List of punk bands
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This list needs to be alphabetized to conform to a higher quality.
The following is a list of notable bands that are punk. Bands that do not have a substantial Wikipedia article are not included.
Contents Top · 0–9 · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
[edit] 0-9
* 100 Demons
* 150 Watts
* 27 Devils Joking
* 28 Days
* 7 Seconds
* 88 Fingers Louie
* 999
[edit] A
* A Global Threat
* Abaddon
* Abrasive Wheels
* The Adicts
* The Adolescents
* Adrenalin OD
* The Adverts
* Against All Authority
* Against Me!
* Agent Orange
* Agnostic Front
* Akurat
* ALL
* Alternative TV
* Amebix
* The Analogs
* Angelic Upstarts
* The Angry Samoans
* Anti-Cimex
* Anti-Flag
* Anti-Nowhere League
* Antischism
* Anti-Scrunti Faction
* Antisect
* The APF Brigade
* Apocalypse Hoboken
* The Apostles
* Armed and Hammered
* The art attacks
* Die Ärzte
* Autumn Poison
* Aus-Rotten
* Authority Zero
* Avail
* The Avengers
[edit] B
* Bad Brains
* Bad Religion
* The Bags
* Balzac
* Bane
* The Banner
* Best Revenge
* Bickley
* Big Boys
* Big in Japan
* Bikini Kill
* Black Flag
* BlameShift
* Bl'ast
* Blatz
* Blitz
* Bomb
* Bomberos
* The Boomtown Rats
* Born Against
* The Boys
* The Bouncing Souls
* Bratmobile
* The Briefs
* Brutal Juice
* Brygada Kryzys
* Bulbulators
* Buzzcocks
[edit] C
* The Clash
* Candiria
* Capdown
* The Casualties
* Chain Of Strength
* Champion
* Cheap Sex
* Chokehold
* Choking Victim
* Chorus of Disapproval, A
* Chumbawamba
* Circle Jerks
* Citizen Fish
* CIV
* Cockney Rejects
* Cocobat
* Cólera
* Comeback Kid
* Conflict
* Corrosion of Conformity
* Count Me Out
* The Cramps
* Crass
* Creation Is Crucifixion
* Crime
* Crimpshrine
* Crisis
* Cro-Mags
* The Crucified
* Crucifix
* Cursed
* Cypher in the Snow
[edit] D
* Dag Nasty
* The Damned
* Dayglo Abortions
* The Dead Boys
* Dead Kennedys
* Dead Milkmen
* Death Threat
* Decontrol
* Deep Wound
* The Demics
* Descendents
* The Devotchkas
* Dezerter
* The Dicks
* The Dickies
* Dillinger Four
* The Dils
* The Diodes
* DIRT
* Dirty District
* Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
* Discharge
* Disclose
* Disorder
* Disrupt
* División Minúscula
* DMZ
* D.O.A.
* Dog Eat Dog
* Dog Faced Hermans
* Doom
* Down To Nothing
* Dr. Know
* Dresden 45
* D.R.I.
* Dropdead
* Dropkick Murphys
* The Dwarves
* DYS
[edit] E
* Eater
* Ebba Grön
* Ed Banger and The Nosebleeds
* Eddie & the Hot Rods
* The Effigies
* Endangered feces
* Endpoint
* Eskorbuto
* Excuse 17
* The Ex
* The Exploited
* The Exposed
* Extinction of Mankind
* Eye for an Eye
[edit] F
* The Faction
* The Faith
* The Fall of Troy
* The Fartz
* Fatal Microbes
* Fear
* Feeling B
* Figures of Light
* The Flesh Eaters
* Fleshies
* Flipper
* Flogging Molly
* Flux of Pink Indians
* F-Minus
* Frenzal Rhomb
* Frodus
* The F.U.'s
* Fucked Up
* Fugazi
* Fun People
[edit] G
* Gang Green
* GBH
* Generation X
* The Germs
* GISM
* The Gits
* Give Up the Ghost
* Glassjaw
* Go!
* The Go Set
* Good Clean Fun
* Gorilla Biscuits
* The Government
* Government Issue
* Gun Club
[edit] H
* Hagar the Womb
* The Heartbreakers
* Heideroosjes
* His Hero is Gone
* The Hope Bombs
* Hot Water Music
* Hüsker Dü
[edit] I
* I Adapt
* Icons of Filth
* Inside Out
* Iron Cross
* Ism
[edit] J
* J.M.K.E.
* The Jam
* Jawbreaker
* Jerry's Kids
* JFA
* Johnny Thunders
* Judge
[edit] K
* Kid Dynamite
* Kronstadt Uprising
[edit] L
* Lash
* Latex Generation
* Latterman
* Leftöver Crack
* Limp Wrist
* London
* London SS
* Los Crudos
* Los Fastidios
* Los Illegals
* Los Violadores
* Lummox
* The Lurkers
[edit] M
* Madball
* Malignus Youth
* Masters of the Backside
* MC5
* MDC
* Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
* The Mekons
* The Members
* Métal Urbain
* Million Dead
* Minor Threat
* The Minutemen
* The Misfits
* The Mob
* Mob 47
* The Mr. T Experience
* Mukilteo Fairies
* Murder Disco X
* Mustard Plug
* MxPx
[edit] N
* Naked violence
* Nation of Ulysses
* Necros
* The Need
* Negative Approach
* Negative FX
* Negazione
* Nervous Gender
* New York Dolls
* The Nipple Erectors
* No Innocent Victim
* No Use For a Name
* Nobody's Heroes
* NOFX
* Nomeansno
[edit] O
* Oi Polloi
* One Bad Pig
* Only Crime
* The Only Ones
* Operation Ivy
* The Outcasts
[edit] P
* P*U*S
* The Peace & Freedom Band
* Penetration
* Pere Ubu
* Peter and the Test Tube Babies
* Picture Frame Seduction
* The Plague
* Plasmatics
* The Plugz
* Poison Girls
* Poison Idea
* Post Regiment
* The Professionals
* Project X
* Propagandhi
* The Psyke Project
* Punkreas
[edit] Q
* The Queers
[edit] R
* Radical Dance Faction
* Radio Birdman
* The Raincoats
* Raised Fist
* The Ramones
* Ratos de Porão
* Reagan Youth
* Real McKenzies
* Refused
* Remembering Never
* The Restarts
* The Rezillos
* Rich Kids on LSD
* Riot/Clone
* The Rivals
* Rubella Ballet
* Rudi
* Rudimentary Peni
[edit] S
* The Saints
* Samhain
* Scaterd Few
* Scratch Acid
* Scream
* Screeching Weasel
* The Screamers
* The Secret Syde
* Sedes
* Sex Pistols
* Sham 69
* She Devils
* Sick Of It All
* Siekiera
* Sin Dios
* Sister George
* Skrewdriver
* The Skids
* Slapshot
* Slaughter & The Dogs
* The Slickee Boys
* Slime
* The Slits
* Sloppy Seconds
* SNFU
* Social Distortion
* Spitboy
* Split Lip
* The Stooges
* Swell Maps
* SSD
* Stiff Little Fingers
* The Stranglers
* Streetlight Manifesto
* Stretch Arm Strong
* Strike Anywhere
* Strike Under
* Strung Out
* Subhumans (Canada)
* Subhumans (UK)
* Suburban Rhythm
* Suburban Studs
* Subway Sect
* The Suicide Commandos
* The Suicide Machines
* Suicidal Tendencies
[edit] T
* Team Dresch
* Teenage Head
* The Teen Idles
* Television
* Ten Foot Pole
* Tenpole Tudor
* Three Dollar Bill
* Die Toten Hosen
* Toy Dolls
* Toxic Reasons
* Tragedy
* Tribe 8
* TSOL
* Turning Point
* TZN Xenna
[edit] U
* UK Subs
* The U-Men
* Unbroken
* The Undead
* Under pressure
* The Undertones
* The Units
* The Urinals
* US Bombs
[edit] V
* The Vandals
* The Varukers
* Vegan Reich
* The Velvet Underground
* Vennaskond
* The Vibrators
* The Viletones
* The Virus
* Vision of Disorder
* Voodoo Glow Skulls
* Voorhees
[edit] W
* The Waltons
* Warzone
* Wayne County & the Electric Chairs
* WC
* The Weirdos
* The Wipers
* Wire
* WIZO
* Wolfbrigade
* Wrangler Brutes
* włochaty
[edit] X
* X (Australia)
* X (US)
* X-Ray Spex
[edit] Y
* Young Canadians
* The Young Werewolves
* Your Heart Breaks
* Youth Brigade
* Youth in Asia
* Youth of Today
* The Yuppie Pricks
[edit] Z
* Zegota
* Zeke
* Zeroption
* The Zeros
* Zona A
* Zounds
Monday, July 16, 2007
History of Punk Rock ...
Punk rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Punk rock
Stylistic origins: Rock and roll - Rockabilly - Garage rock - Frat rock - Psychedelic rock - Pub rock - Glam rock - Protopunk
Cultural origins: mid-1970s United States, United Kingdom, and Australia
Typical instruments: Vocals - Guitar - Bass - Drums - occasional use of other instruments
Mainstream popularity: Topped charts in UK during late 1970s. International commercial success for pop punk and ska punk, mid-1990s–2000s.
Derivative forms: New Wave - Post-punk - Alternative rock - Emo
Subgenres
Anarcho-punk - Art punk - Garage punk - Gothic rock - Glam punk - Hardcore - Horror punk - Oi! - Riot Grrrl - Skate punk - Christian punk - Nazi punk
Fusion genres
Anti-folk - Celtic punk - Chicano punk - Cowpunk - Deathcountry - Deathrock - Folk punk - Pop punk - Psychobilly - Punkabilly - Punk blues - Ska punk - 2 Tone
Regional scenes
Argentina - Australia - Brazil - California - France - Germany - Uruguay - Yugoslavia
Other topics
DIY ethic - First wave punk - Queercore - Punk fashion - Punk forerunners - Punk ideologies - Punk movies - Punk fanzines - Punk subculture - Punk timeline - Second wave punk - List of punk bands
Punk rock is an anti-establishment rock music genre and movement that emerged in the mid-1970s. Preceded by a variety of protopunk music of the 1960s and early 1970s, punk rock developed between 1974 and 1977 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, where groups such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash were recognized as the vanguard of a new musical movement.
Punk bands, eschewing the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock, created short, fast, hard music, with stripped-down instrumentation and often political or nihilistic lyrics. The associated punk subculture expresses youthful rebellion, distinctive clothing styles, a variety of anti-authoritarian ideologies, and a DIY (do it yourself) attitude.
Punk rock became a major phenomenon in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s; its popularity elsewhere was more limited. During the 1980s, forms of punk rock emerged in small scenes around the world, often rejecting commercial success and association with mainstream culture. By the turn of the century, punk rock's legacy had led to the development of the alternative rock movement, and new punk bands popularized the genre decades after its first heyday.
Contents
* 1 Characteristics
* 2 Pre-history
o 2.1 Garage rock and mod
o 2.2 Protopunk
o 2.3 Origin of the term punk
* 3 Early history
o 3.1 New York
o 3.2 The UK and Australia
o 3.3 The second wave
* 4 Punk diversifies
o 4.1 New Wave
o 4.2 Post-punk
o 4.3 Hardcore
o 4.4 Oi!
o 4.5 Anarcho-punk
o 4.6 Pop punk
o 4.7 Other fusions and directions
* 5 Legacy and later developments
o 5.1 Alternative rock
o 5.2 Queercore and riot grrrl
o 5.3 Emo
o 5.4 The punk revival
* 6 See also
* 7 Footnotes
* 8 Bibliography
* 9 External links
[edit] Characteristics
Cover of the Ramones' critically acclaimed debut album
Cover of the Ramones' critically acclaimed debut album
The first wave of punk aimed to be aggressively modern, distancing itself from the bombast and sentimentality of early 1970s rock.[1] According to Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone, "In its initial form, a lot of [1960s] stuff was innovative and exciting. Unfortunately, what happens is that people who could not hold a candle to the likes of Hendrix started noodling away. Soon you had endless solos that went nowhere. By 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock 'n' roll".[2] John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk fanzine recalls feeling "punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock and roll, when to me and other fans, rock and roll meant this wild and rebellious music".[3] In critic Robert Christgau's description, "It was also a subculture that scornfully rejected the political idealism and Californian flower-power silliness of hippie myth".[4] Patti Smith, in contrast, suggests in the documentary 25 Years of Punk that the hippies and the punks were linked by a common anti-establishment mentality. In any event, some of punk's leading figures made a show of rejecting not only mainstream rock and the broader culture it was associated with, but their own most celebrated predecessors: "No Elvis, Beatles or Rolling Stones in 1977", declared The Clash.[5] That year, when punk broke nationwide in Great Britain, was to be both a musical and a cultural "Year Zero".[6] Even as nostalgia was discarded, many in the scene adopted a nihilistic attitude summed up by the Sex Pistols slogan "No Future".[7]
Punk bands often emulate the bare musical structures and arrangements of 1960s garage rock.[8] This emphasis on accessibility exemplifies punk's DIY aesthetic and contrasts with what those in the scene regarded as the ostentatious musical effects and technological demands of many mainstream rock bands of the early and mid-1970s.[9] A 1976 issue of the English punk fanzine Sideburns featured an illustration of three chords, captioned "This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band".[10]
UK punks, circa 1986
UK punks, circa 1986
Typical punk instrumentation includes one or two electric guitars, an electric bass, and a drum kit, along with vocals. In the early days of punk rock, musical virtuosity was often looked on with suspicion. According to Punk magazine founder John Holmstrom, punk was "rock and roll by people who didn't have very much skills as musicians but still felt the need to express themselves through music".[11]
Punk vocals sometimes sound nasal, and are often shouted instead of sung in a conventional sense. Complicated guitar solos are considered self-indulgent and unnecessary, although basic guitar breaks are common.[12] Guitar parts tend to include highly distorted power chords, although some punk bands have taken a surf rock approach with a lighter, twangier guitar tone. A wild, "gonzo" attack is sometimes employed, a style that stretches from Robert Quine, lead guitarist of seminal punk band The Voidoids, back through The Velvet Underground to the 1950s recordings of Ike Turner.[13] Bass guitar lines are often basic and used to carry the song's melody, although some punk bass players such as Mike Watt put greater emphasis on more technical bass lines. Bassists often use a plectrum rather than fingerpicking due to the rapid succession of notes, which makes fingerpicking impractical. Drums typically sound heavy and dry, and often have a minimal set-up. Production is minimalistic, with tracks sometimes laid down on home tape recorders.
Punk songs are normally between two and two and a half minutes long, though many last for less than a minute. Most early punk songs retained a traditional rock 'n' roll verse-chorus form and 4/4 time signature. However, second wave punk bands—including bands from both the post-punk and hardcore punk subgenres—often sought to break from that format. In hardcore, the drumming is considerably faster, with lyrics often half shouted over aggressive guitars.[14] In critic Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry. Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form".[15]
Punk lyrics are typically frank and confrontational, and often comment on social and political issues.[16] Trend-setting songs such as The Clash's "Career Opportunities" and Chelsea's "Right to Work" deal with unemployment, boredom, and other grim realities of urban life. The Sex Pistols songs "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the U.K." openly disparaged the British political system. There is also a strain of anti-romantic depictions of relationships and sex, exemplified by the The Voidoids' "Love Comes in Spurts". According to Search and Destroy founder V. Vale, "Punk was a total cultural revolt. It was a hardcore confrontation with the black side of history and culture, right-wing imagery, sexual taboos, a delving into it that had never been done before by any generation in such a thorough way."[17]
With Patti Smith as the groundbreaker, Siouxsie Sioux, The Slits, Pauline Murray, Nina Hagen, Gaye Advert, Poly Styrene, and other punk vocalists, songwriters, and instrumentalists introduced a new brand of femininity to rock music: "They adopted a tough, unladylike pose that borrowed more from the macho swagger of sixties garage bands than from the calculated bad-girl image of bands like The Runaways. They went beyond the leather outfits to the bondage gear of Sioux and the straight-from-the-gutter androgyny of Smith. They articulated a female rage that surpassed the anger of the women's movement of the sixties".[18]
The classic punk look among male musicians harkens back to the T-shirt, motorcycle jacket, and jeans ensemble favored by American greasers of the 1950s associated with the rockabilly scene and by British rockers of the 1960s. In the 1980s, tattoos and piercings became increasingly common among punk musicians and their fans.
