WEBVTT 00:00:02.780 --> 00:00:06.860 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to violence. Hey 00:00:06.860 --> 00:00:09.320 there and welcome to Pop Rocks Radio. As always, 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:12.599 I am your host Bijan. Can it really be true that 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:15.619 summer is nearly over? Let's go out with a bang, 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:18.699 shall we? To start things off for us today, we 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:20.940 have the new single from Boston's The Chelsea 00:00:20.940 --> 00:05:49.750 Curve. This is Never Come Down. That was Seattle's 00:05:49.750 --> 00:05:53.029 own Fastbacks with My Letters off 1992's The 00:05:53.029 --> 00:05:56.250 Question Is No. I know there's a dad joke in 00:05:56.250 --> 00:05:58.970 there somewhere. I just can't bring myself to 00:05:58.970 --> 00:06:02.769 say it. All righty then. Welcome to Pop Rocks 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:06.569 Radio. Did you catch the show last week? As I'm 00:06:06.569 --> 00:06:09.810 hoping the answer is yes, then this is not news 00:06:09.810 --> 00:06:14.129 to you. I did what only could be called an inadequate 00:06:14.129 --> 00:06:17.370 overview of the 1982 film Ladies and Gentlemen. 00:06:17.999 --> 00:06:21.079 Fabulous Stains, a film about teenage girls starting 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:23.939 a punk band and starting a movement. I am hoping 00:06:23.939 --> 00:06:26.259 to redeem myself this week with a film that came 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:29.920 out two years before that about teenage girls 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:33.800 starting a punk band. This week's film is 1980s 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:36.800 Times Square. But before we get to that, let's 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:38.699 kick off our first set with another one from 00:06:38.699 --> 00:06:41.720 Seattle. Didn't really plan it that way. From 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:44.980 the album Dashboard Heat, releasing in late September, 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.319 this is Smokey Brights with All In Who You Know. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:14:45.309 That was the artist PONY from Toronto 00:14:45.309 --> 00:14:47.830 with her version of the Adam Sandler classic 00:14:47.830 --> 00:14:51.429 Somebody Kill Me Please from the 1998 film The 00:14:51.429 --> 00:14:54.330 Wedding Singer. Before that, we had Shannon and 00:14:54.330 --> 00:14:56.429 the Clams with the title track from their latest 00:14:56.429 --> 00:14:59.809 The Moon is in the Wrong Place. You know, I didn't 00:14:59.809 --> 00:15:02.110 set out to play that track from PONY. I just 00:15:02.110 --> 00:15:03.929 got a little sidetracked and couldn't resist. 00:15:04.769 --> 00:15:07.370 You know what? Let's do the one I had planned 00:15:07.370 --> 00:15:11.210 originally for the show. This is from 2021's 00:15:11.210 --> 00:18:24.370 TV Baby. This is PONY with Chokecherry. Two 00:18:24.370 --> 00:18:27.170 years before Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous 00:18:27.170 --> 00:18:29.589 Stains, Robert Stigwood brought to the screen 00:18:29.589 --> 00:18:31.990 a gritty tale of two young women chasing punk 00:18:31.990 --> 00:18:34.210 dreams in the heart of sleazy New York City. 00:18:34.710 --> 00:18:38.349 Our Tuesday Movie of the Week on Wednesday is 00:18:38.349 --> 00:18:42.549 1980's Times Square. Directed by Allan Moyle, 00:18:42.609 --> 00:18:44.609 who a decade later would helm the excellent Pump 00:18:44.609 --> 00:18:47.250 Up the Volume, the film captures a moment when 00:18:47.250 --> 00:18:49.710 the city was still raw, chaotic, and defiantly 00:18:49.710 --> 00:18:53.470 alive. Before America became a cartoon version 00:18:53.470 --> 00:18:56.170 of itself, New York reflected the country as 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:59.289 it truly was. Not a polished postcard, but something 00:18:59.289 --> 00:19:02.890 messy, seedy, dangerous, and utterly electric. 00:19:03.609 --> 00:19:05.690 The push to sanitize the city didn't kick into 00:19:05.690 --> 00:19:08.869 high gear until the 1990s, but Times Square plants 00:19:08.869 --> 00:19:12.029 us right in that transitional moment, following 00:19:12.029 --> 00:19:14.309 two girls who discover themselves in the very 00:19:14.309 --> 00:19:17.369 filth that Pamela Pearl's city councilman father 00:19:17.369 --> 00:19:21.410 wants to wash away. Pamela, played by Trini Alvarado, 00:19:21.509 --> 00:19:24.309 comes from privilege, and Nicky Marotta, played 00:19:24.309 --> 00:19:27.910 by Robin Johnson, comes from pain. They meet 00:19:27.910 --> 00:19:30.289 in a mental hospital, their caretakers trying 00:19:30.289 --> 00:19:33.480 to medicate them into compliance. But where society 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:36.720 sees misfits, the girls find each other. And 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.839 their escape becomes the stuff of urban legend. