Playlist

I made a playlist with all the artists featured on the blog. I will carry on adding more as I go along.

Hans-A-Plast

Hans-A-Plast is a punk band from Hanover, founded in 1978 by Jens Meyer (guitar), Micha Polten (guitar), Renate Baumgart (bass) and Bettina Schröder (drums). A little later Annette Benjamin joined the formation, whose vocals were to have a decisive influence on the group. With her Britpunk inspired sound as well as the lyrics which partly remind of Nina Hagen, Hans-A-Plast quickly became one of the most successful German Punk formations.

In 1979 the group's debut album was released under their own distribution, with titles such as "Rock 'n' Roll Freitag", "Amerikaner" and "Es brennt ", which contained some of the first German punk classics. Without promotion, the album sold over 20,000 copies and was one of the most successful German punk albums of the early days, along with AmokKoma from Abwärts. With feminist titles like "Für 'ne Frau" or "Hau Ab, Du Stinkst", the group also appealed to people outside the punk scene.

After a longer break the album Ausradiert followed, which contained songs like "Schwarz & Weiß", "Loreley", "Sacco di Roma" or the title song. In addition a self-produced video to the title "Monstertanz" was shown in the television program Formel Eins.





After Annette Benjamin left the band they broke up. Drummer Bettina Schröder is the only one who is still musically active.

Wendy O. Williams

Wendy Orlean Williams (May 28, 1949 - April 6, 1998) was an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Webster, New York, she came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk rock band Plasmatics. Her stage theatrics included partial nudity, blowing up equipment, and chain-sawing guitars.

In 1976, Williams arrived in New York City, where she saw an ad in the Show Business magazine that lay open on the Port Authority Bus Terminal station floor. It was a casting call for radical artist and Yale University graduate Rod Swenson's experimental "Captain Kink's Theatre." She replied to the ad and began performing in live sex shows. She later appeared in Gail Palmer's adult film, Candy Goes to Hollywood (1979), credited as Wendy Williams. By 1977, Swenson became Williams' manager and recruited her to join his newly formed punk rock band, Plasmatics. They made their debut in July 1978 at the Manhattan music club CBGB. The band was a controversial group known for wild live shows that broke countless taboos. These included chainsawing guitars, blowing up speaker cabinets, sledgehammering television sets, and blowing up automobiles live on stage.

The Plasmatics' career spanned five studio albums and multiple EPs. Aside from Wendy and manager Rod Swenson, guitarist Wes Beech was the only other permanent member of the group.The Plasmatics toured the world, although a concert in London was cancelled by the promoters due to safety reasons, causing the press to dub the band "anarchists." During the shooting of an appearance on SCTV in 1981, studio heads decided they would not air Williams' performance unless she changed out of a costume that revealed her nipples. Williams refused. The show's make-up artists found a compromise and painted her breasts black. The band broke up in 1983.





Williams recorded a duet of the country hit "Stand by Your Man" with Lemmy of Motörhead in 1982. In 1984, she released the W.O.W. album, produced by Gene Simmons of Kiss. Kiss members Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Eric Carr, and Vinnie Vincent also perform on the album. Gene Simmons plays bass but is credited as Reginald Van Helsing. In 1985 Williams starred in The Rocky Horror Show at the Westport Playhouse in St. Louis. In 1986, she starred in Tom DeSimone's indie-film Reform School Girls. In 1988, Wendy put out another solo album, this time a "thrash rap" album called Deffest! and Baddest! under the name "Ultrafly and the Hometown Girls." The Plasmatics got back together in 1887 for a couple of years.




In 1991, Williams moved to Storrs, Connecticut, where she worked as an animal rehabilitator and at a food co-op in Willimantic. Williams died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 6, 1998, when she was 48.