[edit] Pre-history
[edit] Garage rock and mod
For more details on these topics, see Garage rock and Mod (lifestyle).
In the early and mid-1960s, garage rock bands that would come to be recognized as punk's progenitors began springing up in many different locations around North America. The Kingsmen, a garage band from Portland, Oregon, had a breakout hit with their 1963 cover of "Louie, Louie," cited as "punk rock's defining ur-text."[19] The minimalist sound of many garage rock bands was influenced by the harder-edged wing of the British Invasion. The Kinks' hit singles of 1964, "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night," have been described as "predecessors of the whole three-chord genre—the Ramones' 1978 'I Don't Want You,' for instance, was pure Kinks-by-proxy."[20] Though it had little impact on the American charts, The Who's mod anthem "My Generation" (1965), influenced by the Kinks,[21] presaged a more cerebral mix of musical ferocity and rebellious posture that would characterize much early British punk: John Reed describes The Clash's emergence as a "tight ball of energy with both an image and rhetoric reminiscent of a young Pete Townshend—speed obsession, pop-art clothing, art school ambition."[22] The Who and fellow mods The Small Faces were among the few rock elders acknowledged by the Sex Pistols.[23] By 1966, mod was already in decline. U.S. garage rock began to lose steam within a couple years, but the aggressive musical approach and outsider attitude of "garage psych" bands like The Seeds were picked up and emphasized by groups that would later be seen as the crucial figures of protopunk.
[edit] Protopunk
For more details on this topic, see Protopunk.
In 1969, debut albums by two Michigan-based bands appeared that are commonly regarded as the central protopunk records. In the spring, Detroit's MC5 released Kick Out the Jams. "Musically the group is intentionally crude and aggressively raw", wrote Rolling Stone critic Lester Bangs, who continued:
Most of the songs are barely distinguishable from each other in their primitive two-chord structures. You've heard all this before from such notables as the Seeds, Blue Cheer, Question Mark and the Mysterians, and the Kingsmen. The difference here...is in the hype, the thick overlay of teenage-revolution and total-energy-thing which conceals these scrapyard vistas of clichés and ugly noise.... "I Want You Right Now" sounds exactly (down to the lyrics) like a song called "I Want You" by the Troggs, a British group who came on with a similar sex-and-raw-sound image a couple of years ago (remember "Wild Thing"?)[24]
That summer, The Stooges, from Ann Arbor, premiered with a self-titled album. According to critic Greil Marcus, the band, led by singer Iggy Pop, created "the sound of Chuck Berry's Airmobile—after thieves stripped it for parts".[25] The album was produced by John Cale, a former member of New York's experimental rock group The Velvet Underground. Having earned a "reputation as the first underground rock band", VU would inspire, directly or indirectly, many of those involved in the creation of punk.[26]
On the East Coast, the New York Dolls updated the original wildness of 1950s rock 'n' roll in a fashion that would later become known as glam punk.[27] In Ohio, a small but influential underground rock scene emerged, led by Devo, The Electric Eels, and Rocket from the Tombs, who in 1975 split into Pere Ubu and The Dead Boys (the latter would move to New York and become part of the city's punk scene the following year). In London, the pub rock scene stripped the music back to its basics, and provided a grounding for many of the key players in the later punk explosion, including The Stranglers, Cock Sparrer, and Joe Strummer of The 101'ers, who would later be a founding member of The Clash.[28] Bands with a compatible sensibility were coming together as far afield as Düsseldorf, West Germany, where "punk before punk" band NEU! formed in 1971, building on the Krautrock tradition of groups such as Can.[29] A new generation of Australian garage rock bands, inspired mainly by the Stooges and MC5, was coming even closer to the sound that would soon be called "punk": In Brisbane, The Saints also recalled the raw live sound of the British Pretty Things, who had made a notorious tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1965.[30] Radio Birdman, founded by Detroit expatriate Deniz Tek in 1974, were playing gigs to a small but fanatical following in Sydney.
[edit] Origin of the term punk
Preceding the mid-1970s, punk, a centuries-old word of obscure etymology, was commonly used to describe "a young male hustler, a gangster, a hoodlum, or a ruffian".[31] As Legs McNeil explains, "On TV, if you watched cop shows, Kojak, Baretta, when the cops finally catch the mass murderer, they'd say, 'you dirty Punk.' It was what your teachers would call you. It meant that you were the lowest."[32] The term punk rock was apparently coined by rock critic Dave Marsh in a 1970 issue of Creem, where he used it to describe the sound and attitude of ? and the Mysterians.[33] In June 1972, the fanzine Flash included a "Punk Top Ten" of 1960s albums.[34] That year, Lenny Kaye used the term in the liner notes of the anthology album Nuggets to refer to 1960s garage rock bands such as The Standells, The Sonics, and The Seeds.[35] Bomp! maintained this usage through the early 1970s, also applying it to some of the darker, more primitive practitioners of 1960s psychedelic rock.[36]
By 1975, punk was being used to describe acts as diverse as the Patti Smith Group—with lead guitarist Lenny Kaye—the Bay City Rollers, and Bruce Springsteen.[36] As the scene at New York's CBGB club (popularly referred to as "CBGBs") attracted notice, a name was sought for the developing sound. Club owner Hilly Kristal called the movement "street rock"; John Holmstrom credits Aquarian magazine with using punk "to describe what was going on at CBGBs".[37] Holmstrom, McNeil, and Ged Dunn's magazine Punk, which debuted at the end of 1975, was crucial in codifying the term.[38] "It was pretty obvious that the word was getting very popular," Holmstrom later remarked. "We figured we'd take the name before anyone else claimed it. We wanted to get rid of the bullshit, strip it down to rock 'n' roll. We wanted the fun and liveliness back."[36]
[edit] Early history
[edit] New York
Music samples:
* "I Wanna Be Sedated" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones, from Road to Ruin (1978)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
* "Chinese Rocks" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Chinese Rocks" by Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, written by Dee Dee Ramone and Richard Hell, from L.A.M.F. (1977)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
The origins of New York's punk scene can be traced back to such sources as late 1960s trash culture and an early 1970s underground rock movement centered around the Mercer Arts Center in Greenwich Village, where the New York Dolls performed.[39] In 1974, the members of a band from Forest Hills, Queens, adopted a common surname. Drawing on such sources as the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Beach Boys, and 1960s girl groups, the Ramones condensed rock 'n' roll to its primal level: "'1-2-3-4!' bass-player Dee Dee Ramone shouted at the start of every song, as if the group could barely master the rudiments of rhythm".[40]
By the following year, they were playing regularly at the lower Manhattan club CBGB. "When I first saw the Ramones," critic Mary Harron later remembered, "I couldn't believe people were doing this. The dumb brattiness."[41] CBGB was already the regular venue for another band that played very loud, but much more complex music, Television. The band's bassist/singer, Richard Hell, created a look including "leather jackets, torn T-shirts, and short, ragamuffin hair" credited as the basis for punk visual style.[42] Early in 1975, Hell wrote "Blank Generation", the scene's emblematic anthem of escape; a recording of the song by Hell and a new band of his, The Voidoids, would first be released in 1976.[43] In August 1975, Television—with Fred Smith, former bassist for another CBGB band, Blondie, replacing Hell—privately recorded and released a single, "Little Johnny Jewel". As critic John Walker describes, the record is regarded as "a turning point for the whole New York scene" if not quite for the classic punk sound itself—Hell's departure left the band "significantly reduced in fringe aggression".[44] Yet another regular performer at the club was Patti Smith, a veteran of independent theater and performance poetry, who was developing an intellectual, feminist take on rock 'n' roll. Her debut album Horses, one of the seminal punk records, was produced by John Cale and released in November 1975.[45]
Facade of legendary music club CBGB, New York.
Facade of legendary music club CBGB, New York.
That same month, Sire Records released the first recording by the Ramones, the single "Blitzkrieg Bop". The inaugural issue of Punk appeared in December.[46] The new magazine tied together earlier artists such as Velvet Underground lead singer Lou Reed, the Stooges, and the New York Dolls with the array of new acts centered around the CBGB and Max's Kansas City venues: the Ramones, Television, The Heartbreakers (started in May 1975 by Richard Hell with former Dolls' guitarist Johnny Thunders, who would oust Hell early in 1976), Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, and others.[47] The term "punk" initially referred to the scene in general, more than the sound itself. The early New York punk bands represented a broad variety of influences; though the Ramones and Richard Hell's post-Television bands were establishing a distinct style, punk rock was not yet defined by the standards of minimalism, speed, and arrogance that later emerged.[48]
[edit] The UK and Australia
Music samples:
* Anarchy in the UK (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o "Anarchy in the U.K." by Sex Pistols, from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
* "Fast Cars" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o "Fast Cars" by Buzzcocks, from Another Music in a Different Kitchen (1978)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
After a brief period managing the New York Dolls, Englishman Malcolm McLaren returned to London in May 1975, inspired by the new scene he had witnessed at CBGB. He opened SEX, a clothing store which specialised in "anti-fashion", and sold the slashed T-shirts, drapes, brothel creepers and fetish gear later popularized by the punk movement.[49] He also began managing The Swankers, who would soon evolve into the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols developed an early cult following in London, centered on a clique known as the Bromley Contingent, named after the suburb where many of the fans had grown up.[50]
On July 4, 1976, the Ramones and the Stranglers opened for the Flamin' Groovies before a crowd of two thousand at London's Roundhouse.[51] The following night, members of the Sex Pistols and a new British punk band, The Clash, attended a Ramones club gig.[52] These concerts are seen as crucial in bringing together the nascent UK punk scene.[53] Over the next several months, many new punk bands formed, often directly inspired by the Sex Pistols.[54] In London, there were The Damned, The Vibrators, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Eater, The Subversives, The Adverts, the aptly named London, and Chelsea, which soon spun off Generation X. Farther afield, Sham 69 began practicing in the southeastern town of Hersham. In the Manchester area, the Buzzcocks and the group that would become Warsaw and later Joy Division came together. In Durham, there was Penetration. Some new bands, such as London's Alternative TV and Edinburgh's Rezillos, identified with the scene even as they pursued more experimental sounds. A few already active bands such as Surrey neo-mods The Jam and, particularly, pub rockers Cock Sparrer also became associated with the punk movement. Alongside the musical roots shared with their American counterparts and the calculated confrontationalism of the early Who, rock journalist Clinton Heylin describes how the scene also reflected the influence of the "glam bands who gave noise back to teenagers in the early Seventies—T.Rex, Slade and Roxy Music."[55]
At virtually the same time punk was starting to break in the UK, it was doing the same thing, albeit deeper underground, in Australia. Operating within a relatively limited sphere, some of the bands down under were amazed, or dismayed, to discover like-minded musicians exploring a similar path. Ed Kuepper of The Saints commented,
One thing I remember having had a really depressing effect on me was the first Ramones album. When I heard it [in 1976], I mean it was a great record...but I hated it because I knew we’d been doing this sort of stuff for years. There was even a chord progression on that album that we used...and I thought, "Fuck. We’re going to be labeled as influenced by the Ramones," when nothing could have been further from the truth.[56]
"Anarchy in the U.K.", the Sex Pistols' epochal debut single
"Anarchy in the U.K.", the Sex Pistols' epochal debut single
In September 1976, The Saints became the first punk band outside of the U.S. to release a recording, the single "(I'm) Stranded". It had limited impact at home, but the British music press recognized it as a groundbreaking record.[57] Radio Birdman soon came out with an EP, Burn My Eye, described by critic Ian McCaleb as the "archetype for the musical explosion that was about to occur".[58] On the other side of Australia, in Perth, germinal punk act the Cheap Nasties had also formed.
In October, The Damned became the first UK punk band to release a single, the classic "New Rose".[59] The Sex Pistols followed the next month with "Anarchy in the U.K." In December, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, and The Heartbreakers united for the Anarchy Tour, a series of gigs throughout the UK. Many of the shows were cancelled by venue owners after tabloid newspapers and other media seized on sensational reports about the antics of the bands and their fans.[60] One incident that month sealed punk's notorious reputation: On Thames Today, an early evening London TV show, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones was goaded into a verbal altercation by the host, Bill Grundy, and swore at him on live television, outraging a nation.[61]
[edit] The second wave
Music samples:
* "London Calling" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
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* "Outdoor Miner" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Outdoor Miner" by Wire, from Chairs Missing (1978)
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* "Holiday in Cambodia" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o "Holiday in Cambodia" by Dead Kennedys, from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
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As the punk rock movement expanded rapidly in Great Britain during 1976, a few bands sharing elements of the emerging style began to appear around the United States. By 1977, a second wave of the movement broke in both the UK and the U.S., as well as in Australia and Canada. These bands often sounded very different from each other, reflecting the highly eclectic state of punk music during the era.[62] Like their garage rock predecessors, they mostly operated within regional or entirely local scenes, facilitated by enthusiastic impresarios who operated clubs or organized gigs in whatever venues were available—schools, garages, warehouses—advertising via locally printed flyers and fanzines. This do-it-yourself ethic in many cases reflected an aversion to commercial success, as well as a desire to maintain creative and financial autonomy.[63]
A prolific California punk scene was beginning to develop as early as 1976. Among the original bands were The Weirdos, The Dils, The Screamers, The Dickies, X, The Go-Go's, The Zeros, and The Bags in Los Angeles,[64] and The Avengers, The Nuns, Crime, and Negative Trend in San Francisco.[65] In Washington, D.C., a scene arose around bands like Overkill, the Slickee Boys, Half Japanese, the Urban Verbs, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and White Boy. In the New York clubs where punk was born, the style began to cede ground to No Wave, though original punk bands like The Ramones continued to perform. The New Jersey-based Misfits emerged during this time and by 1978 developed a style that would be known as horror punk. In Canada, Toronto groups such as Teenage Head, The Diodes, The Viletones, The Demics, The Battered Wives, the all-female Curse, and The Government, along with Vancouver's The Skulls, Canadian Bush Party, and The Subhumans, popularized punk.
In 1978–79, with hardcore punk's emergence in Southern California and then Washington, D.C., a rivalry developed between adherents of the new sound and the older punk crowd. Hardcore, appealing to a younger, more suburban audience, was perceived by some as anti-intellectual, overly violent, and musically limited. In Los Angeles, the opposing factions were often referred to as "Hollywood punks" and "beach punks", referring to Hollywood's central position in the original L.A. punk scene and to hardcore's popularity in the shoreline communities of South Bay and Orange County.[66] As hardcore became the dominant punk style, many bands of the older California punk movement split up, though The Go-Go's (with a pop sound) and X went on to mainstream success.[67]
In Perth, Australia, The Victims became a short-lived leader on the scene, recording the classic "Television Addict". The Scientists, with vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Kim Salmon, soon became the local spearhead. The Last Words, Hellcats, and Psychosurgeons (later known as the Lipstick Killers) in Sydney; Razar, The Leftovers, and The Fun Things in Brisbane; and The Reals and The Babeez (later known as The News) in Melbourne were among the other bands constituting Australia's second wave. Melbourne's art rock–influenced Boys Next Door featured singer Nick Cave, who would shortly become one of the world's most celebrated post-punk artists.
Punk or post-punk? Wire's debut album, Pink Flag, released December 1977
Punk or post-punk? Wire's debut album, Pink Flag, released December 1977
Though punk was to remain largely an underground phenomenon in North America and Australia during the 1970s, in the UK it became a broad-based sensation.[68] The Clash's self-titled debut album, released in April 1977, reached number 12 on the UK charts. In May, the Sex Pistols achieved new heights of controversy (and number 2 on the singles chart) with "God Save the Queen". Many new groups emerged: Crass, from Essex, merged a vehement, straight-ahead punk style with a committed anarchist mission. Sham 69, London's Menace, and the Angelic Upstarts from South Shields in the Northeast combined a similarly stripped-down sound with populist lyrics, a style that became known as streetpunk. Employing a wider variety of tempos and more complex instrumentation, a number of bands in the British second wave infused punk with elements of synth and noise music.[69] London's Wire and Tubeway Army, Belfast's Stiff Little Fingers, and Dunfermline, Scotland's The Skids expresssed punk's energy and aggression, while expanding its musical palette.[70] Alongside thirteen original songs that would define classic punk, The Clash's debut had included a cover of the recent Jamaican reggae hit "Police and Thieves".[71] Other first wave bands such as The Slits and new entrants to the scene like The Ruts and The Police interacted with the reggae and ska subcultures, incorporating their rhythms and production styles. The punk phenomenon helped spark a full-fledged ska revival movement known as 2 Tone, centered around bands such as The Specials, The Beat, Madness, and The Selecter.[72] In August 1977, The Adverts had a top 20 hit with the single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes". In October, the Sex Pistols released their first and only "official" album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. Inspiring yet another round of controversy, it topped the British charts. In December, one of the first books about punk rock was published: The Boy Looked at Johnny, by Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons.[73] Declaring the punk movement to be already over, it was subtitled The Obituary of Rock and Roll. In January 1978, the Sex Pistols broke up while on American tour.
