When the California-based punk band Isocracy broke up in 1988, bandmates Lenny
Johnson, Martin Brohm, and Jason Beebout rebounded by forming Samiam. Hailing
from the punk-rock stronghold of Berkley, California, the group began playing
shows in 1989 and released a self-titled debut album, Samiam, in 1990. Soar and
Billy followed in 1991 and 1992, respectively, with all three albums being
released by the Bay Area punk label New Red Archives. Following the
unprecedented commercial success of Green Day — who, like Samiam, hailed from
Berkley and spent their earlier years playing show...