Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LA crossover bands such as Bad Religion and Suicidal Tendencies rocked the '80s, as
did all-female bands the Bangles and the Go-Gos, new wavers Oingo Boingo and alt-rock-
ers Jane's Addiction. On avant-garde Frank Zappa's 1982 single
Valley Girl,
his 14-year-
old daughter Moon Unit taught the rest of America to say 'Omi
go
-o-od!' like an LA teen-
ager.
By the '90s alternative rock acts such as Beck and Weezer had arrived. Berkeley revived
punk in the '90s, including with the Grammy Award-winning Green Day. Down south, a
key '90s band was ska-punk-alt-rock No Doubt, of Orange County (which later launched
the solo career of lead singer Gwen Stefani). SoCal rock stars of the new millennium in-
clude San Diego-based pop-punksters Blink 182 and punk-funk sensation Red Hot Chili
Peppers, rockin' LA since the '80s.
Wanna hear the next breakout indie band before they make it big? Tune into the 'Morning
Becomes Eclectic' show on Southern California's KCRW radio station (
www.kcrw.com
) for
live in-studio performances and interviews with the musicians.
Rap & Hip-Hop Rhythms
Since the 1980s, LA has been a hotbed for West Coast rap and hip-hop. Eazy E, Ice Cube
and Dr Dre released the seminal NWA (Niggaz with Attitude) album,
Straight Outta
Compton,
in 1989. Death Row Records, cofounded by Dr Dre, has launched megawatt rap
talents including Long Beach bad boy Snoop Dog, Warren G, The Game and the late
Tupac Shakur, who began his rap career in Marin County of all places.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, California maintained a grassroots hip-hop scene closer
to the streets in LA and in Oakland. In the late '90s, the Bay Area birthed the 'hyphy
movement,' a reaction against the increasing commercialization of hip-hop, and under-
ground artists like E-40. In LA, no hip-hop band has risen further up the
Billboard
pop
charts than the Black Eyed Peas, anchored by Fergie and will.i.am.
On Location: Film & TV
Try to imagine living in a world without Orson Welles whispering 'Rosebud,' Judy Gar-
land clicking her heels three times or the Terminator threatening 'I'll be back.'
Shakespeare claimed that 'all the world's a stage,' but in California, it's actually more of a
