Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to violence. Hey
there and welcome to Pop Rocks Radio. As always,
I am your host Bijan. Can it really be true that
summer is nearly over? Let's go out with a bang,
shall we? To start things off for us today, we
have the new single from Boston's The Chelsea
Curve. This is Never Come Down. That was Seattle's
own Fastbacks with My Letters off 1992's The
Question Is No. I know there's a dad joke in
there somewhere. I just can't bring myself to
say it. All righty then. Welcome to Pop Rocks
Radio. Did you catch the show last week? As I'm
hoping the answer is yes, then this is not news
to you. I did what only could be called an inadequate
overview of the 1982 film Ladies and Gentlemen.
Fabulous Stains, a film about teenage girls starting
a punk band and starting a movement. I am hoping
to redeem myself this week with a film that came
out two years before that about teenage girls
starting a punk band. This week's film is 1980s
Times Square. But before we get to that, let's
kick off our first set with another one from
Seattle. Didn't really plan it that way. From
the album Dashboard Heat, releasing in late September,
this is Smokey Brights with All In Who You Know.
That was the artist PONY from Toronto
with her version of the Adam Sandler classic
Somebody Kill Me Please from the 1998 film The
Wedding Singer. Before that, we had Shannon and
the Clams with the title track from their latest
The Moon is in the Wrong Place. You know, I didn't
set out to play that track from PONY. I just
got a little sidetracked and couldn't resist.
You know what? Let's do the one I had planned
originally for the show. This is from 2021's
TV Baby. This is PONY with Chokecherry. Two
years before Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous
Stains, Robert Stigwood brought to the screen
a gritty tale of two young women chasing punk
dreams in the heart of sleazy New York City.
Our Tuesday Movie of the Week on Wednesday is
1980's Times Square. Directed by Allan Moyle,
who a decade later would helm the excellent Pump
Up the Volume, the film captures a moment when
the city was still raw, chaotic, and defiantly
alive. Before America became a cartoon version
of itself, New York reflected the country as
it truly was. Not a polished postcard, but something
messy, seedy, dangerous, and utterly electric.
The push to sanitize the city didn't kick into
high gear until the 1990s, but Times Square plants
us right in that transitional moment, following
two girls who discover themselves in the very
filth that Pamela Pearl's city councilman father
wants to wash away. Pamela, played by Trini Alvarado,
comes from privilege, and Nicky Marotta, played
by Robin Johnson, comes from pain. They meet
in a mental hospital, their caretakers trying
to medicate them into compliance. But where society
sees misfits, the girls find each other. And
their escape becomes the stuff of urban legend.
Hovering above it all is Tim Curry as a DJ with
a bird's eye view of Times Square. He recognizes
the magic of the city's pulse and turns the girls
into folk heroes, amplifying their rebellion
and mocking Pamela's father's crusade. Together,
Pamela and Nicky become the Sleez Sisters. Their
music isn't polished or radio -friendly. It's
jagged poetry screamed with fists in the air.
Nicky's howl is part diary entry, part street
sermon. Pamela's awkward lyrics transform into
affirmations for every girl who's ever felt invisible.
Pamela's story, however, isn't just about rebellion
for rebellion's sake. It's about finding her
voice. Once she does, she's strong enough to
return home, ready to face the world on her own
terms. For Nicky, though, there is no going home.
The streets, the grind, the chaos, this is her
world. And surviving it has always been the point.
Get out of here! This is my place! You all need
visiting! Out! Yet even for Nicky, survival turns
into transformation. Through the music, she discovers
her voice too, becoming the version of herself
she had always dreamed of. Loud, defiant, and
impossible to ignore. You know a lot of things.
I only know one thing. is that they're going
to see who I am. The story builds to its mythical
ending. Nicky defiant and unbreakable performing
in the middle of Times Square to an army of women
and girls she has inspired. This is Nicky Marotta,
famous murderer and entertainer. I'm throwing
a concert tonight in Times Square to celebrate
my escape from mental illness. Don't miss it.
It isn't just a concert, it's a... takeover.
Even the social worker who once wanted her institutionalized
stands in the crowd cheering. In that moment,
Nicky's voice belongs to all of them. The soundtrack
alone is worth the price of admission. Ramones,
Talking Heads, The Cars, Suzi Cuatro, The Pretenders,
Roxy Music, Gary Newman, the greatest hits of
the late 70s, early 80s underground. Now the
film isn't flawless. Studio meddling softened
the love story and left the pacing uneven. But
its heart beats true. Watching Pamela dance on
stage for the first time, hesitant and blooming
into pure joy and abandon, I found myself quietly
mouthing, yes. Few films let you witness a character
grow in real time. Times Square is really a fairy
tale. Fairy tale of the gutter. A world where
pimps and pushers become cheerleaders instead
of predators. Where a 13 -year -old can demand
a job in a topless bar and somehow get away with
it. It's messy, completely implausible, uneven,
but also deeply moving. Because Times Square
isn't just a backdrop. It's the amplifier that
turns Nicky's pain into poetry, her poetry into
music, and her music into a revolution of voices
that refuse to be silenced. Times Square is available
for rent on all the streamers and currently for
free on Tubi. If you don't Tubi, you really should
Tubi. of course, was the band Starball, fronted
by our Featured Artist of the Week, Tamar Berk.