Meanwhile, punk scenes were emerging around the world. In West Germany, the Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) movement brought together a diverse audience. NDW started with both punk bands (Abwärts, DAF, Fehlfarben) and industrial rock groups (Einstürzende Neubauten), before going mainstream with acts like Ideal, Extrabreit, and Nena. For the first time since World War II, German bands were attracting a large audience of German youth, bringing Krautrock acts back to life and opening a market for protest singers and bands. These opposing factions were united by a feeling that rock 'n' roll had lost its anti-establishment edge since the late 1960s, and that punk rock was "'against the system' politically as well as musically."[74] In France, a scene evolved from a Parisian pre-punk subculture of Lou Reed fans calling themselves les punks,[75] coming together around bands such as Métal Urbain and Oberkampf. Punk scenes also grew in countries such as Belgium (The Kids, Chainsaw), the Netherlands (The Ex, God's Heart Attack), Japan (Gaseneta, Kadotani Michio), Switzerland (Kleenex), and Sweden (Ebba Grön).
[edit] Punk diversifies
Cover of The Clash album London Calling
Cover of The Clash album London Calling
As the early media hype surrounding punk ebbed in the late 1970s, the movement fragmented into a variety of derivative forms. The early unity between arty, middle-class bohemians and working-class punks began to fracture.[76] This led on one side to the rise of New Wave and post-punk; many such bands adopted more accessible musical styles and gained broad popularity, while some turned in an experimental direction. On the other side, hardcore punk, Oi!, and anarcho-punk bands—many with an explicit political agenda—became closely linked with underground cultures and spun off an array of subgenres.[77] Somewhere in between, pop punk groups created blends like that of the ideal record, as defined by Mekons cofounder Kevin Lycett: "a cross between Abba and the Sex Pistols".[78] A wide variety of other styles emerged, many of them fusions with long-established genres. Exemplifying the punk movement's broadening range was The Clash's album London Calling, released in December 1979. Combining punk with reggae, ska, R&B, and rockabilly, it would go on to be acclaimed as one of the best rock records of all time.[79]
[edit] New Wave
For more details on this topic, see New Wave music.
Music sample:
* "Rip Her To Shreds" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Rip Her to Shreds" by Blondie, from Blondie (1977)
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New Wave and its attendant subculture arose along with the earliest punk groups; indeed, "punk" and "New Wave" were initially interchangeable.[80] Over time, however, the terms began to acquire different meanings: bands such as Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo, and The Police that were broadening their instrumental palette, incorporating dance-oriented rhythms, and working with more polished production were called "New Wave" rather than "punk". Combining elements of early punk music and fashion with a far more pop-oriented and less "dangerous" style, New Wave artists such as The Cars and Elvis Costello became very popular on both sides of the Atlantic. New Wave became a catch-all term for mainstream punk-inspired music, encompassing disparate styles such as 2 Tone ska, the mod revival based around The Jam, the New Romantic phenomenon typified by Duran Duran, and synthpop groups like Depeche Mode. New Wave became a pop culture sensation with the debut of the cable television network MTV in 1981, which put many New Wave videos into regular rotation. However, the music was often derided at the time as being silly and disposable.[81]
[edit] Post-punk
For more details on this topic, see Post-punk.
Music sample:
* "Totally Wired" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Totally Wired" (single, 1980) by The Fall (reissued on later editions of Grotesque (After the Gramme))
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In the UK, a wide variety of post-punk bands emerged, including The Fall, Joy Division, Gang of Four, and Public Image Ltd. Some bands classified as post-punk, such as Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, had been active before the punk scene itself had coalesced;[82] others, such as The Slits and Siouxsie & The Banshees, transitioned from punk into post-punk. The music was often experimental, like that of the New Wave bands; defining them as "post-punk" was a sound that tended to be less pop and more dark and abrasive—sometimes verging on the atonal, as with Wire, and Subway Sect. Drawing inspiration from such art rock sources as Captain Beefheart, David Bowie, and Krautrock, post-punk also explored new lyrical approaches:[83] The Fall's Mark E. Smith wrote "oblique observations of Northern underclass grotesquerie".[84]
The influential post-punk band Joy Division
The influential post-punk band Joy Division
Post-punk brought together a new fraternity of musicians, journalists, managers, and entrepreneurs; the latter, notably Geoff Travis of Rough Trade and Tony Wilson of Factory, helped to develop the production and distribution infrastructure of the indie music scene that blossomed in the mid-1980s.[85] Smoothing the edges of their style in the direction of New Wave, a number of post-punk bands such as New Order (descended from Joy Division) and U2 crossed over to a mainstream U.S. audience. Others, like Gang of Four, The Raincoats and Throbbing Gristle, who had little more than cult followings at the time, are seen in retrospect as significant influences on modern popular culture.[86]
A number of U.S. artists were retrospectively defined as post-punk; Television's debut record Marquee Moon, released in 1977, is seen by many as the seminal album in the field.[87] The No Wave movement that developed in New York in the late 1970s, with artists like Lydia Lunch, is often treated as the phenomenon's U.S. parallel.[88] The later work of Ohio protopunk pioneers Pere Ubu is also commonly described as post-punk.[89] One of the most influential American post-punk bands was Boston's Mission of Burma, who brought abrupt rhythmic shifts derived from hardcore into a highly experimental musical context.[90] In 1980, Australia's Boys Next Door moved to London and changed their name to The Birthday Party, which would evolve into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. King Snake Roost and other Australian bands would further explore the possibilities of post-punk. Later art punk and alternative rock musicians would find diverse inspiration among these predecessors, New Wave and post-punk alike.
[edit] Hardcore
For more details on this topic, see Hardcore punk.
Music samples:
* "Pay to Cum" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Pay to Cum" by the Bad Brains from Pay to Cum single (1980)
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Hardcore punk, characterized by fast, aggressive beats and often politically aware lyrics, developed in the United States in the late 1970s.[91] According to author Steven Blush, "Hardcore comes from the bleak suburbs of America. Parents moved their kids out of the cities to these horrible suburbs to save them from the 'reality' of the cities and what they ended up with was this new breed of monster".[15] Hardcore was the American punk standard for much of the 1980s.[92]
Described by critic Jon Savage as "a rush of claustrophobic nihilism",[93] hardcore emerged in the southern California punk scene in 1978–79, followed shortly in Washington, D.C., and then spreading throughout North America and internationally.[94][95][96] Among the earliest hardcore bands, regarded as having made the first recordings in the style, were California's Black Flag and Middle Class.[95][96] Bad Brains and Teen Idles launched the D.C. scene.[94] They were soon joined by such bands as the Minutemen, The Descendents, Circle Jerks, The Adolescents, and TSOL in southern California, and D.C.'s Minor Threat and State of Alert. Some second wave punk bands, such as San Francisco's Dead Kennedys, redefined themselves as hardcore. A substantial New York hardcore scene emerged around 1981, led by bands such as Agnostic Front, The Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law and Sick Of It All.[97] Other major hardcore bands included Minneapolis's Hüsker Dü and Vancouver's D.O.A. By 1981, hardcore was the dominant punk style in California and much of the rest of North America.[98]
The lyrical content of hardcore songs, typified by Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia", is often critical of commercial culture and middle-class values.[96] Straight edge bands like Minor Threat, Boston's SS Decontrol, and Reno, Nevada's 7 Seconds rejected the self-destructive lifestyles of many of their peers, and built a movement based on positivity and abstinence from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.[99] In the early 1980s, bands from the American southwest and California such as JFA, Agent Orange, and The Faction helped create a rhythmically distinctive style of hardcore known as skate punk. Skate punk innovators also pointed in other directions: Austin, Texas's Big Boys helped establish funkcore, while Venice, California's Suicidal Tendencies had a formative effect on the metal-influenced crossover thrash style. Toward the end of the decade, crossover thrash spawned the metalcore fusion style and the superfast thrashcore subgenre developed in multiple locations.
[edit] Oi!
For more details on this topic, see Oi!.
Music samples:
* "Where Are They Now" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Where Are They Now" by Cock Sparrer, from Shock Troops (1982)
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* "Punks Not Dead" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o "Punks Not Dead" by The Exploited, from Punk's Not Dead (1981)
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Following the lead of such first-wave British punk bands as Cock Sparrer and Sham 69, in the late 1970s second-wave units like Cockney Rejects, Angelic Upstarts, The Exploited, and The 4-Skins sought to realign punk with a working class, street-level following.[100] Their style was originally called real punk or streetpunk; Sounds journalist Garry Bushell is credited with labelling the genre Oi! in 1980. The name is partly derived from the Cockney Rejects' habit of shouting "Oi! Oi! Oi!" before each song, instead of the time-honoured "1,2,3,4!"[101] Oi! band's lyrics sought to reflect the harsh realities of living in Margaret Thatcher's Britain in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[102] A subgroup of Oi! bands dubbed "punk pathetique"—including Splodgenessabounds, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, and Toy Dolls—had a more humorous and absurdist bent.
Cover art for The 4-Skins' The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins LP
Cover art for The 4-Skins' The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins LP
The Oi! movement was fueled by a sense that many participants in the early punk scene were, in the words of The Business guitarist Steve Kent, "trendy university people using long words, trying to be artistic...and losing touch".[103] The Oi! credo held that the music needed to remain unpretentious and accessible.[70] According to Bushell, "Punk was meant to be of the voice of the dole queue, and in reality most of them were not. But Oi was the reality of the punk mythology. In the places where [these bands] came from, it was harder and more aggressive and it produced just as much quality music."[104]
Most Oi! bands in the initial wave were apolitical or left wing.[105] However, many Oi! bands began to attract a Nazi skinhead following, even though the bands did not support their politics. Although racist skinheads sometimes disrupted Oi! concerts by shouting fascist slogans and starting fights, some Oi! bands were reluctant to endorse criticism of their fans from what they perceived as the "middle-class establishment".[106] In the popular imagination, the movement thus became associated with the far right.[107] On July 3, 1981, a concert at Hamborough Tavern in Southall featuring The Business, The 4-Skins, and The Last Resort was firebombed by local Asian youths who mistakenly believed that the event was a neo-Nazi gathering.[108] Following the Southall riot, press coverage increasingly associated Oi! with the extreme right, and the movement soon began to lose momentum.[109]
[edit] Anarcho-punk
For more details on this topic, see Anarcho-punk.
Crass were the originators of anarcho-punk. Their all-black militaristic dress became a staple of the genre.
Crass were the originators of anarcho-punk.[110] Their all-black militaristic dress became a staple of the genre.
Anarcho-punk developed alongside the Oi! and American hardcore movements. With a primitive, stripped-down musical style and ranting, shouted vocals, British bands such as Crass, Subhumans, Flux of Pink Indians, Conflict, Poison Girls, and The Apostles attempted to transform the punk rock scene into a full-blown anarchist movement. As with straight edge, anarcho-punk is based around a set of principles, including prohibitions on wearing leather, and promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet.[111]
The movement spun off several subgenres of a similar political bent. Discharge, founded back in 1977, established D-beat in the early 1980s. Other groups in the movement, led by Amebix and Antisect, developed the extreme style known as crust punk. Several of these bands rooted in anarcho-punk such as The Varukers, Discharge, and Amebix, along with former Oi! groups such as The Exploited and bands from father afield like Birmingham's Charged GBH, became the leading figures in the UK 82 hardcore movement. The anarcho-punk scene also spawned bands such as Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror that in the mid-1980s defined the heavily distorted grindcore style, a close relative of the early death metal sound.[112] The anarcho punk movement sprung up concurrently in the USA with bands such as Another Destructive System, MDC, the Dead Kennedy's and SST's The Treacherous Jaywalkers, just to name a few.. The PJD gang, in Pacific Palisades, California, hosted a number of bands active in Native American rights issues (Big Mountain) and nuclear proliferation concerns. PJD ran much of the far westside scene from 1983 to 1991, then disbanded.
[edit] Pop punk
For more details on this topic, see Pop punk.
With their love of the Beach Boys and late 1960s bubblegum pop, the Ramones paved the way to what would become known as pop punk.[113] In the late 1970s, UK bands such as Buzzcocks and The Undertones (the latter strongly influenced by glam rock) combined pop-style tunes and lyrical themes with punk's speed and chaotic edge.[114] In the early 1980s, some of the leading bands in southern California's hardcore punk scene emphasized a more melodic approach than was typical of their peers. According to music journalist Ben Myers, Bad Religion "layered their pissed off, politicized sound with the smoothest of harmonies"; Descendents "wrote almost surfy, Beach Boys–inspired songs about girls and food and being young(ish)".[115] Epitaph Records, founded by members of Bad Religion, was the base for many future pop punk bands, including NOFX, with their third wave ska–influenced skate punk rhythms. Bands that fused punk rock with light-hearted pop melodies, such as The Queers and Screeching Weasel, began appearing around the country, in turn influencing bands such as Green Day, who brought pop punk to the mainstream. Bands such as The Vandals and Guttermouth developed a style blending pop melodies with humorous and offensive lyrics. The mainstream pop punk of latter-day bands such as Blink-182 is criticized by many punk devotees; in critic Christine Di Bella's words, "It's punk taken to its most accessible point, a point where it barely reflects its lineage at all, except in the three-chord song structures."[116]
[edit] Other fusions and directions
From 1977 forward, punk crossed lines with many other popular music genres. Los Angeles punk bands laid the groundwork for a wide variety of styles: The Flesh Eaters with deathrock; The Plugz with Chicano punk; and Gun Club with punk blues. The Meteors, from South London, and The Cramps, from New York by way of Cleveland, were innovators in the psychobilly fusion style. Social Distortion, from southern California, helped spark the related punkabilly form. Milwaukee's Violent Femmes jumpstarted the American folk punk scene, while The Pogues did the same on the other side of the Atlantic, influencing many Celtic punk bands. The Mekons, from Leeds, combined their punk ethos with country music, greatly influencing the later alt-country movement. In the United States, varieties of cowpunk played by bands such as Nashville's Jason & the Scorchers and Arizona's Meat Puppets had a similar effect.
Other bands pointed punk toward future rock styles or its own foundations. New York's Suicide, who'd played with the New York Dolls at the Mercer Arts Center, and L.A.'s The Screamers and Nervous Gender were pioneers of synthpunk. Chicago's Big Black was a major influence on noise rock, math rock, and industrial rock. Garage punk bands from all over—such as Medway's Thee Mighty Caesars, Chicago's Dwarves, and Adelaide's Exploding White Mice—pursued a version of punk that was close to its roots in 1960s garage rock. Seattle's Mudhoney, one of the seminal grunge bands, has been described as "garage punk".[117]
[edit] Legacy and later developments
[edit] Alternative rock
For more details on this topic, see Alternative rock.
