Mike Vallely / By The Sword:

For his new band, Mike Vallely / By The Sword, Mike V revisits and then builds upon the sounds and influences of his previous bands Revolution Mother and Mike V & The Rats, as well as pays tribute to the band that forever changed his life at the age of fourteen, Black Flag (whom Mike V himself joined some twenty years later as a guest vocalist when they reunited for 3 shows in 2003). Serving as a musical culmination of all things Mike V, Mike Vallely / By The Sword hits the ground running in 2010 opening up for The Cult at the Musink Tattoo and Music Festival at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA on Feb. 19, where they will be performing their Black Flag tribute set “I’ve Heard It Before” which focuses on Black Flag tracks from The First Four Years and Damaged.

With BMX legend Rick Thorne!

You are missed....

There are a zillion bands, and a zillion band websites, so why is this one here?
Because the Cult are a damn good band, largely unknown in the mainstream. They've had a few hits over the years but never the wide radio airplay or MTV rotation necessary to be universally known. Perhaps they rock too hard for goth fans, their heavy-metal edge puts off alternative fans, and rock fans don't like the angst and spiritualism threaded throughout their music.

Astbury and Duffy in the Death Cult

What's in a name?
Vocalist Ian Astbury formed Southern Death Cult in British post-punk 1983, then joined ex-Theatre of Hate guitarist Billy Duffy and bassist Jamie Stewart (first with drummer Ray Mondo and later Nigel Preston) to become the Death Cult. The name was shortened to the Cult with the release of their first album Dreamtime. It turned out to be a prophetic name: during the years since they've developed -- and kept -- a loyal audience of diverse fans. Go to a Cult show and you'll see long-haired headbangers, suburban jocks, musicians, black-clad goths, college students, trendy style-setters, hippies and flower children, and "ordinary" people of all ages. The diversity of Cult fans' personal styles and musical tastes, and the fact that they all get it, clearly shows that theirs is a true cult following, in every sense of the word.

Duffy and Astbury during Sonic Temple era

It isn't about compromising to please the masses.
It's about the music. Duffy's guitar playing has always been brilliant, tasty and unpredictable. His style and technique are admired by musicians and his tone is always perfect for the song. Astbury has developed into a strong, powerful rock singer with a commanding stage presence and a charismatic vocal and performing style often (legitimately) compared to Jim Morrison. Like many duos that have an awesome creative chemistry as a team, they've also had problems working together, which reportedly explains the time gaps between projects. The addition of substances to the mix has been another factor in the erratic nature of their career, just as it's affected many others with creative brilliance. Other Cult members will come and go: the Astbury-Duffy pairing always has been and always will be at the heart of what the Cult is about, and the music they write together always works.

1999 lineup: Duffy, Astbury, Martyn LeNoble, Matt Sorum

But it's more than that... it's magic.
People may listen to Cult music casually and then one day something clicks, and it suddenly makes more sense, it means more. They'll go back and listen with a new awareness to all the Cult music they can find and discover new layers in it. They'll seek out the many remixes and singles not available on the major label albums. They'll notice that when they're really listening to the Cult in their car that people around them are walking and moving to the same rhythm, like they do in that car commercial. They'll start playing it for their friends and trying to explain the magic... the friends won't catch on, but a few will come back in time when it clicks and they realize the subtle depths of this music, and they'll be enthusiastic about their new discovery.

And now they're back.
Back in the studio and back on the road, the Cult have returned once again. The combination of supporting Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes during some of their tour dates, performing the opening track on the Gone in 60 Seconds soundtrack, and the unmistakable She Sells Sanctuary riff being used in a car commercial are giving the band sudden wide exposure, possibly wider than ever before. Will they break through the mainstream familiarity barrier or remain a cult phenomenon, picking up a few more core fans along the way? Only time will tell. Either way, it'll be worth watching... and listening.

Music. Tattoos. Art. Women. Barking at the bar stools. Travel. LOUDNESS!!! 

Long after The Sex Pistols buckled under the puppet strings of Malcom McLaren and The Clash grew tired of singing the day's headlines, The Damned continue to this day to embody the punk ethic - the ability for a group of individuals, whether talented or not (again, preferably the latter), to grab a guitar, cop a microphone and some drums, and get up on stage and play - anything. And although they have been shunned at times by the recording industry, The Damned have built a rabidly loyal fan base over the past 25 years that continues to pack concert halls and clubs more than a decade after the band released their last legitimate studio album.

