Formed in 1980, Modern Industry was one of the countless punk bands to emerge from Southern California. Through the Pomona based Toxic Shock record store and label, they were on the bill with 45 Grave and Christian Death in 1981. The label released their 1983 ‘Man In Black’ EP with Marc Burgess replacing Chris Bowd on guitar. They split in 1984. Mark Duda went on to Flower Leperds, while Chris Bowd, Mark Duda and Reid Campbell formed the thrash band Abandoned. Their discography has since been reissued with never before published material, available on BandCamp.
Formed in the early 80s by Larry Rainwater, Linda Patti and David Rhine. Additional members over the years include Dee Madden of Penal Colony, Vampire Rodents. They gigged around Los Angeles in the deathrock and goth clubs during that time alongside bands like Screams For Tina, Kommunity FK, Deathride 69, 45 Grave and Christian Death. They released the ‘In Wax’ cassette in 1986, their EP ‘Don’t Look Back’ in 1990, and appeared on Krypt Club’s ‘American Gothic’ compilation. A re-recording of early material appeared with the ‘Anno Domini’ CD, and several albums followed post 2000s. They have relocated to Texas by way of New Orleans where they spent several years before the devastating hurricane Katrina struck. Ex-Voto have returned to performing in the 2020s around the nucleus of original members Rainwater and Patti.
Discordant jazz punk fueled by the manic lyrics of monster movie and Japanese gangster film enthusiast, poet, writer for Slash Magazine, and producer Chris Desjardins. One of the earliest bands to emerge from the LA punk movement, they brought something new and wild to the mix. Though the lineup remained fluid around Desjardins, their 1981 album ‘A Minute To Pray, A Scond To Die’ featured an impressive lineup of keystone punk bands (cowpunk? Maybe too early for that, but all include a significant country influence:) Stan Ridgway of Wall of Voodoo, John Doe and D. J. Bonebrake of X, Germs and The Eyes, Tito Larriva of the Plugz, and Blasters members Dave Alvin and Bill Bateman.
A more permanent lineup with Don Kirk, Robyn Jameson and Steve Berlin would follow but the band split up in 1983, and Desjardins focused on Divine Horsemen and later Stone By Stone. A solo album titled ‘Time Stands Still’ in 1984 featured Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club and Texacala Jones (Tex & The Horseheads). They reunited for a few years in 1989 and 1997 and released a number of new albums throughout the 2000s.
Flesheaters contributed tracks to the Tooth And Nail compilation with U.X.A., The Germs and Middle Class, and the ‘Return Of The Living Dead’ soundtrack alongside The Cramps, 45 Grave, TSOL and The Damned.
Related: Plugz, Blasters, Eyes, Wall Of Voodoo, X, Tex & The Horseheads, The Gun Club, Divine Horsemen, Stone By Stone, U.X.A., The Germs, Middle Class, The Cramps, 45 Grave, TSOL and The Damned, Chris Desjardins, Stan Ridgway, John Doe, D. J. Bonebrake, Dave Alvin, Bill Bateman, Don Kirk, Robyn Jameson and Steve Berlin, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Texacala Jones, ‘Return Of The Living Dead’, cowpunk, Los Angeles, 1977
Los Angeles Postpunk band from the 1980s. The band consisted of singer R.J. Vasquez, Cesar Fernandez, Jeff Johnson on saxophone, John Orloff and Mike Payan. They released the ‘Joy of Living’ EP on Mystic Records, and a final 7” single ’The Gooze’ on Vasquez’s T.O.N. Records. They also appeared on the various samplers from Mystic alongside bands like Dr. know, Ill Repute, RKL and Flower Leperds.
corpus delicti (noun) • cor·pus de·lic·ti [ˈkȯr-pəs-di-ˈlik-ˌtī -(ˌ)tē] • 1: the substantial and fundamental fact necessary to prove the commission of a crime • 2: the material substance (such as the body of the victim of a murder) upon which a crime has been committed
They played primarily alongside other hardcore punk bands emerging in 1980s Californian scene, and in 1983 opened up for Specimen and Christian Death on the Batcave UK’s tour through the USA. In 2025 a compilation LP was released to showcase more about their history. Vocalist Vasquez would go on to Why?Things Burn and Orloff went on to Anus The Menace.
Not to be confused with the 1990s gothic band Corpus Delicti from France of the same name.
