Richard Meltzer, reviewing the Germs’ G.I. album for the LA Times in 1979, declared the band heirs apparent to the Doors. So perhaps there’s poetic justice in the way the two bands’ late-period careers mirror each other almost exactly; their lives have both been reenacted in Hollywood movies, and they’ve both returned to the concert stage with a celebrity ringer in place of a defining, iconic, dead lead vocalist. And importantly enough, they’re both continuously idolized by a new crop of 16 year olds searching for an edgy, articulate, safely deceased role model every year. Consider them essential rites of passage for hippie and punker kids respectively, from the same town, their reigns just six years apart. more ›

Two weeks ago, photographer/director Dave Naz (MySpace) celebrated the release of his new Vivid-Alt (MySpace) movie revives "...the early 80's and focus[es] on the important things in life: sex, music, and doing whatever the fuck they want. No parents, no school, no rules." The movie features cameo "...appearances by punk legends Keith Morris (Circle Jerks), Don Bolles (The Germs, .45 Grave) and Jim Lane (Killroy)" and the soundtrack features several songs from the Circle Jerks. more ›

LAist has polled a number of our favorite LA locals to find out their New Year's Resolutions! In the spirit of fairness, here is mine: I'm cutting up the credit cards! Let's see what everyone else has to say: more ›

Last night’s afterparty at Element for What We do is Secret was like a study in culture conflict. What We do is Secret is a movie about a punk rock band called the Germs. Punk rock was not just a form of music. It was a form of rebellion. Punk rock was rebelling against the mainstream music industry. So how do you hold a commercial event for something that by its very nature is... more ›

What if someone made a movie about your high school? Maybe it was a movie about the class that graduated the year before you started school. But even if you didn’t know some of the characters, you are only one degree of separation away. What We Do is Secret, a film about the life and death of Germs frontman Darby Crash, was kind of like that for me. I almost feel like I should recuse myself because I am too close to it to really give it an unbiased review. more ›