The Brides – Suburban Vermin

“We’re finally here! The long-awaited LP comp from “Chicago’s Best Band of the 1990s” is in the pipe and on the way. Featuring the legendary previously unreleased 8-song 1997 demo tracks, the scorching 7″ tracks, and previously unheard alternates & live demos all set to provide the soundtrack to your inaugural decapitation upon receipt.

The mid-’90s, Chicagoland. Suburban highschool angst… Ska, math-rock, and the dying embers of pop-punk were the rage. I actively disliked all of it. I’d spend the occasional weekend at the Dummy Room (a record store) off of Ashland Ave. and the owner would recommend ’70s/’80s punk and rock’n roll that would become essential in the years to come. Pagans. Viletones. Heartbreakers. But I needed more rock’n roll. I had to start a band to fill the void that I felt in the Chicago scene, but things were dire back then. Cultural starvation. I left a flyer at the record store and eventually got in contact with brothers Nick and Damien Dagovitz and then The O’Langutan, the latter of which would eventually blame me for him breaking my own bass that he was playing because “Why would you ever think that’s it’s cool to let a wildman play your bass? You knew that I’m a wildman”. That should have been a clear indication that his brain-moths were not circling the lightbulb correctly, but nope, I looked past it and the band kept on for another year or so. We played some great shows, thanks to Alec Budd of the Problematics and Tom Smith in Green Bay. And I guess that we recorded some okay songs, mostly thanks to Jim Kuczkowski in Indianapolis. But the band wasn’t getting along and after fights and some really difficult gigs, it became a slog. So, by 19, I dissolved it and moved to San Francisco. And that was the end of it.

Until now. I haven’t listened to these tracks in years, but some of them still hold up. Thank you to my old buddies at HoZac for kicking this dead horse, also Al and the Kooch, and thanks to Todd G. from Indy. Eric O. always had our back, as did Tom S. All my respect goes out to Ken White, who was like a fifth member of the band. And of course Jim O., Erik B. and especially Russ C.

I hope that you kids enjoy these tunes as much as I enjoyed writing and covering them. Cheers,
– J. Ross Fisher

RIYL: Crime, Viletones, Pagans, Randoms, Weirdos, Heartbreakers, The Normals, Knots, Zero Boys, Hillside Stranglers, Helmettes“