Teresa Covarrubias - The Brat

Teresa Covarrubias was a Chicana who was born and raised in the Boyle Heights section of East Los Angeles. She attended Boyle heights Elementary School and Resurrection school, Sacred Heart of Jesus High School and studied psychology at California State University, Los Angeles for two years. Musicians such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Benny Goodman and David Bowie had a heavy influence on the young musician as they influenced her to seek alternative forms of music that deviated from the mainstream. Guitarists, Rudy Medina and Sidney Medina (despite being uncle and nephew, were very close in age) lived only a mile away from Teresa in the same section of Los Angeles. Although practically neighbors, the Medinas grew up in a completely different household compared to Teresa. Unlike Teresa who was second generation Chicana, the Medinas were first generation Chicanos whose parents immigrated to the United States through the bracero program. Their parents were extremely traditional and non-English-speaking, maintaining a strong sense of their cultural identity. Both Rudy and Sidney were classically trained musicians specializing in classical guitar and regularly performed as a duet in recitals through a small music and art center targeting low-income families who desired their children to be exposed to musical instruction. Rudy’s record collection consisted of the usual suspects of the era, heavy on guitar, rock, and iconic legends. But in and amongst the heavy rock were albums by outsiders such as The Clash, David Bowie, The New York Dolls, and Sparks.Teresa and Rudy met during the record release show for English punk band The Jam on April 14, 1978 at the Starwood, a nightclub in West Hollywood, California. Their meeting blossomed into friendship and eventual musical collaboration when Teresa replaced Rudy’s singer, leading to the formation of The Brat.

From their conception in 1979 to their eventual break-up in 1985, The Brat contributed to the customization and intermeshing of multiple musical and cultural models that culminated in the distinct East Los Angeles, Chican@ punk sound.




The group began performing mostly at backyard parties and high school gymnasiums covering past and present top radio hits of their time. They experienced immediate local recognition as they could be regularly spotted playing local backyard shows. However it was extremely difficult to sign under a label and play West Los Angeles venues in a time where the city was still greatly segregated. East Los Angeles was primarily made up of low income, working class poor while West Los Angeles was blooming with the wealthier, affluent middle class and elites where many popular venues were located. Until then there was no official venue for new and upcoming East Los Angeles punk bands to prove their worthiness of mainstream stardom. It was not until March 22, 1980 when the very first venue showcasing East Los Angeles local punk bands was opened by Willie Herron, frontman of another local group, Los Illegals. The Vex (as the venue was named) shared occupancy above the same commercial space of the influential art gallery, Self Help Graphics. Once The Brat began to regularly showcase their music - through the Vex and multiple backyard shows in the community instating their presence among local groups such as The Plugz, Los Illegals, Odd Squad, and the Cruzados - they landed a record contract with Fatima Records. Tito Larriva of The Plugz and Fatima Records and local business owner Yolanda Comparran championed the band, and, by the end of 1980, chose The Brat to launch their new label. The contract also led to The Brat's first and only release.

With Teresa's screaming vocals and Rudy's and Sidney's multidisciplinary guitar, the five song EP was a prime example of customization and transculturation of popular musical genres. Covarrubia's driving vocals of the Mexican American experience with a focus on social and economic inequality engaged in dialogue about the pervasive invisibility and alienation her community -including herself- faced in East L.A. Other songs contain influences from reggae and other local and influential West Los Angeles punk bands such as X. These themes of the collective experience of struggle between their community within a semi narrative fashion reflected corrido ballads popular in Mexico.

The unreleased song, "The Wolf", engages in the narrative of the struggle of dominant social elites against the popular working poor who maintain their dominance over marginalized communities through violence and neglect of their counter-hegemonic history. Like the corridos of Mexico, The Brat produced their music to express the historical and then contemporary challenges Mexican Americans faced in the United States. Scholar George Lipsitz categorized their music as a "historic bloc" as it provided counter master narratives challenging dominant hegemonic ideologies in the United States, especially in East Los Angeles. This multiplicity of musical genres that embody the music of The Brat also evidenced its transculturation status as it was a product of customization of Caribbean, Mexican, American and European influences. These processes occurred in areas like East Los Angeles where multiple distinct cultural models were in constant contact with one another.




After their release, the group experienced yet another hint of success as their growing popularity pushed them to open for major groups such as R.E.M. and Adam and the Ants. Although their music contained a rich history and formation as the band experienced small-time success, they disbanded in 1985 after the growing frustrations of failing to sign with a major record label and growing apathy towards the scene.




A compilation called Straight Outta East L.A came out in 2017 on RockBeat Records.

The Go-Go's

The Go-Go's are an American new wave band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978. The band initially consisted of Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, background vocals), Margot Olavarria (bass) and Elissa Bello (drums).

They were formed as a punk band and had roots in the L.A. punk community.They shared a rehearsal space with the Motels and Carlisle, under the name "Dottie Danger", had briefly been a member of punk rock band the Germs. Due to a bout of mononucleosis, she left the Germs before playing a gig. The band started out playing gigs at punk venues such as The Masque and the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles and the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco alongside bands such as X, Fear, the Plugz and the Controllers. Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar, keyboards, background vocals) was added later in 1978, and in the summer of 1979, Gina Schock replaced Bello on drums. With these lineup changes, the group began moving towards their more-familiar power pop sound.

