"California Über Alles" is the debut single by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. It was the group's first recording and was released in June 1979 on the Optional Music label, with "The Man with the Dogs" appearing as its B-side. The title track was re-recorded in 1980 for the band's first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, and the original recording as well as the B-side were later included on the 1987 compilation Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death.
Against Me! is an American punk rock band, formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup has also included guitarist James Bowman. After releasing three studio albums through independent record labels, Against Me! moved to Sire Records for 2007's New Wave, which reached no. 57 on the Billboard 200. In 2011, the band launched the record label Total Treble.
Jackie Curtis was a pansexual American underground actor, singer and playwright best known as a Andy Warhol superstar. Primarily a stage actor in New York City, Curtis performed as both a man and in drag. Curtis' plays included Glamour, Glory and Gold, Amerika Cleopatra, and Vain Victory. Curtis made his film debut as Jackie in Andy Warhol's 1968 Flesh, directed by Paul Morrissey starring Joe Dallesandro. Curtis starred as Jackie in Warhol's 1971 Women in Revolt film which satirizes the Women's Liberation Movement and alludes to Valerie Solanas and her SCUM Manifesto. While performing in drag on stage and screen, Curtis would typically wear lipstick, glitter, bright red hair, ripped dresses and stockings. Curtis pioneered this combination of camp trashy glamour as a style that inspired many entertainers, including Jayne County, the New York Dolls, and all following glitter rock musical performers of the late-1970s, such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Gary Glitter and Mott the Hoople.
Wayne County & the Electric Chairs was an American rock band that was part of the first wave of punk bands from the 1970s. The band was headed by Georgia-born singer Jayne County and became known for their campy, foul-mouthed ballads, glam punk inspired songs and image which was heavily influenced by Jackie Curtis and the Theatre of the Ridiculous.
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists, and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in December 1965 and closed in 1981.
Rose McDowall is a Scottish musician who formed Strawberry Switchblade with Jill Bryson in 1981.
Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer by 1970. Hendrix spent only ten weeks recording in Electric Lady before his death that year, but it quickly became a famed studio used by many top-selling recording artists from the 1970s onwards, including Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and David Bowie.
Los Illegals is an American Chicano punk band from Los Angeles.
HenryPadovani is a French musician noted for being the original guitarist of English rock band The Police. He was a member of the band from January 1977 to August 1977 and was replaced by Andy Summers, who had originally been part of the band as a second guitarist. Following his departure from the band, Padovani was handed the rhythm guitar spot with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, before forming his own band, The Flying Padovanis.
John M. Perry is an English musician, songwriter, and author. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s as the guitarist for the English rock band the Only Ones.
Laura Jane Grace is an American musician best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!. In addition to Against Me!, Grace fronts the band Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers, a solo project she started in 2016. Grace is notable for being one of the first highly visible punk rock musicians to publicly come out as transgender, which she did in May 2012. She released her debut solo studio album, Stay Alive, in 2020, followed by Hole in My Head in 2024.
The Only Ones are an English rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory amidst punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia.
Deviation is an album by the American singer Jayne County. It was released in 1995 by Royalty Records in the USA, RPM Records in the UK and Rebel Rec in Europe. Outside of the US, the album was credited to Jayne County and The Electric Chairs, although none of the original Electric Chairs were on the recording.
Poisoned Electrick Head (PEH) is an English psychedelic indie rock/punk band formed in 1986 in St Helens, Merseyside, England. The band is best known for the 1994 independent chart hit "Out of Order" and for its fantasy-costumed stage act. Poisoned Electrick Head split up in 1998 and formally reformed in 2009. The band's name is taken from the final words sung by Vivian Stanshall in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band track, "My Pink Half of the Drainpipe".
The Leaving Trains were an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California. The Leaving Trains were founded in 1980 by singer Falling James Moreland, who became known for her chaotic performances and penchant for cross-dressing. Falling James had previously been a member of punk rock bands the Mongrels and the Downers before assembling the group with guitarist Manfred Hofer, bassist Tom Hofer, keyboardist Sylvia Juncosa and drummer Hillary Laddin. They played locally for three years before releasing their first album, Well Down Blue Highway, in 1984.
The Innocents were an English punk rock band, that formed in the spring of 1978 and played frequently with The Clash and The Slits. The original lineup was predominantly female with four women and one male.
Safari Records was a British independent record label based in London, England, and operating between 1977 and 1985. Safari Records was formed early in 1977 by Tony Edwards, Andreas Budde and John Craig who previously ran Purple and Oyster Records. With the label's founders living in Paris, Berlin and London respectively, the plan was to develop a pan-European record company that would release pop records. Licensing deals were struck with Teldec in Germany and Disques Vogue in France, in the UK its product was pressed and distributed by Pye and later by Spartan Records. Most notable of the label's acts were Wayne County, The Boys, Toyah and the South Africa's first multiracial band Juluka.
"Fuck Off", also released as "(If You Don't Wanna Fuck Me, Baby) Fuck Off!!", is the debut single by Wayne County & the Electric Chairs. It was released through Sweet FA, an imprint of Safari Records. The single's B-side was "On the Crest". Playing piano on the record was Jools Holland, then a session musician in his late-teens. Described as "trashy, New York Dolls-influenced punk rock", the song was included in the book X-Rated: The 200 Rudest Records Ever!.
Val Haller was a British musician. Primarily a bass guitarist, he was also a vocalist, keyboardist, and composer. Haller played with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, The Flying Lizards, The Lords of the New Church, Paint and Savage Republic. He was half of the duo Autumnfair.
Ruby and the Rednecks is an American rock band from New York City, inspired by New York Dolls and created by the singer, songwriter, playwright and actress Ruby Lynn Reyner with collaborating musical artists in 1970 and active until today. The band was originally composed by Ruby Lynn Reyner, John Madera, George Basley (drums), Augie Sabini (saxophone), Bobby Kent (drums), Susan Lampert, and Danny Couse, but currently has a new formation. From the original group, only Lampert remains. Ruby wrote most of the lyrics herself. John Madera was praised as a guitar player.
