1976-1986 was a period of time in which urban tribes staked out and ferociously defended their territories; a time when San Diego began to establish for itself an identity as more than just a Navy town with a great zoo. Getting Nowhere Fast, written by Ray Brandes of the Tell-Tale Hearts, looks at the origins of this period of "new" music in San Diego, and provides an insider's look at a handful of bands who never quite hit the big time, but who developed cult followings around the world. The histories of the Zeros, The Penetrators, The Unknowns, The Crawdaddys, The Tell-Tale Hearts and several more groups are presented here for the first time in print.