During late 1979, the band recorded a five-song demo at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, and in 1980, they supported the British ska revival group Madness in both Los Angeles and England. The Go-Go’s subsequently spent half of 1980 touring England, earning a sizable following and releasing the demo version of "We Got the Beat" on Stiff Records, which became a minor UK hit. During December 1980, original bassist Olavarriawas replaced with Kathy Valentine, who had played guitar in bands such as Girlschool and the Textones.

The Go-Go's signed to I.R.S. Records in April 1981. Their debut album, Beauty and the Beat, was a surprise hit: it topped the U.S. charts for six weeks in 1982 and eventually received a double platinum certification. The album was also a success outside the U.S. charting at No. 2 in Canada, where it received a platinum certification, and No. 27 in Australia. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 413 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. "Our Lips Are Sealed" and a new version of "We Got the Beat" were popular singles in North America in early 1982. During this period, the Go-Go's started building a fanbase.

The follow-up album, Vacation, received mixed reviews and sold less than Beauty and the Beat. However, the album was certified gold in the U.S. and spawned another top 10 US hit with the title track. Other singles released from the album were "Get Up and Go" and "This Old Feeling", neither of which made it into the Top 40. In 1983, Vacation was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Packaging. During the album's promotion, the group went on hiatus when Schock underwent surgery for a congenital heart defect.




In 1984, the group returned with the Martin Rushent-produced album Talk Show. The album tracks "Head over Heels" and "Turn to You" were both Top 40 hits in the US. Personality conflicts and creative differences within the group were also taking a tol. Wiedlin announced her departure from the group in October 1984. The band sought a replacement, selecting Paula Jean Brown (of Giant Sand) as their new bass guitarist, with Valentine moving to rhythm guitar. This lineup debuted at the 1985 Rock in Rio festival, playing two shows, but Carlisle and Caffey soon realized their hearts were no longer in the group and decided to disband the Go-Go's in May 1985.




In 1990, the Go-Go's classic lineup (Caffey, Carlisle, Schock, Valentine and Wiedlin) reunited to play a benefit concert for the California Environmental Protection Act, a 1990 ballot initiative. This led to more show dates later that year. The band also entered the studio with producer David Z to re-record a cover of "Cool Jerk" for a greatest hits compilation. Since then they had a few farewell tours and reunions till the present day.

On August 11, 2011, the band received the 2,444th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at the site where punk rock club The Masque used to stand.

Patricia Morrison

Patricia Morrison (born January 14, 1962) is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She worked with Bags, Legal Weapon, The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Sisters of Mercy and The Damned.

She was active in the Los Angeles, California punk rock scene in her mid-teens, and was a founding member of The Bags in 1976. She left that band after a fallout with co-founder, Alice Bag. She began Legal Weapon in 1981, with singer Kat Arthur and guitarist Brian Hansen (both previously of the Silencers), drummer Charlie Vartanian and guitarist Mike R. Livingston, releasing an EP called No Sorrow.

In 1982 Morrison joined The Gun Club, a highly influential post-punk/ blues band from Los Angeles. Created and led by talented maverick singer guitarist and songwriter Jeffrey Lee Pierce, they merged the contemporary genre of punk rock with the more traditional genres of rockabilly and country music along with X, the Flesh Eaters and the Blasters. The Gun Club has been called a "tribal psychobilly blues" band and initiators of the U.S. wave of Cowpunk.

Quitting after her second tour with them, she then formed the band Fur Bible with Kid Congo Powers, performing as the opening act for Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was during this time Morrison was contacted by Andrew Eldritch, asking her to join The Sisters of Mercy. She performed on the 1986 album Gift (released under the group name The Sisterhood) and on The Sisters of Mercy's 1987 album Floodland.

In 1994, Morrison released a solo album, Reflect on This, and in 1996, she joined The Damned after bassist Paul Gray was injured, she played with them till 2004.

Siouxsie Sioux

Susan Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux (born 27 May 1957), is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. She is best known as the lead singer of the band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996) and the drums-and-voice duo the Creatures (1981–2005).

