As the collective freakout over the upcoming Cruel World festival made clear, dark new wave and moody post-punk remains a Generation X musical passion. In L.A., things got even darker with the rise of death rock, which for better or worse is referred to as “goth” these days. Phantoms: The Rise of Deathrock from the L.A. Punk Scene chronicles the scene and its growth in L.A. in the ’80s with an assortment of interviews and archives attempting to explore the popularity of this gloomy music, fashion and lifestyle,  and specifically how it blossomed in Los Angeles via oral history format. Lethal Amounts gallery hosts the book launch with a signing by author Mikey Bean and Q&A, followed by an afterparty at the Monty Bar next door featuring black-swathed faves including Fat and Fucked Up, Gitane Demone Quartet GDQ, Kommunity FK, The Wraith, Nervous Gender Reloaded, Only Theatre Of Pain (with members of Christian Death), Witness (featuring Ron Athey), Snowsnake Orchestra (featuring Don Bolles) and Paul Roesller. DJ Dave Bats (Release The Bats) spins.

Lethal Amounts, 227 W. 7th St., Westlake; Sat., Feb. 22, 7 p.m.; free, afterparty $20. Tickets for Monty show: link.dice.fm/ODYaIyEj72. Get the book at the event or at lulu.com/shop/mikey-bean/phantoms-the-rise-of-deathrock-from-the-la-punk-scene/

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Flyers from the author’s personal collection. (Courtesy Mikey Bean)

 

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