Paisley Underground is a term used to describe a genre of rock music, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s. (The coinage -- a joke that stuck -- is usually ascribed to Michael Quercio of the band The Three O'Clock.) Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish; Los Ángeles) is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ...

Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay in a folk rock style that owed a particular debt to The Byrds, but more generally referenced the whole range of 1960s West Coast pop and garage rock, from the Seeds to the Beach Boys. (The Dream Syndicate channeled Crazy Horse and Creedence Clearwater Revival -- via The Velvet Underground -- while The Bangles recalled The Mamas and The Papas, Green on Red came on as a cousin to The Doors, The Long Ryders honored Gram Parsons and the Buffalo Springfield, and so on.) The 1970s Memphis cult band Big Star, whose "September Gurls" was covered by The Bangles, was also influential, as were Britain's Soft Boys. Although there were accomplished musicians among them, it was also rooted -- as was the punk rock that preceded it -- in an inspired amateurism. Psychedelia is a term describing a category of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde On Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... The Byrds (formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964) were an American rock group. ... The Beach Boys 1976 album 15 big ones The Beach Boys are a pop music group formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, whose popularity has lasted into the twenty-first century. ... Dream Syndicate was an influential guitar driven band from L.A. from 1981 to 1989. ... Crazy Horse (Lakota: Tasunka witko, pronounced tashúnka uitko), (c. ... Creedence Clearwater Revival album cover Creedence Clearwater Revival, frequently referred to as CCR (or by older generations, simply Creedence) was the name of an American rock band, fronted by John Fogerty. ... The Velvet Underground (abbreviated as The Velvets or V.U.) were an American rock and roll band of the 1960s and 1970s. ... The Bangles in a 1980s publicity photo; Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele. ... The Mamas & the Papas were a leading vocal group of the 1960s, and one of the few American groups to maintain widespread success during the British Invasion, along with The Beach Boys. ... Green on Red were an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground. ... The Doors, Legacy (Clockwise from top right): Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek The Doors (formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California) were a popular and influential American rock band. ... The Long Ryders (Sid Griffin, guitar and vocals; Stephen McCarthy, guitar and vocals; Tom Stevens, bass and vocals; Greg Sowders, drums) are an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement sometimes called the Paisley Underground. ... Gram Parsons, wearing his Nudie suit on the lot of A&M records Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) was born Ingram Cecil Connor III in Winter Haven, Florida to a wealthy family of fruit growers with extensive properties both there and in Waycross, Georgia, where he was... Buffalo Springfield album cover Buffalo Springfield was an influential folk-rock group instrumental in igniting the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. ... Big Star was an American rock and roll band of the early 1970s whose work is often cited as a prime example of power pop. ... The Bangles in a 1980s publicity photo; Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele. ... The Soft Boys were an influential neo-psychedelic rock and roll band from Cambridge, England, formed in 1976 as Dennis and the Experts. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

Sometimes, bands more peripheral to the shared musical vision of the Paisley Underground but whom were part of the same social circle, such as Redd Kross, then evolving from punk rock into power pop ; The Leaving Trains, who had many of the same influences as the above bands but who leaned more towards punk ; The Last, who predated the abovementioned bands although sharing their musical vision; and The Pandoras, who leaned more towards straightforward garage rock revivalism, are included as part of the Paisley Underground. Redd Kross, an alternative rock/garage rock/power pop/cover version band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Power pop is a long-standing musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Circa 1983 The Pandoras were an all-female rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California in the 1980s, who began in the garage rock style and later adapted a hard rock style bordering on hair metal. ... Garage rock (performed by garage bands, not to be confused with UK Garage dance music) was a simple, raw form of rock and roll that emerged in the mid-1960s, largely in the United States. ...

Paisley Underground bands frequently shared bills, socialized and collaborated. Members of Rain Parade, the Bangles, the Dream Syndicate and the Three O'Clock joined together to make Rainy Day, an album of cover versions of songs by the Velvet Underground, Buffalo Springfield Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Big Star, Jimi Hendrix and The Who. As "Danny and Dusty," Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate and Dan Stuart of Green on Red made the album The Lost Weekend (A&M, 1985) backed by members of each band along with most of The Long Ryders. Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24 May 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and poet. ... The Beach Boys are a pop music group formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, whose popularity has lasted into the twenty-first century. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Who is a British rock band of 1960s and 1970s fame. ... Steve Wynn (born February 21, 1960) is a songwriter based in New York (born in California). ... A&M Records is a record label formed in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. ...

By far the most popular band to emerge from the movement was The Bangles, who have had massive mainstream success, although each of the best known groups released at least one album on a major label.

Penny Feathers on La Cienega Boulevard was a popular meeting point for paisley people.

By the end of the 1980s the movement had passed from public consciousness. However, later acts Mercury Rev and Grandaddy have acknowledged its influence. Mercury Rev are an American rock music group, formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. ... Image:Grandaddy5. ...

The wider movement of which it is a part is named jangle pop after the ringing, light guitar sounds it often features. It was paralleled in other parts of the world by genres such as New Zealand's Dunedin Sound, whose chief exponents (such as The Chills and Sneaky Feelings) were often cited as directly comparable to Paisley Underground bands. Jangle pop was an American musical genre that arose in the middle of the 1960s, combining angular, chiming guitars and power pop structures. ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument. ... Dunedin is a southern New Zealand University Town that spawned The Dunedin Sound. Similar in many ways to the traditional indie pop sound, the Dunedin Sound uses jingly jangly guitaring, minimal bass lines and loose drumming. ... Taking a leaf out of the Beatles Help!, the Chills signal COLD in semaphore on the cover of their first studio album. ... Sneaky Feelings were a 1980s New Zealand pop/rock band, led by Matthew Bannister, who recorded on the Flying Nun label. ...

Notable paisley underground bands

• The Bangles
• Dream Syndicate
• The Long Ryders
• The Eyes of Mind
• Green on Red
• Rain Parade
• Salvation Army, later called The Three O'Clock
• Game Theory and True West (based in Davis, California).
• 28th Day (based in Chico, California).
• Lone Justice
• House of Freaks

Not to be confused with Paisley, a type of punk, but ironically upbeat, and sung with lyrics that would normally be directed at children. The Bangles in a 1980s publicity photo; Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele. ... Dream Syndicate was an influential guitar driven band from L.A. from 1981 to 1989. ... The Long Ryders (Sid Griffin, guitar and vocals; Stephen McCarthy, guitar and vocals; Tom Stevens, bass and vocals; Greg Sowders, drums) are an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement sometimes called the Paisley Underground. ... Green on Red were an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground. ... Game Theory was an American rock and roll band from 1981 to 1989. ... Davis is a city located in Yolo County, California. ... Chico is a city located in Butte County, California. ... Guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee, half-sister of Loves Bryan MacLean, formed Lone Justice in 1982. ... House of Freaks was a two-man band formed in Richmond, Virginia in the mid 1980s. ...

Southern California venues where bands played

• Cathay de Grande in Hollywood
• Radio City in Anaheim
• Circle City at the Orange Traffic Circle
• The Palace in Hollywood
• The Cookoo's Nest Newport Beach
• The Bullet at The Lhasa Club - Hollywood /Studio City
• Club Lingerie - Hollywood
• Music Machine - West L.A.
• The Palomino - North Hollywood

The Cathay de Grande was a nightclub on the corner of Argyle Street and Selma Street in central Hollywood, which featured mostly punk rock bands but also other styles of underground/alternative rock in the 1980s. ...

External link

Tell Me When It's Over: The Paisley Underground Reconsidered, by John L. Micek