Clay Allison

This short-lived early '80's psychedelic band featured David Roeback of Rain Parade on guitar, Kendra Smith of Dream Syndicate on bass, Keith Mitchell (RIP) on drums, and Sylvia on keyboards and some acoustic guitar. They released a single and went on a US tour. Syl quit shortly after the tour, having really only been a guest musician anyway, and feeling herself drawn inexorably away from droning keyboards towards raging guitars. David and Kendra reconfigured the band as Opal, and later on as Mazzy Star.

• Lisa's Funeral - a live recording from the tour
• Clay Allison EP

The Leaving Trains

It's true, Syl was their keyboardist when they all were just starting out, in the first of many lineups that band would have over the years.

• Virginia City - early recording with SJ on keyboards

The Nymphs

The Nymphs (originally called the Healing Dream) were the creation of singer Inger Lorre, who coincidentally had been friends with Syl in second grade before moving to New Jersey. When she came back to LA to form a band, along with Bobby Belltower, Sylvia very briefly played guitar with them as a side project, and even dressed up Goth for a day for photos (well, not quite Goth, but she did abandon the sneakers). Personalities clashed and it didn't last long. They found a more suitable guitarist in Manfred Hofer, former Trains member and Tom's brother, and Bobby later joined the Trains (this for the extreme trivia types).

SWA

SWA was a loud ur-metal band consisting of Chuck Dukowski on bass, Merrill Ward on vocals, Greg Cameron on drums, and for a year or so in the late '80's, Sylvia on guitar. And a prolific year it was. Some people say dreadful things about SWA - sure, it was overly dissonant at times, but they should take another listen to the moody, tuneful "Arroyo", which was actually a "minor college radio hit" in its time.

• Arroyo

The Treacherous Jaywalkers

This dissonant punky type band was a group of young surfer guys from the 1980s SST scene. Sylvia was never a member of this band, but they need to get mentioned because somewhere there is a recording of them doing a very interpretive version of the Madonna song "La Isla Bonita", with Syl making a guest appearance on vocals.

To Damascus

To Damascus was a punky psychedelic trio led by Sylvia Juncosa that existed in various forms from the time she quit the Leaving Trains in 1982 to going solo in 1987. The band started with a surf/punk/pop sound; it evolved along with Sylvia's guitar playing in a more psychedelic and hard rock direction. The most official line-up was with Sylvia Juncosa, David Winogrond, and Tyra von Pagenhardt in 1985-87. During this highly prolific period they released two albums, did a US tour, several mini-tours, and through constant gigging scratched out a name for themselves in Los Angeles crowded scene. The band received high critical acclaim and is remembered today as an obscure but respected and musically adventuresome and unique psychedelic trio that had a small but highly devoted following. Read more on the To Damascus page.