Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, they released records for other bands as well. Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray and vocalist Jello Biafra formed Alternative Tentacles, but Biafra became the sole owner in the mid-1980s. Alternative Tentacles no longer owns the rights to Dead Kennedys recordings after a 2000 lawsuit.
MDC is an American punk rock band formed in 1979 in Austin, Texas, subsequently based in San Francisco, and currently Portland, Oregon. Among the first wave of bands to define the sound and style of American hardcore punk, MDC originally formed as The Stains; they have periodically changed the meaning of "MDC", the most frequent being Millions of Dead Cops. The band's lyrical content expresses radical left political views and has proven influential within the punk subculture.
The Criminals are an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, originally existing from 1994–2000 and reforming in 2012. The lineup has consisted of lead vocalist Jesse Luscious and bass guitarist Mike Sexxx throughout the bands' existence. The Criminals have released two studio albums, Never Been Caught (1997) on Lookout! Records and Burning Flesh and Broken Fingers (1999) on Adeline Records. Following their initial breakup in 2000, members went on to form the Frisk.
Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to Tankcrimes for CD releases, and Alternative Tentacles for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several different music genres including hardcore punk, ska, and crust punk. They write mostly political lyrics of a radical leftist nature, opposing religion, capitalism, and authority. Members of Leftöver Crack reside in the C-Squat on 155 Avenue C in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Natives of New York City, band members have a well-documented history of back-and-forth conflict with the NYPD which precedes the band's formation. The name "Leftöver Crack" is explained by Stza as being "an oxymoron", based on the idea that crack cocaine addicts are known for vigorous use and are unlikely to have any "leftover" crack.
Pig Destroyer is an American grindcore band formed in 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. The band was formed by vocalist J.R. Hayes, guitarist Scott Hull, and drummer John Evans. Throughout the band's earlier history, they were a three-piece group until sampler Blake Harrison joined in 2006; notably, they had no bassist until the inclusion of John Jarvis in 2013 and went through two drummers prior to that, with the role currently held by Adam Jarvis. Pig Destroyer is one of the most well-known grindcore bands due to Hayes's poetic lyrics; Hull's incorporation of thrash, punk, and doom influences in songwriting; and technical drum work.
Tsunami Bomb is an American punk rock band from Petaluma, California. They were formed in 1998 by bassist Dominic Davi, with keyboardist/vocalist Oobliette Sparks and later joined by drummer Gabe Lindeman. With vocalist Emily Whitehurst aka "Agent M" they would become a staple of Warped Tour and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, going through a number of lineup changes until they disbanded in 2005 after releasing two full length albums and a number of EP's. In 2015 the band reformed with new vocalist Kate Jacobi and later guitarist Andy Pohl and has remained active since, touring and appearing on a variety of festivals.
Articles of Faith was a Chicago-based hardcore punk band originally active between 1981 and 1985. The band's later work is credited with superior songwriting and with foreshadowing the emo sound. Originally a Springsteen/Clash cover band called Direct Drive, the group changed both its music and name after frontman Vic Bondi visited Washington, D.C. in 1981 and saw a Bad Brains show that he describes as an “epiphany.” AoF typically showed funk, reggae and jazz influences, accompanied by lyrics bemoaning the difficulty of finding freedom and fulfillment in consumer society. While the band's influence was blunted by being based in Chicago, it maintained close musical and thematic ties to the Washington DC / Dischord Records scene. Drummer Bill Richman, a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party briefly left the band in 1984 due to the waning of the band's political emphasis; he returned later to record In This Life. Bondi had already left Chicago by the time AoF disbanded in 1985; In This Life was issued two years later. The original lineup reunited for a European tour in 1991. The final show of this tour was recorded and issued as part of the Your Choice Live series.
Ludicra is an American heavy metal band from San Francisco. They originally formed in 1998 as a quartet and later expanded to five members. In 2011, the band announced on their official website that they had disbanded, but they reunited in 2022.
The Phantom Limbs were a rock band formed in Oakland, California, in 1999. The group combined the unusual keyboard-driven compositions of Stevenson Sedgwick with an aggressive, punk-influenced rhythm section and a very odd singer, Loto 'Hopeless' Ball, whose howled lyrics and unpredictable stage behavior quickly gained them an infamous reputation in the SF Bay Area.
Enemy You was an American punk rock band from San Francisco, California, United States, that formed in 1997.