This History of The Damned is one of phenomenal success and bitter disappointment, drunken debauchery and dogged determination. As with all great epics, it began during a pIn the mid-1970's, British popular culture was exhausted. Rapidly deteriorating economic and social conditions were begining to erode the big yellow smiley face of pop music. In London, groups of young, likeminded musicians were getting together in bars and clube to forge a sound they would call their own, a sound reflective of the explosive energy of hopeless youth.

It was within this pretematural goo that Chris Millar (soon to be known as Rat Scabies), Ray Burns (later christenedCaptain Sensible), Brian James and David Vanian (nee Letts) joined together to create a band that would play, as James described it, "chaos music."

The Buzzcocks were a successful U.K. punk singles band during the late-1970s, combining Beatlesque romance and melodicism with a buzzsaw guitar attack and blistering tempos presaging the pop-punk movement of the 1990s and 2000s. The Buzzcocks came together at Bolton Institute in 1975 and made frequent London club appearances the following year. Their first recordings, including the four-song EP Spiral Scratch (widely credited as Britain's first independent-label punk recording), were made with visionary early group leader Howard Devoto. When Devoto left the group in 1977 to form Magazine [see entry], Diggle switched from bass to guitar, and Garth Smith joined. Pete Shelley (who himself left the group in February 1981) became chief vocalist and songwriter. Singles Going Steady(1979) is a phenomenal collection of the bands singles with nary a dud to be found amongst pop-punk perfection in songs like "Harmony In My Head," "Every Fallen in Love" and "Why Can't I Touch It." During the band's second U.S. tour in 1980, they picked up an enthusiastic coterie of followers, but record sales were disappointing. In mid-1980, displeased with its lack of international success, the group disbanded. Shelley had a British hit on his own with "Homosapien," a sharp turn from the trademark Buzzcocks sound to synth-and-sequencer dance music. In 1989 Shelley, Diggle, Garvey, and Maher reunited for a U.S. tour. By then, the Buzzcocks were seen as a core influence on modern British pop (as illustrated by the hit remake of their "Ever Fallen in Love" by Fine Young Cannibals in 1987). Four years later, with a new rhythm section — and with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain having told the rock press they were an inspiration — the Buzzcocks recorded a well-received comeback album, Trade Test Transmissions, and toured the U.S. It was the beginning of a renewed career, followed by a 23-cut live set, French, and the studio album All Set — both released in 1996. Though the band failed to tap into the popularity of Green Day and other young acts playing in a style the Buzzcocks helped invent, the quartet returned again in 1999 withModern. Two studio albums followed — Buzzcocks (2003) andFlat Pack Philosophy (2006) — but the band's profile increased exponentially in 2007 when "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" was licensed for a television advertisement for the American Association of Retired Persons. The band continues to tour.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Formed after the break of various projects, The Sparring is a potent amalgamation of seasoned musicians and some of the genre’s most promising new faces. Spearheaded by the charge of former drummer (The Dear and Departed, Tiger Army) turned vocalist, Joel Bourne, the collective cemented its roots when Bourne connected with friend and Orange County guitarist, Janoah Stolo. Bourne and Stolo would then enlist the help of one of the genre’s most respected, versatile drummers in former Death By Stereo percussionist Chris Dalley. Finding an unparalleled musical chemistry, the trio rounded out the line-up by adding Gilbert Pichardo on bass. Within just one month the Sparring was formed already hard at work on the band’s studio debut.

With the support of Orange County’s premiere independent punk rock label, Old Shoe Records, The Sparring released a 3-track self-titled EP that provides a promising glimpse into the future of the band. Rooted in the punishing percussion of Dalley, the aggressive guitar work of Stolo, combined with the unrelenting swagger and sweaty sarcasm littered in Bourne’s lyrical delivery, The Sparring remain a shining example of the kind of punk rock that punishes unapologetically. Showcasing the kind of dexterity often missing from the genre, The Sparring combine the meticulous presentation of big production with the raw explosion of street corner brass. Currently hard at work on their full-length debut, The Sparring is taking off the gloves.     

Salba-Guitar; Tracy Robar-Guitar; Mark Cole-Bass; Corey Miller-Drums;

About GLASS HEROES

The GLASS HEROES have been together over 18 years.

The power and integrity of their music is a constant reminder of the sounds in which they hold true. The GLASS HEROES stand as a clear testament to the power and purity of the music that influenced them. Carrying on with a direct force to play unadulterated & undiluted punk.

