plaid retina - 80's fresno/visalia punk band history

                                                                                      Matt Morris-guitar and vocals
                                                                                      Travis-bass and vocals
                                                                                      Don Hudgens-drums

ike a hurricane out of the south Valley came this three-piece that played some of the fastest and shortest songs
of the day. They fit 12 songs onto their debut 7-inch on Lookout Records! Recorded in '86, released Lookout #7 in
'87. I was priviledged to be in Grey Gregson's Audio Image studio in Fresno with them when they recorded that
cool slab'o'wax.

PLAID RETINA had a long and fruitful career first as a straightahead, fast punk band and then morphed into a style
of music that really defied description. With elements of prog-rock and jazz mixed with punk they were on the
cutting edge of the late 80's-early 90's punk scene.

Of all the 80's punk bands from the Fresno area they toured the most. They toured constantly for several years
playing all over this great land. I remember getting postcards from Matt from places like Texas and Virginia. This is
a band to ask tour stories about. Playing so many gigs all over the U.S. they've had the most outrageous and
funniest experiences. They put out a lot of records and CDs, too. First on Lookout and then David Hayes'
Very Small Records and also Fresno's Duckbutter Records run by Tim Biskup.

CP played several gigs with and I watched them perform many times. They were a one of a kind type of band with
a natural flowing talent. I think that's why they were so successful. From short bursts of teen punk angst to grand
multilayered harmonies and exotic rhythm structures they covered a lot of ground in the years they were
together. And it didn't hurt none too much that they worked so hard at it.

Of all the bands I've known these guys really earned and deserved the success they achieved. Don and Trav
settled down in Austin, Texas where they reside and are still playing in the Austin area. Matt has returned to his
hometown, Visalia and is gigging with his new band FUTURE IMPERFECT.

UPDATE OCTOBER 2006 Here's a great PLAID RETINA page at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaid_Retina

A cool PR myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/plaidretina

Trav's newest Metal/Prog band is RUBELLA MUTI:
http://www.myspace.com/rubellamuti

Trav's band HALO RINGS HER HEAD myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/haloringsherhead

Don's band CRABNOG page:
http://www.crabnog.com/Site/About.html

Matt's new band FUTURE IMPERFECT:
http://www.myspace.com/fimperfect

PLAID RETINA

PLAID RETINA DISCOGRAPHY

1--P laid Retina--12 song 7-inch EP--1986--Lookout Records #7
2--Boxcar--8 song 7-inch EP--1988--Musical Tragedies #072
3--The Thing that ate Floyd 2-LP Comp--1988--Lookout Records #11
4--Pinkeye--12 song LP--1989--Lookout Records #20
5--Shredder Compilation--1989--Shredder Records Volume 3
6--Rejection--3 song 7-inch EP--1990--Duck butter Records #9
7--Mind Tracing the Going Down--10 song LP--1991--Very Small #13
8--What I can't have--7-inch EP--1993--Little Deputy Records
9--Dead End Mind--10 song LP/CD--1993--Very Small Records #18
10--The Spark--3 song 7-inch EP--1994--Very Small Records #40
11--Punk Rock 7-inchers Compilation CD--Vol.1--2003--Lookout #293