The story of V i v a d i x i e submarinetransmissionplot began in the late 1980 s , when Mark Linkous , the guitarist and singer for a Los Angeles band called the Dancing Hoods , relocated to Richmond , Virginia in an attempt to kick his drug addiction and make a fresh start . At the time , Linkous had all but given up on a career in music : " I was fed up with the music scene . It was so nasty [ in Los Angeles ] . That was the height of glam rock . Bands like Poison were supposed to be important . "