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Notes From the Underground
By Michael Mechanic

Rock and the New Year:
Highlights and lowlights of the local scene in '95

Last year was a good one for the local scene. Lots of enthusiasm, more people going to shows and forming new bands and more happening at non-commercial venues, which is way cool. At the same time, lots of really good local bands still get ignored and others roll through town unsupported. So make a resolution to check out some new stuff this year and not just go see the bands that happen to be da' shit with your pals.

Nostalgia '95

New Bands: Playing publicly for the first time were Diversion, Clodhopper, Bread and Thunder, X-Girl 13, the Willies, Creature, Drain, Dura Deliquent, Dajima, Writhe, Locust, Lost Cause, Asi Nisi Masa, Amputation, the Ski Patrol, the Supers, Youth Riot.

R.I.P.: Last respects to One Ton Tow Ball, the Ski Patrol (that was quick!), Hedgehog, Stench, It Girls, Dirty, Fisticuffs Bluff, Local 101, Lost in Line, Lottia Farm (Illiterate reformed with a new lineup).

Venue Roulette: Palookaville opens. Live Soup closes. Medicine Cabinet is demolished. Bixby House stops having shows. Another secret spot starts having shows again. DIY promoters stage bands at Ferrell's Donuts, Vet's Hall, Viking's Hall, Soquel Grange Hall, Portuguese Hall and Jade Street Community Center, with more to come.

Grand--and Not So Grand--Tours: Mock, Good Riddance, Portraits of Past, Nuzzle, Fisticuffs Bluff and Fury 66, as well as Swingin' Utters, do major U.S. and/or European tours. Spaceboy, the Champs, Stench, Dura Delinquent, Riverpoets, Head Circus, Riff Raff, Vincent's Ear, Vim and others do regional circuits.

Lucky Break: Clodhopper plays Lollapalooza.

Zines: Hectic Times publishes its final issue. Grey Zone and Monkey Magnet publish their first.

TV/Video: Community TV gears up. The Bill and Clay Show starts putting local bands on the tube. Several local bands are featured in surf, skate and snow video soundtracks.

Moving: Men R Pigs and Head Case-O-Matic move to San Francisco, Vishnu's Secret splits to Seattle.

Name Game: Dajima changes its name to the Berto Sherman Quartet, Asi Nisi Masa becomes Mehitabel.

Record Stores: Beat City moves to Mission St., Baseline moves downtown, Urban Outlet opens on Laurel St.

Local Labels: Mock becomes the first band on Sessions' new label. Galaxia releases 7-inch vinyl from the Champs and WITCHhOOK Sky. Half-Pint rides high on Fury 66's debut CD and prepares for new releases from Fury, the Cavities and a Fury/Screw 32 split 7-inch. Youth.Strike.Chord Records releases full-length wax from Nuzzle and a split 7-incher with Car Bomb and Fisticuffs Bluff.

DIY Releases: Tapes, CDs, and/or vinyl from Creature, Riff-Raff, Poppy, Whistle Pigs, Schlep (Psych!), Riverpoets, Writhe, Vincent's Ear, It., E is for Elephant, Stench, Mehitabel, Bethany Curve, Oliver Brown, Herbert, Exploding Crustaceans, Diversion, Vim and Fisticuffs Bluff.

Upcoming Releases: Expect stuff soon from Calibus, Junk Sick Dawn, Dajima, Fury 66, Portraits of Past, the Cavities and Merry Go Round. Also: Mock, Good Riddance, It. and Lackadaisy are working on full-length albums.

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