BARREL STATIC
GRIME SURF ROCK • ORANGE COUNTY • 1986–1989
STATIC IN THE TIDE
WAVES AND WHEELS
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – 1986

STATIC IN THE TIDE (1987)

Grime Surf Rock born under the Huntington Beach pier: blown-out bass, wet surf guitars, and OC nights full of salt, neon, and trouble.

Hear the Story Albums
Barrel Static Band
File 01

Who They Are

Barrel Static hit Huntington Beach in 1986 like a rogue south swell. Two surf-rat siblings dragged their parents' dusty 60s surf records into a garage, wired them through broken amps, and mixed in grime beats, punk attitude, and whatever weird electrical noise Mira could pull out of Santa Ana electronics.

The result wasn't nostalgia. It wasn't clean. It was Grime Surf Rock — a sound built from reverb, chaos, undertow, and street heat. This site digs into the band: the music, the shows, the mess, the lore. If you were there, you remember. If you weren't, this is as close as you'll get.

Meet the Band >
File 02

Static in the Tide (1987)

Released August 18, 1987 on Shoreline Riot Records, Static in the Tide is one of two LP's the band ever recorded — eleven tracks of surf rock bones and grime-heart percussion. Waves, street racing, tar-stained beaches, fights, danger, breakups, wipeouts, and the kind of OC nights that never fully left.

This is the record that built the cult following. This is the record that pirate radio stole and made infamous.

Waves and Wheels (1989)

Darker, faster, late-'80s Grime Surf Rock record that fuses coastal danger with midnight street-racing energy, capturing the band's most chaotic and electric era in one bruised, high-octane album.

Explore the Tracklist >
Huntington Beach Pier
Surfer
File 03

OC Nights, 1986–1987

Barrel Static wasn't a polished LA act. They were Huntington garage shows, cops on Main Street, tar balls on your feet, late drives down PCH, and amps that hummed like dying transformers.

Their crowd was a mix of surfers, punks, skaters, misfits, and kids who didn't belong anywhere else. They played anywhere someone would plug them in — beach bars, backyard patios, half-legal warehouse parties, and one legendary night in a Tijuana basement no one planned for.

Read the Band's Story >
File 04

Deep Cuts & Lore

Some bands release press kits. Barrel Static left behind rumors, flyers, and half-broken tapes. The stories that stuck:

  • The near-drowning that inspired Static in the Tide.
  • The pirate radio DJ who bootlegged Neon Breaker.
  • Dane's exploding amp in Santa Cruz.
  • Jett getting kicked out of three punk bands before this one.
  • Lana dragging Mira into the band from behind an arcade.
  • Bryce almost missing a show because he was racing his IROC-Z.

Every rumor has a little truth in it. Every truth has a little myth in it.

Tell Us What You Heard >
File 05

Live Footage & Posters

Show flyers, tattered posters, basement-grade recordings, and everything that made the 1987 OC surf-punk scene feel like it might fall apart at any second.

Go to Media >