Look Out in ‘93: 11 Locals to Watch

E clecticism is the keyword among the top 1992 freshmen of Southern California, where rap and retro, grunge and industrial, escapism and confrontation all coexist in a happily active melting pot. Here’s a look at the 11 new area acts who have made the biggest splash this year:

Rage Against the Machine: The quartet--whose debut album was released recently on Epic--is in a rock-radicalism tradition that runs from the MC5 to Washington’s political punks to Public Enemy (with whom Rage has played frequently). The group (which headlines the Whisky tonight and Monday) ties its calls to action and howls of alienation to a remorseless rap-metal-funk attack.