PUNKAST BACK TO SCHOOL MINISERIES SPECIAL!
“SoCal music spaces: Scene, Emo, and EDM” (part 3 of 3).
“There’s more to us.. We all want to be seen, heard, and exist… The art you are creating is part of your soul.”
Returning from spring break, we are back with the third and final part of our Back to School mini-series with guest host Kristy Martinez, a PHD Candidate in Musicology at UCLA. In these episodes, we meet some of the early-2000s scene and emo kids in SoCal. This episode features the second part of Martinez’s conversation with the musician Xtine Reckless (listen to the first part here), and fitness and health instructor Tiffany Young. Tiffany Young has introduced alternative music and other genres into her spin classes. Her cycle rides have included emo, pop-punk, Central American music, and rock. This episode discusses representation in the SoCal music scenes, how music is an extension of an artist’s identity, incorporating alternative music into untraditional spaces, addressing the erasure of POC contributions, the intersection between race and participation in music scenes, and SO MUCH MORE!
Guest Bios.
Xtine is a vocalist, guitarist, and essential figure in the OC and LA rock scenes with her previous band, Pretty in Stereo, and is currently in the band Xtine and the Reckless Hearts. Xtine has played Vans Warped Tour and various iconic venues and spaces in SoCal.// Tiffany Young is an Afro-Latina fitness and health instructor from Alhambra, the San Gabriel Valley, and now West Covina. She grew up listening to a wide variety of music, such as emo, pop-punk, neo soul, pop, and R&B. Young now incorporates the sounds she grew up with in SoCal into spin classes and heavily nostalgic-themed rides.
Links
𝚇𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎 & 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝙲𝚔𝙻𝚎𝚂𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝙰𝚛𝚃𝚜 | Linktree
IG: @pwrcyclewtiff
PWR HQ Strength and Training | Try a Class!
Music mentioned: Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail, Offspring, System of A Down, Metallica, Aaliyah, Ashanti, Mariah Carey, Thursday, Eminem, Neo Soul, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, The Paradox, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, Dance Gavin Dance, Norma Jean, Isadora Crane, Hot Water Music
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We’d love to hear from you and are soliciting episode ideas and guests.
Instagram: punkastucla
Email: punkastucla@gmail.com
The Punkast theme music is excerpted from “Bitchathon” by Lady Bits. All rights reserved.
This episode was recorded on Oct 27, 2025 on Zoom. Kristy Martinez hosted and co-produced this episode with Jessica Schwartz. Melissa Hernandez edited the audio and audio-synced transcript, available here.