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.500 Hovering above it all is Tim Curry as a DJ with 00:19:42.500 --> 00:19:45.460 a bird's eye view of Times Square. He recognizes 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:47.819 the magic of the city's pulse and turns the girls 00:19:47.819 --> 00:19:50.059 into folk heroes, amplifying their rebellion 00:19:50.059 --> 00:19:53.299 and mocking Pamela's father's crusade. Together, 00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:56.480 Pamela and Nicky become the Sleez Sisters. Their 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.400 music isn't polished or radio -friendly. It's 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:02.259 jagged poetry screamed with fists in the air. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:06.019 Nicky's howl is part diary entry, part street 00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:09.279 sermon. Pamela's awkward lyrics transform into 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:11.920 affirmations for every girl who's ever felt invisible. 00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:15.559 Pamela's story, however, isn't just about rebellion 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.180 for rebellion's sake. It's about finding her 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:20.839 voice. Once she does, she's strong enough to 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:23.160 return home, ready to face the world on her own 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.539 terms. For Nicky, though, there is no going home. 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:29.599 The streets, the grind, the chaos, this is her 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:32.339 world. And surviving it has always been the point. 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:36.200 Get out of here! This is my place! You all need 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:40.099 visiting! Out! Yet even for Nicky, survival turns 00:20:40.099 --> 00:20:43.000 into transformation. Through the music, she discovers 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:45.180 her voice too, becoming the version of herself 00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:48.059 she had always dreamed of. Loud, defiant, and 00:20:48.059 --> 00:20:50.579 impossible to ignore. You know a lot of things. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.160 I only know one thing. is that they're going 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:56.119 to see who I am. The story builds to its mythical 00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:58.980 ending. Nicky defiant and unbreakable performing 00:20:58.980 --> 00:21:01.480 in the middle of Times Square to an army of women 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:04.660 and girls she has inspired. This is Nicky Marotta, 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.779 famous murderer and entertainer. I'm throwing 00:21:07.779 --> 00:21:10.420 a concert tonight in Times Square to celebrate 00:21:10.420 --> 00:21:13.440 my escape from mental illness. Don't miss it. 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:19.849 It isn't just a concert, it's a... takeover. 00:21:19.890 --> 00:21:22.890 Even the social worker who once wanted her institutionalized 00:21:22.890 --> 00:21:25.869 stands in the crowd cheering. In that moment, 00:21:25.990 --> 00:21:28.890 Nicky's voice belongs to all of them. The soundtrack 00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:31.970 alone is worth the price of admission. Ramones, 00:21:32.109 --> 00:21:35.089 Talking Heads, The Cars, Suzi Cuatro, The Pretenders, 00:21:35.210 --> 00:21:38.089 Roxy Music, Gary Newman, the greatest hits of 00:21:38.089 --> 00:21:40.869 the late 70s, early 80s underground. Now the 00:21:40.869 --> 00:21:44.390 film isn't flawless. Studio meddling softened 00:21:44.390 --> 00:21:47.269 the love story and left the pacing uneven. But 00:21:47.269 --> 00:21:50.650 its heart beats true. Watching Pamela dance on 00:21:50.650 --> 00:21:53.750 stage for the first time, hesitant and blooming 00:21:53.750 --> 00:21:56.829 into pure joy and abandon, I found myself quietly 00:21:56.829 --> 00:22:00.470 mouthing, yes. Few films let you witness a character 00:22:00.470 --> 00:22:04.930 grow in real time. Times Square is really a fairy 00:22:04.930 --> 00:22:08.430 tale. Fairy tale of the gutter. A world where 00:22:08.430 --> 00:22:10.869 pimps and pushers become cheerleaders instead 00:22:10.869 --> 00:22:13.569 of predators. Where a 13 -year -old can demand 00:22:13.569 --> 00:22:16.029 a job in a topless bar and somehow get away with 00:22:16.029 --> 00:22:19.880 it. It's messy, completely implausible, uneven, 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.059 but also deeply moving. Because Times Square 00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:26.180 isn't just a backdrop. It's the amplifier that 00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:28.880 turns Nicky's pain into poetry, her poetry into 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:31.640 music, and her music into a revolution of voices 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:35.420 that refuse to be silenced. Times Square is available 00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:38.160 for rent on all the streamers and currently for 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:41.759 free on Tubi. If you don't Tubi, you really should 00:22:41.759 --> 00:26:02.180 Tubi. of course, was the band Starball, fronted 00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:04.880 by our Featured Artist of the Week, Tamar Berk. 