The Bubble Boys
"Lawrence’s pop-punk band, the Bubble Boys, were omnipresent in the ’90s. With songs from their debut full-length, Bitter is Better, finding regular airplay on 105.9 the Lazer and the band opening shows for the likes of Descendents and Blink-182—the trio of guitarist/vocalist Brian Gee, bassist/vocalist Dan Cook, and drummer Chris Bulgren were a blast of energy.
The band formed in 1992 and essentially broke up when Gee moved to California in 2005. The occasional reunion show has popped up, with the last one in 2013. Before Gee moved away, however, the band recorded an album with Chubby Smith, entitled Burst, which has had the occasional compilation feature but never saw a full release until the end of last month via Lawrence’s Ownlife Records." - Nick Spacek, 2022 (The Pitch)
The Bubble Boys - Bitter Is Better
While not the first recorded output by The Bubble Boys, Bitter Is Better was their first widely available full length album. Originally released in 1996 by Unsound Records, and then reissued in 2001 when Unsound was rebranded as Noisome Records, the album coincided with regional radio play and opening spots for national touring acts. For fans of The Queers, old Green Day, Descendents, etc. Out-of-print for years but now available to stream and download.
The Bubble Boys - Burst CD
First full length album by The Bubble Boys since 1996's Bitter is Better.
It’s a bigger, more-developed record than Bitter is Better, although the band’s longest songs still barely break the three-minute mark. Featuring additional instrumentation such as organ, trumpet, and even saw, it’s still classic pop-punk at its heart but tackles the ideas of aging in a college town in a way that feels almost grown up. - Nick Spacek, 2022 (The Pitch)
V/A - We Must All Hang Together... CD
I put this together and released it when I was just getting out of high school (instead of homework) and I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, I used money I received at graduation to fund the thing. Sorry to all who involuntarily donated. Anyhow, I'm still mostly pleased with this compilation. It expresses what I love about music, friends and strangers alike getting together to make a collective expression of art. Many of these bands do not exist anymore making this yet another historical record of a time and place(s). I was also stoked about the artwork and layout put together by a partner in crime from school, Marshall Rake. Only $3, ya gotta be kidding me.