Music samples:
* "Celebrated Summer" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Celebrated Summer" by Hüsker Dü, from New Day Rising (1985)
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* "About a Girl" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "About a Girl" by Nirvana, from Bleach (1989)
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The underground punk movement produced countless bands that either evolved from a punk rock sound, or applied its spirit and DIY ethics to very different kinds of music. During the early 1980s, British bands like New Order and The Cure developed new musical styles based in post-punk and New Wave. American bands such as Hüsker Dü and their protégés The Replacements bridged the gap between punk genres like hardcore and the more expansive sound of what at the time was called "college rock".[118]
Sonic Youth performing in Stockholm in 2005
Sonic Youth performing in Stockholm in 2005
A 1985 Rolling Stone feature on the likes of Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, and The Replacements declared, "Primal punk is passé. The best of the American punk rockers have moved on. They have learned how to play their instruments. They have discovered melody, guitar solos and lyrics that are more than shouted political slogans. Some of them have even discovered the Grateful Dead."[119] By the end of the 1980s, these bands, who had largely eclipsed their punk forebears in popularity, were classified broadly as alternative rock. Alternative rock encompasses a diverse set of styles—including indie rock, gothic rock, and grunge, among others—unified by their debt to punk rock and their origins outside of the musical mainstream.[120]
As alternative bands like Sonic Youth, who had grown out of the No Wave scene, and Boston's Pixies started to gain larger audiences, major labels sought to capitalize on a market that had been building underground for the past ten years.[121] In 1991, Nirvana emerged out of Washington State's grunge music scene, achieving huge commercial success with their second album, Nevermind. The band cited punk as a key influence on their style.[122] "Punk is musical freedom," wrote singer Kurt Cobain. "It’s saying, doing, and playing what you want".[123] Nirvana's success fueled the alternative rock boom that had been underway since the late 1980s and helped define that segment of 1990s popular music.[120] The resulting shift in popular taste is chronicled in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke, which features Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, and Sonic Youth.[124]
[edit] Queercore and riot grrrl
For more details on these topics, see Queercore and Riot Grrrl.
In the 1990s, the queercore movement developed around a number of punk bands with gay members such as Fifth Column, God Is My Co-Pilot, Pansy Division, Team Dresch, and Sister George. Inspired by openly gay punk musicians of an earlier generation, queercore embraces a variety of punk and other alternative music styles. Queercore lyrics often treat the themes of prejudice, sexual identity, gender identity, and individual rights. The movement has continued to expand in the 2000s, supported by festivals such as Queeruption.
In 1991, a concert of female-led bands at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, heralded the emerging riot grrrl phenomenon. Billed as "Love Rock Revolution Girl Style Now", the concert's lineup included Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, L7, and Mecca Normal.[125] Bikini Kill's lead singer Kathleen Hanna, the iconic figure of riot grrrl, moved on to the electro art punk band Le Tigre. Singer-guitarists Corin Tucker of Heavens to Betsy and Carrie Brownstein of Excuse 17, a band active in both the queercore and riot grrrl scenes, later cofounded the celebrated indie/punk band Sleater-Kinney.
[edit] Emo
For more details on this topic, see Emo (music).
In its original incarnation, emo was a less musically restrictive style of punk developed by participants in the Washington, D.C., area hardcore scene in the mid-1980s. Notable early emo bands included Rites of Spring, Embrace, and One Last Wish. The term derived from the tendency of some of these bands' members to became strongly emotional during performances. In the mid-1990s, the influential band Fugazi, formed out of the dissolution of Embrace, set off a second, much broader based wave of emo bands. Groups like Antioch Arrow generated new, more intense subgenres like screamo, while Texas Is the Reason and others developed a more melodic style of emo, closer to indie rock. Bands such as Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate and Mesa, Arizona's Jimmy Eat World broke out of the underground; attracting national attention, they were soon branded with the "alternative rock" label. By the turn of the century, emo had arguably surpassed hardcore, its parent genre, as the roots-level standard for U.S. punk, though some underground music fans claim that typical latter-day emo bands barely qualify as punk at all.[126]
[edit] The punk revival
Along with Nirvana, many of the leading alternative rock artists of the early 1990s acknowledged earlier punk acts (both famous and obscure) as influences, helping to inspire a punk rock resurgence. In 1994, California punk bands like Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid and Bad Religion had substantial crossover success with the aid of MTV and popular radio stations like KROQ-FM.[127] Although Green Day and Bad Religion were already on major labels, indie record companies like Epitaph also benefited from punk's revival. Green Day and The Offspring's enormous commercial success paved the way for bankable pop punk bands such as Blink-182, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, and Sum 41 over the following decade. The Vans Warped Tour and the mall chain store Hot Topic brought punk even further into the U.S. cultural mainstream.
The Offspring in concert in 2001
The Offspring in concert in 2001
Following the lead of Boston's Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Long Beach, California's Sublime, ska punk and ska-core became widely popular in the late 1990s. The original 2 Tone bands had emerged amid punk rock's second wave, but their music was much closer to its Jamaican roots—"ska at 78 rpm."[128] Ska punk bands in the third wave of ska created a true musical fusion with punk and hardcore. The success of Rancid's 1995 album ...And Out Come the Wolves helped fuel this ska revival, and ska punk bands such as Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake continued to attract fans into the 2000s. Other bands with roots in hardcore, such as AFI, also had chart-topping records in the new millennium. Celtic punk, with bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys merging the sound of Oi! and The Pogues, reached broad audiences. The Australian punk rock tradition continued with groups such as Frenzal Rhomb, The Living End, and Bodyjar. A growing number of bands bridged the divide between punk and the rock styles it had originally rebelled against: "The Hold Steady, The Constantines, and...Call Me Lightning have drawn from punk and classic-rock history in equal doses, merging the former's spitfire energy with the latter's sense of larger-than-life grandeur."[129]
With punk's renewed visibilty came concerns among some in the punk community that the music was being co-opted by the mainstream.[127] Committed participants in the scene argued that by signing to major labels and appearing on MTV, punk bands like Green Day were buying into the system that punk was created to challenge.[130] Many punk fans "despise 'corporate punk rock', typified by bands such as Sum 41 and Blink 182".[131] Such controversies have been part of the punk phenomenon since The Clash were widely accused of "selling out" when they signed with CBS Records in 1977.[132] By the 1990s, punk rock was sufficiently ingrained in Western culture that punk trappings were often used to market highly commercial bands as "rebels". Marketers capitalized on the style and its connotations of hipness to such an extent that a 1993 ad campaign for an automobile, the Subaru Impreza, claimed that the car was "like punk rock".[133] Although the commercial mainstream has exploited many elements of punk, numerous underground punk scenes still exist around the world.
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Punk rock
Stylistic origins: Rock and roll - Rockabilly - Garage rock - Frat rock - Psychedelic rock - Pub rock - Glam rock - Protopunk
Cultural origins: mid-1970s United States, United Kingdom, and Australia
Typical instruments: Vocals - Guitar - Bass - Drums - occasional use of other instruments
Mainstream popularity: Topped charts in UK during late 1970s. International commercial success for pop punk and ska punk, mid-1990s–2000s.
Derivative forms: New Wave - Post-punk - Alternative rock - Emo
Subgenres
Anarcho-punk - Art punk - Garage punk - Gothic rock - Glam punk - Hardcore - Horror punk - Oi! - Riot Grrrl - Skate punk - Christian punk - Nazi punk
Fusion genres
Anti-folk - Celtic punk - Chicano punk - Cowpunk - Deathcountry - Deathrock - Folk punk - Pop punk - Psychobilly - Punkabilly - Punk blues - Ska punk - 2 Tone
Regional scenes
Argentina - Australia - Brazil - California - France - Germany - Uruguay - Yugoslavia
Other topics
DIY ethic - First wave punk - Queercore - Punk fashion - Punk forerunners - Punk ideologies - Punk movies - Punk fanzines - Punk subculture - Punk timeline - Second wave punk - List of punk bands
Punk rock is an anti-establishment rock music genre and movement that emerged in the mid-1970s. Preceded by a variety of protopunk music of the 1960s and early 1970s, punk rock developed between 1974 and 1977 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, where groups such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash were recognized as the vanguard of a new musical movement.
Punk bands, eschewing the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock, created short, fast, hard music, with stripped-down instrumentation and often political or nihilistic lyrics. The associated punk subculture expresses youthful rebellion, distinctive clothing styles, a variety of anti-authoritarian ideologies, and a DIY (do it yourself) attitude.
Punk rock became a major phenomenon in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s; its popularity elsewhere was more limited. During the 1980s, forms of punk rock emerged in small scenes around the world, often rejecting commercial success and association with mainstream culture. By the turn of the century, punk rock's legacy had led to the development of the alternative rock movement, and new punk bands popularized the genre decades after its first heyday.
Contents
* 1 Characteristics
* 2 Pre-history
o 2.1 Garage rock and mod
o 2.2 Protopunk
o 2.3 Origin of the term punk
* 3 Early history
o 3.1 New York
o 3.2 The UK and Australia
o 3.3 The second wave
* 4 Punk diversifies
o 4.1 New Wave
o 4.2 Post-punk
o 4.3 Hardcore
o 4.4 Oi!
o 4.5 Anarcho-punk
o 4.6 Pop punk
o 4.7 Other fusions and directions
* 5 Legacy and later developments
o 5.1 Alternative rock
o 5.2 Queercore and riot grrrl
o 5.3 Emo
o 5.4 The punk revival
* 6 See also
* 7 Footnotes
* 8 Bibliography
* 9 External links
[edit] Characteristics
Cover of the Ramones' critically acclaimed debut album
Cover of the Ramones' critically acclaimed debut album
The first wave of punk aimed to be aggressively modern, distancing itself from the bombast and sentimentality of early 1970s rock.[1] According to Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone, "In its initial form, a lot of [1960s] stuff was innovative and exciting. Unfortunately, what happens is that people who could not hold a candle to the likes of Hendrix started noodling away. Soon you had endless solos that went nowhere. By 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock 'n' roll".[2] John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk fanzine recalls feeling "punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock and roll, when to me and other fans, rock and roll meant this wild and rebellious music".[3] In critic Robert Christgau's description, "It was also a subculture that scornfully rejected the political idealism and Californian flower-power silliness of hippie myth".[4] Patti Smith, in contrast, suggests in the documentary 25 Years of Punk that the hippies and the punks were linked by a common anti-establishment mentality. In any event, some of punk's leading figures made a show of rejecting not only mainstream rock and the broader culture it was associated with, but their own most celebrated predecessors: "No Elvis, Beatles or Rolling Stones in 1977", declared The Clash.[5] That year, when punk broke nationwide in Great Britain, was to be both a musical and a cultural "Year Zero".[6] Even as nostalgia was discarded, many in the scene adopted a nihilistic attitude summed up by the Sex Pistols slogan "No Future".[7]
Punk bands often emulate the bare musical structures and arrangements of 1960s garage rock.[8] This emphasis on accessibility exemplifies punk's DIY aesthetic and contrasts with what those in the scene regarded as the ostentatious musical effects and technological demands of many mainstream rock bands of the early and mid-1970s.[9] A 1976 issue of the English punk fanzine Sideburns featured an illustration of three chords, captioned "This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band".[10]
UK punks, circa 1986
UK punks, circa 1986
Typical punk instrumentation includes one or two electric guitars, an electric bass, and a drum kit, along with vocals. In the early days of punk rock, musical virtuosity was often looked on with suspicion. According to Punk magazine founder John Holmstrom, punk was "rock and roll by people who didn't have very much skills as musicians but still felt the need to express themselves through music".[11]
Punk vocals sometimes sound nasal, and are often shouted instead of sung in a conventional sense. Complicated guitar solos are considered self-indulgent and unnecessary, although basic guitar breaks are common.[12] Guitar parts tend to include highly distorted power chords, although some punk bands have taken a surf rock approach with a lighter, twangier guitar tone. A wild, "gonzo" attack is sometimes employed, a style that stretches from Robert Quine, lead guitarist of seminal punk band The Voidoids, back through The Velvet Underground to the 1950s recordings of Ike Turner.[13] Bass guitar lines are often basic and used to carry the song's melody, although some punk bass players such as Mike Watt put greater emphasis on more technical bass lines. Bassists often use a plectrum rather than fingerpicking due to the rapid succession of notes, which makes fingerpicking impractical. Drums typically sound heavy and dry, and often have a minimal set-up. Production is minimalistic, with tracks sometimes laid down on home tape recorders.
Punk songs are normally between two and two and a half minutes long, though many last for less than a minute. Most early punk songs retained a traditional rock 'n' roll verse-chorus form and 4/4 time signature. However, second wave punk bands—including bands from both the post-punk and hardcore punk subgenres—often sought to break from that format. In hardcore, the drumming is considerably faster, with lyrics often half shouted over aggressive guitars.[14] In critic Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry. Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form".[15]
Punk lyrics are typically frank and confrontational, and often comment on social and political issues.[16] Trend-setting songs such as The Clash's "Career Opportunities" and Chelsea's "Right to Work" deal with unemployment, boredom, and other grim realities of urban life. The Sex Pistols songs "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the U.K." openly disparaged the British political system. There is also a strain of anti-romantic depictions of relationships and sex, exemplified by the The Voidoids' "Love Comes in Spurts". According to Search and Destroy founder V. Vale, "Punk was a total cultural revolt. It was a hardcore confrontation with the black side of history and culture, right-wing imagery, sexual taboos, a delving into it that had never been done before by any generation in such a thorough way."[17]
With Patti Smith as the groundbreaker, Siouxsie Sioux, The Slits, Pauline Murray, Nina Hagen, Gaye Advert, Poly Styrene, and other punk vocalists, songwriters, and instrumentalists introduced a new brand of femininity to rock music: "They adopted a tough, unladylike pose that borrowed more from the macho swagger of sixties garage bands than from the calculated bad-girl image of bands like The Runaways. They went beyond the leather outfits to the bondage gear of Sioux and the straight-from-the-gutter androgyny of Smith. They articulated a female rage that surpassed the anger of the women's movement of the sixties".[18]
The classic punk look among male musicians harkens back to the T-shirt, motorcycle jacket, and jeans ensemble favored by American greasers of the 1950s associated with the rockabilly scene and by British rockers of the 1960s. In the 1980s, tattoos and piercings became increasingly common among punk musicians and their fans.
[edit] Pre-history
[edit] Garage rock and mod
For more details on these topics, see Garage rock and Mod (lifestyle).
In the early and mid-1960s, garage rock bands that would come to be recognized as punk's progenitors began springing up in many different locations around North America. The Kingsmen, a garage band from Portland, Oregon, had a breakout hit with their 1963 cover of "Louie, Louie," cited as "punk rock's defining ur-text."[19] The minimalist sound of many garage rock bands was influenced by the harder-edged wing of the British Invasion. The Kinks' hit singles of 1964, "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night," have been described as "predecessors of the whole three-chord genre—the Ramones' 1978 'I Don't Want You,' for instance, was pure Kinks-by-proxy."[20] Though it had little impact on the American charts, The Who's mod anthem "My Generation" (1965), influenced by the Kinks,[21] presaged a more cerebral mix of musical ferocity and rebellious posture that would characterize much early British punk: John Reed describes The Clash's emergence as a "tight ball of energy with both an image and rhetoric reminiscent of a young Pete Townshend—speed obsession, pop-art clothing, art school ambition."[22] The Who and fellow mods The Small Faces were among the few rock elders acknowledged by the Sex Pistols.[23] By 1966, mod was already in decline. U.S. garage rock began to lose steam within a couple years, but the aggressive musical approach and outsider attitude of "garage psych" bands like The Seeds were picked up and emphasized by groups that would later be seen as the crucial figures of protopunk.
[edit] Protopunk
For more details on this topic, see Protopunk.