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:08.099 I went back and checked, and over the course 00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:10.619 of doing this show, I have played more Tamar 00:26:10.619 --> 00:26:14.920 Berk songs than any other artist. Tamar writes 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:17.579 songs that feel like the inside of a restless 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:21.839 mind. Honest, jagged, and melodic in all the 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:24.380 right places. From her early days in Chicago 00:26:24.380 --> 00:26:27.519 bands like Starball to carving out a solo career 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:30.559 where she does it all, She writes, she records, 00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:32.980 and produces tracks that blend raw guitars with 00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:35.920 sharp hooks and a surprising emotional depth. 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:39.460 I guess I play her songs so much because they 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:43.339 don't float by, they stick. They capture the 00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:45.940 small truths you whisper to yourself at 3 a .m., 00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:49.039 then crank them through amps until they're undeniable. 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:52.420 Whether she's looking back on home, cataloging 00:26:52.420 --> 00:26:54.720 anxiety, or chasing joy in the middle of chaos, 00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:59.420 Tamar turns ordinary feelings into anthems. Okay, 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:02.259 enough of my nonsense. Let's get to the music. 00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:05.240 Depending on where you look, this next song is 00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:08.019 either credited to Starball or Tamar Berk's 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:11.539 solo. For sure, it's on Starball's 2001 release 00:27:11.539 --> 00:27:14.859 Superfans, but one thing is unmistakable. This 00:27:14.859 --> 00:27:17.680 is her sound stepping forward and starting to 00:27:17.680 --> 00:34:00.180 shine. This is Over and Done. Forget it. meditating 00:34:00.180 --> 00:34:05.279 from 2021's The Restless Dreams of Youth. Since 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:07.819 releasing that first official solo album, Tamar 00:34:07.819 --> 00:34:11.519 has been on an unbelievable creative tear, releasing 00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:15.440 albums every year since. This next one is from 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:19.400 2022's Start at the End. This is the first album 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:21.800 that fell on my radar from her, and it's one 00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:24.780 that I go back to quite often. You can feel her 00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:27.519 not only finding her voice, but really being 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:31.320 unafraid to use it. This one I particularly like. 00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:34.579 It's emotionally resonant and just so goddamn 00:34:34.579 --> 00:34:38.239 catchy. This is Dandelions in My Flower Bed. 00:41:06.920 --> 00:41:09.320 That was Chicago from last year's Good Times 00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:13.460 for a Change. With that album, it felt less like 00:41:13.460 --> 00:41:18.039 searching and more like arriving. Every lyric 00:41:18.039 --> 00:41:20.320 feels more grounded, more certain, and every 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:22.579 chorus hits with the kind of hook you just can't 00:41:22.579 --> 00:41:26.579 shake. I don't do a top ten list of albums I 00:41:26.579 --> 00:41:29.300 love over the course of a year, but if I did, 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:31.380 this one would have been on it for last year 00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:35.280 for sure. That brings us to her latest release, 00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:39.179 OCD. I've had this one on repeat since the moment 00:41:39.179 --> 00:41:41.159 I started listening to it, and it feels like 00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:44.639 her most assured work yet. Every track blends 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:47.880 her trademark raw honesty and melodies that stick, 00:41:48.039 --> 00:41:50.320 creating an album that feels both intimate and 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:54.320 undeniable. Just love this next one. This is 00:41:54.320 --> 00:45:33.809 I'm In The Day After. You can pick up OCD and 00:45:33.809 --> 