To have been a music fan in Southern California in the early 1980s is an experience envied by any music fan worth their salt. On any given night, local favorites Oingo Boingo might be lighting it up at one club, while X was redefining the word “punk” at another. And, if that wasn’t enough, you also had the Paisley Underground.

“Paisley Underground” refers to a loose-knit group of bands raised on punk who for whatever reason, fell in love with (and subsequently revived) the sounds of the 60s. The “paisley” tag brings to mind Austin Powers dancing to Strawberry Alarm Clock at the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club, but the sound’s actual influences range from artists as diverse as Buffalo Springfield to Gram Parsons and The Byrds to the Velvet Underground and Big Star.

The Bangles are probably the most well-known band to have emerged from the scene. As far as anyone who watched MTV in the 80s could tell, The Bangles were a slick, sexy girl group who sang slick, sexy pop songs about walking like Egyptians and showed up on the Less Than Zero soundtrack covering Simon & Garfunkel. But they actually started out a garage band, not far removed from something you might hear on the Nuggets compilation. They even released an EP on REM’s original home IRS. “The Bangs” as they were originally known, released a single titled “Getting Out of Hand,” a song with a (supposedly intentional) raw 60s AM radio production, and jangly guitars and harmonies that would make Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips jealous. If all you know about this group is the slick synth-pop of their hits, this song is something of a revelation.

The Dream Syndicate was one of those bands I’d heard of, but never actually heard. Actually, it’s quite possible I heard them and assumed it was Velvet Underground. That’s not to say these guys are carbon copies of Lou Reed’s seminal 1960s NYC group, they certainly have other influences too, it’s just that Steve Wynn’s voice sounds so Reed-ish it’s difficult to get past. If you’ve heard one of their more popular tracks, “Tell Me When It’s Over” you know what I’m talking about. But “Halloween” from 1982’s Days of Wine and Roses features interlocking, heavily distorted guitars wailing in the background sounding raw and completely unrehearsed. The band comes off more like a Lou Reed fronted Crazy Horse than any period of VU.

Probably the least “paisley” of them all, the Long Ryders, were fronted by Sid Griffin who is better known these days for being a Gram Parsons historian, and the Flying Burrito Brothers influence shows all over the band’s work. Sid Griffin has often mentioned his aggravation about the fact that Uncle Tupelo were named the leaders of the “alternative country” movement (there’s one of those misnomer tags again)—The Long Ryders were winding down right when UT was starting up. And he’s right; although the band was technically part of the Paisley Underground, they were mostly a roots-rock band. But, sonically, Uncle Tupelo doesn’t really sound anything like Griffin’s group. Listening to a song like “And She Rides” brings to mind only one name: Evan Dando. The Lemonheads aren’t listed on allmusic.com as a “Follower” or even a “Similar Artist,” but the pop driven songwriting and Roger McGuinn-esque 12-string Rickenbackers, melded with a post-punk sensibility show up on this song in beautiful form, suggesting that Griffin might want to point his finger elsewhere to find where his influence can truly be found.

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