The Smell was founded in 1998 in North Hollywood, but is now based in the renewed Gallery District and bordering the old Skid Row. Run by founder Jim Smith, the venue is run by volunteers, who stamp hands, make food, or sound engineer live shows Photograph: Unknown/PR
Randy Randall and Dean Spunt are No Age, two former hardcore kids and sometime Smell volunteers who now make music that wraps pounding, melodic punk in lo-fidelity textures and budget psychedelia. Their debut album Nouns is out now on Sub Pop. No Age tour the UK in October Photograph: Unknown/PR
are mind-expanded Los Angeles rockers reportedly influenced by everything from 'Sparks, Captain Beefheart and Abba'. The band broke cover in the UK earlier this year with HLLYH, released on Moshi Moshi. A new album is due out 2009 Photograph: Unknown/PR
One of The Smell’s weirder propositions, a four-headed drum circle playing deranged, semi-improvised percussion workouts with lots of shouting. Their album Friendship Nation is out now on Tome. A new album, Anti-Magic, is due next year Photograph: Unknown/PR
Tribal-tinged noise-rockers HEALTH scored an unlikely hit of sorts in the UK last year when their song Crimewave was remixed by Crystal Castles. Debut album HEALTH offered more dissonant thrills, but the band keep it dancefloor with new remix album HEALTH/DISCO, out now on Lovepump United Photograph: Unknown/PR
Hotly-tipped tropical-influenced punks, originally from inland Pomona, now transplanted to downtown Los Angeles. New album Skeleton originally appeared on Post Present Medium, the label run by No Age’s Dean Spunt, but makes its UK debut on Bella Union on September 7 Photograph: Unknown/PR
All-girl hardcore band who describe their sound – probably with tongues in cheeks - as 'pony thrash'. They haven’t released an album since 2006’s CYSLABF, but they’ve had a busy 2008, touring with the Black Lips, recording a Black Flag cover for Sub Pop, and working on their new album for Kill Rock Stars, due next year Photograph: Unknown/PR
Ethereal Los Angeles folkies fronted by Becky Stark, who moonlights as an actress – look out for her in the forthcoming City of Ember, a film directed by former Smell regular Gil Kenan, produced by Tom Hanks and starring Bill Murray. Lavender Diamond’s debut album Imagine Our Love is out now in the UK on Rough Trade Photograph: Unknown/PR
