full career through 2019. It does include five tracks from the band's original, legendarily-volatile classic lineup, but it also includes three songs from the short-lived Y2K Prostitutes, a couple tunes from the band's 2000s California iteration, and several songs from the late 2010s when McGovern brought the band back to the East Coast. Essentially, the album splits the band's history into two halves: Side 1 is 1995 through 2000, and Side 2 is post-2000 (along with the closing demo track from McGovern's early '90s band Mainliner). And there's no drop-off from one side to the other. Of course "123 Go" and "Suicide Is Fun" are classics. But if "Sick to Death" or "Cheap Highs" were your very first exposure to The Prostitutes, you'd instantly want to hear more. Sometimes with band retrospectives or best-of compilations, the track selection can be too obvious or too encompassing. But that's not what is going on here. This album gives a balanced overview of a quarter century of The Prostitutes. It's not trying to be a best-of or a greatest hits comp. What it really is is a carefully-selected group of songs that collectively make a great punk rock LP. If you're looking for something more exhaustive, there are plenty of options available via Bandcamp. But if you want to own a Prostitutes LP that can throw on the turntable and enjoy along side all your other classic punk albums, Broken Ballads & Savage Beats will not disappoint. I love that this album was made to exist as a vinyl record. Sure, you can still download it if that's your preference. But this retrospective was made for Prostitutes fans who are vinyl lovers. The red vinyl and artwork look great, and the liner notes were penned by Mr. Kevin McGovern himself. 

If you had bet me a million dollars back in 1996 that I would still be writing about The Prostitutes in my mid-50s, I'd be in big trouble now. I never would have believed that I'd still be writing about music at this age, and I certainly wouldn't have believed that a Prostitutes album in 2025 was remotely possible. But here we are. Broken Ballads & Savage Beats instantly earns a spot on the short list of classic punk rock compilation LPs. And I'm betting this won't be the last time I have the occasion to write about this band!

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Saturday, February 01, 2025

Ricky Rochelle - "Imagine Being Eric"

"Imagine Being Eric," Ricky Rochelle's new solo single, is an absolute delight. While the song has the spirit of pop-punk, it's definitely a departure from Ricky's usual style of music. It's more on the quirky side of new wave/power pop with hints of classic indie/alternative. What I love about this song is that it's exactly what the world needs way more of right now. It comes from a place of empathy, compassion, and kindness. Mailman, cat dad, and '80s table tennis star Eric is a lonely soul who has presumably given up on finding love. The song doesn't judge or poke fun at him — it invites you to put yourself in his shoes. And you do so because you could be in his shoes or maybe already have been. This could have been a bummer of a song, but the sweetness of Ricky's vocal delivery gives it a much warmer vibe. The best songs about loneliness make us feel more connected to our fellow humans, and I would absolutely put "Imagine Being Eric" in that category. The song's chorus is so simple in structure yet so brilliantly crafted. You won't hear a catchier song this year. Ricky Rochelle is just one of those singers who's naturally likable. You hear him through those headphones and feel like a friend is talking to you. And that's part of the magic of "Imagine Being Eric." He's got another single coming out next Thursday, and I can't freaking wait!

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