Along about 1980 a crazy, provacative and unique dude called Mike Dufloth blew into Chico. He had been a high school classmate of Chico musicians Scott Pressman (aka Ska-T), and Kim Gimbal, (aka Kid Crash). Mike had always played a little drums, and one day he and Scott and Kim and Billy Baxmeyer (aka Dik Slax) held an impromtu jam session at Kim's alley house in Chico...what resulted was the beginning of one of the longest lived Chico musical institutions, leading all the way to present day "Brutilicus Maximus."

Mike Dufloth and the X-Factors was born! The band played all the usual cover tunes of the day...songs like "Money," "Gloria," "Twist and Shout, "Surfin Safari." Mike was a genius at promotion, and the band was very busy...Mike played the drums, Scott the guitar, Kim and Billy switched off on guitar and bass; also featured were two wild women: The X-Factresses, Barb-X (Barb Doty), and Jan-X (Jan Rhunke). The shows were really wild, with lots of humping and gyrating on stage.

Soon, the band began to play original material as well as the usual faire of cover tunes. This was the beginning of a very fertile period for song-writers Scott and Kim and Mike. Local old timers still recall fondly such classics as "Schemer and a Scammer," (Dufloth), "Lately Women Bore Me," (Gimbal), and "We're All Fuckin' Daughters of the AMA," (Pressman). The entire band contributed to the composition entitled "The Mike DuFloth Band." Who could forget the line, "the X-Factors got six big balls!!"

It was the beginning of the New Wave era in Chico, and Mike and X-Factors set the standard for other bands to follow. Alas, the band was never meant for the big time, and dissolved in less than a year's time. What came next though was an incredible extension of what was started with the X-Factors and Mike Dufloth. Within a year of the demise of the band, "The Hats" were born, featuring Kid Crash, (now on drums), Dik Slax, Ska-t, and the fabulous vocals of Syl-V...that eventually led to the Night Knights, and ultimately to the current phenom, Brutilicus Maximus.

Amusinet wishes here to credit Mike Dufloth for sparking something special, for helping to create a "strange new sound" that lives on today, and will in at least a small and indirect way, help us all as we enter a new century, a new age, a new millenium.