Rock Ness Monster

Social Distortion rocketed out of Los Angeles 30 years ago, building a following by mashing together hardcore punk and roots-rockabilly with frontman Mike Ness' snarled tales of hard livin'. Purists hold up Social D's influential 1983 debut, Mommy's Little Monster, as the band's high-water mark. Unfortunately, half of the band members who made that album are no longer around, as guitarist Dennis Danell died of a brain aneurysm in 2000 and bassist Brent Liles was killed in a traffic accident in 2007. But three decades in, Social Distortion's sound nonetheless remains true to its core constituency, and the group is wrapping a new album, due later this year.