Joey Miserable and the Worms S/T, 1985. Nightcrawler Productions (aka self-released and I’m pretty sure the inner sleeve is signed by all of the band members).

Though the photo on the cover and member listing (lots of them, a horn section) suggests a ska band, Joey Miserable and the Worms are a sort-of rock-n-roll throwback band, with a lot of 50’s doo-woppy and rockabilly styling (the best on the LP is “Rockin’ is Our Bizness,” a cover from 1951 written by Claude and Cliff Trenier) mixed with 80’s-modern rock. They tag themselves as “rock and soul.” The most soul/doo wop track on the LP is another cover, “I Was Wrong” from 1954 written by Harvey Fuqua and Allen Freed. Not really my jam. The kitschy “Worm Symphony #1369 in the Key of X” is kind of funny – it’s the kid song that goes “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I’ll eat some worms.” Thankfully it’s a really really short track. Also fun is the excellently and grossly named “Pooper-Scooper.”

There isn’t much info available about the group: they’re from New York City’s East Village, formed in 1980 and have two releases: this LP and an EP from ’86, Hanging Out for Your Love. They were supposedly really fun live and someone put up a bunch of their live tracks from ’85 on YouTube, like “Out of Control” from Joey Miserable and the Worms. They have what looks to be a semi-active Facebook page (with just 112 followers) and had a Go Fund Me fundraiser in 2020 called Digging Up Worms! which at least one Worm was involved in (Simon Chardiet aka Joey Miserable, lead vocals and guitar), possibly two (I think Jono Manson, the other organizer, is guitarist Frankie Sominex). I have no idea what, exactly, Digging Up Worms! was supposed to do as the fundraiser is now closed.