Were you there during the early 80’s in Southern California when a new subgenre of music and subculture emerged to change the world?  Regardless of whether you were or not, the new book We Got Power!: Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980s Southern California takes you back to the heyday of hardcore in Southern California.  Most of the legendary bands of the time are mentioned here.  But what distinguishes the book from simply reading wikipedia or conducting a Google search is the fact that the authors/hardcore scenesters, David Markey and Jordan Schwartz, provide an honest and thoughtful look back.

As the title implies, We Got Power!: Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980s Southern California features select issues of the We Got Power fanzine.  Also included are essays by the many legends of hardcore such as Henry Rollins, Chuck Dukowski, and Dez Cadena.  Featured throughout are a collection of photos that captures the good, bad, and just bizarre aspects of the local scene.

As you read through the book’s 304 pages, you gain a good sense of what the scene was like back then.   The early 80’s were a weird time period in the U.S. and so much great music was born out of the Southern California hardcore scene.  But as you read each page, you also learn of the disillusionment, violence, substance abuse, and the shadiness of it all.  The authors make it known that the scene was where a lot of lost souls got together, some never finding their way.

By no means do David Markey and Jordan Schwartz attempt to make an all encompassing, authoritative book on the scene.  But what they did create was an insightful look back.  (Bazillion Points Publishing)