In a music genre that has been all but obliterated by over marketing and trampled on by so many musical crossovers as to be almost unrecognizable.

The GLASS HEROES are one of the last remaining links to a powerful lineage of punk in it’s purest form.

When you find that everything you loved has become a commodity, you'll find the Glass Heroes writing & putting out music for those who get it.

Band History
Here's a great idea, let's get the guy in the band who smokes the most pot to write a band history. That's me. The guy who couldn't remember what was said five minutes ago if his life depended on it. You try and write down the last 16 years of your life and make it seem relevant… 

First Practice 1983
Here's what I do remember. I was sitting with a kid named Dillon in our usual spot with the other punkers during lunchtime at Fairfax high school. He was a drummer, and we were dissatisfied with the bands we were in. My band consisted of me and my one and only Punk Rock friend both playing guitar and singing and that was it. Neither one of us had finished any songs. Not quite a recipe for success.

So I sez to my friend, let's start a band. A real band, a band that does stuff. A band that writes songs, practices, puts out records, and goes on tour. We talked about who else we wanted in this band. We knew lots of good people from going to punk gigs around LA. He knew a Bass player named Mike who used to be in a band called False Alarm. We both knew a guy named Steve from Orange County who we agreed would make a great front man. We made some calls and arranged to meet and have a first practice.

That's when I first met Mike. Mike was a huge Misfits fan. He looked like a Misfits fan. His hair was long in front and it was all hairsprayed together to a point down the middle of his face in what was called a "Devilock". Mike had some songs for us to play. I had written a song called "Take Part". It sounded an awful lot like Minor Threat's version of the Monkees' Stepping Stone. Steve didn't go to that first practice, he couldn't get a ride up from Orange county. After that first practice Dillon quit and Mike called up Erik. Mike and Erik had met a couple of years earlier while skateboarding around Hollywood. Erik liked Mike's Black Flag skateboard. It was Punk. Mike had asked Erik to join False Alarm back then, but Erik's mom wouldn't let him do it 'cuz he had no driver's license yet. Later on, when we asked him to play drums with us he was in a band called Caustic Cause. Erik joined us but his other band would have to have priority. We were supposed to be a 4-piece but practiced as a 3-piece, Steve hadn't made it to one practice yet.

Southern California punks Face to Face formed in 1991, originally comprised of singer/guitarist Trever Keith, drummer Rob Kurth, and bassist Matt Riddle. Debuting early the following year on the Dr. Strange label with Don't Turn Away, the trio was quickly snapped up by Fat Wreck Chords, which reissued the LP soon after. Adding second guitarist Chad Yaro, Face to Face toured relentlessly in the months to follow, recording a series of singles and compilation tracks collected in 1994 as Over It. When the song "Disconnected" became a local hit thanks to steady airplay on Los Angeles station KROQ, the group's profile grew considerably, and 1995's Big Choice sold in excess of 100,000 copies. In the wake of Riddle's exit, bassist Scott Shiflett signed on for Face to Face's major-label debut, a self-titled release issued on A&M in 1996. The adventurous Ignorance Is Bliss followed in mid-1999 on the Beyond label, featuring new drummer Pete Parada. The following year saw Face to Face returning to their core sound with Reactionary, released on the band's own label, Lady Luck Records, through BMG-distributed Beyond. Through a promotion with MP3.com, Face to Face allowed fans to shape the set list for Reactionary by downloading snippets of the songs and voting which ones should make it onto the album. Nearly two million votes were received during a six-week period. Reactionary was released on June 20, 2000. The cover album Standards & Practices, which featured the band's own rendition of songs by the Smiths, the Pogues, Fugazi, the Jam, and others, was issued on Vagrant in early 2001. That year also saw Keith and Shiflett join Viva Death, which released its eponymous debut in September 2002. Meanwhile, Face to Face had joined the Dropkick Murphys for a split EP, and How to Ruin Everything, the band's sixth studio album, had appeared in March 2002. In fall 2003, Face to Face disbanded after 13 years and six albums. Two years later, the retrospective Shoot the Moon: The Essential Collection was released on Keith's Antagonist Records.

