The Alley Cats

One of the minor players in the early days of Los Angeles punk, the Alley Cats (Dianne Chai on bass and vocals, Randy Stodola on guitar and vocals, and John McCarthy rounding out the trio on drums) released a number of singles and albums on various labels that made minor waves in the scene, before disappearing and then re-emerging under a different moniker with a larger lineup in 1985. Their earliest output -- the single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" -- was released on Dangerhouse Records (the independent that once boasted such legendary acts as the Avengers, the Bags, and X). They then jumped ship to Time Coast, which released their follow-up singles, as well as their first album, Nightmare City, in 1981. Their final album (on major label MCA), Escape from the Planet Earth, hit stores in 1982, and was the last heard from the trio until 1985, when the group emerged again with extra members as the Zarkons. In 2007, a CD/DVD anthology (simply titled 1979-1982) containing most of the band's work was released on the Laugh.com label. ~ Christopher M. True, Rovi