The Alley Cats are a Los Angeles, California-based punk rock trio 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 alongside other seminal California-based punk bands including the Bags, Black Randy and the Metro Squad, and X,Dangerhouse, Breakmyface.com, Retrieved July 10, 2010. they released their first single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" backed with "Give Me a Little Pain" on March 30, 1978.The Alley Cats--Nothing Means Nothing Anymore, Thep5.blogspot.com, Retrieved July 31, 2010. They are among the six bands featured on the 1979 compilation album Yes L.A. and appear in the 1982 film Urgh! A Music War.Urgh! A Music War. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
The Alley Cats were regular performers at such Los Angeles venues as Club 88, Hong Kong Café, The Masque, and the Whisky a Go Go.Gehman, Pleasant. "The Alley Cats", In 1979-1982 [CD booklet], Tarzana, Calif., Time Coast Music, May 2007. 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),Between the Idea & the Reality…Falls the Shadow. Nothin′ Sez Somethin′. Retrieved July 11, 2010. before disbanding in 1988.The Zarkons - Riders In The Long Black Parade (1985), Azlocal.blogspot.com, Retrieved July 10, 2010.
After a 20-year hiatus, Stodola reformed the trio and currently performs as The Alley Cats along with fellow North Dakota-native Apryl Cady (bass and vocals) and Matt Laskey (drums). The line-up appears on the 2020 compilation album SPIKE: A San Pedro Compilation as well as the 2025 album We All Walk Among Shadows Until We Become One. Live performances include songs from the band's early albums as well as covers and new material.
Discography
Albums 1981 - Nightmare City 1982 - Escape From The Planet Earth 1985 - Riders In The Long Black Parade (as The Zarkons) 1988 - Between the Idea & the Reality…Falls the Shadow (as The Zarkons) 2007 - 1979-1982 (Anthology) 2025 - We All Walk Among Shadows Until We Become One
Singles and EPs 1978 - Nothing Means Nothing Anymore 1980 - Too Much Junk
Soundtracks and compilations 1979 - Yes L.A. (compilation) 1981 - Urgh! A Music War (soundtrack) 1991 - Dangerhouse, Vol. 1 (compilation) 1993 - Dangerhouse, Vol. 2: Give Me A Little Pain! (compilation) 1993 - We're Desperate: The L.A. Scene 1976-79 (compilation) - "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" 1996 - Live From the Masque, Vol. 2: We We Can Can Do Do What What (compilation) 2020 - SPIKE: A San Pedro Compilation (compilation)
Filmography 1981 - Urgh! A Music War 2011 - The Alley Cats Live at the Whisky A Go Go
References
External links The Alley Cats 2018 Interview with Randy Stodola