Middle Class were an American punk rock band established in 1977 from

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...

. The band consisted of Jeff Atta on

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, Mike Atta on

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the fe ...

, Mike Patton on

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, and Bruce Atta on

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

History

Michael Azerrad Michael Azerrad is an American author, music journalist, editor, and musician. A graduate of Columbia University, he has written for publications such as ''Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times''. Azerrad's 1993 biography '' Come a ...

states that "by 1979 the original punk scene n Southern Californiahad almost completely died out." "They were replaced by a bunch of toughs coming in from outlying suburbs who were only beginning to discover punk's speed, power and aggression";"dispensing with all pretension, these kids boiled the music down to its essence, then revved up the tempos...and called the result "hardcore", creating a music that was "younger, faster and angrier, ndfull of...pent-up rage..." The band's ''

Out of Vogue ''Out of Vogue'' is the debut EP by American punk rock band the Middle Class. It was distributed locally by independent label Joke Records in January 1978, though it received only small local success in an era where punk had virtually no chance ...

'' record is widely regarded as the first

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

record, a view supported by author Steven Blush in his book '' American Hardcore: A Tribal History''. The band themselves have also been called the first hardcore band even though Black Flag formed in 1976. The band pioneered a shouted, fast version of punk rock which would shape the hardcore sound that would soon emerge. The band achieved success in the hardcore punk scene of Southern California. Their first shows were in 1978 in various Los Angeles clubs and ballrooms. Their only LP, Homeland, is completely different, a skittering and complicated wonder that compares to the records of the Pop Group. The song "Listen" became a staple on US college radio in the mid-80s. The band reunited in 2011, with Matt Simon replacing original drummer Bruce Atta, and played sporadically until 2014 when guitarist Mike Atta died of kidney and lung cancer, on April 20, 2014, aged 53. Mike Patton and Matt Simon continued to play together in the band Eddie and the Subtitles.

Discography

;Studio albums *''Homeland'' (1982) ;EPs *''

'' (1979) *''Scavenged Luxury'' (1980) ;Compilations *''A Blueprint for Joy: 1978-1980'' (1995) *''Out of Vogue: The Early Material'' (2008) ;Various Artists compilations *'' Tooth and Nail'' (1979)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Middle Class Musical groups from Orange County, California Musical groups established in 1976 Hardcore punk groups from California Punk rock groups from California 1976 establishments in California