Photo courtesy of The Buttertones' Facebook Page
The demise of Burger Records came swiftly after allegations of sexual misconduct—some involving minors and the grooming of teenage girls for sex—surfaced against the label’s staff and associated performers in late July. In a statement addressing the allegations that apologized for the label’s part in “perpetuating a culture of toxic masculinity,” Burger Records announced it would be changing its name and leadership and instituting other changes, including starting an all-female imprint. But as outrage grew as news of the allegations spread, they folded the label instead.
The multiple allegations, which first arose on the Instagram account Lured_by_Burger_Records and have continued to increase, have left many music fans in Milwaukee and elsewhere disgusted and angry—not just at the Fullerton, Calif., label and record store, but what they see as a long, unaddressed history of abuse of women and girls by men in rock’n’roll.
Sid McCain, WMSE promotions director and DJ, says she was a Burger fan and played many of their artists and affiliated bands on her show, including the Cosmonauts and Buttertones, who have both faced accusations. She says she won’t be playing them anymore. McCain, who served as a vice president of major record labels including EMI before coming to Milwaukee, said Burger is far from alone in its bad behavior.
“Make no mistake, predatory behavior is rampant in the music industry,” she says. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s gotten worse. I mean you have a record store/label hosting shows and luring in underage girls. There is nothing more exciting than to get to meet your favorite artist. These girls went ‘backstage’ with the trust of something great—only to be used. It’s gross and heartbreaking all at the same time.”
Abuse of ‘Power and Influence’
Amid the fallout from the allegations, one of the label’s prominent performers, Nobunny, aka musician Justin Champlin, announced he had used his “power and influence to take advantage of women and teenage girls” and that “Nobunny is over.” Champlin, who generally performed in a gnarly rabbit mask and underwear, had appeared frequently in Milwaukee and Madison over the years.
Lee Rickard and Sean Bohrman, who started Burger in 2007, had previously performed together in Thee Makeout Party before forming the label. Burger released hundreds of new and reissued albums, brought renewed interest to the cassette format, partnered with many prominent music labels, and sponsored performances at its Fullerton record store and at festivals around the country, including the high-profile annual Burger Boogaloo (which has severed ties with the label).
Several Milwaukee and Wisconsin artists have either had music released on Burger Records or have other connections to Rickard and Bohrman. Jaill released three albums on Burger, There’s No Sky (Oh My My), Cranes and Brain Cream, and appeared on several label compilations. Lead singer Vinnie Kircher’s newest project, L’Resorts, also put out their 2019 self-titled album on cassette on Burger earlier this summer. Kircher says was sad for the women and girls who were allegedly assaulted when he found out about Lured by Burger Records.
“I’m glad Burger got shut down, and I hope the victims get justice for what happened to them,” he said. Kircher said it’s good that people came forward and he hopes they continue to do so.
Napalm Dream, the acclaimed 2011 album by Appleton’s Tenement, was released on cassette by Burger. They also appeared on a label compilation. Tenement’s lead singer Amos Pitsch said he met Rickard in 2012 when Pitsch played drums for The Nerves reunion tour and Rickard served as driver and tour manager. He became friends with Rickard, and Tenement played the Burger Records shop in Fullerton in 2013 to promote the re-release of Napalm Dream. Pitsch said he believes his impression of the label is superficial.
“I will say that there are microcosms of this very situation everywhere in America though,” he said. “There are always men there to do the nurturing and the enforcing. Burger Records’ll be remembered as those men now.”
Allegations Hit Hard
The allegations hit Pitsch hard. “I spent a lot of time alone; trying to make sense of my own disillusionment,” he said. “Feeling foolish for being a tangible building block in the success of an institution so saturated in sexual exploitation and predation.”
Daniel James, vocalist and guitarist for Indonesian Junk, says Rickard served as a roadie during a tour for one of his previous bands back in the ‘00s. James was a big fan of Thee Makeout Party, so much so that James and his ex-wife asked them to play their wedding. He was disappointed when the allegations came out. “I wasn’t necessarily surprised at first since there’s a lot of gross predators hiding in the DIY scene,” he said. “Shock definitely seemed to set in as more details began to emerge about how far embedded in that whole scene the whole thing ran though. It was so evil and so much. I cried.”
The fast collapse of the label is the best thing that could have happened, James said. He hopes what has happened will open some eyes and change the music scene going forward in Milwaukee and elsewhere.
“Predators gotta know the days of getting away with this kind of stuff are in the past,” he said. “I hope people will stop giving these guys a pass when they do stuff like this. And I hope that people will be more receptive to what is going on around them and that men in the scene will be more willing to believe victims when they speak out.”
Both James and McCain cited the local example of Julian Sotolongo, aka Jules Frank, the former guitarist and singer for the Pukes, who was sentenced to 18 months of probation in a domestic abuse case in 2018 that stemmed from him chasing his pregnant girlfriend with a knife. McCain said she has heard of other inappropriate and misogynist incidents in the Milwaukee music scene and not just relegated to the indie scene.
“I don’t know any woman that has worked in the music industry that hasn’t had a #me too moment,” she said. “The sad thing is at the time you think it’s perfectly normal. That being spoken to, touched and treated inappropriately is just part of the norm. Burger Records is the perfect example that this is still happening, and it’s just wrong.”
88Nine also has frequently played music from Burger Records artists, and morning show host and Assistant Program Director Dori Zori interviewed one of the bands facing allegations, The Growlers, a few years back. The station says it is reviewing the allegations and adjusting its playlist accordingly.
Zori said she hopes the collapse of the label helps to serve notice to others whose actions are predatory and awful. “Holding people accountable for their actions is more important than any record label or scene,” she said.
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