Ten Years After--The Rise of a New Generation : * * * * Great Balls of Fire * * * Good Vibrations * * Maybe Baby * Running on Empty :

By RICHARD CROMELIN

Nov. 8, 1987 12 AM PT

Can this really be the Circle Jerks’ sixth album? Have the Droogs actually been at it for 15 years?

As independent recording activity on the L.A. rock scene approaches its second decade, we’re starting to get cross-breeding not just of styles, but of generations--a phenomenon evident in the city’s latest crop of records.

When local bands starting releasing their own records back in the late-’70s dawn of the grass-roots scene, all the bands were new. Now, the old guard--the Jerks, Droogs, Fibonaccis--are assuming the role of veterans, and while they benefit from the well-established followings that come with that status, they also face the veterans’ struggle to keep things fresh.

Bands like Blood on the Saddle, Divine Horsemen and Leaving Trains are a step younger and in the prime of life. On their new LPs, they exhibit a bracing sense of consolidating their strengths and coming into their own.

And a whole new generation is popping up--both entirely new entries like To Damascus and Waldo the Dog Faced Boy, and fresh formats for familiar faces (Opal).

The albums and EPs issued in the past couple of months reflect the diversity that results of this blend. If one sound seems to be making a move, it’s the inventive neo-psychedelia of Opal, To Damascus and Waldo.

Here’s a look at the latest L.A. sounds.

Saddling Up

BLOOD ON THE SADDLE. “Fresh Blood.” SST. No radical shifts in direction here either--basically punk-hoedown, country and folk-rock--but the long-promising band displays increased confidence and command. They start off sounding like the rock band Woody Guthrie might have had, with songs about how the money goes and looking for jobs. Annette Zilinskas delivers “Bloody Sun” with fiery power, and she treats “Black River” with the haunting detachment of a mountain murder ballad. Greg Davis peaks with a two-part anti-religion soul-purge called “Baptist Church Blues.” The only flaw is a short running time of 22 minutes. * * * 1/2