Agent Orange was formed in Placentia, California in 1979 by guitarist Mike Palm, a musical omnivore whose early influences included vintage surf music, heavy metal, and '50s and '60s rock. Emboldened by the rise of punk rock, Palm began consolidating his tastes into a meld that fused the style of classic sounds with the impact and velocity of punk. Teaming with bassist Steve Soto and drummer Scott Miller, Palm assembled the first edition of Agent Orange (the name was a dual reference to the notorious defoliant used by the United States military in Vietnam and the group's home in California's Orange County). In 1980, the trio self-released their debut single, "Bloodstains" b/w "America" and "Bored of You." Thanks to frequent spins on Bingenheimer's KROQ radio show, "Bloodstains" became a favorite in the Southern California punk community, and the band struck a deal with the independent Posh Boy label to cut their first full-length album, 1981's Living in Darkness. By the time Agent Orange cut the LP, Steve Soto had left the group to form the Adolescents, and James Levesque took over on bass. Living in Darkness spread the word about the band's skate-friendly surf/punk sound, and Posh Boy pulled a single from the album, "Everything Turns Gray," backed with a revved-up cover of the Chantays' "Pipeline." 1982 saw the release of Bitchin' Summer, a four-song EP featuring covers of four classic surf instrumentals.
In 1983, Agent Orange jumped from Posh Boy to a larger and better distributed indie, Enigma Records, and brought out the EP When You Least Expect It, which featured two originals and two covers, including their take on Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love." While Agent Orange remained active as a live band, it would be three years before they released another recording, their second full-length album, 1986's This Is the Voice, which boasted slicker production and a poppier sound than their previous efforts. Agent Orange were never an especially prolific recording act, and it would be 1991 before another album appeared, a live recording titled Real Live Sound. During the downtime between This Is the Voice and Real Live Sound, Scott Miller and James Levesque both left the group, and bassist Brent Liles and drummer Derek O'Brien signed on. In 1991, O'Brien dropped out, and Scotty Lund took over behind the drums, while Sam Bolle preplaced Liles on bass in 1992. In 1996, Agent Orange released their third studio album, Virtually Indestructible, released by the Gunka Disc label. The album featured drummer Charlie Quintana (formerly of the Plugz and Social Distortion) taking over for Scotty Lund, though Steve Latanation would step in after Quintana's departure in 1997.
In 2000, Agent Orange returned with Greatest & Latest, which collected live and studio recordings of original songs as well as tunes from their back catalog. The album was reissued in 2004 as Blood Stained Hitz, and was recycled again in 2008 as Surfing to Some F#*ked Up S@!t, with the addition of a cover of Metallica's "Seek and Destroy." In 2004, there was another turnover in the rhythm section with the arrival of bassist Bruce Taylor and drummer Dusty Watson. In 2006, bassist Perry Giordano came on board after Taylor moved on, and Dave Klein succeeded Watson as drummer in 2009. In 2003, Agent Orange's Enigma Records material was reissued in a two-CD set titled Sonic Snake Session. Liles died in 2007 after being hit by a truck, Levesque passed in 2014, and Quintana lost his life after struggling with emphysema and heart disease in 2018.
Biography by Mark Deming
Members
Mike Palm : Vocals & Guitars (1979 - Present)
Steve Soto : Bass & Vocals (1979-1980)
James Levesque : Bass & Vocals (1980 - 1988)
Brent Liles : Bass & Vocals (1989 - 1995)
Sam Bolle : Bass & Vocals (1996 - 2005)
Perry Gx : Bass & Vocals (2006 - Present)
Scott Miller : Drums & Vocals (1979 - 1988)
Derek O'Brien : Drums & Vocals (1989 - 1995)
Charles Quintana : Drums & Vocals (1996 - 1998)
Dusty Watson : Drums (1999 - 2000)
Steve Latanation : Drums (2000 - 2005)
Dave Klein : Drums (2009 - Present)
Albums
Living in Darkness 1980
When You Least Expect It 1984
This Is The Voice 1986
Real Live Sound 1990
Virtually Indestructible 1996
This That-n-The Other Thing 2000
There are other artists with the same name:
Dutch Agent Orange
The second Agent Orange was a Dutch hardcore punk band from Amsterdam. They were formerly known as Jezus and the Gospelfuckers and also recorded songs for a Pusmort compilation under the bandname "Genocide Express". As Agent Orange they record 2 singles, the first called "your mother sucks coocks in hell" which sells on ebay for insanely high prices, and a second one called "VD" aka "hello boyfriend coming my way?
