Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) is an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson. To date, Circle Jerks have released six studio albums, one compilation, a live album and a live DVD. Their debut album, Group Sex (1980), is considered a landmark of the hardcore genre.
The band has broken up and re-formed several times, sometimes with different bassists and/or drummers. They disbanded for the first time after the release of their fifth album VI (1987), allowing Hetson to focus on Bad Religion (which he joined in 1984 and stayed with until 2013) full-time. The Circle Jerks first reunited in 1994 and released their sixth and last studio album to date, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities, the following year before separating for the second time. The band reunited for the second time in 2001 and spent the next ten years performing live periodically; this reunion released only one new song, "I'm Gonna Live", which was posted on their MySpace profile in 2007. Tensions among members and failed attempts to record the follow-up to Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities resulted in the Circle Jerks breaking up yet again in 2011. However, the band announced in November 2019 that they would reunite in 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Group Sex with live shows.[2]
Many groups and artists have cited Circle Jerks as an influence, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers,[3][4] Pearl Jam,[3][4] Anti-Flag,[3][5][6] Dropkick Murphys,[3][7] the Offspring,[3][6] NOFX,[3] and Pennywise.[6] .
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