I can recall back in the early ‘80s when the split first developed between the negative punks and the positive punks. Since I had already done some serious time living-fast-and-nearly-dying-young, I decided to throw my lot in with the positive punks. Yet I found that I had some rebellious urge that would not let me fully embrace total positivity. I found that I had to have my negative punk reprieve from time to time to keep my sanity and my sense of fun intact. In the mid-to-late ‘90s The Prostitutes rallied my negative punk excitement level better than any other band of that time period. They managed to craft a handful of classics that still scorch my soul every time I listen to them. After breaking up in their originating city of Harrisburg, PA, Kevin Prostitute has started up a new Prostitutes in Long Beach. This new album definitely sounds like The Prostitutes of old. It is slightly more polished-sounding than their older recordings but not enough to put anyone off. Kevin’s pissed-off snarl still carries this music head and shoulders above other bands that I hear mining this same sound and vibe. The best comparison I have for this band might be The Pagans. I’ve listened to this album many times and I don’t hear any weak tracks. Of course, I’m also looking for something that singes me the way that “Teenage Girls” and “22” did eleven or twelve years ago and, right now, this album’s “They’re All Dead” is totally doing that for me.
–chris (May Cause Dizziness, www.mcdrecords.com)