In February 1976, Siouxsie and her friend Steven Severin (then still called Steven Bailey) went to see Sex Pistols play in the capital. After chatting with members of the band, Siouxsie and Severin decided to follow them regularly. In the following months, journalist Caroline Coon coined the term "Bromley Contingent" to describe this group of eccentric teenagers devoted to the Sex Pistols. Siouxsie became well known in the London club scene for her glam, fetish and bondage attire, which later became part of punk fashion. She would also later epitomise gothic style with her signature cat-eye makeup, deep red lipstick, spiky dyed-black hair and black clothing.



Following the ethos of DIY and the idea that the people in the audience could be the people on stage, Siouxsie and Severin decided to form a band. When a support slot at the 100 Club Punk Festival opened up, they decided to make an attempt at performing, although at that time they did not know how to play any songs. On 20 September 1976, the band improvised music as Siouxsie sang the "Lord's Prayer". The performance lasted 20 minutes.




One of Siouxsie's first public appearances was with the Sex Pistols on Bill Grundy's television show, in December 1976. Standing next to the band, Siouxsie made fun of the presenter when he asked her how she was doing. She responded: "I've always wanted to meet you, Bill". Grundy, who was drunk, suggested a meeting after the show. That directly provoked a reaction from guitarist Steve Jones, who responded with a series of expletive words never heard before on early-evening television. This episode created a media furore on the front covers of several tabloids. Not liking the cliches put forward by the press, Siouxsie decided to focus all her energy on her own band, Siouxsie and the Banshees.

In 1977, Siouxsie began touring in England as Siouxsie and the Banshees. One year later, their first single, "Hong Kong Garden", reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, it was pop and catchy. Melody Maker deemed it as "a glorious debut [...] All the elements come together with remarkable effect. The song is strident and powerful with tantalising oriental guitar riffs plus words and vocals that are the result of anger, disdain and isolation. No-one will be singled out because everyone is part and parcel of the whole. It might even be a hit".



Their first album, The Scream, was one of the first post-punk records released. It received 5-star reviews in Sounds and Record Mirror. The latter said that the record "points to the future, real music for the new age". The music was different than the single; it was angular, dark and jagged. The Scream was later hailed by NME as one of the best debut albums of all time along with Patti Smith'S Horses. Join Hands followed in 1979 with war as the lyrical theme.

The 1980 album Kaleidoscope marked a change in musical direction with the arrival of John McGeoch and drummer Budgie, the latter whom would continue to perform and record with Siouxsie throughout her career until 2004. The hit single "Happy House" was qualified as "great Pop" with "liquid guitar" and other songs like "Red Light" were layered with electronic sounds. Kaleidoscope widened Siouxsie's audience, reaching the top 5 in the UK charts.

Juju followed in 1981, reaching number 7. Spellbound was released by Polydor on 22 May 1981. The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981. It also reached 64 on the U.S. National Disco Action Top 80 chart.

"Arabian Knights" was released in 1981 as the second and final single released from their fourth studio album, Juju. Siouxsie later commented on the lyrics: "With 'Arabian Knights' it was quite a thrill to get the word 'orifices' on the radio".




During recording sessions for Juju, Siouxsie and Budgie formed a percussion-oriented duo called the Creatures, characterized by a stripped-down sound focused on vocals and drums; their first record, the EP Wild Things, was a commercial success.




In 1982, the Siouxsie and the Banshees' album A Kiss in the Dreamhouse was widely acclaimed by critics. They included strings for the first time on several songs. However, the recording sessions took its toll, and McGeoch was forced to quit the band. In 1983, Siouxsie went to Hawaii to record the Creatures' first album Feast. It was her first incursion into exotica, incorporating sounds of waves, local Hawaiian choirs and local percussion. Later that year, Siouxsie and Budgie released "Right Now", a song from Mel Tormé's repertoire that the Creatures re-orchestrated with brass arrangements; it soon became a top 20 hit single in the UK. Then, with the Banshees (including guitarist Robert Smith of the Cure), she covered the Beatles' "Dear Prudence", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.Two albums followed with Smith: Nocturne, recorded live in London in 1983, and 1984's Hyæna. In 1985, the single "Cities in Dust" was recorded with sequencers; it climbed to number 21 in the UK charts. Entertainment Weekly noted that it was the first of a handful of alt-rock radio hits in the U.S. 1986's Tinderbox and the 1987 covers album Through the Looking Glass both reached the top 15 in the UK.




Siouxsie and Budgie then went to Andalusia in Spain to record the second Creatures album, Boomerang. The songs took a different direction from previous Creatures works, with backing music ranging from flamenco to jazz and blues styles. It featured brass on most of the songs. The first single was "Standing There". In 1990, she toured for the first time with the Creatures, in Europe and North America.




