Disturbing the Peace

415 Records and the Rise of New Wave

By: Bill Kopp

Narrated by: James Archer

In the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s, San Francisco was a creative incubator, bringing forth all manner of new music acts. Ground zero for the scene was the Mabuhay Gardens, home to huge barrels of popcorn, once a week spaghetti nights, colorful emcee Dirk Dirksen, and punk/new wave bands from all over the Bay Area. Concert booker and renegade radio deejay Howie Klein joined with Aquarius Records owner (and fellow deejay) Chris Knab to launch a record label in support of that scene.

Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave is Bill Kopp’s chronicle of the groundbreaking independent record label founded by Howie Klein and Chris Knab, featuring the stories of Romeo Void, VKTMS, Red Rockers, Sudden Fun, The Impostors, Translator, Wire Train, Roky Erickson, The Nuns, SVT, Pearl Harbor and Explosions, and nearly two dozen other bands.

©2021 Bill Kopp (P)2023 Bill Kopp