Frontierland

I've been collecting records put out by Frontier since high school but didn't even realize it for the longest time. Maybe it's because the label was all over the place in styles. Sure, Adolescents, Suicidal Tendencies, and Circle Jerks are all legendary parts of the early L.A. punk canon, but there's also the darker, gothy punk splinters of T.S.O.L. and Christian Death. And what about spiraling psychedelic pop offshoots as represented by Redd Kross, Three O'Clock, The Long Ryders, and Young Fresh Fellows? Or Heatmiser, featuring a very young Elliott Smith? What about the vintage Rat Music for Rat People comps, amazing Weirdos anthologies, or even the pop genius of Flop? Too much to list!

So I was stoked to hear the label's founder Lisa F. on the Part Time Punks radio show yesterday, talking not only about the 30th anniversary of Frontier (which was originally going to be called Frontierland because she is a big Disney fan); signing the Adolescents and coming up with the generic packaging way before PiL's album (but not that much before Plain Wrap's!); and trading releases with Ian Mackaye, Jello, and other punk label peers (but Kickboy Face thought she was stealing Slash's bands) but also about keeping all her records in print because they all deserve it. Of course, they also discussed Sunday's show, which will feature a reunion of the Middle Class (who released the first HC vinyl on her label, and members went on to form Eddie & The Subtitles who sang “American Society”)… Amazing lineup. Just look at the flyer.

I'm going because I donated to Part Time Punks/KXLU during Fundrazor and got on the list, but you can buy tickets for 20 lousy bucks. For a show that starts at 4 and ends after midnight, that's like a killer all-you-can-eat buffet but with gourmet food and only awesome people around you.

Thanks to Michael S. for putting on the show and getting us listeners geeked by playing Frontier songs for weeks now (for example, Adolescents “Amoeba,” TSOL's “WW3“…) and Lisa F. for flying the flag for 30 years. See you at the show!