The last Banshees studio album, The Rapture, was released in 1995; it was written partly in the Toulouse area of France , where she had recently moved. After the accompanying tour, the Banshees announced their split during a press conference called "20 Minutes into 20 Years". The Creatures de facto became her only band. The following year, Siouxsie and Budgie released Anima Animus, the first Creatures album since the split of the Banshees. It included the singles "2nd Floor" and "Prettiest Thing". The material diverged from their former work, with a more urban sound from art rock to electronica. Anima Animus was described by The Times as "hypnotic and inventive". In 2003, Siouxsie and Budgie released the last Creatures album, Hái!, which was in part recorded in Japan, collaborating with taiko player Leonard Eto (previously of the Kodo Drummers).




In 2004 she toured for the first time as a solo act combining Banshees and Creatures songs. Her first solo album, Mantaray, was released in September 2007.  In 2008, Siouxsie performed vocals for the track "Careless Love" on The Edge of Love soundtrack by composer Angelo Badalamenti, a frequent collaborator with director David Lynch. In June 2013, after a hiatus of five years, Siouxsie played two nights at the Royal Festival Hall in London during Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. She performed 1980's Kaleidoscope album live in its entirety, along with other works from her back catalogue, and her performance was hailed by the press.

Penelope Houston

Penelope Houston (born December 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter best known as the singer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band the Avengers. She was raised in Seattle but in 1977, she moved to San Francisco, attended the San Francisco Art Institute, and shortly after became the lead singer and songwriter for the Avengers.

Drummer Danny Furious (Danny O'Brien) and guitarist Greg Ingraham decided to start a band, and Furious approached Penelope  to be their singer. They finished their lineup with Jonathon Postal on bass, although he was replaced shortly after by Jimmy Wilsey. Their first release (and only release while the band was originally together) was We Are the One, a three-song EP which was released on Dangerhouse Records in 1977.

The Avengers opened for the Sex Pistols in San Francisco at their final show at Winterland, which led to Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones producing a recording session for the band. In January 1979, Ingraham left the band and was replaced by Brad Kent, although the band only lasted a few more months until June 1979. An EP, titled Avengers, was released on White Noise Records a few months after the band broke up, which included songs from the Steve Jones produced session.

An album called Avengers (referred also as the Pink Album)  was released in 1983. It featured tracks recorded through the band's whole time together, and was compiled by drummer Danny Furious.

Following the group's demise in 1979, Houston moved first to Los Angeles to work in film and video with The Screamer and director Rene Daalder, then to England where she collaborated with Howard Devoto on his post-Magazine projects. In the mid-1980s, she returned to San Francisco and helped originate the West Coast neo-folk movement. In 1986, she was featured alongside Tomata du Plenty of The Screamers in the punk rock musical Population : 1. By 1996 she had toured Europe extensively, signed with WEA Germany (Warner Brothers) and earned numerous awards with the dozen albums, which blended influences of punk, folk, rock, blues and Americana into her dark unique acoustic sound.

In 1999 Houston recreated the Avengers, adding original guitarist Greg Ingraham, bassist Joel Reader (formerly of The Mr. T. Experience, and The Plus Ones) and drummer Luis Illades (of Pansy Division, formerly also of The Plus Ones) to round out the lineup. Since the spring of 2004 she has toured the U.S. and Europe with this lineup. She continues to play her solo material, mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jennifer Miro

Jennifer R. Anderson, also known as Jennifer Miro ( May 3, 1957, California - December 16, 2011, New York) was the singer and keayboard player of the American punk band The Nuns. The band was best known as one of the founding acts of the early San Francisco punk scene, and went through a number of hiatuses and periodic reunions, lineup changes, and changes in style. Overall, The Nuns performed and recorded on and off from the mid-1970s into the 2000s.

The band formed in 1975 in Marin County, California when Alejandro Escovedo and Jeff Olener, who were film students at College of Marin, wanted to make a low-budget film about a strung-out rock singer and a band that could not play its instruments, and decided to play the part themselves. This project evolved into The Nuns. While the band was in its formative phase, they practiced in a warehouse in Terra Linda. Jennifer Miro, who was in a Mill Valley-based band that covered Doobie Brothers songs, practiced at the same warehouse. Olener soon invited Miro to join his band; Miro, who was unhappy with the band she was in, jumped at the opportunity. The Nuns began performing around various venues in the San Francisco area in January 1976. They were the among the first punk bands in California and had difficulty finding regular venues. They played the first punk show at the Mabuhay Gardens in December 1976, and quickly became regulars. At their peak of popularity, they were playing two sold-out shows on consecutive weekend nights at the Mabuhay.



