Pistol Grip

Led by the fierce vocals of frontman Stax, punk revivalists Pistol Grip emerged from the Los Angeles underground in 1997, debuting a year later on one side of a split with local street punks Fully Loaded entitled Sounds of the Street, Vol. 1. Still in high school when they formed, the guys steadily built a strong following around their hometown scene and word of mouth eventually brought them to the attention of BYO Records, who hooked them up for their first album. The Shots from the Kalico Rose appeared in May 2001, showcasing the band's youthful vigor steeped in the influence of late-'70s acts like the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, and Sham 69 with a touch of Cali punk à la Bad Religion mixed in as well. The band — rounded out by guitarists Hollywood and Chase Revenge, bassist Slowey, and drummer Boxcar — hit up nationwide dates with Union 13, the Business, and Youth Brigade to spread their message outside of California, while a slot on the year's Warped Tour didn't hurt either. Pistol Grip returned with their sophomore effort, Another Round, in spring 2003, which found new guitarist Chris on board in place of Revenge. A few months later, the live DVD The Show Must Go Off! Live at the Glass House (episode seven of the Kung Fu Records series) appeared, which sufficiently tied fans over until Tear It All Down, their third BYO effort, hit shelves in August 2004.