In 1969, debut albums by two Michigan-based bands appeared that are commonly regarded as the central protopunk records. In the spring, Detroit's MC5 released Kick Out the Jams. "Musically the group is intentionally crude and aggressively raw", wrote Rolling Stone critic Lester Bangs, who continued:
Most of the songs are barely distinguishable from each other in their primitive two-chord structures. You've heard all this before from such notables as the Seeds, Blue Cheer, Question Mark and the Mysterians, and the Kingsmen. The difference here...is in the hype, the thick overlay of teenage-revolution and total-energy-thing which conceals these scrapyard vistas of clichés and ugly noise.... "I Want You Right Now" sounds exactly (down to the lyrics) like a song called "I Want You" by the Troggs, a British group who came on with a similar sex-and-raw-sound image a couple of years ago (remember "Wild Thing"?)[24]
That summer, The Stooges, from Ann Arbor, premiered with a self-titled album. According to critic Greil Marcus, the band, led by singer Iggy Pop, created "the sound of Chuck Berry's Airmobile—after thieves stripped it for parts".[25] The album was produced by John Cale, a former member of New York's experimental rock group The Velvet Underground. Having earned a "reputation as the first underground rock band", VU would inspire, directly or indirectly, many of those involved in the creation of punk.[26]
On the East Coast, the New York Dolls updated the original wildness of 1950s rock 'n' roll in a fashion that would later become known as glam punk.[27] In Ohio, a small but influential underground rock scene emerged, led by Devo, The Electric Eels, and Rocket from the Tombs, who in 1975 split into Pere Ubu and The Dead Boys (the latter would move to New York and become part of the city's punk scene the following year). In London, the pub rock scene stripped the music back to its basics, and provided a grounding for many of the key players in the later punk explosion, including The Stranglers, Cock Sparrer, and Joe Strummer of The 101'ers, who would later be a founding member of The Clash.[28] Bands with a compatible sensibility were coming together as far afield as Düsseldorf, West Germany, where "punk before punk" band NEU! formed in 1971, building on the Krautrock tradition of groups such as Can.[29] A new generation of Australian garage rock bands, inspired mainly by the Stooges and MC5, was coming even closer to the sound that would soon be called "punk": In Brisbane, The Saints also recalled the raw live sound of the British Pretty Things, who had made a notorious tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1965.[30] Radio Birdman, founded by Detroit expatriate Deniz Tek in 1974, were playing gigs to a small but fanatical following in Sydney.
[edit] Origin of the term punk
Preceding the mid-1970s, punk, a centuries-old word of obscure etymology, was commonly used to describe "a young male hustler, a gangster, a hoodlum, or a ruffian".[31] As Legs McNeil explains, "On TV, if you watched cop shows, Kojak, Baretta, when the cops finally catch the mass murderer, they'd say, 'you dirty Punk.' It was what your teachers would call you. It meant that you were the lowest."[32] The term punk rock was apparently coined by rock critic Dave Marsh in a 1970 issue of Creem, where he used it to describe the sound and attitude of ? and the Mysterians.[33] In June 1972, the fanzine Flash included a "Punk Top Ten" of 1960s albums.[34] That year, Lenny Kaye used the term in the liner notes of the anthology album Nuggets to refer to 1960s garage rock bands such as The Standells, The Sonics, and The Seeds.[35] Bomp! maintained this usage through the early 1970s, also applying it to some of the darker, more primitive practitioners of 1960s psychedelic rock.[36]
By 1975, punk was being used to describe acts as diverse as the Patti Smith Group—with lead guitarist Lenny Kaye—the Bay City Rollers, and Bruce Springsteen.[36] As the scene at New York's CBGB club (popularly referred to as "CBGBs") attracted notice, a name was sought for the developing sound. Club owner Hilly Kristal called the movement "street rock"; John Holmstrom credits Aquarian magazine with using punk "to describe what was going on at CBGBs".[37] Holmstrom, McNeil, and Ged Dunn's magazine Punk, which debuted at the end of 1975, was crucial in codifying the term.[38] "It was pretty obvious that the word was getting very popular," Holmstrom later remarked. "We figured we'd take the name before anyone else claimed it. We wanted to get rid of the bullshit, strip it down to rock 'n' roll. We wanted the fun and liveliness back."[36]
[edit] Early history
[edit] New York
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The origins of New York's punk scene can be traced back to such sources as late 1960s trash culture and an early 1970s underground rock movement centered around the Mercer Arts Center in Greenwich Village, where the New York Dolls performed.[39] In 1974, the members of a band from Forest Hills, Queens, adopted a common surname. Drawing on such sources as the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Beach Boys, and 1960s girl groups, the Ramones condensed rock 'n' roll to its primal level: "'1-2-3-4!' bass-player Dee Dee Ramone shouted at the start of every song, as if the group could barely master the rudiments of rhythm".[40]
By the following year, they were playing regularly at the lower Manhattan club CBGB. "When I first saw the Ramones," critic Mary Harron later remembered, "I couldn't believe people were doing this. The dumb brattiness."[41] CBGB was already the regular venue for another band that played very loud, but much more complex music, Television. The band's bassist/singer, Richard Hell, created a look including "leather jackets, torn T-shirts, and short, ragamuffin hair" credited as the basis for punk visual style.[42] Early in 1975, Hell wrote "Blank Generation", the scene's emblematic anthem of escape; a recording of the song by Hell and a new band of his, The Voidoids, would first be released in 1976.[43] In August 1975, Television—with Fred Smith, former bassist for another CBGB band, Blondie, replacing Hell—privately recorded and released a single, "Little Johnny Jewel". As critic John Walker describes, the record is regarded as "a turning point for the whole New York scene" if not quite for the classic punk sound itself—Hell's departure left the band "significantly reduced in fringe aggression".[44] Yet another regular performer at the club was Patti Smith, a veteran of independent theater and performance poetry, who was developing an intellectual, feminist take on rock 'n' roll. Her debut album Horses, one of the seminal punk records, was produced by John Cale and released in November 1975.[45]
Facade of legendary music club CBGB, New York.
Facade of legendary music club CBGB, New York.
That same month, Sire Records released the first recording by the Ramones, the single "Blitzkrieg Bop". The inaugural issue of Punk appeared in December.[46] The new magazine tied together earlier artists such as Velvet Underground lead singer Lou Reed, the Stooges, and the New York Dolls with the array of new acts centered around the CBGB and Max's Kansas City venues: the Ramones, Television, The Heartbreakers (started in May 1975 by Richard Hell with former Dolls' guitarist Johnny Thunders, who would oust Hell early in 1976), Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, and others.[47] The term "punk" initially referred to the scene in general, more than the sound itself. The early New York punk bands represented a broad variety of influences; though the Ramones and Richard Hell's post-Television bands were establishing a distinct style, punk rock was not yet defined by the standards of minimalism, speed, and arrogance that later emerged.[48]
[edit] The UK and Australia
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After a brief period managing the New York Dolls, Englishman Malcolm McLaren returned to London in May 1975, inspired by the new scene he had witnessed at CBGB. He opened SEX, a clothing store which specialised in "anti-fashion", and sold the slashed T-shirts, drapes, brothel creepers and fetish gear later popularized by the punk movement.[49] He also began managing The Swankers, who would soon evolve into the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols developed an early cult following in London, centered on a clique known as the Bromley Contingent, named after the suburb where many of the fans had grown up.[50]
On July 4, 1976, the Ramones and the Stranglers opened for the Flamin' Groovies before a crowd of two thousand at London's Roundhouse.[51] The following night, members of the Sex Pistols and a new British punk band, The Clash, attended a Ramones club gig.[52] These concerts are seen as crucial in bringing together the nascent UK punk scene.[53] Over the next several months, many new punk bands formed, often directly inspired by the Sex Pistols.[54] In London, there were The Damned, The Vibrators, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Eater, The Subversives, The Adverts, the aptly named London, and Chelsea, which soon spun off Generation X. Farther afield, Sham 69 began practicing in the southeastern town of Hersham. In the Manchester area, the Buzzcocks and the group that would become Warsaw and later Joy Division came together. In Durham, there was Penetration. Some new bands, such as London's Alternative TV and Edinburgh's Rezillos, identified with the scene even as they pursued more experimental sounds. A few already active bands such as Surrey neo-mods The Jam and, particularly, pub rockers Cock Sparrer also became associated with the punk movement. Alongside the musical roots shared with their American counterparts and the calculated confrontationalism of the early Who, rock journalist Clinton Heylin describes how the scene also reflected the influence of the "glam bands who gave noise back to teenagers in the early Seventies—T.Rex, Slade and Roxy Music."[55]
At virtually the same time punk was starting to break in the UK, it was doing the same thing, albeit deeper underground, in Australia. Operating within a relatively limited sphere, some of the bands down under were amazed, or dismayed, to discover like-minded musicians exploring a similar path. Ed Kuepper of The Saints commented,
One thing I remember having had a really depressing effect on me was the first Ramones album. When I heard it [in 1976], I mean it was a great record...but I hated it because I knew we’d been doing this sort of stuff for years. There was even a chord progression on that album that we used...and I thought, "Fuck. We’re going to be labeled as influenced by the Ramones," when nothing could have been further from the truth.[56]
"Anarchy in the U.K.", the Sex Pistols' epochal debut single
"Anarchy in the U.K.", the Sex Pistols' epochal debut single
In September 1976, The Saints became the first punk band outside of the U.S. to release a recording, the single "(I'm) Stranded". It had limited impact at home, but the British music press recognized it as a groundbreaking record.[57] Radio Birdman soon came out with an EP, Burn My Eye, described by critic Ian McCaleb as the "archetype for the musical explosion that was about to occur".[58] On the other side of Australia, in Perth, germinal punk act the Cheap Nasties had also formed.
In October, The Damned became the first UK punk band to release a single, the classic "New Rose".[59] The Sex Pistols followed the next month with "Anarchy in the U.K." In December, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, and The Heartbreakers united for the Anarchy Tour, a series of gigs throughout the UK. Many of the shows were cancelled by venue owners after tabloid newspapers and other media seized on sensational reports about the antics of the bands and their fans.[60] One incident that month sealed punk's notorious reputation: On Thames Today, an early evening London TV show, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones was goaded into a verbal altercation by the host, Bill Grundy, and swore at him on live television, outraging a nation.[61]
[edit] The second wave
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As the punk rock movement expanded rapidly in Great Britain during 1976, a few bands sharing elements of the emerging style began to appear around the United States. By 1977, a second wave of the movement broke in both the UK and the U.S., as well as in Australia and Canada. These bands often sounded very different from each other, reflecting the highly eclectic state of punk music during the era.[62] Like their garage rock predecessors, they mostly operated within regional or entirely local scenes, facilitated by enthusiastic impresarios who operated clubs or organized gigs in whatever venues were available—schools, garages, warehouses—advertising via locally printed flyers and fanzines. This do-it-yourself ethic in many cases reflected an aversion to commercial success, as well as a desire to maintain creative and financial autonomy.[63]
A prolific California punk scene was beginning to develop as early as 1976. Among the original bands were The Weirdos, The Dils, The Screamers, The Dickies, X, The Go-Go's, The Zeros, and The Bags in Los Angeles,[64] and The Avengers, The Nuns, Crime, and Negative Trend in San Francisco.[65] In Washington, D.C., a scene arose around bands like Overkill, the Slickee Boys, Half Japanese, the Urban Verbs, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and White Boy. In the New York clubs where punk was born, the style began to cede ground to No Wave, though original punk bands like The Ramones continued to perform. The New Jersey-based Misfits emerged during this time and by 1978 developed a style that would be known as horror punk. In Canada, Toronto groups such as Teenage Head, The Diodes, The Viletones, The Demics, The Battered Wives, the all-female Curse, and The Government, along with Vancouver's The Skulls, Canadian Bush Party, and The Subhumans, popularized punk.
In 1978–79, with hardcore punk's emergence in Southern California and then Washington, D.C., a rivalry developed between adherents of the new sound and the older punk crowd. Hardcore, appealing to a younger, more suburban audience, was perceived by some as anti-intellectual, overly violent, and musically limited. In Los Angeles, the opposing factions were often referred to as "Hollywood punks" and "beach punks", referring to Hollywood's central position in the original L.A. punk scene and to hardcore's popularity in the shoreline communities of South Bay and Orange County.[66] As hardcore became the dominant punk style, many bands of the older California punk movement split up, though The Go-Go's (with a pop sound) and X went on to mainstream success.[67]
In Perth, Australia, The Victims became a short-lived leader on the scene, recording the classic "Television Addict". The Scientists, with vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Kim Salmon, soon became the local spearhead. The Last Words, Hellcats, and Psychosurgeons (later known as the Lipstick Killers) in Sydney; Razar, The Leftovers, and The Fun Things in Brisbane; and The Reals and The Babeez (later known as The News) in Melbourne were among the other bands constituting Australia's second wave. Melbourne's art rock–influenced Boys Next Door featured singer Nick Cave, who would shortly become one of the world's most celebrated post-punk artists.
Punk or post-punk? Wire's debut album, Pink Flag, released December 1977
Punk or post-punk? Wire's debut album, Pink Flag, released December 1977
Though punk was to remain largely an underground phenomenon in North America and Australia during the 1970s, in the UK it became a broad-based sensation.[68] The Clash's self-titled debut album, released in April 1977, reached number 12 on the UK charts. In May, the Sex Pistols achieved new heights of controversy (and number 2 on the singles chart) with "God Save the Queen". Many new groups emerged: Crass, from Essex, merged a vehement, straight-ahead punk style with a committed anarchist mission. Sham 69, London's Menace, and the Angelic Upstarts from South Shields in the Northeast combined a similarly stripped-down sound with populist lyrics, a style that became known as streetpunk. Employing a wider variety of tempos and more complex instrumentation, a number of bands in the British second wave infused punk with elements of synth and noise music.[69] London's Wire and Tubeway Army, Belfast's Stiff Little Fingers, and Dunfermline, Scotland's The Skids expresssed punk's energy and aggression, while expanding its musical palette.[70] Alongside thirteen original songs that would define classic punk, The Clash's debut had included a cover of the recent Jamaican reggae hit "Police and Thieves".[71] Other first wave bands such as The Slits and new entrants to the scene like The Ruts and The Police interacted with the reggae and ska subcultures, incorporating their rhythms and production styles. The punk phenomenon helped spark a full-fledged ska revival movement known as 2 Tone, centered around bands such as The Specials, The Beat, Madness, and The Selecter.[72] In August 1977, The Adverts had a top 20 hit with the single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes". In October, the Sex Pistols released their first and only "official" album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. Inspiring yet another round of controversy, it topped the British charts. In December, one of the first books about punk rock was published: The Boy Looked at Johnny, by Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons.[73] Declaring the punk movement to be already over, it was subtitled The Obituary of Rock and Roll. In January 1978, the Sex Pistols broke up while on American tour.
Meanwhile, punk scenes were emerging around the world. In West Germany, the Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) movement brought together a diverse audience. NDW started with both punk bands (Abwärts, DAF, Fehlfarben) and industrial rock groups (Einstürzende Neubauten), before going mainstream with acts like Ideal, Extrabreit, and Nena. For the first time since World War II, German bands were attracting a large audience of German youth, bringing Krautrock acts back to life and opening a market for protest singers and bands. These opposing factions were united by a feeling that rock 'n' roll had lost its anti-establishment edge since the late 1960s, and that punk rock was "'against the system' politically as well as musically."[74] In France, a scene evolved from a Parisian pre-punk subculture of Lou Reed fans calling themselves les punks,[75] coming together around bands such as Métal Urbain and Oberkampf. Punk scenes also grew in countries such as Belgium (The Kids, Chainsaw), the Netherlands (The Ex, God's Heart Attack), Japan (Gaseneta, Kadotani Michio), Switzerland (Kleenex), and Sweden (Ebba Grön).
[edit] Punk diversifies
Cover of The Clash album London Calling
Cover of The Clash album London Calling
As the early media hype surrounding punk ebbed in the late 1970s, the movement fragmented into a variety of derivative forms. The early unity between arty, middle-class bohemians and working-class punks began to fracture.[76] This led on one side to the rise of New Wave and post-punk; many such bands adopted more accessible musical styles and gained broad popularity, while some turned in an experimental direction. On the other side, hardcore punk, Oi!, and anarcho-punk bands—many with an explicit political agenda—became closely linked with underground cultures and spun off an array of subgenres.[77] Somewhere in between, pop punk groups created blends like that of the ideal record, as defined by Mekons cofounder Kevin Lycett: "a cross between Abba and the Sex Pistols".[78] A wide variety of other styles emerged, many of them fusions with long-established genres. Exemplifying the punk movement's broadening range was The Clash's album London Calling, released in December 1979. Combining punk with reggae, ska, R&B, and rockabilly, it would go on to be acclaimed as one of the best rock records of all time.[79]
[edit] New Wave
For more details on this topic, see New Wave music.
