Modern Warfare
Modern Warfare were a punk rock band from Long Beach, California, active in the early 1980s. Built around songwriter Jim Bemis, the group put out two short, sharp 7-inch EPs and became closely tied to Bemisbrain Records, the label Bemis ran and used to release other Southern California punk and deathrock projects.
How it came together
The band’s core identity centered on Bemis handling guitar and lead vocals while writing most of the material. Around that foundation, the lineup included multiple players who cycled through bass and additional instrumentation, giving Modern Warfare a larger roster than the typical punk unit of the era.
Bemisbrain Records and the scene around it
Bemis lent his name to the band’s label, Bemisbrain Records, which also appears credited as “Bemis Brain.” Beyond Modern Warfare’s own releases, the label issued records by other punk and deathrock bands, including Tex & the Horseheads, Nip Drivers, Mnemonic Devices, and Super Heroines. Bemisbrain also put out the Hell Comes to Your House compilation albums, which helped document and circulate parts of the local underground.
The origin of the label name has been described as a possible joke about the Bemis Manufacturing Company, known for making toilet seats, though the band never confirmed that story.
Members
- Jim Bemis, guitar and lead vocals
- Tim Gaines, bass
- Steve Sinclair, bass
- Ron Goudie, lead guitar
- Randy Scott, drums
- Tish Lucca, keyboards
Discography
- Modern Warfare, 7-inch EP (1980, Bemisbrain Records)
- Modern Warfare No. 2, 7-inch EP (1981, Bemisbrain Records)