00:45:37.170 all of her discography from her website, tamarburkemusic 00:45:37.170 --> 00:45:40.750 .com, and also from Bandcamp. I will put a link 00:45:40.750 --> 00:45:43.170 to those in the show notes. And if you're in 00:45:43.170 --> 00:45:45.769 the Chicago area, she has a gig at Schuba's on 00:45:45.769 --> 00:45:48.989 September 27th, so go check that out. Show some 00:45:48.989 --> 00:45:51.630 love, and don't forget to buy some merch as well. 00:45:52.110 --> 00:45:54.750 If you love what you hear, support what you love. 00:45:56.199 --> 00:45:58.440 And that is it for our featured artists this 00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:00.880 week. If there is someone you would like to see 00:46:00.880 --> 00:46:03.599 us feature on the show, drop me a note at bijan, 00:46:03.599 --> 00:46:07.420 that's B -I -J -A -N, at poprocksradio.com. 00:46:09.800 --> 00:46:12.960 Is that all that you've got to say to me? Yeah. 00:46:14.019 --> 00:52:25.389 Is that all you've got to tell me? Those last 00:52:25.389 --> 00:52:27.550 two tracks I heard about through the awesome 00:52:27.550 --> 00:52:30.449 blog Remember the Lightning by S .W. Lauden. 00:52:30.690 --> 00:52:33.349 The first track was The Cords from Glasgow with 00:52:33.349 --> 00:52:36.829 their latest single, Fabulist. After that, we 00:52:36.829 --> 00:52:39.550 had the artist Radhika, also from Glasgow, with 00:52:39.550 --> 00:52:42.929 Future Me from last year. I've talked about it 00:52:42.929 --> 00:52:44.690 on the show before, so if you haven't already 00:52:44.690 --> 00:52:48.989 subscribed to his blog, go do it now. It's okay. 00:52:49.090 --> 00:52:55.719 I'll wait. Okay, done? Alright. on with the show. 00:52:56.679 --> 00:53:01.480 You realize Hitler only had one ball? What do 00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:02.800 you think about a man with one ball? You think 00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:09.219 he has two strikes against him? Maybe he's got 00:53:09.219 --> 00:53:13.940 one ball and two strikes. Hitler only had one 00:53:13.940 --> 00:53:16.539 ball. A lot of people don't know that. A lot 00:53:16.539 --> 00:53:17.619 of people don't know that. They say, Hitler, 00:53:17.739 --> 00:53:25.429 geez, he had a lot of balls. More to come here 00:53:25.429 --> 00:53:28.329 on Pop Rocks Radio, but first, a word from our 00:53:28.329 --> 00:53:31.429 sponsor. But since we don't have a sponsor, it's 00:53:31.429 --> 00:53:34.989 really just a word. Hey, this is Bijan from Pop 00:53:34.989 --> 00:53:37.849 Rocks Radio. We normally don't do politics here, 00:53:37.949 --> 00:53:41.449 so I will keep this short. In America, we don't 00:53:41.449 --> 00:53:44.110 do kings. If you agree with this statement, head 00:53:44.110 --> 00:53:46.610 on over to Indivisible.org and help support 00:53:46.610 --> 00:53:48.909 the good work they're doing. If you don't agree 00:53:48.909 --> 00:53:53.050 with that statement, you can't see it, but I'm 00:53:53.050 --> 00:53:54.860 giving you... quite the stare down right now 00:53:54.860 --> 00:54:00.760 told you this was the last time you'd cross my 00:54:00.760 --> 00:57:45.860 boundary line oh no there you go the anti -groupies 00:57:45.860 --> 00:57:47.800 from long beach california with their latest 00:57:47.800 --> 00:57:51.380 single not my problem they released their first 00:57:51.380 --> 00:57:54.519 single back in 2022 not my problem is the third 00:57:54.519 --> 00:57:56.800 single from their upcoming album to be announced 00:57:56.800 --> 00:58:00.860 soon i believe sir that the doctor is trying 00:58:00.860 --> 00:58:02.980 to tell you that he is happy because he has finished 00:58:02.980 --> 00:58:06.199 his book it has apparently taken him 10 years 00:58:06.199 --> 00:58:10.159 yes well i'm a slow reader myself okay time for 00:58:10.159 --> 00:58:12.519 one more set let's kick this off with a clash 00:58:12.519 --> 00:58:15.329 cover You know, Joe Strummer passed away in 00:58:15.329 --> 00:58:18.269 2002. Can't believe it's been that long now. 00:58:18.710 --> 00:58:20.690 This is a great tribute to that groundbreaking 00:58:20.690 --> 00:58:24.570 band. This is the Hellflowers with Spanish Bombs. 01:08:22.539 --> 01:08:25.420 We closed out that set with Momma with I Want 01:08:25.420 --> 01:08:27.800 You Fever from their latest album, Welcome to 01:08:27.800 --> 01:08:30.760 My Blue Sky. They are currently out on tour, 01:08:30.819 --> 01:08:32.699 so check them out if they come to your town. 01:08:33.500 --> 01:08:35.939 Before that, we had Hunx and His Punx with 01:08:35.939 --> 01:08:38.119 the track Wild Boys from their latest release, 01:08:38.319 --> 01:09:04.140 Walk Out on This World. And with that, we have 01:09:04.140 --> 01:09:06.439 come to the end of another episode of Pop Rocks 01:09:06.439 --> 01:09:09.340 Radio. If you like what we're doing here, please 01:09:09.340 --> 01:09:11.859 like, subscribe, and check us out on YouTube 01:09:11.859 --> 01:09:14.180 and wherever else you waste your time online. 01:09:17.039 --> 01:09:20.479 This is Milwaukee's Finest, the Shivvers with 01:09:20.479 --> 01:09:23.380 Remember Tonight. And this is Bijan from Pop 01:09:23.380 --> 01:09:26.600 Rocks Radio. Thanks for listening. Be good, be 01:09:26.600 --> 01:09:28.640 weird, and we'll see you next time.