The Skunks were one of Austin's first punk bands, and they broke up about 20 years ago. One member, Jon Dee Graham, has been very active as a musician (True Believers and as a solo act) and another, Jesse Sublett, has become a noted mystery writer (his protaganist is a rock & roll detective named Martin Fender... like the guitars... get it? Billy Blackmon played drums for The Skunks.

The just released CD Earthquake Shake: Live in Austin and New York City contains 20 tunes. The album was recorded in May 1980 at The Back Room in Austin in and in NYC at Max's Kansas City. The Austin Chronicle declared in December 2000 that The Skunks are the band that, "broke Austin out of the 70s," and claims that, "if you like loud music and live in Austin, you've been influenced, at least in some small way, by the Skunks." They issued several albums with a changing array of players before they disbanded in the 80s.

MusicAustin reviewer Randy Anthony says, "We have Earthquake Shake to remind us of what once was. It's a relatively lo-fi affair, but the energy, the anger, and the excitement of three young men with a musical score to settle fairly leaps off the disc and slaps you in the face. The Skunks started it all in Austin, and their sound still ripples through our musical pond to this day."

There is a web site for The Skunks. Check it out.