I went back and checked, and over the course
of doing this show, I have played more Tamar
Berk songs than any other artist. Tamar writes
songs that feel like the inside of a restless
mind. Honest, jagged, and melodic in all the
right places. From her early days in Chicago
bands like Starball to carving out a solo career
where she does it all, She writes, she records,
and produces tracks that blend raw guitars with
sharp hooks and a surprising emotional depth.
I guess I play her songs so much because they
don't float by, they stick. They capture the
small truths you whisper to yourself at 3 a .m.,
then crank them through amps until they're undeniable.
Whether she's looking back on home, cataloging
anxiety, or chasing joy in the middle of chaos,
Tamar turns ordinary feelings into anthems. Okay,
enough of my nonsense. Let's get to the music.
Depending on where you look, this next song is
either credited to Starball or Tamar Berk's
solo. For sure, it's on Starball's 2001 release
Superfans, but one thing is unmistakable. This
is her sound stepping forward and starting to
shine. This is Over and Done. Forget it. meditating
from 2021's The Restless Dreams of Youth. Since
releasing that first official solo album, Tamar
has been on an unbelievable creative tear, releasing
albums every year since. This next one is from
2022's Start at the End. This is the first album
that fell on my radar from her, and it's one
that I go back to quite often. You can feel her
not only finding her voice, but really being
unafraid to use it. This one I particularly like.
It's emotionally resonant and just so goddamn
catchy. This is Dandelions in My Flower Bed.
That was Chicago from last year's Good Times
for a Change. With that album, it felt less like
searching and more like arriving. Every lyric
feels more grounded, more certain, and every
chorus hits with the kind of hook you just can't
shake. I don't do a top ten list of albums I
love over the course of a year, but if I did,
this one would have been on it for last year
for sure. That brings us to her latest release,
OCD. I've had this one on repeat since the moment
I started listening to it, and it feels like
her most assured work yet. Every track blends
her trademark raw honesty and melodies that stick,
creating an album that feels both intimate and
undeniable. Just love this next one. This is
I'm In The Day After. You can pick up OCD and
all of her discography from her website, tamarburkemusic
.com, and also from Bandcamp. I will put a link
to those in the show notes. And if you're in
the Chicago area, she has a gig at Schuba's on
September 27th, so go check that out. Show some
love, and don't forget to buy some merch as well.
If you love what you hear, support what you love.
And that is it for our featured artists this
week. If there is someone you would like to see
us feature on the show, drop me a note at bijan,
that's B -I -J -A -N, at poprocksradio.com.
Is that all that you've got to say to me? Yeah.
Is that all you've got to tell me? Those last
two tracks I heard about through the awesome
blog Remember the Lightning by S .W. Lauden.
The first track was The Cords from Glasgow with
their latest single, Fabulist. After that, we
had the artist Radhika, also from Glasgow, with
Future Me from last year. I've talked about it
on the show before, so if you haven't already
subscribed to his blog, go do it now. It's okay.
I'll wait. Okay, done? Alright. on with the show.
You realize Hitler only had one ball? What do
you think about a man with one ball? You think
he has two strikes against him? Maybe he's got
one ball and two strikes. Hitler only had one
ball. A lot of people don't know that. A lot
of people don't know that. They say, Hitler,
geez, he had a lot of balls. More to come here
on Pop Rocks Radio, but first, a word from our
sponsor. But since we don't have a sponsor, it's
really just a word. Hey, this is Bijan from Pop
Rocks Radio. We normally don't do politics here,
so I will keep this short. In America, we don't
do kings. If you agree with this statement, head
on over to Indivisible.org and help support
the good work they're doing. If you don't agree
with that statement, you can't see it, but I'm
giving you... quite the stare down right now
told you this was the last time you'd cross my
boundary line oh no there you go the anti -groupies
from long beach california with their latest
single not my problem they released their first
single back in 2022 not my problem is the third
single from their upcoming album to be announced
soon i believe sir that the doctor is trying
to tell you that he is happy because he has finished
his book it has apparently taken him 10 years
yes well i'm a slow reader myself okay time for
one more set let's kick this off with a clash
cover You know, Joe Strummer passed away in
2002. Can't believe it's been that long now.
This is a great tribute to that groundbreaking
band. This is the Hellflowers with Spanish Bombs.
We closed out that set with Momma with I Want
You Fever from their latest album, Welcome to
My Blue Sky. They are currently out on tour,
so check them out if they come to your town.
Before that, we had Hunx and His Punx with
the track Wild Boys from their latest release,
Walk Out on This World. And with that, we have
come to the end of another episode of Pop Rocks
Radio. If you like what we're doing here, please
like, subscribe, and check us out on YouTube
and wherever else you waste your time online.
This is Milwaukee's Finest, the Shivvers with
Remember Tonight. And this is Bijan from Pop
Rocks Radio. Thanks for listening. Be good, be
weird, and we'll see you next time.