10 songs from 10 bands defining Monterey's music scene right now.

A few years ago, Mozzo Kush guitarist Brent Smith and Moses Nose guitarist Vincent Randazzo riffed on the hardships the young budding musical talent in Monterey face.

“There aren’t a lot of chances for the younger musicians to work up to the bigger venues like the Golden State,” Randazzo explained. “A lot of the good places, that have a built-in audience, are 21-plus so you have to be able to show the bookers that you can make it worth their while. There’s a lot of undiscovered talent and a lot of places to play but it’s hard to get on the roster at these places – and it’s even harder for the bands to get a start when the [venues/promoters] don’t know about them.”

Smith added, “A lot of bands don’t know how to get their foot in the door. They don’t know who to contact so they tend to be stagnant and not really reach out on their own.”

Instead of letting themselves become stagnant, Mozzo Kush, Moses Nose and several additional groups decided to be proactive.

It's three years later.

And there's something exciting happening in Monterey County's music scene.

The 10 bands behind the 10 songs below are making it happen, even when there's no place for them to perform.