Photo by James Bunoan1. INTRO5PECT “One of my all-time favorite bands! GC's first release was actually Intro5pect's debut 7-inch, originally a one-man endeavor. The band's (now) four-piece collective fuses old-school punk with new-school techno (think Sham 69 meets Atari Teenage Riot), which can sound horrible if done incorrectly, but frontman Dave Small has created a totally innovative working-class anthem for the new millennium!! It's no wonder that Pittsburgh's A-F Records snatched 'em last year up for a three-record deal.” (Heela)
2. AGENT ORANGE “Early '80s surf punk by kids who didn't surf. Their Living in Darkness album on Poshboy was the best thing a 16-year-old could play in his car. And my friends and I did . . . again and again. Fuck, I still do! The songs on that LP are fresh and original, even by today's standards, with lyrics that make you think twice about the world around you.” (Shahab)
3. FOUR LETTER WORDS “Before being shipped back to Planet X by Bob Dobbs himself, these crazy Subgenii, including The Kernel, AJ Apodaca, Kid Kevin, and Sexual Chocolate, had some of the most outlandish punk shows in OC. First time I saw 'em was with the Angry Samoans and they had Little Pete (of Nickelodeon's Pete N Pete) introduce them. How much ridiculously radder can you get?!” (Heela)
4. LIPSTICK PICKUPS “Sugar and spice and Pabst and sass—that's what the Lipstick Pickups are made of. I've always been a sucker for female-fronted bands, and these three vocal-switchin' gals and hard-hittin' drummer boy knocked my socks off from first listen. Don't even think of comparing their garagey rock N roll to the Donnas! Aside from being some of the nicest people behind the Orange Curtain, they are definitely Anaheim's best kept secret. How can you not love a band whose logo consists of a lipstick and sickle?!” (Heela)
5. ESL?! “This was one of those bands in high school that you thought was gonna make it big. Even though I didn't actually go to high school with them in glorious OC, I got that feeling from all the support these boys received over their six-year span. Five punk rock points for playing tons of backyard and house parties, another five for universal lyrics most angst-ridden punks could relate to, along with back-up vocals galore. Too bad it had to end.” (Heela)
