Reducers SF

Formed in San Francisco in 1995, Reducers SF were a product of the Bay Area punk scene (which, in the late '70s, had given fans the Dead Kennedys, Fear, and other influential bands). However, the band doesn't sound like either Fear or the Dead Kennedys. Aggressive yet melodic and hooky, the Reducers SF owe a lot to classic British punk and pub rock; valid comparisons include the Clash, Sham 69, and the Damned, as well as Irish outfits like Stiff Little Fingers (who have been described as the "Irish Clash") and the Boomtown Rats. In fact, anyone who heard Reducers SF without knowing that they were an American band could easily assume that they were from England, Scotland, or Ireland — they definitely have a strong British Isles flavor. For Reducers SF, the first pieces of the puzzle fell into place in April 1995, when Mike Crowell, Glen McHenry, and Jim Martinez decided to form a punk band. They still needed a lead guitarist, and after interviewing various musicians, hired Kevin Doherty. In 1996, the band's original lineup recorded two singles for the Pair O' Docs label: "We're Strong Enough" and "We Are the People"." After that, Martinez left the band, and a new lineup was formed — one that consisted of McHenry on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Doherty on lead guitar, Crowell on bass, and newcomer Scott Nicol on drums. In 1999, the Reducers SF signed with the Bay Area-based TKO Records. Their first full-length album, Backing the Longshot, came out on TKO in 1999, and was followed by their second album, Crappy Clubs and Smelly Pubs (which they produced with Cock Sparrer bassist Steve Burgess), in 2001.