POP MUSIC REVIEW : Facial Puts a Fresh Look on Days When Punk Was Punk

First rap was the new punk, then ska was the new punk, then metal, then grunge. In 1995, it is well known, punk is the new punk, and the melodic California hard-core of Green Day, Offspring, Rancid and Bad Religion is what gets played into the ground on KROQ and blasted on MTV.

The latest in the current series of California punk-rock superstars may be Face to Face, a melodic hard-core band from the Inland Empire that may have been the first punk group since the Sex Pistols to spur a major-label bidding war before establishing themselves first on an indie. At the Whisky on Tuesday, Face to Face played a stunning set to a crowd of industry types and punk-rock civilians--simple, direct, powerful rock ‘n’ roll that seemed more inspired by L.A.’s poppy Class of ’77 punk bands.

Eighteen years ago, at a similarly packed Whisky, the seminal L.A. punk-rock band the Weirdos played shows like this--same ultra-tight song forms, same speedy tempos, same guitar chords that threaten to skitter out of control. Trever Keith sang in a pinched English accent, just as all the Orange County punk bands used to, and Face to Face halted mid-song to break up a fight in the crowd, just as Black Flag never did.

Face to Face is not exactly a revival act--no one has quite ever pulled off its blend of adenoidal power-pop and buzzy punk--but surely as Green Day or Elastica, it revivifies the spirit of prime ‘70s punk.