Sounding the 805
Local music radio show ramps up, and Nardcore looks back
By Chris Mastrovito 07/23/2009
Unless you’re in traffic or trying to contact extraterrestrial life, there are very few reasons to turn on the radio at all these days, let alone switch to the AM frequency. But radio host Barry Miller gives the 805 one more with “Local Licks,” a weekday radio hour dedicated to local music. In fewer than eight weeks on the air, the show’s alliances with an expanding pool of sponsors (including Zoey’s Café, Pulse Drumming, Albatros Recording Studios, Peacock’s Record Bar, and Billy O’s) have allowed Miller to come up with some creative ways to bolster the local scene. Recently, Miller challenged local musicians to a call-in music trivia contest for eight hours of free recording time at Albatros, and last week K.R. from The Hours Before, was dubbed the winner and will begin laying down the free tracks this week, which, once completed, will debut on the show.
Diving right into Ventura’s nightlife for worthy acts to feature on the show, Miller and Tom Hannon of Albatros teamed up with Billy O’s last Tuesday until 1 a.m. to host the first “Local Licks” open mic, which featured full bands like I’m Not Melvin, Wages of Fear, Shake the Bear, The Hours Before plus more than a dozen solo artists backed by various members of the different bands. “It’s so cool to be able to experience live so many of the artists and bands I’ve been playing on the radio everyday,” said Miller. Blues, punk, indie, hip-hop, country, Tibetan chants, as long as it’s local . . . the show does not discriminate by genre. Open mic at Billy O’s is every Tuesday night and, starting July 24, Hip-Hop Fridays will debut on Local Licks playing the best hip-hop from the 805. “Local Licks” airs at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday on AM 1400.
The next document in the ongoing legacy of Oxnard hardcore punk has hit the streets like a punk skater holding a surfboard: The LP Nardcore 30 Years Later, unlike the minimalist aesthetic of its music, is packed with punk novelties.
The 180-gram vinyl, white-marble-color record comes with a 25-page fanzine, a sticker and a CD featuring twice as many songs as the LP, and is a damn cool collector’s item for any fan of the local scene or for punk fans in general. Quotes from legends like Henry Rollins, Ian McKaye and Fat Mike cover the inside lining, praising and reflecting on the influential Oxnard scene during its heyday in the ’80s. But don’t be fooled; this is not a fawning retrospective. The record is true to its tradition of being a showcase for current local punk. To middle-aged punks who are scratching their heads at the 30-year anniversary figure: don’t worry, Alzheimer’s hasn’t kicked in yet because, while it’s only technically been 25 years since Mystic Records put out the first Nardcore compilation in 1984, Tony Cortez of Ill Repute, the main force behind the release, traces the scene back to 1979 with the band The Rotters. Catch “Local Licks” on Monday, July 27 at 6 p.m. to hear what Cortez has to say about it and to hear some tracks off the record.
The battle is finally over and the Situation has emerged victorious. The Rookees Battle of the Bands, which has raged on every Wednesday for the past 12 weeks, declared the Camarillo jam band the best in Ventura County, along with $2,000 in prize cash, recording time and tons of other stuff. Look out for more of their shows at Rookees in the near future.
The Simi Valley hard rockers Secret Wars are doing a West Coast tour this August to support their new record, “It’s In Your Blood.” The Simi Valley Days battle of the band victors are marching (or driving in a van) up to Seattle and back, “playing all the ‘Billy O’s’ of the West Coast”. Catch them at Ventura’s Billy O’s this Saturday, July 25 before the battalion departs.
Chris is a rabid local music fan who spends more collective hours sifting through CDs and vinyl at Salzer's Records than he does sleeping. He has played in several local thrash, punk and hardcore bands and enjoys an eclectic mix of auditory stimuli. If you have a tip for him — drop him a line.
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