Soul Side

A formidable punk band of its time, Soul Side might be completely forgotten if it weren't for the fact that three-quarters of the band (along with Soul Side's producer, Eli Janney) went on to form Girls Against Boys. Soul Side was an important band on the 1980s Washington D.C. punk scene because it was the missing link between the lyrically advanced, but musically straightforward emo-core of bands like Rites of Spring and the sonic complexities of Fugazi. Comprised of Alexis Fleisig on drums, Bobby Sullivan on vocals, Scott McCloud on guitar, and Johnny Temple on bass, the band mixed politically conscious lyrics with a brand of punk that featured tempo changes, Sonic Youth-inspired guitar dissonance, and some very hushed moments. When Soul Side broke up, Janney, Fleisig, McCloud, and Temple turned their side project, Girls Against Boys, into a full-time band and packed up and moved to New York. Bobby Sullivan went on to join a number of bands, including Seven League Boots, Rain Like the Sound of Trains, and the Sevens. © Kembrew McLeod /TiVo