From the iconic sounds of The Beach Boys and The Doors to the revolutionary beats of Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur; from the artistry of Haim and Jurassic 5 to the driving forces of Bad Religion and Ozomatli, countless influential artists have called LA home. Yet it is often LA’s underground music that brings everyday people together in community, gathering the sociocultural and political elements that set the music vanguard.
At Cal State LA University Library’s Special Collections & Archives, we believe the story of LA’s music isn’t just about famous names; it’s about the everyday people who found their voice, community, and identity within these innovative sounds and creative scenes of LA’s underground. The Sounds of the Underground Archive attends to the cultural production that emerges from the underground by creating a dedicated archival collection and preservation initiative to capture the rich tapestry of subversive music genres that have shaped this city.
We place special emphasis on the contributions of minoritarian members of the local community, ensuring their unique stories and sounds are not just heard, but preserved.
Through these initiatives, we aim to document how music fosters a deep sense of belonging, influencing people’s self-fashioning of personal style and the development of identity for countless individuals across Los Angeles. To achieve this, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organizations who share our commitment to community storytelling and cultural preservation. With the support of our campus partners and community, we can acquire new collections, enhance our digital infrastructure, and bring awareness of the archive through engaging programming.
