ADOLESCENTS | BRATS IN BATTALIONS

ADOLESCENTS

One of Southern California's best-loved hardcore bands, the Adolescents helped establish the blueprint for Orange County punk, along with Agent Orange and Social Distortion. Although their music was the most standard-issue of the three, the Adolescents' blazing energy and quintessential teenage snottiness gave them an instant connection with their audience, and defied their upbringing in California's bastion of staid conservatism. Their original lineup was only together briefly -- founding bass player Steve Soto remained the sole constant member until his death in 2018 -- but they managed to issue a trio of influential albums -- Adolescents (1981), Brats in Battalions (1987), and Balboa Fun*Zone (1988) -- before calling it a day in 1989. They reconvened in 2001 with Soto and vocalist Tony Reflex leading the charge, and went on to release five more studio albums, including 2018's Cropduster, which arrived just one week after Soto's death.