Victims Family is a hardcore punk band formed in 1984 in Santa Rosa, California, by bass guitarist Larry Boothroyd and guitarist and vocalist Ralph Spight. Devon VrMeer completed the trio as drummer. Their sound blended punk, heavy metal and jazz, making them difficult to categorize into a single genre. Allmusic says, "Since its inception, the trio has refused to be pigeonholed to any single musical style — incorporating elements of hardcore punk, jazz, funk, hard rock, and noise into its challenging sound". They were known as one of the most musically diverse bands in the San Francisco underground music scene. Over the years, Victims Family went through four drummers and two break-ups. Their name was taken from a piece by the cartoonist B. Kliban.
Four Deadly Questions was an American band from Brooklyn, New York, made up of ex-members of Dick Army and Books Lie. Most DIY bands and Recess Records affiliates utilize this band for setting up gigs in the New York City area as all members of this band have been in the punk scene for many years and have access to setting up shows for bands who would otherwise have no way of booking themselves at larger clubs.
Toys That Kill is a San Pedro-based punk rock band, formed from a previous incarnation known as F.Y.P. (1989–1999). Just after the release of the last F.Y.P. album, also titled Toys That Kill, Todd Congelliere and Sean Cole (vocalists/guitarists) along with new members Chachi Ferrara (bass) and Denis Fleps (drums) got together to form the new band.
Spazz was an American powerviolence band active between 1992 and 2000. The trio released numerous records within this time, many of which are now highly collectible due to their relative rarity. The band's releases often showcased their unusual sense of humour: absurdly long and nonsensical song titles, audio samples from B movies and kung fu films between songs and the occasional use of hip hop beats as well as saxophones, banjos and other instruments rarely associated with hardcore punk. All three of the members shared vocal duties, usually changing in sequence from line to line. The group would typically play at all ages venues. 2015 saw the release of a tribute LP to Spazz by Scottish record label Mind Ripper Collective titled "Spazzin' To The Oldies - A Tribute To Spazz". In 2016, it was announced that Tankcrimes will reissue the out-of-print Spazz albums Sweatin' To The Oldies and Sweatin' 3: Skatin', Satan & Katon.
Vic Bondi is an American singer-songwriter and one of the founding members of political Chicago hardcore punk band Articles of Faith. He went on to form Alloy, and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup Bondi was working as a history instructor at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Bondi's subsequent day jobs included working on Microsoft's Encarta as well as other projects in educational and media software. After a hiatus in the late 90s, Bondi resurfaced with new bands, Report Suspicious Activity and Dead Ending. He was featured in the documentaries American Hardcore and You Weren't There.
Filth was an American hardcore punk band from East Bay, California. Formed in 1989, Filth was a crustcore band that helped define the "later East Bay hardcore" style. The band combined upbeat, sometimes poppy guitar with harsh screamed vocals.
Steel Pole Bath Tub was an American rock band, formed in 1986 in Bozeman, Montana, United States, by Mike Morasky (guitar/vocals) and Dale Flattum (bass/vocals).
The Unlovables are a New York City based pop punk band. The band formed after bassist/singer Hallie Bulleit recorded a handful of songs for a present with Adam Rabuck who encouraged her to continue playing music. Despite a somewhat revolving lineup, the band has remained fairly active over the years, including recording and releasing two full-length records on Whoa Oh Records as well as EP's and other compilation appearances, and tours often, not including other shows with mc chris, as well as the recently reunited Lifetime. and Weston The band became more mainstream after Adult Swim used the song "What you want, what you got" in a 30-second Bleach Promo. The band is currently taking a long hiatus while Hallie performs in the off-Broadway show FUERZABRUTA.
Mike Morasky is an American composer, visual effects artist, director and programmer. He composed the scores for the Valve games Team Fortress 2, the Left 4 Dead series, Portal 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2. He worked on visual effects for the Lord of the Rings and Matrix films, and founded the underground art bands Steel Pole Bath Tub, Milk Cult and DUH.
Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits is an American comedy folk rock duo from Pinole, California. Formed in 1995, the traditional incarnation of the band consists of vocalist Corbett Redford III and guitarist/vocalist Dan Abbott. The duo is often joined onstage and in the studio by numerous musicians and friends for full band stage performances and recordings. Early performances featured occasional backup vocals from John Geek, who also sings for Fleshies. Abbott, Redford and Geek were also founding members of the indie label S.P.A.M. Records, and co-organizers of Geekfest, a series of free all-ages music festivals held in the late 1990s. This began largely in response to the band's rejection from a then insular East Bay punk scene centered on 924 Gilman.