German Agent Orange are from Germany and were formed in 2005 in "hude" near Bremen.
Swiss Agent Orange
Trip/bit hop producer, to avoid confusion, he changed his name to agentff6600.
Danish Agent Orange
Two musicians of a local danish band called digiis (short of digital inspired), who has made a side project. The music is both electronic and acoustic.
http://www.myspace.com/davidmads
There is also another German Agent Orange from Bisingen. They played Metal and released a single and 2 albums, the second on B.O. Records.
So Strange
Agent Orange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It speaks words without knowing what they mean
I've seen that face before somewhere, I can't remember
It seems as if it happened in a dream
I laughed and now you know
That some things never change
I laughed again because to me you seem
I know, I never should expect to finish something
I know will never be complete
I feel as if I'm lost again, I'm not, I'm only dreaming
In a world where sound and silence seem to meet
I block out all the noise
A silent song remains
I know it's only music but it sounds
So strange
How does it feel to speak the words
And sing the song?
So strange
So strange
So strange
So strange
The lyrics to Agent Orange's song "So Strange" explore themes of confusion, disorientation, and uncertainty. The singer seems to be grappling with a sense of disconnection from the world around them - they recognize familiar faces and voices, but feel as if they are dreaming or lost in some way. The lines "I've heard that voice before somehow, I can't imagine/ It speaks words without knowing what they mean/ I've seen that face before somewhere, I can't remember/ It seems as if it happened in a dream" convey a feeling of unreality or surrealism, as if the singer is not sure whether they are awake or asleep.
Despite this sense of confusion, the singer finds some comfort in music - "I block out all the noise/ A silent song remains/ I know it's only music but it sounds/ So strange." The idea of a "silent song" suggests an inner peace or clarity that is not found in the chaos of the outside world. The final lines of the song - "How does it feel to speak the words/ And sing the song?/ So strange/ So strange/ So strange" - seem to suggest that even the act of speaking or singing can feel unfamiliar and unsettling at times.
Overall, "So Strange" is a song that deals with the complexities of the human experience - the feelings of disorientation and confusion that can arise at any moment, and the power of music to bring some sense of peace and clarity amidst the chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
I've heard that voice before somehow, I can't imagine
The singer recognizes a voice but can't recall where from, yet the voice appears to be speaking without meaning.
It speaks words without knowing what they mean
The voice appears to be speaking without comprehending the significance of the words.
I've seen that face before somewhere, I can't remember
The singer recognizes a face but can't recall where from, almost as if they dreamt it.
It seems as if it happened in a dream
The face appears to be remembered like a distant dream.
I laughed and now you know
The artist is at ease and finds humor in the situation.
That some things never change
Realization that some things just always remain the same.
I laughed again because to me you seem
The singer again finds humor in the strangeness of the situation.
So strange
The artist finds the current predicament incredibly unusual and peculiar.
I know, I never should expect to finish something
The artist knows they can't complete things that can't be brought to a finish.
I know will never be complete
The artist is aware that certain things will never be whole.
I feel as if I'm lost again, I'm not, I'm only dreaming
The singer is lost in thought, although not lost physically; it's like they're dreaming.
In a world where sound and silence seem to meet
The artist is in a world that has a fusion of both silence and sound.
I block out all the noise
The singer tries to isolate from all the distractions and unwanted noise.
A silent song remains
The silence is just another form of music that the singer recognizes.
I know it's only music but it sounds
The singer is aware that only silence surrounds them, yet the magical music persists.
So strange
The artist, once again, remarks on the peculiar nature of this occurrence.
How does it feel to speak the words
The artist is curious about the feeling of uttering certain words.
And sing the song?
The singer is interested to know how to portray the feeling just through words.
So strange
The singer can't help but remark on the strange and peculiar nature of this whole situation, yet again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL PALM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind