Premiere: The Eradicats engage in poppy copyright violation on ’89 Batman’

The Eradicats. // image courtesy the artist

Local pop-punks the Eradicats have been recording a lot and are going to start releasing a single a month. The first song they’re putting out is a re-recorded version of “89 Batman,” a song from their debut EP, Best in Show, crafted entirely from dialogue lifted from 1989’s Batman, a movie they definitely don’t have the rights to sample. We’re premiering it below today, because we couldn’t wait until June 23, which would be the 35th anniversary of the movie’s release.

Take a listen below and read what the band has to say about the single, which “can only be described as an act of birthday-related judgment lapse. ” Then, check out the lyric video, which will definitely not get hit with a takedown notice anytime soon.

“We wanted to do something meaningful for Justin’s birthday,” the band notes. “Some bands get their drummers a cake or maybe a pair of drumsticks or a gift card to Drummer’s World. We decided to risk a lawsuit from one of the largest entertainment companies on the planet.”

The track features the band’s trademark wit but with a surprising dose of catchiness that might just accidentally land them on a playlist somewhere. The poppier sound represents a slight departure from their usual approach, though listeners will still recognize the same group that once pondered whether slightly crooked teeth constitute a serious medical condition.

The result—a bubblegrunge earworm called “89 Batman”—marks the band’s first foray into both poppier territory and potential copyright infringement. When asked about potential legal ramifications, the band seemed oddly hopeful: “Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll get a cease and desist letter we can frame next to our collection of unsold merch.”