Channel 3 Comes Roaring Back With New Album and Release Party on Friday at TKO Records



Channel 3 easily qualifies as one of the most underrated bands in the history of OC punk. Formed in 1980 in Cerritos, singer Mike Magrann and guitarist Kimm Gardener created a hybrid punk experiment that toed the line between the old school grit of bands like the Germs, the hook-heavy sensibility of The Replacements and even, dare we say, a little harmonica here and there. Never fully commited to one style of thrashing, their formula of raw live shows and kick-ass three minute-tunes paved the way for a career opening up for bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, X, and Midnight Oil. Despite keeping a relatively low profile in the '90s, they still managed to tour extensively and put out solid albums and by the time they put out their last-known album in 2002, they had about nine of them to their credit (for some rollicking good time road music, dig for offerings like 1994 live album How Do You Open the Damn Thing?).

 Lately, the guys have stayed quietly busy, touring Europe extensively, they released a band documentary in 2008 and have been adding their music sporadically to compilations and video game soundtracks. On Friday, Magrann, Gardner with current drummer Alf Silva and bassist Anthony Thompson are back with their latest release ten years. The record in question, Land of The Free, is being released as a 7″ vinyl which you can snag a copy of at their party tomorrow at TKO Records in Fountain Valley. The gig kicks off an extensive two months of touring through the US, Canada and Europe so make sure to catch them while they're in town. Check out more info on the band and tomorrow's event here and take a listen to a track from the album below.

]
 
Follow us on Twitter @OCWeeklyMusic and like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *