The Morlocks: garage-punk lifers from San Diego

The Morlocks

Musical Group

Forfans of 60s-rooted garage punk, stooges/blue cheer devotees, and reissue hunters.
6 Reviews 2 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

American garage rock band formed in San Diego in 1984 and led by vocalist Leighton Koizumi. Early releases include Emerge and the ‘fake live’ Submerged Alive; the group later returned with albums such as Easy Listening For The Underachiever, The Morlocks Play Chess, and Bring On The Mesmeric Condition.

Reviews link The Morlocks to San Diego’s Gravedigger V and highlight Leighton (Koizumi) as frontman. Submerged Alive is described as a ‘fake live’ classic with Stooges/Blue Cheer vibes; Area Pirata reissued Emerge and Submerged Alive and issued a later single with a renewed, European lineup. Jordan Tarlow is cited on guitar.

Three DeBaser reviews salute The Morlocks’ snarling garage-punk, zeroing in on the ‘fake live’ milestone Submerged Alive and the rough debut Emerge. The band’s roots in San Diego and ties to Gravedigger V are underlined, alongside Stooges/Blue Cheer vibes and heavy fuzz. Area Pirata’s reissues and a later single with a revamped lineup also appear. Overall tone: gritty nostalgia with admiration.

Notable Quotes

❝ Those who claim to love garage-punk should necessarily pass through these grooves.

❝ Live, a fake live. Garage Punk has become dark, sick, transported into the 70s and I, the singer am a legend.

❝ Definitely excellent, I would say a fundamental album of garage-punk, is instead the successive “Submerged Alive,” a fake live album – complete with fake applause – that still today should be considered a milestone.