The Nuns original manager was Edwin Heaven. In 1977, Heaven discovered them when they opened at The Mabuhay Gardens for The Ramones. Within half a year, he had created a worldwide buzz for the band, designed most of their now-classic posters and, basically, took them from playing at San Francisco's Fab Mab to playing such larger venues as Bill Graham's Winterland and LA's The Whisky. The band's strong popularity in the San Francisco music scene later led to offers by Bill Graham to manage the band, however, this relationship soon turned to animosity touched off by Graham's offense at the song "Decadent Jew". The band also received overtures from CBS Records to release a major label album, however, by the time of the band's initial breakup, they had only managed to produce a few poorly-recorded demo tapes for the label and failed to secure a record deal. The band also released several singles in 1978–1979, as well as the self-titled 1979 7" EP (not to be confused with their self-titled LP a year later).

The Nuns split in 1979 soon after the band was on tour in New York. Escovedo had decided to stay behind in New York, living at the Chelsea Hotel while the rest of the band decided to return to San Francisco. Escovedo soon teamed up with Chip and Tony Kinman from The Dils, which had also recently split, forming cowpunk band Rank and File and relocating to Austin, Texas. The remaining members of the band soon split as well, with Olener and new Bay Area cohorts Brett Valory,with drummer jeff Raphael Danny Machine and Jackson Weir III relocating to Los Angeles to form the rock band 391, and Miro remaining in San Francisco to form The VIP's with Pat Ryan in 1979-1981. Miro later relocated to Los Angeles as well, having a solo career under her own name in 1981-1982. After his first successful experience at Leon Russell's Paradise studio, successful in that master tapes were actually produced, Olener had no trouble persuading Posh Boy Records' Robbie Fields to finance the recording of an album by a group that no longer existed based upon Jennifer Miro's participation. Fields had greater difficulty persuading studio owner Brian Elliot of the merits of recording the band. The band reunited but for a single week in late April 1980 (albeit without Escovedo) and recorded their first LP, the self-titled The Nuns album was released in late 1980 (albeit on BOMP! Records, who licensed it from Posh Boy for the USA).

In 1986, after several years of inactivity, Miro, Olener, and Raphael reformed The Nuns. The Nuns during this period tilted more towards Miro's new wave-influenced rock sound as Olener's previous writing partner had departed. In 1986, they released their second album Rumania, though its release on the soon-bankrupted PVC Records, an imprint of Jem Records, meant that the album received very little exposure. By 1989, they added a new bassist/cellist, a young Marin County musician Delphine Volino (aka Delphine Neid), and returned to Los Angeles to record Desperate Children for the Posh Boy label, with a distracted Brett Gurewitz at the helm. Volino died of a heroin overdose in mid 1989 [soon after the album was recorded. A fourth album, 4 Days In A Motel Room: Their Greatest Sins, was released in 1994, with half the album being a re-release of older material, and the other half consisting of newly recorded material. Miro and Baron Rubenbauer recorded the track Sex Dream under The Nuns moniker without Olener that same year for the Live 105 compilation album, issuing it as a self-released single several years later. The Nuns were inactive for much of the 1990s, though Miro contributed to several of  Narada Michael Walden's recordings during this time.




Miro and Olener began performing together again in late 1997, soon relocating to New York City. They added east village musicians Brian Knotts on guitar, Alex Havoc on Bass and Walter Atkinson on drums. In this manifestation, The Nuns took on a distinctly gothic rock look and sound, an image aided by Miro's increased visibility as a fetish model (under the name Maitresse Jennifer). The Nuns released a series of singles for the German MT Records label, followed by the Naked Save for Boots CD in 2001 and New York Vampires in 2003.



Jennifer Miro died in December 16, 2011 in New York of cancer-related causes.

Annie Barrett Suicide Squad

Annie Barrett is the singer of the Australian punk band Suicide Squad. Featuring Annie Barrett (vocals), Mark Easton (guitar), Con Murphy (bass) and Steve Cord (drums), Suicide Squad were formed in 1978 by 4 schoolmates in Wollongong, Australia, though they relocated to Sydney after struggling to find places to play.