From dive bars to the main stage, the Orange County punk rock ensemble LONGWAY have established the kind of reputation long forgotten in the industry. Equipped with an unparalleled work ethic and the talent to justify their motivation, the sound is no frills punk rock with little regard for a subsequent scene. Linking up with Southern California punk label Old Shoe Records, LONGWAY continued their momentum by celebrating the release of their highly anticipated follow-up, JUNKIE. Forging an appreciation for straight ahead rock music laced with punk rock swagger, the band’s sound would not only generate a healthy following in Southern California, but as the band pounded the highways, LONGWAY touched countless cities crafting their own niche all over the nation

Exploring the realities of life, love, and relationships as a working class collective of musicians, JUNKIE, is an impressive 12-track addition to LONGWAY’s already stellar catalog of work. Enlisting the guidance of famed producer Cameron Webb, LONGWAY once again assumed the role of producer to create their best example of musical competence to date. A potent balance of energy and sincerity, tracks like “Rolling Wheels”, “Honey” (featuring Patricia Day of Horrorpops), and the title track, “Junkie”, serve as a reminder of an era of music that meshed poignant lyrics with incendiary instrumentation. Finely tuned on the road and unanimously praised, JUNKIE, served as a catalyst for LONGWAY’s ascending popularity and emergence as the must see band on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour.  

After an unprecedented year that included both regional and nationwide tour stops in addition to the release of their Old Shoe Records debut, LONGWAY managed to continue without missing a step throughout 2009 and actually gained momentum. Logging thousands of tour miles, LONGWAY would begin this year with regional supporting spots to capacity crowds. In the spring the band was recruited to join Warped Tour vets and friends, HORRORPOPS on another run across the country to sold-out venues coast to coast. Upon their return, LONGWAY would travel to Sacramento, CA to record JUNKIE, in a brief, albeit productive break from touring. True to the band’s unscathed work ethic, LONGWAY would finish with the record only to immediately return to the road for another summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Watching their crowds go from dozens to hundreds across the nation, it was evident that the band was no longer a Southern California phenomenon, but undoubtedly here to stay.   

When Stephen Pearcy wants something done, he does it right. So when he wanted to put a kick-ass all-girl rock band together, he searched the gutters of Los Angeles for the most badass babes he could find… and that he did. With their hot looks, heavy riffs & rock n’ fuckin roll attitude, RIOT BRIDES hit the L.A. music scene with a bang so loud you can still hear it ringing on the Sunset Strip. With songs about breakin’ bottles, breakin’ hearts & breakin’ the law, this estrogen-fueled five-piece will kick you in the balls & leave you wanting more… imagine that.

Somewhere between Punk, Rock-n-Roll and traditional Rockabilly, falls the sound of Faraway Boys. A power trio that first began on a street corner in Laguna Beach, CA. in the summer of 2005, and have since progressed to playing the local club scene as well as a string of small tours. The band members are Scott "Scotty" Young on guitar/vocals; Sean "Bucky" Walbrink on drums/vocals and Miguel "Ralphie" Gonzalez on up-right bass/ vocals. That street corner taught the Boys how to perform in front of an audience for the first time and gave them the confidence they needed to write their own songs. Faraway Boys are greatly influenced by the greats: Johnny Cash, Elvis and the Stray Cats. Back in those early days, it was a common sight to see the Boys on their street corner every Friday night, playing away.
Then, in the fall of 2005 the Boys decided they had out-grown their little corner and began to rehearse in a regular practice space. It was at this time that they began to try out their original material for the first time. Within a few months, the first of three Faraway Boys song demos had been recorded and the sound was more traditional, spawning the classics Sailor Jerry Rum and Cowboy Moon. The Song Sailor Jerry Rum is being used for the sailor jerry rum commercial and compilation, which has put a pin point on the map for the boys.  For the next year or so, Faraway Boys spent most of their time in their practice studio close to home - refining their sound and focusing on performing live. The weekends would give them good opportunity to showcase the songs written during the week and propel them towards becoming a better live act. The live show is the true love of the boys and their energy is full of contagious emotion, humor and heart-felt spirit. The band's policy of performing "Any time - Any where" has led them from San Diego to Sacramento during the first year playing "Any time - Any where" they could! Currently, Faraway Boys are promoting their first album: Pirate Ship Set Sail, which they released back in April of 2008. They hit the road shortly after releasing Pirate "Ship Set Sail" and tour from San Diego to Seattle and parts of the Mid-West. They also have preformed at great events such as Musink, Punk Rock Picnic and Ink-N-Iron. Their hard work has show sharing the bill with awesome bands like T.S.O.L, The Adolescents, Street Dogs, The Sonics, The Briggs, and among many other great bands. Currently, Faraway Boy just came back from tour (again) playing the South. Their love for meeting new people, writing songs and playing live shows keeps them busy on most weekends. To put it simply, their music is their life and love...and it shows!