Music sample:
* "Rip Her To Shreds" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Rip Her to Shreds" by Blondie, from Blondie (1977)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
New Wave and its attendant subculture arose along with the earliest punk groups; indeed, "punk" and "New Wave" were initially interchangeable.[80] Over time, however, the terms began to acquire different meanings: bands such as Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo, and The Police that were broadening their instrumental palette, incorporating dance-oriented rhythms, and working with more polished production were called "New Wave" rather than "punk". Combining elements of early punk music and fashion with a far more pop-oriented and less "dangerous" style, New Wave artists such as The Cars and Elvis Costello became very popular on both sides of the Atlantic. New Wave became a catch-all term for mainstream punk-inspired music, encompassing disparate styles such as 2 Tone ska, the mod revival based around The Jam, the New Romantic phenomenon typified by Duran Duran, and synthpop groups like Depeche Mode. New Wave became a pop culture sensation with the debut of the cable television network MTV in 1981, which put many New Wave videos into regular rotation. However, the music was often derided at the time as being silly and disposable.[81]
[edit] Post-punk
For more details on this topic, see Post-punk.
Music sample:
* "Totally Wired" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Totally Wired" (single, 1980) by The Fall (reissued on later editions of Grotesque (After the Gramme))
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
In the UK, a wide variety of post-punk bands emerged, including The Fall, Joy Division, Gang of Four, and Public Image Ltd. Some bands classified as post-punk, such as Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, had been active before the punk scene itself had coalesced;[82] others, such as The Slits and Siouxsie & The Banshees, transitioned from punk into post-punk. The music was often experimental, like that of the New Wave bands; defining them as "post-punk" was a sound that tended to be less pop and more dark and abrasive—sometimes verging on the atonal, as with Wire, and Subway Sect. Drawing inspiration from such art rock sources as Captain Beefheart, David Bowie, and Krautrock, post-punk also explored new lyrical approaches:[83] The Fall's Mark E. Smith wrote "oblique observations of Northern underclass grotesquerie".[84]
The influential post-punk band Joy Division
The influential post-punk band Joy Division
Post-punk brought together a new fraternity of musicians, journalists, managers, and entrepreneurs; the latter, notably Geoff Travis of Rough Trade and Tony Wilson of Factory, helped to develop the production and distribution infrastructure of the indie music scene that blossomed in the mid-1980s.[85] Smoothing the edges of their style in the direction of New Wave, a number of post-punk bands such as New Order (descended from Joy Division) and U2 crossed over to a mainstream U.S. audience. Others, like Gang of Four, The Raincoats and Throbbing Gristle, who had little more than cult followings at the time, are seen in retrospect as significant influences on modern popular culture.[86]
A number of U.S. artists were retrospectively defined as post-punk; Television's debut record Marquee Moon, released in 1977, is seen by many as the seminal album in the field.[87] The No Wave movement that developed in New York in the late 1970s, with artists like Lydia Lunch, is often treated as the phenomenon's U.S. parallel.[88] The later work of Ohio protopunk pioneers Pere Ubu is also commonly described as post-punk.[89] One of the most influential American post-punk bands was Boston's Mission of Burma, who brought abrupt rhythmic shifts derived from hardcore into a highly experimental musical context.[90] In 1980, Australia's Boys Next Door moved to London and changed their name to The Birthday Party, which would evolve into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. King Snake Roost and other Australian bands would further explore the possibilities of post-punk. Later art punk and alternative rock musicians would find diverse inspiration among these predecessors, New Wave and post-punk alike.
[edit] Hardcore
For more details on this topic, see Hardcore punk.
Music samples:
* "Pay to Cum" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Pay to Cum" by the Bad Brains from Pay to Cum single (1980)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
Hardcore punk, characterized by fast, aggressive beats and often politically aware lyrics, developed in the United States in the late 1970s.[91] According to author Steven Blush, "Hardcore comes from the bleak suburbs of America. Parents moved their kids out of the cities to these horrible suburbs to save them from the 'reality' of the cities and what they ended up with was this new breed of monster".[15] Hardcore was the American punk standard for much of the 1980s.[92]
Described by critic Jon Savage as "a rush of claustrophobic nihilism",[93] hardcore emerged in the southern California punk scene in 1978–79, followed shortly in Washington, D.C., and then spreading throughout North America and internationally.[94][95][96] Among the earliest hardcore bands, regarded as having made the first recordings in the style, were California's Black Flag and Middle Class.[95][96] Bad Brains and Teen Idles launched the D.C. scene.[94] They were soon joined by such bands as the Minutemen, The Descendents, Circle Jerks, The Adolescents, and TSOL in southern California, and D.C.'s Minor Threat and State of Alert. Some second wave punk bands, such as San Francisco's Dead Kennedys, redefined themselves as hardcore. A substantial New York hardcore scene emerged around 1981, led by bands such as Agnostic Front, The Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law and Sick Of It All.[97] Other major hardcore bands included Minneapolis's Hüsker Dü and Vancouver's D.O.A. By 1981, hardcore was the dominant punk style in California and much of the rest of North America.[98]
The lyrical content of hardcore songs, typified by Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia", is often critical of commercial culture and middle-class values.[96] Straight edge bands like Minor Threat, Boston's SS Decontrol, and Reno, Nevada's 7 Seconds rejected the self-destructive lifestyles of many of their peers, and built a movement based on positivity and abstinence from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.[99] In the early 1980s, bands from the American southwest and California such as JFA, Agent Orange, and The Faction helped create a rhythmically distinctive style of hardcore known as skate punk. Skate punk innovators also pointed in other directions: Austin, Texas's Big Boys helped establish funkcore, while Venice, California's Suicidal Tendencies had a formative effect on the metal-influenced crossover thrash style. Toward the end of the decade, crossover thrash spawned the metalcore fusion style and the superfast thrashcore subgenre developed in multiple locations.
[edit] Oi!
For more details on this topic, see Oi!.
Music samples:
* "Where Are They Now" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Where Are They Now" by Cock Sparrer, from Shock Troops (1982)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
* "Punks Not Dead" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o "Punks Not Dead" by The Exploited, from Punk's Not Dead (1981)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
Following the lead of such first-wave British punk bands as Cock Sparrer and Sham 69, in the late 1970s second-wave units like Cockney Rejects, Angelic Upstarts, The Exploited, and The 4-Skins sought to realign punk with a working class, street-level following.[100] Their style was originally called real punk or streetpunk; Sounds journalist Garry Bushell is credited with labelling the genre Oi! in 1980. The name is partly derived from the Cockney Rejects' habit of shouting "Oi! Oi! Oi!" before each song, instead of the time-honoured "1,2,3,4!"[101] Oi! band's lyrics sought to reflect the harsh realities of living in Margaret Thatcher's Britain in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[102] A subgroup of Oi! bands dubbed "punk pathetique"—including Splodgenessabounds, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, and Toy Dolls—had a more humorous and absurdist bent.
Cover art for The 4-Skins' The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins LP
Cover art for The 4-Skins' The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins LP
The Oi! movement was fueled by a sense that many participants in the early punk scene were, in the words of The Business guitarist Steve Kent, "trendy university people using long words, trying to be artistic...and losing touch".[103] The Oi! credo held that the music needed to remain unpretentious and accessible.[70] According to Bushell, "Punk was meant to be of the voice of the dole queue, and in reality most of them were not. But Oi was the reality of the punk mythology. In the places where [these bands] came from, it was harder and more aggressive and it produced just as much quality music."[104]
Most Oi! bands in the initial wave were apolitical or left wing.[105] However, many Oi! bands began to attract a Nazi skinhead following, even though the bands did not support their politics. Although racist skinheads sometimes disrupted Oi! concerts by shouting fascist slogans and starting fights, some Oi! bands were reluctant to endorse criticism of their fans from what they perceived as the "middle-class establishment".[106] In the popular imagination, the movement thus became associated with the far right.[107] On July 3, 1981, a concert at Hamborough Tavern in Southall featuring The Business, The 4-Skins, and The Last Resort was firebombed by local Asian youths who mistakenly believed that the event was a neo-Nazi gathering.[108] Following the Southall riot, press coverage increasingly associated Oi! with the extreme right, and the movement soon began to lose momentum.[109]
[edit] Anarcho-punk
For more details on this topic, see Anarcho-punk.
Crass were the originators of anarcho-punk. Their all-black militaristic dress became a staple of the genre.
Crass were the originators of anarcho-punk.[110] Their all-black militaristic dress became a staple of the genre.
Anarcho-punk developed alongside the Oi! and American hardcore movements. With a primitive, stripped-down musical style and ranting, shouted vocals, British bands such as Crass, Subhumans, Flux of Pink Indians, Conflict, Poison Girls, and The Apostles attempted to transform the punk rock scene into a full-blown anarchist movement. As with straight edge, anarcho-punk is based around a set of principles, including prohibitions on wearing leather, and promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet.[111]
The movement spun off several subgenres of a similar political bent. Discharge, founded back in 1977, established D-beat in the early 1980s. Other groups in the movement, led by Amebix and Antisect, developed the extreme style known as crust punk. Several of these bands rooted in anarcho-punk such as The Varukers, Discharge, and Amebix, along with former Oi! groups such as The Exploited and bands from father afield like Birmingham's Charged GBH, became the leading figures in the UK 82 hardcore movement. The anarcho-punk scene also spawned bands such as Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror that in the mid-1980s defined the heavily distorted grindcore style, a close relative of the early death metal sound.[112] The anarcho punk movement sprung up concurrently in the USA with bands such as Another Destructive System, MDC, the Dead Kennedy's and SST's The Treacherous Jaywalkers, just to name a few.. The PJD gang, in Pacific Palisades, California, hosted a number of bands active in Native American rights issues (Big Mountain) and nuclear proliferation concerns. PJD ran much of the far westside scene from 1983 to 1991, then disbanded.
[edit] Pop punk
For more details on this topic, see Pop punk.
With their love of the Beach Boys and late 1960s bubblegum pop, the Ramones paved the way to what would become known as pop punk.[113] In the late 1970s, UK bands such as Buzzcocks and The Undertones (the latter strongly influenced by glam rock) combined pop-style tunes and lyrical themes with punk's speed and chaotic edge.[114] In the early 1980s, some of the leading bands in southern California's hardcore punk scene emphasized a more melodic approach than was typical of their peers. According to music journalist Ben Myers, Bad Religion "layered their pissed off, politicized sound with the smoothest of harmonies"; Descendents "wrote almost surfy, Beach Boys–inspired songs about girls and food and being young(ish)".[115] Epitaph Records, founded by members of Bad Religion, was the base for many future pop punk bands, including NOFX, with their third wave ska–influenced skate punk rhythms. Bands that fused punk rock with light-hearted pop melodies, such as The Queers and Screeching Weasel, began appearing around the country, in turn influencing bands such as Green Day, who brought pop punk to the mainstream. Bands such as The Vandals and Guttermouth developed a style blending pop melodies with humorous and offensive lyrics. The mainstream pop punk of latter-day bands such as Blink-182 is criticized by many punk devotees; in critic Christine Di Bella's words, "It's punk taken to its most accessible point, a point where it barely reflects its lineage at all, except in the three-chord song structures."[116]
[edit] Other fusions and directions
From 1977 forward, punk crossed lines with many other popular music genres. Los Angeles punk bands laid the groundwork for a wide variety of styles: The Flesh Eaters with deathrock; The Plugz with Chicano punk; and Gun Club with punk blues. The Meteors, from South London, and The Cramps, from New York by way of Cleveland, were innovators in the psychobilly fusion style. Social Distortion, from southern California, helped spark the related punkabilly form. Milwaukee's Violent Femmes jumpstarted the American folk punk scene, while The Pogues did the same on the other side of the Atlantic, influencing many Celtic punk bands. The Mekons, from Leeds, combined their punk ethos with country music, greatly influencing the later alt-country movement. In the United States, varieties of cowpunk played by bands such as Nashville's Jason & the Scorchers and Arizona's Meat Puppets had a similar effect.
Other bands pointed punk toward future rock styles or its own foundations. New York's Suicide, who'd played with the New York Dolls at the Mercer Arts Center, and L.A.'s The Screamers and Nervous Gender were pioneers of synthpunk. Chicago's Big Black was a major influence on noise rock, math rock, and industrial rock. Garage punk bands from all over—such as Medway's Thee Mighty Caesars, Chicago's Dwarves, and Adelaide's Exploding White Mice—pursued a version of punk that was close to its roots in 1960s garage rock. Seattle's Mudhoney, one of the seminal grunge bands, has been described as "garage punk".[117]
[edit] Legacy and later developments
[edit] Alternative rock
For more details on this topic, see Alternative rock.
Music samples:
* "Celebrated Summer" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "Celebrated Summer" by Hüsker Dü, from New Day Rising (1985)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
* "About a Girl" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Sample of "About a Girl" by Nirvana, from Bleach (1989)
o Problems listening to the file? See media help.
The underground punk movement produced countless bands that either evolved from a punk rock sound, or applied its spirit and DIY ethics to very different kinds of music. During the early 1980s, British bands like New Order and The Cure developed new musical styles based in post-punk and New Wave. American bands such as Hüsker Dü and their protégés The Replacements bridged the gap between punk genres like hardcore and the more expansive sound of what at the time was called "college rock".[118]
Sonic Youth performing in Stockholm in 2005
Sonic Youth performing in Stockholm in 2005
A 1985 Rolling Stone feature on the likes of Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, and The Replacements declared, "Primal punk is passé. The best of the American punk rockers have moved on. They have learned how to play their instruments. They have discovered melody, guitar solos and lyrics that are more than shouted political slogans. Some of them have even discovered the Grateful Dead."[119] By the end of the 1980s, these bands, who had largely eclipsed their punk forebears in popularity, were classified broadly as alternative rock. Alternative rock encompasses a diverse set of styles—including indie rock, gothic rock, and grunge, among others—unified by their debt to punk rock and their origins outside of the musical mainstream.[120]
As alternative bands like Sonic Youth, who had grown out of the No Wave scene, and Boston's Pixies started to gain larger audiences, major labels sought to capitalize on a market that had been building underground for the past ten years.[121] In 1991, Nirvana emerged out of Washington State's grunge music scene, achieving huge commercial success with their second album, Nevermind. The band cited punk as a key influence on their style.[122] "Punk is musical freedom," wrote singer Kurt Cobain. "It’s saying, doing, and playing what you want".[123] Nirvana's success fueled the alternative rock boom that had been underway since the late 1980s and helped define that segment of 1990s popular music.[120] The resulting shift in popular taste is chronicled in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke, which features Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, and Sonic Youth.[124]
[edit] Queercore and riot grrrl
For more details on these topics, see Queercore and Riot Grrrl.
In the 1990s, the queercore movement developed around a number of punk bands with gay members such as Fifth Column, God Is My Co-Pilot, Pansy Division, Team Dresch, and Sister George. Inspired by openly gay punk musicians of an earlier generation, queercore embraces a variety of punk and other alternative music styles. Queercore lyrics often treat the themes of prejudice, sexual identity, gender identity, and individual rights. The movement has continued to expand in the 2000s, supported by festivals such as Queeruption.
In 1991, a concert of female-led bands at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, heralded the emerging riot grrrl phenomenon. Billed as "Love Rock Revolution Girl Style Now", the concert's lineup included Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, L7, and Mecca Normal.[125] Bikini Kill's lead singer Kathleen Hanna, the iconic figure of riot grrrl, moved on to the electro art punk band Le Tigre. Singer-guitarists Corin Tucker of Heavens to Betsy and Carrie Brownstein of Excuse 17, a band active in both the queercore and riot grrrl scenes, later cofounded the celebrated indie/punk band Sleater-Kinney.
[edit] Emo
For more details on this topic, see Emo (music).
In its original incarnation, emo was a less musically restrictive style of punk developed by participants in the Washington, D.C., area hardcore scene in the mid-1980s. Notable early emo bands included Rites of Spring, Embrace, and One Last Wish. The term derived from the tendency of some of these bands' members to became strongly emotional during performances. In the mid-1990s, the influential band Fugazi, formed out of the dissolution of Embrace, set off a second, much broader based wave of emo bands. Groups like Antioch Arrow generated new, more intense subgenres like screamo, while Texas Is the Reason and others developed a more melodic style of emo, closer to indie rock. Bands such as Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate and Mesa, Arizona's Jimmy Eat World broke out of the underground; attracting national attention, they were soon branded with the "alternative rock" label. By the turn of the century, emo had arguably surpassed hardcore, its parent genre, as the roots-level standard for U.S. punk, though some underground music fans claim that typical latter-day emo bands barely qualify as punk at all.[126]
[edit] The punk revival
Along with Nirvana, many of the leading alternative rock artists of the early 1990s acknowledged earlier punk acts (both famous and obscure) as influences, helping to inspire a punk rock resurgence. In 1994, California punk bands like Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid and Bad Religion had substantial crossover success with the aid of MTV and popular radio stations like KROQ-FM.[127] Although Green Day and Bad Religion were already on major labels, indie record companies like Epitaph also benefited from punk's revival. Green Day and The Offspring's enormous commercial success paved the way for bankable pop punk bands such as Blink-182, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, and Sum 41 over the following decade. The Vans Warped Tour and the mall chain store Hot Topic brought punk even further into the U.S. cultural mainstream.
