Only Three Lads: Jeffrey Clark (Shiva Burlesque, Torn Boys) - Top 5 Nor Cal Punk Singles

From the Bay Area to the Central Valley to the Redwood Forest, this punk rock was made for you and me.

Since the late '70s, Northern California has been a hotbed of punk rock activity. San Francisco sat at the epicentre of the first wave, with bands like Crime, Dead Kennedys, Avengers, Chrome, The Mutants, and The Nuns bringing the house down at the legendary Mabuhay Gardens. East Bay bands like Green Day, Operation Ivy, Rancid, and The Mr. T Experience ruled the punk revival of the late '80s and beyond. But, all over the northern part of California, great bands sprouted up in cities like Stockton, Santa Cruz, Davis, and Fulton. This week, we'll cover some of the great punk singles from the area, from familiar favorites to obscure treasures.

What better Third Lad for this assignment than Northern California alternative music legend Jeffrey Clark?!? Jeffrey got his start as the singer/songwriter in early '80s Stockton garage/psych/synth combo The Torn Boys, whose recordings were recently released by Independent Project Records as 1983. Following the demise of the band, Jeffrey departed for LA with Torn Boys bandmade Grant-Lee Phillips (later of Grant Lee Buffalo fame) and formed the moody, mystical, marvelous Shiva Burlesque, who released two LPs - their eponymous debut in 1987 and Mercury Blues in 1990. Jeffrey subsequently released two cinematic, gorgeous solo records - Sheer Golden Hooks in 1996 and If Is in 2009.

But wait, there's more: This renaissance man also founded one of the most acclaimed film festivals in North America, the Nevada City Film Festival; he revitalized the legendary Independent Project Records with label founder/Savage Republic guitarist Bruce Licher; and, he co-produced the documentary Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement. Oh, and did we mention that he's practically a member of the Wu-Tang Clan??

Speaking of Louder Than You Think, you may recall our recent episode where we chatted with director Jed I. Rosenberg and co-producer Brian Thalken. We made sure to chat with Jeffrey about the film as well, so stay tuned for a separate mini-episode on Thursday for more of our discussion!

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the amazing guest suggestion, and to Josh Mills from It's Alive! Media for the incredible coordination.

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