The vaults of San Francisco indie label 415 Records have opened!  415 was founded in 1978 by rock promoter Howie Klein and record store owner Chris Knab.  Together with friend and collector Butch Bridges, they built a powerhouse indie label focusing on young new wave bands such as SVT, The Uptones, and Pop-O-Pies.  415 was championed by Bay Area luminaries such as manager/Fillmore impresario Bill Graham and producer/studio owner David Rubinson.  Columbia Records took notice of 415's activities, bringing the label into the commercial mainstream with such signings as Romeo Void, Translator, Red Rockers, and Wire Train.  Now, another new label - Liberation Hall - is revisiting 415's pre-Columbia catalogue.

Liberation Hall, described as "an effort to keep the spirit of the original Rhino Records alive," is owned and operated by Rhino alumni including Arny Schorr of Rhino Home Video and RockBeat Records/S'more Entertainment; and Rhino and Shout! Factory founder Richard Foos.  Schorr says in press materials, "When the opportunity was presented to bring 415 Records back into the market, to generate new exposure for the artists and their music, we jumped at the opportunity.  Label founders Howie Klein and Chris Knab had a great eye for talent, and the music holds up incredibly well."

Almost two weeks ago, on October 9, Liberation Hall launched its 415 Records reissue series with an expanded edition of the original 1978 Disturbing the Peace compilation on CD and digital platforms.  This set, titled Still Disturbing the Peace a.k.a. The Past Is the Present, features tracks by Mutants, The Nuns, The Offs, Monkey Rhythm, Baby Buddha, and many other bands reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area scene in the late 1970s.  On November 6, SVT's Always Come Back (featuring Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady and expanded with previously unheard bonus tracks) and The Uptones' Get Out of My Way will be reissued, followed by The Readymades' More Alive Than Not and Pop-O-Pies' The White EP plus bonus tracks on December 11.

You'll find descriptions for each title below (provided by Liberation Hall) in addition to order links for each title.

Available Now

Various Artists, Still Disturbing the Peace a.k.a. The Past Is the Present (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Expanded reissue of the 1978 compilation including songs from The Nuns, Mutants, Pearl Harbor and the Explosions, SVT, VLTMS, The Offs, Red Rockers, New Math, Pop-O-Pies, Baby Buddha, The Units, The Uptones, The Readymades, Renegades, The Symptoms, The Imposters, and Monkey Rhythm.

Available November 6

SVT, No Regrets (Amazon links TBD)

Blistering new wave rock from the San Francisco ensemble originally known as the Jack Casady Band. SVT is what happened when the former '60s icon Casady (from Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna) ventured out into the city's punk/new wave scene and was instantly inspired by its energy. Out of print for years, the reissue contains never-heard bonus tracks.

The Uptones, Get Out of My Way (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

In the Bay Area, the Uptones were the leading light of the mid-'80s ska eruption. Their impact upon the evolving ska scene was enormous. In a sense, they bridged the era of the Specials and Madness with the era of Green Day, Sublime, and Rancid.

Available December 11

Pop-O-Pies, The White EP [Expanded Edition] (Amazon links TBD)

Pop-O-Pies started out in 1981 as an SF-based rock band founded by Joe Pop-O-Pie. The White EP, their first vinyl effort, was released in 1982 on 415/Columbia and was never re-released on CD -- until now. What the Pop-O-Pies turned into was not so much a band with steady members, but an ensemble composed of Joe and a rotating tribe of very talented musicians. This reissue contains the six-song EP, including the college radio hit "The Catholics Are Attacking," plus seven bonus tracks featuring future members of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, and Ozzy Osbourne's band.

The Readymades, San Francisco: Mostly Live (Amazon links TBD)

The Readymades, one of the most influential West Coast punk and new wave bands, were led by professional photographer and former Avengers bass player Jonathan Postal. They worked with producer Sandy Pearlman (The Clash, Dictators, Blue Oyster Cult) and were courted by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. This release offers the band's best -- 17 tracks in all.