The Offspring in concert in 2001
The Offspring in concert in 2001
Following the lead of Boston's Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Long Beach, California's Sublime, ska punk and ska-core became widely popular in the late 1990s. The original 2 Tone bands had emerged amid punk rock's second wave, but their music was much closer to its Jamaican roots—"ska at 78 rpm."[128] Ska punk bands in the third wave of ska created a true musical fusion with punk and hardcore. The success of Rancid's 1995 album ...And Out Come the Wolves helped fuel this ska revival, and ska punk bands such as Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake continued to attract fans into the 2000s. Other bands with roots in hardcore, such as AFI, also had chart-topping records in the new millennium. Celtic punk, with bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys merging the sound of Oi! and The Pogues, reached broad audiences. The Australian punk rock tradition continued with groups such as Frenzal Rhomb, The Living End, and Bodyjar. A growing number of bands bridged the divide between punk and the rock styles it had originally rebelled against: "The Hold Steady, The Constantines, and...Call Me Lightning have drawn from punk and classic-rock history in equal doses, merging the former's spitfire energy with the latter's sense of larger-than-life grandeur."[129]
With punk's renewed visibilty came concerns among some in the punk community that the music was being co-opted by the mainstream.[127] Committed participants in the scene argued that by signing to major labels and appearing on MTV, punk bands like Green Day were buying into the system that punk was created to challenge.[130] Many punk fans "despise 'corporate punk rock', typified by bands such as Sum 41 and Blink 182".[131] Such controversies have been part of the punk phenomenon since The Clash were widely accused of "selling out" when they signed with CBS Records in 1977.[132] By the 1990s, punk rock was sufficiently ingrained in Western culture that punk trappings were often used to market highly commercial bands as "rebels". Marketers capitalized on the style and its connotations of hipness to such an extent that a 1993 ad campaign for an automobile, the Subaru Impreza, claimed that the car was "like punk rock".[133] Although the commercial mainstream has exploited many elements of punk, numerous underground punk scenes still exist around the world.
Simple Plan - Anything
Simple Plan is a French Canadian pop punk band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band has released two original albums: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002) and Still Not Getting Any... (2004); as well as two live albums: Live In Japan 2002 (2003) and MTV Hard Rock Live (2005).
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Formation (1995-2002)
o 1.2 No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002-2004)
o 1.3 Still Not Getting Any... (2004-2006)
o 1.4 Next studio album (2006-present)
* 2 Side Projects
o 2.1 Simple Plan Foundation
o 2.2 Damage Control
o 2.3 Man of The Hour
o 2.4 Role Model Clothing
* 3 Miscellaneous
o 3.1 Patrick Langlois
o 3.2 Affiliation with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"
o 3.3 MYplash
* 4 Musical style
* 5 Criticisms
* 6 Discography
o 6.1 Studio albums
o 6.2 Live albums & EPs
o 6.3 Singles
o 6.4 Soundtracks
o 6.5 Other releases
* 7 References
* 8 External links
History
Formation (1995-2002)
Simple Plan began in 1995 with the formation of a band named Reset by high-school friends Pierre Bouvier, Charles-André (Chuck) Comeau and Adrian White.[1] Reset toured around Canada with bands such as MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face, but only managed to gain modest popularity.[1] The debut album, No Worries, was released in 1997, and Comeau left soon after to go to college.[1] Two years later he met with high school friends Jean-François (Jeff) Stinco and Sébastien (Seb) Lefebvre who were in seperate bands of their own, and combined to create the band.[1] In late 1999, Comeau and Bouvier reacquainted at a Sugar Ray concert[1] and Bouvier left Reset soon after to join Comeau. David Desrosiers replaced Bouvier in Reset, but when asked to join the foursome, he too left the band.[1] This allowed Bouvier, who had doubled as the band's front man and bassist, to concentrate on the singing.[1]
The source of the band's name is obscure. Band members have given various responses on this point, including a liking for the movie A Simple Plan; that the band was their simple plan to avoid getting a "real" job; and that the name was only intended to be temporary, but they never thought of anything better, and with shows coming up for the new band, they needed a name.
No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002-2004)
In 2002, Simple Plan released their first studio album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls which led to the singles, "I'm Just a Kid", "I'd Do Anything", "Addicted", and "Perfect". Simple Plan is noted as saying that they were aiming at a pure pop-punk record.[2] The name of the CD echoes the popular tag line for the sport of rugby, "No pads, no helmets, no pussies."
The record was originally released in the United States with twelve tracks, ending with "Perfect". Enhanced and foreign editions came in many different versions with slightly different track listings. For example, the U.S. release contained the extra songs "Grow Up", and "My Christmas List", while the UK release contained the extra songs "American Jesus" (a live version of a cover of a Bad Religion song), as well as the two music videos, "I'd Do Anything" and "I'm Just a Kid".
The record also contained vocals from singers from other pop-punk bands as "I'd Do Anything" included vocals by Mark Hoppus from blink-182, and "You Don't Mean Anything" included vocals by Joel Madden from Good Charlotte.
In 2002, the year Simple Plan released the album, Simple Plan played more than 300 shows, topped the Alternative New Artist Chart, and played a sold out tour in Japan.[3] In 2003, the band played as a headliner on the Vans Warped Tour. The same year, they opened for Avril Lavigne on her "Try To Shut Me Up" Tour.[3] In addition to several headlining tours, they have also opened for Green Day and Good Charlotte.[3]
Still Not Getting Any... (2004-2006)
In 2004, Simple Plan released their second studio album, Still Not Getting Any... which led to the singles, "Welcome to My Life", "Shut Up!", "Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me)", and "Crazy".
As mentioned before, when writing "No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls", the members of Simple Plan were aiming at a pure pop-punk record. This time however, when writing "Still Not Getting Any...", the members of Simple Plan were noted as saying that they were not limiting themselves to the punk genre, but rather letting themselves write "good music".[2]
According to the bonus DVD of Still Not Getting Any..., while making the CD the members of Simple Plan thought of many names including "Get Rich or Die Trying" and "Danger Zone". They decided on the name Still Not Getting Any... for a list of explained reasons. The most popular and most likely reason is because the members of Simple Plan thought that they weren't getting any good reviews, Bouvier once noting that they only had one recent good review in Alternative Press. Another reason may be because they were still not getting any respect. There are many more variations the band members have given, as anything can really be put after the ellipsis, including "better", "smarter", "funnier", and the obvious sexual connotation. Comeau once described the name of the album as "versatile".
"Still Not Getting Any..." showed a dramatic change in Simple Plan's style as well. They still kept their style of downbeat lyrics matched to upbeat music, but managed to transcend from the standard pop-punk genre. Although many of the tracks on this CD still carry the feeling of teen angst that is probably most noticeable in the song "I'm Just a Kid" from the first album No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, the general slant of this album tends toward slightly deeper and more mature lyrical themes, as well as a more mainstream sound that edges away from the pure pop-punk style of their last album. Some critics have pointed towards the inclusion of 'classic' or 'mainstream' rock elements, claiming the album 'de-emphasizes punk-pop hyperactivity in favor of straightforward, well-crafted modern rock'.[4]
In 2005, Simple Plan also released the live album, MTV Hard Rock Live, which contained songs from both the previous albums.[5] The album came in two different versions — a standard one, and a fan pack edition.[6] The standard edition included audio of the whole performance, an acoustic version of Crazy, two live videos of the performance of the first two songs "Jump" and "Shut Up!" and a small booklet of pictures of the performance.[6] The fan pack edition which contained audio and video of the whole performance in 5.1 surround sound, three acoustic tracks for "Crazy", "Welcome To My Life", and "Perfect", a 32-page color tour book, and an exclusive Simple Plan patch and pin.[6]
Next studio album (2006-present)
Since February 2006, the band has not undertaken any significant tours, and has begun work on their third CD. The working titles of four new songs are "Take My Hand", "Never Should've Let You Go", "Forever", and "Time to Say Goodbye". As announced in Bouvier's official Myspace blog, Bouvier headed to Miami as on about March 21 to work with an unnamed producer, who later proved to be Dave Fortman, who will be producing the CD.
"(I)t's something totally different that we're trying out. You know we figured this is our third album now and we needed to try stuff... just for ourselves, to keep it fresh and fun. Honestly I don't really know how its gonna turn out but I have a really good feeling!" — Bouvier
The band was to enter the studio for pre-production in Los Angeles on June 29, and the following day did a vlog with all members, Langlois, and Fortman.
Side Projects
In addition to their involvement in the band, members of Simple Plan have been involved in a number of side projects.
Simple Plan Foundation
The members of Simple Plan have helped nonprofit and advocacy groups by donating to many established organizations such as the MTV Asia Aid benefit, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), RADD (Rock Against Drinking and Driving), and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, after being frustrated because the members did not know exactly where their money was going to, the Simple Plan members created the Simple Plan Foundation,[7] a foundation that focuses on teen problems ranging from suicide to poverty to drug addiction.[7][8] As of Dec 09, 2005, the Simple Plan Foundation had raised more than $100,000.[7] The list of donors included venues on their November-December 2005 Canadian tour. No information regarding the foundation's activities has been released since then.
Damage Control
Damage Control was a reality television series hosted by Bouvier that first aired on MTV on March 6, 2005. On Damage Control, parents would tell their teenage son or daughter that they would be going away over the weekend, but in actuality, they are just a few houses down monitoring them with Bouvier via hidden cameras and microphones. The teenager would be placed in awkward situations, in which he/she must make decisions. Parents can earn money if they can guess what their teenager will do, and after the parents come back (usually at the worst possible moment), the teenager, still unaware of the filming, can earn money by confessing. Two seasons were filmed before any episodes aired, and no more were planned or filmed, due to the likelihood that once the episodes aired, potential subjects would quickly catch on to what was going on.
Man of The Hour
Man Of The Hour is a Simple Plan side project that features Sébastien Lefevbre and Patrick Langlois. It began as a clothing company, but has since developed into an internet radio show called "Man of the Hour Hour," which is hosted on idobi radio. The show can be heard on Thursdays, and can be downloaded as a podcast the following Monday.
Role Model Clothing
Role Model Clothing is a clothing line owned by Bouvier, Comeau (who are often seen wearing the shirts on stage and in the band's music videos) and Langlois. The line mostly markets shirts, which invariably include the words "ROLE MODEL" in the design. Erik Chandler, from the band Bowling for Soup, is often seen wearing a Role Model shirt.
Miscellaneous
Patrick Langlois
Patrick Langlois (also credited as "Patrick C. Cunningham") is a friend of the band who is responsible for merchandising (he is sometimes seen running the "merch stand"), and also acts as webmaster, photographer, and videographer.
Langlois has appeared in every Simple Plan video to date, except for "Crazy." His appearances are often painful: He was kicked in the crotch in "I'd Do Anything", had a basketball dropped on him and his apartment destroyed in "Addicted", and was knocked down by the band in "Don't Wanna Think About You." He is also seen giving a thumbs up in "Perfect", as a valet in "Shut Up", in the crowd in the gym in "I'm Just a Kid", getting out of a car in "Welcome to My Life", and as an emergency services worker in "Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)", a video in which his pseudonym was used as the name of the drunk driver.
Affiliation with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"
Simple Plan has a long standing affiliation with What's New, Scooby-Doo?. They perform the theme song and appear as themselves in the episode "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman" in which excerpts of "The Worst Day Ever" (which is heard two separate times),[9][10] "You Don't Mean Anything",[11] and the beginning of "I'd Do Anything"[12] can be heard. Additionally, "I'd Do Anything" can be heard in the episode "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine".
The song "Grow Up" was used in the 2002 movie, "Scooby Doo", and is on the movie's OST as well. The song "Don't Wanna Think About You" was used in the movie, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. The video for that song depicts the band racing across town to get to a premiere of a movie (the dog and other cast members appear at the premiere), only to arrive seconds late.
MYplash
The Simple Plan MYplash card
The Simple Plan MYplash card
In 2005, a Simple Plan MYplash was marketed. MYPlash is a reloadable gift card, acceptable wherever MasterCard Debit is accepted.[13]
Many of the MYplashes were music themed, other participants including Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne, and Breaking Benjamin.[14] The idea behind the MYplashes was that parents would like it because it would provide their teens with financial experience with no risk of overspending, as it was not an actual credit card, but rather a reloadable gift card.[15] Teens would like the band theme and that they were trusted with money that they could spend freely.[16]
The cards did not prove popular, likely owing to high charges attached to it, including overdraft fees and a 3% to 10% recharge fee, the lowest fee, 3%, only available when loading the card with more than $200.00.[17]
Musical style
While widely considered as a pop punk band, Simple Plan is also described as being a modern rock and emo band as well. Their first album, No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls was strictly made to be a pop punk album, as stated numerous by the members of Simple Plan. However, with the coming of their second album, Still Not Getting Any... displayed a much "rockier" sound, as stated by Bouvier. Songs such as "Thank You" and "Jump" still contained the same pop punk roots as the first album, but songs like "Me Against The World" and "Crazy" revealed a much more deeper and more mature rock sound.
Speculations that the band is emo come mostly come from their song's subject matter and lyrical themes, mostly penned my Comeau. Advocates for Simple Plan being an emo band point evidence of such song titles as "The Worst Day Ever", "Welcome to My Life", and "Me Against the World". However, others have pointed that the music of Simple is in actuality quite happy-sounding.
It is rumored that the third Simple Plan album, yet to be announced, will have a new, heavier sound.
Criticisms
Although Simple Plan maintains a devoted following and has produced two multiplatinum records with numerous hit singles, it has received its share of criticism. Some members of the punk movement are especially hostile towards the band as they see them as trivializing their culture. Moreover, the juvenile subject matter of some of their work (especially the first CD) provokes additional hostility from some music fans due to the fact that its members are now in their mid to late-twenties.
Despite the criticisms, the members of Simple Plan have stated quite clearly that they enjoy the backlash of critics, as they believe in the old adage, "all publicity is good publicity", and that they will never stop doing what they love.
Discography
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Formation (1995-2002)
o 1.2 No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002-2004)
o 1.3 Still Not Getting Any... (2004-2006)
o 1.4 Next studio album (2006-present)
* 2 Side Projects
o 2.1 Simple Plan Foundation
o 2.2 Damage Control
o 2.3 Man of The Hour
o 2.4 Role Model Clothing
* 3 Miscellaneous
o 3.1 Patrick Langlois
o 3.2 Affiliation with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"
o 3.3 MYplash
* 4 Musical style
* 5 Criticisms
* 6 Discography
o 6.1 Studio albums
o 6.2 Live albums & EPs
o 6.3 Singles
o 6.4 Soundtracks
o 6.5 Other releases
* 7 References
* 8 External links
History
Formation (1995-2002)
Simple Plan began in 1995 with the formation of a band named Reset by high-school friends Pierre Bouvier, Charles-André (Chuck) Comeau and Adrian White.[1] Reset toured around Canada with bands such as MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face, but only managed to gain modest popularity.[1] The debut album, No Worries, was released in 1997, and Comeau left soon after to go to college.[1] Two years later he met with high school friends Jean-François (Jeff) Stinco and Sébastien (Seb) Lefebvre who were in seperate bands of their own, and combined to create the band.[1] In late 1999, Comeau and Bouvier reacquainted at a Sugar Ray concert[1] and Bouvier left Reset soon after to join Comeau. David Desrosiers replaced Bouvier in Reset, but when asked to join the foursome, he too left the band.[1] This allowed Bouvier, who had doubled as the band's front man and bassist, to concentrate on the singing.[1]
The source of the band's name is obscure. Band members have given various responses on this point, including a liking for the movie A Simple Plan; that the band was their simple plan to avoid getting a "real" job; and that the name was only intended to be temporary, but they never thought of anything better, and with shows coming up for the new band, they needed a name.
