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The Dickies’ style is campy and humorous, influenced by The Ramones, for whom they sometimes opened. The Dickies are popular in the United Kingdom, and had a Top 10 single with “Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)” in 1979. Many of their lyrics concern Southern California culture, rife with references and in-jokes; examples include songs like “Waterslide”, “I’m A Cholo”, “Manny, Moe, and Jack”, and “(I’m Stuck in a Pagoda with) Tricia Toyota”. They are also known for recording several fast-paced punk covers of classic rock songs, including the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin”, Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction”, and the Human Beinz’ “Nobody but Me”. They have also covered Pretty Ballerina, a song by The Left Banke, as well as ”Hair”.

Drug problems slowed the Dickies down considerably in the 1980s, but they have continued playing and recording sporadically to the present day. Guitarist/keyboardist/saxophonist Chuck Wagon (born Bob Davis) committed suicide after a break-up with his girlfriend in June 1981. Jonathan Melvoin, who played drums on The Dickies album, Idjit Savant, died of a heroinoverdose on July 12, 1996 in New York, aged 34, while on tourplaying keyboards for the Smashing Pumpkins.[citation needed] Original drummer Karlos Kabellero died on September 22, 2009 from heart related issues. One-time guitarist Enoch Hain (born Robert Lansing, Jr.) died on July 25, 2009 from complications arising from pneumonia.

In 1988, the Dickies wrote and performed the theme music for the horror film Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

Their record What Happens Next? (What Happened Then? on CD) holds high status in hardcore circles. It is notable for its cover of the 1970s pop music hit “Cherokee Nation”.

The band broke up in July 2004 after a short tour of Hawaii with the Oahu band 8mm Overdose. Ill Repute briefly reformed again (minus founding guitarist Tony Cortez) to tour Hawaii in 2006 again with 8mm Overdose. The lead guitarist, Tony Cortez (original band member) is considered the “Mayor of Nardcore.”

Ill Repute has reformed with original members, (except Carl Valdez replaced by Chuck Shultz) they played one show in Ventura, CA in December 16 which they claimed was to be their last show, but have since reformed.

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For 29 years after its inception, the Adolescents have had many member changes. The band broke up and reformed twice, sometimes with different guitarists, bass players and/or drummers. Their first break up was sometime after the release of their 1981 self-titled debut release, which is often considered an influential punk rock album, when some members of the band were involved in their own projects, including Agent Orange and D.I.. However, the Adolescents reunited in 1986 and released two more albums (Brats in Battalions in 1987 and Balboa Fun Zone in 1988) before splitting up again in 1989. The band once again reunited for good in 2001 for a 20th anniversary tour and have continued performing ever since. They released one reunion album (O.C. Confidential in 2005) and are currently writing/recording new material for their next album, which is possibly due for release sometime in 2010.

The band has influenced many of today’s later punk groups, including Bad Religion, Face to Face, Good Riddance, The Offspring, Pennywise and The Vandals.

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Channel 3 centered around the friendship of Mike Magrann (vocals, guitar) and Kimm Gardner (guitar), which dated back to the second grade. Forming in 1980, the foursome included Larry Kelley (bass) and Mike Burton (drums, later replaced by Jack DeBaun). They released an EP, Channel 3, in the summer of 1981 and began playing shows in the Los Angeles area. In the summer of 1982, their first album Fear of Life was released, and the band began their first US tour.

After 1983 the band experimented with other styles, alienating many of its original fans. Eventually it returned to its roots, touring Europe in the 1990s and releasing a more punk-oriented CD in 2002.

Songwriting duo, Casey Cannon & Xavier Gonzalez met in Los Angeles while working at Guitar Center and instantly connected upon discovering they both had roots in Texas and the wilds of the Mojave Desert. They grew up listening to Waylon, Willie and Johnny Cash, and after playing around in the rock and punk scenes, they drifted back to their roots. Seasoned with the enigmatic rhymes and rap inspired styling’s of harp player Dave (Hillside) Spangler, the boys cooked up a swampy new sound and the 29 MULES were born kicking & screaming into the L.A. Country scene. With the addition of legendary drummer, David Raven (Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Carlene Carter), and Swedish born, Johnny G (Griparic) (Slash, Carole King), they have broken genre boundaries and have gained a global following. Their new CD “80 Feet Deep” is a worthy, unabashedly ballsy follow-up to heir first CD, “No Rules for Mules,” both of which are receiving airplay throughout the US and Europe.

The band has toured with Stoney LaRue, and have shared bills across the West with Robert Earl Keen, Hank Williams III, Bruce Robison, Asleep at the Wheel, Ryan Bingham and Delbert McClinton. They have made a major contribution bringing Country back to the Southern California scene with their popular Wednesday night hootenannies at Ireland’s 32 in the San Fernando Valley.

From corporate shows to Texas honky tonks, the MULES always leave the crowd hollerin’ for more!

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