Every punk scene has its personality, but Southern California’s is particularly distinctive, as its geographic sprawl led to regional mini-scenes. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Los Angeles spawned scrappy bands such as X and Germs, while the more buttoned-up Orange County became a hardcore mecca and punk incubator for the rip-roaring Adolescents, surf-rock-inspired Agent Orange, and the frenetic Vandals. As SoCal punk evolved in the ’80s and ’90s, the scene settled into a brawny, hardcore-based sound that was faster and more aggressive. Ground zero was Epitaph Records: Founded in 1980 by Brett Gurewitz, the label was the home of NOFX, Guttermouth, and Gurewitz’s own Bad Religion.