After their move they began to build a reputation as a great live band and attracted the attention of Doublethink Records who in 1979 released their only single I Hate School/New Kids Army.  Both tracks are great with low budget production and Annie Barrett screaming behind the microphone.

Here's the B side New Kids Army

They then underwent a few line up changes and recorded an album called Vomit On You but this didn't get released until long after they'd split when it came out on Plastic Donut Records (in 2006).

Mary Kay - The Dogs

Mary Kay is the bass player of the US band The Dogs. The band was a three-piece  formed in Lansing, Michigan in 1968. They are noted for presaging the energy and sound of the later punk and hardcore genres.

Originally formed by guitarist/vocalist Loren Molinare and bassist Mary Kay with drummer Ron Wood, and based in Lansing, The Dogs played with the rock and proto-punk bands of the time including MC5, Amboy Dukes and KISS. The band relocated to Detroi in 1973, and then to New York City in 1974 where they played with other bands of the glam and pre-punk scenes such as The Dictators, The Stilettos  and Television. The band moved again to the West Coast in 1976, releasing their debut 7” "John Rock" on California's Dynamic Recording label, and playing with bands such as AC/DC and Van Halen as well as new wave groups like The Motels and Ramones. Moving to the UK in 1978, The Dogs toured Britain and Ireland, in support of second 7” Slash Your Face, self-released on the band’s own Detroit Records imprint that year.

The band returned to the US in 1980 but went on hiatus in 1981 with the departure of their drummer; they reformed with new drummer Tony Matteucci in 1983, but went on hiatus again in 1989 when Molinaire joined Little Caesar.

Interest in the band revived following the inclusion of their songs on the Killed By Death compilation series, with their records subsequently becoming collectors’ items, Slash Your Face was reissued and the Fed Up compilation released on Bacchus Archives in 2001. The band reformed and new material followed on Dionysus Records in 2003 in the form of debut album proper Suburban Nightmare.

Nyna Crawford - VKTMS

Nyna Crawfor (1956 - 2000) is the singer of the American punk band from San Francisco, California. VKTMS. The band got together in 1978 when Mohammed Obead introduced Louis Gwerder (drums) to Jay Davis (guitar). After rehearsing for a while with various people and using a different name they added George Ritter (bass) and began searching for a singer. Nyna Crawford answered a bulletin board ad placed at Aquarius Records. Her intense energy (she cracked a solid concrete floor) and already developed lyric skills impressed them immediately.

The band began gigging and shortly after put out what has become to be called the "Midget" EP , a fairly collectible 4 song record including My Baby’s a Midget which has been often covered.

Few bands played the Mabuhay Gardens more times and VKTMS played every single other club in town and in the Bay Area. Playing gigs with the Dead Kennedys, DOA, Flipper, Mutants, and so forth at the legendary Mab, around the San Francisco Bay area, and up and down the coast helped establish the VKTMS sound and style. Shows with the Ramones, Johnny Thunders and other godfathers toughened the music even more. VKTMS also became the ritual sacrificial offering for many touring acts (Stranglers, Roky Erikson, 999, Killing Joke, Wall of Voodoo, Bush Tetras, Fear, Psychedelic Furs, Delta 5, and many others) when they came through town. Of course, there were many, many shows with friends and peers such as the Dead Kennedys, The Nuns, DOA, Crime, SVT, Romeo Void, Agent Orange, TSOL, No Alternative and so many others.



Nyna left in 1982 and played in Murder (w/ Bob Clic of the Lewd) and in Smashed Weekend (with Ben Cohen of Sister Double Happiness) then she dropped out of music until VKTMS started getting renewed attention from a new generation.




The band got together and played new material almost immediately; like in the old days. It was so much fun playing together that VKTMS threw a few private parties (at Lennon Studios) and to their surprise the response was great. After that the band began performing in public at clubs like the Paradise Lounge,Transmission Theater, Gilman Street, El Rio; and also for events like BAM magazine's 20th Anniversary Party and the Vibe-O-Thon Benefit for Kathy Peck's (from The Contractions) H.E.A.R. project. There were many other shows later in the second phase. VKTMS last played at the Club Boomerang in San Francisco (1840 Haight), Bottom of the Hill, and (especially!) 924 Gilman Street.





Nyna passed away from cancer in 2000 after a very brave five year battle.

