In a scene overrun with Johnny-come-lately DJs weaned solely on Serato and Justice remixes, the men behind Part Time Punks (and Punky Reggae Party) are true record-wielding heroes. We caught up with DJ Michael Stock to find out just what it is that makes his gigs so memorable and oh so much fun.

How would you describe the music you play?
The first word has to be: Vinyl. I have and will never play anything else. At Part Time Punks, it's post-punk (which, to me, is defined in the strictly historical sense, i.e., tracks from 1978-1986), which includes a lot of D.I.Y., self-released 7-inch singles. We also spin Minimal Synth, German new wave, indie pop and indie rock. This means Buzzcocks meets The Slits meets The Smiths meets Orange Juice meets Delta 5 meets Einsturzende Neubauten meets Nirvana on the dance floor.

It's been said that L.A. has one of the best party scenes in the country right now.
Is that what they're saying? And who are "they" anyway?

Do you feel competitive with other L.A. DJs?
I feel more competitive with my fellow Punky Reggae/Part Time Punks DJs in terms of scoring records. That's the real competition for me: who finds the radder and rarer stuff. And if it's on the cheap, even better!

What's the craziest thing that's ever happened at Part Time Punks?
The night Chrome played at Part Time Punks, there was this kid who was an über-fan of the band. Such a fan that he tried to steal their bass. Except it wasn't their bass. It actually belonged to the opening band, Death Party. And he didn't get away with it. Mainly, because the actual owner of the bass looks like Jayne Mansfield, only after her car accident; in full-on zombie make-up and ripped, barely-there clothing. Security grabbed the would-be thief and used the new metal bars/gates that separate the Echo upstairs from the EchoPlex downstairs as a little jail for the kid. The cage is basically the only thing keeping the guy safe from the Jayne Mansfield zombie who wants to rip him to shreds. Plus other musicians, most of whom have had shit stolen before and never saw it again, descended on this unfortunate fellow. They had a target.

What's the funniest thing you've ever seen while you were spinning?
Watching my best friend Slater get cock-blocked by Johnny Knoxville as he was moving in on Karen O. on the dance floor.

What's the one record that's guaranteed to get your crowd dancing if all else fails?
New Order's "Temptation" (the original 1982 mix) and/or Paul McCartney’s "Temporary Secretary." I play them back-to-back for maximum joy!

Where's your favorite place to play in L.A.?
My favorite place in L.A. right now is definitely La Cita, where we do Punky Reggae Party. With the low ceilings and brass and grime, the place is like some dive bar out of the Lower East Side, circa 1984, mixed with a junior high basement party or something. I’m convinced that the space itself really influences the complete and utter madness.

Does being a DJ help you get laid?
I'd like to answer that question with a question: In the case of Superman and Clark Kent, just who exactly is the secret identity there?

DJ's choice: What's the one thing you want to tell L.A.?
Stop dancing to shit music! You don't have to anymore.

Part Time Punks goes done on Sundays at the Echoplex.

Scott T. Sterling is Music editor for Metromix Los Angeles.