Pottymouth

The first and only full-length album Bratmobile released during its initial period of activity -- in the '90s, the indie music scene was really all about the 7," the format on which Bratmobile made the most of its abilities -- 1993's Pottymouth neatly encapsulates everything Bratmobile was about. At heart, this means that Pottymouth is about the early-'90s indie scene, about the D.I.Y. life in the post-Nirvana age where it seemed like anything could happen. Like many bands formed around the Olympia scene, the three members of Bratmobile were as much or more fans as they were musicians: it is not an insult to say that any three committed punk rock fans in and around the K Records/Kill Rock Stars orbit could have made this album, but merely an affirmation that these edge-of-chaos blurts of upfront sexuality, rancorous anger, and -- occasionally -- goofy humor sound like diary entries from the early '90s, when punk rock was just on the verge of taking over the world. A wild-eyed, overtly sarcastic version of the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" is a particular highlight, simultaneously mocking and celebrating traditional rock's view of female sexuality. ~ Stewart Mason