Michael Quercio

Mitch Easter producing Game Theory's Lolita Nation. L-R, Mitch Easter, Michael Quercio (3 O:Clock) and Scott Miller (Game Theory). San Francisco, California 1986

Michael Quercio (born March 13, 1963, Carson, California) is an American musician. He was the founder, bassist and lead singer of The Three O'Clock. He is also notable for being the apparent source of the genre name Paisley Underground, originally a joke. The Three O'Clock were among the most successful artists of the neo-psychedelic movement of the 1980s. Quercio's first significant band, The Salvation Army, bridged the punk scene of the 1980s and the melodic 1960s revivalist sounds that defined the U.S. mod-revivalist movement. Often grouped with bands such as Redd Kross, The Pandoras as well as The Chesterfield Kings and The Fuzztones (representing the 1980s garage revival) Quercio's bands were more melodic and polished than their peers. At the height of The Three O'Clock's popularity, Quercio had stated that he aspired foremost to be a pop band, not represent a movement such as the Paisley Underground or neo-psychedelia. He later went on to be a member of Game Theory, Permanent Green Light, and - most recently - Jupiter Affect.