The Joneses were a glam punk band from Hollywood formed by Jeff Drake, joined by Paul Mars Marmorstein and Scott Franklin of Mau Maus. Other members like Ron Emory and Greg Kuehn of TSOL, David Thum of Funeral and Tex & The Horseheads, Johnie Sage (also a former Mau Mau) a fill in guitarist in 1982’s Christian Death also rotated in.
They had a particular dark streak in songs like Graveyard Rock (featured on the ‘Someone’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In’ compilation) and a fun, snarky attitude that dripped rock’n’roll in the footsteps of New York Dolls and The Ramones.
Punk band from Hollywood, California formed in 1978. Rick Wilder is a notorious scenester known for his wild attitude, formerly frontman of The Berlin Brats, a proto-punk glam band that had racked up equal infamy in Hollywood. Bobby Bones has contributed his guitar to The Flesheaters, Demolition Gore Galore and an album with Nikki Sudden of Swell Maps. Paul Marmorstein was replaced by Nicky Beat (The Germs, The Weirdos, The Cramps) when he left to join The Joneses with other Mau Mau Scott Franklin. Franklin played bass with The Cramps for a time, and was later with Mr. Badwrench. Marmorstein, aka Paul Mars later formed L.A. Guns. The California Mau Maus are not to be confused with the UK band of the same name. They appeared on the sequel ‘Hell Comes To Your House’ compilation along with The Joneses, Cambridge Apostles and Tex And The Horseheads, which was more of an exploration of the emergent cowpunk phenomenon than its predecessor’s focus on deathrock.
Related: The Berlin Brats, The Flesheaters, Demolition Gore Galore, The Germs, The Weirdos, The Cramps, The Joneses, L.A. Guns, Mr. Badwrench, Mau Maus (UK), Tex And The Horseheads, Cambridge Apostles, Rick Wilder, Bobby Bones, Paul Marmorstein, Nicky Beat, Scott Franklin, Hell Comes To Your House, Hollywood, California
Located in Los Angeles, California from xxx to xxx, Anti-Club was host to several punk, post punk, Deathrock and gothic acts such as Nervous Gender and Kommunity FK.
There is a FaceBook group dedicated to the memory of the time and place at the AntiClub, run by those who remember it in one way or another, sharing stories, recollections, photos and histories.
Guitarist Kjehl Johansen with Kevin Barrett and John Jones co-founded punk band Urinals in 1978. They renamed as 100 Flowers (a reference to the Maoist campaign in 1950s China) in 1981 to signify a departure from their punk approach and went to a more progressive and post punk direction. They released two albums, one EP and appeared on the classic 1981 ‘Hell Comes To Your House’ deathrock-punk compilation album. After the Urinals reformed in 1996, they also put out a new album as 100 Flowers in 2019.
Location: Los Angeles, California Active: 1981-1984
Los Angeles punk band from the early 80s fronted by Bobbi Brat (July 14, 1962 – † November 30, 1988). Taking the sound of fast thrash guitar that was becoming well known in California punk with bands like The Adolescents, D.I. and TSOL, Red Scare fronted by Bobbi Brat brought a bit of Vice Squad to the table. Though their material was punk, several songs such as ‘Dont Look In The Basement’ are the perfect addition to any gothic punk mix tape. They only released one LP, with a single on Posh Boy Records, but an anthology collection was released on Grand Theft Audio in 1995.
After a DIY tour, the band broke up. Bobbi Brat continued with a solo country influenced act Bobbi and the Boneyard Brats, but settled on just The Bobbi Brat Band. Though the band attempted to reform and record new material, Bobbi tragically passed away from cancer at the age of 26.
Related: The Adolescents, D.I., TSOL, Bobbi Brat, Vice Squad, Los Angeles, punk, California, Posh Boy Records
Emerging from the early 80s Los Angeles punk scene, Super Heroines emitted a heavier, proto-metal/grunge style. Eva O (vocals, guitar) and Jill Emery (vocals, bass, eventually in Courtney Love’s band Hole) would later join Rozz Williams to form Shadow Project. Ace Farren Ford would also perform with Rozz Williams’ Heltir and EXP.
Related:Shadow Project, Los Angeles, Eva O, Jill Emery, Rozz Williams, Ace Farren Ford, Heltir, EXP
