The Alley Cats are a

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-based

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

trio Trio may refer to: Music Groups * Trio (music), an ensemble of three performers, or a composition for such an ensemble ** Jazz trio, pianist, double bassist, drummer ** Minuet and trio, a form in classical music ** String trio, a group of three ...

formed in 1977. The original line-up, featuring Randy Stodola (guitar and vocals), Dianne Chai (bass and vocals) and John McCarthy (drums), was a fixture of the early L.A. punk rock scene. Signed to

Dangerhouse Records Dangerhouse Records was a Neff, Joseph (August 13, 2013)"(Re)Graded on a Curve: Dangerhouse Records' Compilation, ''Yes L.A.''" ''The Vinyl District''. Retrieved August 21, 2015. punk music record label based in Los Angeles, California. Overvie ...

alongside other seminal California-based punk bands including the

Bags A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...

, Black Randy and the Metro Squad, and X, they released their first single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" backed with "Give Me a Little Pain" on March 30, 1978. They are among the six bands featured on the 1979 compilation album ''

Yes L.A. ''Yes L.A.'' is a six-song compilation EP featuring first-generation Californian punk rock bands. It was also the final release of the short-lived but influential Dangerhouse Records label. Overview A one-sided picture disc released at ...

'' and appear in the 1982 film ''

Urgh! A Music War ''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynda ...

''. The Alley Cats were regular performers at such Los Angeles venues as

Club 88 Club 88 was an all-ages live music venue that was a key part of the early Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many seminal punk and New Wave groups got their start playing shows there. History Club 88 — named after a ...

Hong Kong Café The Hong Kong Café was a Los Angeles restaurant and music venue that was a part of the Los Angeles punk rock scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s when the club was owned and operated by Barry Seidel, Kim Turner and Suzy Frank, followed ...

The Masque The Masque was a small punk rock club in central Hollywood, California which existed from 1977 to 1978. It is remembered as a key part of the early LA punk scene. History Considered the “CBGB of the West”, The Masque was founded by Scotti ...

, and the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...

. Music writer Chris Morris remarked that the band "made some of the toughest, most nihilistic music on the scene." Reformed as "The Zarkons", they released two albums, ''Riders In The Long Black Parade'' (1985) and ''Between the Idea & the Reality...Falls the Shadow'' (1988), before disbanding in 1988. After a 20-year hiatus, Stodola reformed the trio and currently performs as The Alley Cats along with fellow

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

-native Apryl Cady (bass and vocals) and Matt Laskey (drums). The line-up appears on the 2020 compilation album ''SPIKE: A San Pedro Compilation''. Live performances include songs from the band's early albums as well as covers and new material.

Discography

Albums

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

- ''Nightmare City'' *

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

- ''Escape From The Planet Earth'' *

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

- ''Riders In The Long Black Parade'' (as The Zarkons) *

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

- ''Between the Idea & the Reality…Falls the Shadow'' (as The Zarkons) *

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

- ''1979-1982'' (Anthology)

Singles and EPs

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

- ''Nothing Means Nothing Anymore'' *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

- ''Too Much Junk''

Soundtracks and compilations

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

- ''

'' (compilation) *

- ''

'' (soundtrack) *

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

- ''Dangerhouse, Vol. 1'' (compilation) *

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

- ''Dangerhouse, Vol. 2: Give Me A Little Pain!'' (compilation) *

- ''We're Desperate: The L.A. Scene 1976-79'' (compilation) - "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" *

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

- ''Live From the Masque, Vol. 2: We We Can Can Do Do What What'' (compilation) *

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

- ''SPIKE: A San Pedro Compilation'' (compilation)

Filmography

*1981 - ''

'' *2011 - ''The Alley Cats Live at the Whisky A Go Go''

References

External links

The Alley Cats

2018 Interview with Randy Stodola
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alley Cats Punk rock groups from California Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 Musical trios from California Dangerhouse Records artists 1978 establishments in California