Formed in 1981 in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, Earth Dies Burning inadvertently pioneered synth punk by eschewing guitars in favor of cheap keyboards. All between the ages of ten and 14 when they started, EDB's initial lineup included brothers Guy and Ron Nachmann, Brad Laner, and another set of brothers, Matt and Jeff Karlsen (though the lineup often shifted). Over their three-year run, they played with the likes of Minutemen and Phranc. Their absurd, hyperactive synth punk screamed of youthful exuberance and the nuclear paranoia of the Reagan era. They recorded in a proper studio, but there were no official releases until 2013, when Captured Tracks -- assisted by Laner -- issued Songs from the Valley of the Bored Teenager. ~ Fred Thomas