Cherl Boyze - Nastyfacts

Cherl Boyze aka Cheryl Boyce was the singer and bass player of the New York band Nastyfacts. The story of the band begins at St Ann's School in Brooklyn, where a few teenage kids who excelled at their instruments got together to form a band. Originally known as Pandemonium, the group contained the four core members of Nastyfacts (Cherl, Brad, Genji and Jeff) plus a keyboard player named Val. After about a year of playing mostly covers, the band was forced to change their name after discovering a signed band was already using Pandemonium.

The newly coined Nastyfacts, now without keyboards, quickly built a NY following playing amateur nights at CBGB's and earned themselves regular spots at Max's Kansas City and other hot spots while not only astonishing crowds with their incredible musicianship, but also by how young they were. When most of the members were around 14 or 15 years old, they went in the studio to record their one and only EP. Although the band had a solid 45 minutes of original material by that point, these were the only songs that ever got recorded.

The EP opens with the title track, a tongue-in-cheek rag on drunk driving. Filled with engine-revving and car-crashing sounds, Boyce sings “I’m not as drunk as I look/I’m not as stoned as I seem/I’d rather dance than read a book/I’d rather drive my car than clean.” The lyrics are filled with classic-punk nihilism, as well as Cheap Trick-like hooks and guitars.

The EP hits a little bit closer to more powerpop material in the itching-for-love classic “Get To You.” It really showcases the brilliant versatility in Boyce’s vocals, and has a great chorus of shared vocals between her and guitarist Range Tischler.

The EP’s final track opens with Boyce demanding “Okay, stay where you are, we’re gonna do one more,” and then we’re presented with the incredible love song “Crazy 'Bout You.” The song’s full of attitude, and has a terrific chorus in which Boyce sings variables on the song’s title, and Range and other guitarist Brad Craig sing “Yeah!” and “Me too!” at the end of every “I’m crazy about you.” Additionally, the song has one wicked guitar solo that elevates the song to stadium status with it’s 80s-reverb.


With guitars similar to both the Buzzcocks and Cheap Trick, Nastyfacts ultimately had enough potential to be a huge underground success. The band had regular gigs at CBGB’s, were pretty pivotal among New York’s punk/new wave scene in the early-80s, and even were a regular play on John Peel’s show on BBC Radio One.




Cheryl Boyce is a poet and teaching artist. Her collections of poetry include Raw Air (2000), Night When Moon Follows (2000), Convincing the Body (2005), and Arrival (2017).

Mary Monday

Former stripper Mary Monday had a life shrouded in mystery, and conflicting reports in the historic documentation as to the band and Mary’s origins are still baffling punkologists to this day, including her mysterious death a few years after her single’s release. As legend goes, she arrived in San Francisco from Vancouver in 1976 with green hair and put together a band that played around the Filipino cabaret scene at the Mabuhay Gardens in 1976.

And in August of ’76 when The Ramones made their first West Coast appearances, the opening band for their big San Francisco debut show upstairs at the Savoy Tivoli was Mary Monday & the Bitches. Later on, Mary met up with the Street Punks, with whom the tracks on the I Gave My Punk Jacket To Richie / Popgun single were penned by. The Street Punks would play shows as a separate unit (and eventually part ways), but with the blinding punk guitar screech acing up and down both sides of this classic single, this is where the planets aligned and such an epic formative sound was created, aged even better with time.

At one point, Mary Monday’s band featured a second female lead singer, Vermillion (Sands, later a writer for Search & Destroy) whose tough biker rock solo 7″ on Chiswick a few years later is also worth tracking down. But we can honestly say, you will never forget the pouty-punk slop perfection of “I Gave My Punk Jacket To Rickie,” it’s as raw and stupid as punk ever was, cliche-riddled and screaming toward the gutter just like the best of the Dangerhouse singles that came along a few months later.

Fans of the Killed By Death compilation series will no doubt be familiar with “Popgun” which features some of the greatest unhinged punk lead guitar of the era, complete with that airtight rhythm section, it’s a shot of pure, snot-caked crotch punch that you won’t be able to shake from your head for days. Instantly out of print upon it’s self-release and never given a repress back during punk’s apex in the late 70s, this very early artifact of Bay-Area punk history is one of the first West Coast US punk singles, along with Crime, Berlin Brats, Nuns, Bags and Avengers, and arguably the first female-fronted self-released punk 7″ of the original wave. A classic piece of 70s SF punk history, as well as one of the most memorable singles of the era that sadly slipped through the cracks, until now.