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The Alleycats “Nothing Means Nothing Anymore” b/w “Give Me a Little Pain”is a huge personal favorite in the early US punk/KBD/proto-HC category. Even though it’s considered to be one of the 2nd teir Dangerhouse releases, I’d actually take the song on the A-Side over most other tracks that were released on the label (exceptions being maybe “Solitary Confinement” and “Let’s Get Rid Of NY”). I’ve always loved this obnoxious little riff that has a little ascending bunch of notes that then flip around and come back down. It’s tense but still pretty rockin. The guitar drops out in time for the verse so that main man Randy Stodola can be the focus of the action, while Dianne Chai (a great bassist and a good singer too), and drummer John McCarthy hold the track together. By the way McCarthy is a pro too. In fact in the now classic BreakMyFace.com internet round up of the Dangerhouse label, it’s noted that the band was exceedingly efficient during the recording session, basically just ripping right through the tracks on tape. Stodola stretches and slurs his words like any good punk singer would in ‘78 and builds tension before the songs big rock n roll chorus thats slathered in “whoas”. Stick a good bar rock solo in there in place for the 3rd verse and you’ve got a winner in my book. There’s nothing out of the ordinary for Nothing Means Nothing, it’s by the book, they just happen to nail it.

The flip side is Give Me a Little Pain, which might have actually been a better A-side because it’s a little poppier and thus more catchy. It’s also got some backup singing presumably by Chai, which leaves it kind of sounding like a de-Rockabilly’d X, which is totally awesome in my estimation. If there’s one thing that I get weary of when listening to X it’s John Doe and Billy Zoom’s fucking hotrod slick hair sky blue Cadillac bullshit. But that’s a different post for a different day (and BTW I sitll like X a lot). Sorry to digress.

There’s 2 different sleeve variations of this single, the more common is a live photo with a fold over cover, but this version has a shot of the band hanging out backstage and comes with a 7×7″ square cover.