No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002-2004)
In 2002, Simple Plan released their first studio album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls which led to the singles, "I'm Just a Kid", "I'd Do Anything", "Addicted", and "Perfect". Simple Plan is noted as saying that they were aiming at a pure pop-punk record.[2] The name of the CD echoes the popular tag line for the sport of rugby, "No pads, no helmets, no pussies."
The record was originally released in the United States with twelve tracks, ending with "Perfect". Enhanced and foreign editions came in many different versions with slightly different track listings. For example, the U.S. release contained the extra songs "Grow Up", and "My Christmas List", while the UK release contained the extra songs "American Jesus" (a live version of a cover of a Bad Religion song), as well as the two music videos, "I'd Do Anything" and "I'm Just a Kid".
The record also contained vocals from singers from other pop-punk bands as "I'd Do Anything" included vocals by Mark Hoppus from blink-182, and "You Don't Mean Anything" included vocals by Joel Madden from Good Charlotte.
In 2002, the year Simple Plan released the album, Simple Plan played more than 300 shows, topped the Alternative New Artist Chart, and played a sold out tour in Japan.[3] In 2003, the band played as a headliner on the Vans Warped Tour. The same year, they opened for Avril Lavigne on her "Try To Shut Me Up" Tour.[3] In addition to several headlining tours, they have also opened for Green Day and Good Charlotte.[3]
Still Not Getting Any... (2004-2006)
In 2004, Simple Plan released their second studio album, Still Not Getting Any... which led to the singles, "Welcome to My Life", "Shut Up!", "Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me)", and "Crazy".
As mentioned before, when writing "No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls", the members of Simple Plan were aiming at a pure pop-punk record. This time however, when writing "Still Not Getting Any...", the members of Simple Plan were noted as saying that they were not limiting themselves to the punk genre, but rather letting themselves write "good music".[2]
According to the bonus DVD of Still Not Getting Any..., while making the CD the members of Simple Plan thought of many names including "Get Rich or Die Trying" and "Danger Zone". They decided on the name Still Not Getting Any... for a list of explained reasons. The most popular and most likely reason is because the members of Simple Plan thought that they weren't getting any good reviews, Bouvier once noting that they only had one recent good review in Alternative Press. Another reason may be because they were still not getting any respect. There are many more variations the band members have given, as anything can really be put after the ellipsis, including "better", "smarter", "funnier", and the obvious sexual connotation. Comeau once described the name of the album as "versatile".
"Still Not Getting Any..." showed a dramatic change in Simple Plan's style as well. They still kept their style of downbeat lyrics matched to upbeat music, but managed to transcend from the standard pop-punk genre. Although many of the tracks on this CD still carry the feeling of teen angst that is probably most noticeable in the song "I'm Just a Kid" from the first album No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, the general slant of this album tends toward slightly deeper and more mature lyrical themes, as well as a more mainstream sound that edges away from the pure pop-punk style of their last album. Some critics have pointed towards the inclusion of 'classic' or 'mainstream' rock elements, claiming the album 'de-emphasizes punk-pop hyperactivity in favor of straightforward, well-crafted modern rock'.[4]
In 2005, Simple Plan also released the live album, MTV Hard Rock Live, which contained songs from both the previous albums.[5] The album came in two different versions — a standard one, and a fan pack edition.[6] The standard edition included audio of the whole performance, an acoustic version of Crazy, two live videos of the performance of the first two songs "Jump" and "Shut Up!" and a small booklet of pictures of the performance.[6] The fan pack edition which contained audio and video of the whole performance in 5.1 surround sound, three acoustic tracks for "Crazy", "Welcome To My Life", and "Perfect", a 32-page color tour book, and an exclusive Simple Plan patch and pin.[6]
Next studio album (2006-present)
Since February 2006, the band has not undertaken any significant tours, and has begun work on their third CD. The working titles of four new songs are "Take My Hand", "Never Should've Let You Go", "Forever", and "Time to Say Goodbye". As announced in Bouvier's official Myspace blog, Bouvier headed to Miami as on about March 21 to work with an unnamed producer, who later proved to be Dave Fortman, who will be producing the CD.
"(I)t's something totally different that we're trying out. You know we figured this is our third album now and we needed to try stuff... just for ourselves, to keep it fresh and fun. Honestly I don't really know how its gonna turn out but I have a really good feeling!" — Bouvier
The band was to enter the studio for pre-production in Los Angeles on June 29, and the following day did a vlog with all members, Langlois, and Fortman.
Side Projects
In addition to their involvement in the band, members of Simple Plan have been involved in a number of side projects.
Simple Plan Foundation
The members of Simple Plan have helped nonprofit and advocacy groups by donating to many established organizations such as the MTV Asia Aid benefit, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), RADD (Rock Against Drinking and Driving), and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, after being frustrated because the members did not know exactly where their money was going to, the Simple Plan members created the Simple Plan Foundation,[7] a foundation that focuses on teen problems ranging from suicide to poverty to drug addiction.[7][8] As of Dec 09, 2005, the Simple Plan Foundation had raised more than $100,000.[7] The list of donors included venues on their November-December 2005 Canadian tour. No information regarding the foundation's activities has been released since then.
Damage Control
Damage Control was a reality television series hosted by Bouvier that first aired on MTV on March 6, 2005. On Damage Control, parents would tell their teenage son or daughter that they would be going away over the weekend, but in actuality, they are just a few houses down monitoring them with Bouvier via hidden cameras and microphones. The teenager would be placed in awkward situations, in which he/she must make decisions. Parents can earn money if they can guess what their teenager will do, and after the parents come back (usually at the worst possible moment), the teenager, still unaware of the filming, can earn money by confessing. Two seasons were filmed before any episodes aired, and no more were planned or filmed, due to the likelihood that once the episodes aired, potential subjects would quickly catch on to what was going on.
Man of The Hour
Man Of The Hour is a Simple Plan side project that features Sébastien Lefevbre and Patrick Langlois. It began as a clothing company, but has since developed into an internet radio show called "Man of the Hour Hour," which is hosted on idobi radio. The show can be heard on Thursdays, and can be downloaded as a podcast the following Monday.
Role Model Clothing
Role Model Clothing is a clothing line owned by Bouvier, Comeau (who are often seen wearing the shirts on stage and in the band's music videos) and Langlois. The line mostly markets shirts, which invariably include the words "ROLE MODEL" in the design. Erik Chandler, from the band Bowling for Soup, is often seen wearing a Role Model shirt.
Miscellaneous
Patrick Langlois
Patrick Langlois (also credited as "Patrick C. Cunningham") is a friend of the band who is responsible for merchandising (he is sometimes seen running the "merch stand"), and also acts as webmaster, photographer, and videographer.
Langlois has appeared in every Simple Plan video to date, except for "Crazy." His appearances are often painful: He was kicked in the crotch in "I'd Do Anything", had a basketball dropped on him and his apartment destroyed in "Addicted", and was knocked down by the band in "Don't Wanna Think About You." He is also seen giving a thumbs up in "Perfect", as a valet in "Shut Up", in the crowd in the gym in "I'm Just a Kid", getting out of a car in "Welcome to My Life", and as an emergency services worker in "Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)", a video in which his pseudonym was used as the name of the drunk driver.
Affiliation with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"
Simple Plan has a long standing affiliation with What's New, Scooby-Doo?. They perform the theme song and appear as themselves in the episode "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman" in which excerpts of "The Worst Day Ever" (which is heard two separate times),[9][10] "You Don't Mean Anything",[11] and the beginning of "I'd Do Anything"[12] can be heard. Additionally, "I'd Do Anything" can be heard in the episode "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine".
The song "Grow Up" was used in the 2002 movie, "Scooby Doo", and is on the movie's OST as well. The song "Don't Wanna Think About You" was used in the movie, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. The video for that song depicts the band racing across town to get to a premiere of a movie (the dog and other cast members appear at the premiere), only to arrive seconds late.
MYplash
The Simple Plan MYplash card
The Simple Plan MYplash card
In 2005, a Simple Plan MYplash was marketed. MYPlash is a reloadable gift card, acceptable wherever MasterCard Debit is accepted.[13]
Many of the MYplashes were music themed, other participants including Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne, and Breaking Benjamin.[14] The idea behind the MYplashes was that parents would like it because it would provide their teens with financial experience with no risk of overspending, as it was not an actual credit card, but rather a reloadable gift card.[15] Teens would like the band theme and that they were trusted with money that they could spend freely.[16]
The cards did not prove popular, likely owing to high charges attached to it, including overdraft fees and a 3% to 10% recharge fee, the lowest fee, 3%, only available when loading the card with more than $200.00.[17]
Musical style
While widely considered as a pop punk band, Simple Plan is also described as being a modern rock and emo band as well. Their first album, No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls was strictly made to be a pop punk album, as stated numerous by the members of Simple Plan. However, with the coming of their second album, Still Not Getting Any... displayed a much "rockier" sound, as stated by Bouvier. Songs such as "Thank You" and "Jump" still contained the same pop punk roots as the first album, but songs like "Me Against The World" and "Crazy" revealed a much more deeper and more mature rock sound.
Speculations that the band is emo come mostly come from their song's subject matter and lyrical themes, mostly penned my Comeau. Advocates for Simple Plan being an emo band point evidence of such song titles as "The Worst Day Ever", "Welcome to My Life", and "Me Against the World". However, others have pointed that the music of Simple is in actuality quite happy-sounding.
It is rumored that the third Simple Plan album, yet to be announced, will have a new, heavier sound.
Criticisms
Although Simple Plan maintains a devoted following and has produced two multiplatinum records with numerous hit singles, it has received its share of criticism. Some members of the punk movement are especially hostile towards the band as they see them as trivializing their culture. Moreover, the juvenile subject matter of some of their work (especially the first CD) provokes additional hostility from some music fans due to the fact that its members are now in their mid to late-twenties.
Despite the criticisms, the members of Simple Plan have stated quite clearly that they enjoy the backlash of critics, as they believe in the old adage, "all publicity is good publicity", and that they will never stop doing what they love.
Discography
Sum 41 - Still Rockin'
Sum 41
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Sum 41
Sum 41 (from left to right) – Steve Jocz, Deryck Whibley, and Cone McCaslin
Sum 41 (from left to right) – Steve Jocz, Deryck Whibley, and Cone McCaslin
Background information
Origin Flag of Canada Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s) Pop punk
Alternative rock
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) US: Island Records
Canada: Aquarius Records
Worldwide: Universal Records
Associated
acts The Operation M.D.
Avril Lavigne
Treble Charger
Gob
Website Sum 41's Official Website
Members
Deryck Whibley
Jason McCaslin
Steve Jocz
Former members
Mark Spicoluk (1996–1999)
Marc Costanzo (1997–1998)
Dave Baksh (1996–2006)
Sum 41 is a Juno Award-Winning Canadian pop punk band from Ajax, Ontario. The current members are Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard/piano), Cone McCaslin (bass/vocals), and Steve Jocz (drums/vocals).
The band was formed on the 41st day of summer (hence the name Sum 41).
Since signing a record deal with Island Records in 1999, the band has released four studio albums, two live CDs, two live DVDs, over ten singles and sold millions of copies worldwide. As of 2006 the band performed more than 600 times and have become famous for their world tours that are usually more than a year-long.[1]
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Beginnings and Half Hour of Power (1996-2000)
o 1.2 All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected? (2000-2004)
o 1.3 Chuck and the Congo (2004-2006)
o 1.4 Side Projects, Dave's Departure, and Underclass Hero (2006 - Present)
* 2 Musical style and influences
* 3 Internet Videos
* 4 Band Lineup
o 4.1 Former Members
+ 4.1.1 Touring Members
* 5 Discography
* 6 References
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings and Half Hour of Power (1996-2000)
Sum 41 robbing Kelly's pizza in Pickering Village using waterguns
Sum 41 robbing Kelly's pizza in Pickering Village using waterguns
The members of Sum 41 started out in rival bands in high school. They joke that they met while attending a Hole concert 41 days into the summer of 1996. According to the website Supernova, the band was originally named Kaspir, and changed their name to Sum 41 for a Supernova show on September 28, 1996. The website also states that they were scouted by Greig Nori of Treble Charger at a Supernova show at the Opera House in Toronto on February 24, 1996.[2] However, the current bassist, Cone, joined the band in 1999, after the band went through several other bassists. They spent many years playing together hoping to make it big one day.
The band carried a video camera with them to film their crazy antics including robbing a pizza place with water guns and performing a dance to "Makes No Difference" in front of a theater (both of which can be seen on both Introduction to Destruction and on some versions of the bonus DVD from Does This Look Infected?).
The band submitted the video footage along with their demo tapes to several record labels. Island Records, wanting to capitalize on the pop-punk fad popularized by Green Day and blink-182, signed Sum 41 in early 2000.
Sum 41 released the album Half Hour of Power on June 27, 2000. The first single released by the band was "Makes No Difference", which had 2 different videos. The first video was put together using the video clip sent to the record label and the second showed the band performing at a house party.
[edit] All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected? (2000-2004)
Sum 41's first full length album, All Killer No Filler, was released on May 8, 2001. The first single released was "Fat Lip" which became a huge hit during the summer, becoming the number 1 rock song in the US for a week. Performances on the Warped Tour during the year further increased the popularity of the band.
Deryck's doll in "The Hell Song" video
Deryck's doll in "The Hell Song" video
Two other singles were released, "In Too Deep", which had a comedy video of them in a diving competition, and "Motivation", a simplistic video of the band playing in a classic garage band theme. The band toured for much of the year, playing 300 shows in 2001, including a co-headlined tour with blink-182 before returning to the studio to record another CD.
On November 26, 2002, Sum 41 released their second full length album Does This Look Infected? Sum 41 altered their style slightly - bringing in a heavier style, while keeping the smooth harmonies they had become known for. The first single released was "Still Waiting" which had them mocking "new-garage" retro-rock under the name of "The Sums" and was a parody of one of The Strokes' videos. Still Waiting was much heavier than what most fans expected.
The band followed up the release of "Still Waiting" with "The Hell Song" which had the band using dolls with their pictures on them and others such as Ozzy Osbourne and Pamela Anderson. Their next single,"Over My Head (Better Off Dead)", had a video released exclusively in Canada and on their website, featuring live shots of the band. The video was also on their live DVD, Sake Bombs And Happy Endings (2004), as a bonus feature. It has also received limited airing on various music television stations in the USA and UK.
After extensive touring in support of the album, Iggy Pop recruited Sum 41 for his new album, Skull Ring. They co-wrote the first single from the album "Little Know It All" and joined Iggy on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the song. Iggy said he chose Sum 41 "because they have balls."
[edit] Chuck and the Congo (2004-2006)
Sum 41 with Chuck Pelletier
Sum 41 with Chuck Pelletier
In early 2004, the band contributed to the first Rock Against Bush album by recording the song "Moron", which was also a bonus track in the Japanese import of Chuck.
“ One bomb came too close, hit the hotel and the hotel just started shaking. Everyone dove and was lying on the ground. Things were falling off the walls, mirrors were breaking. That's when we all kind of realized that this was really going bad and we're probably not going to make it out. ”
—Deryck Whibley
In late May of 2004, the band traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo along with War Child Canada, a branch of the British charity organization, to document the civil war occurring in the country.[3] Days after arriving, fighting broke out near the hotel the band was staying at in Bukavu.[4] The band waited for the firing to die down, but it never did. A U.N. peacekeeper, Charles "Chuck" Pelletier (also Canadian), called for armoured carriers to take the hotel's occupants out of the hot zone. After 5-6 hours the carriers arrived and the band and the 40 other civilians were taken to safety. The band named their next album Chuck in honor of Chuck Pelletier for taking them to safety. The documentary was made into a film called ROCKED: Sum 41 in Congo, and was later aired on MTV. War Child released it on DVD on November 29, 2005 in the United States and Canada.
Sum 41's album Chuck was released on October 12, 2004. It was a heavy album that had a much more serious tone, without the humor of the band's previous releases. The first single from the album (as well as the only song written after the Congo incident) was "We're All to Blame". The song switching from a fast pace to a slow one represented the band's trip in the Congo, how one minute it was peaceful and the next there were gunshots being fired. The band followed up with "Pieces", a relatively soft song which reached the top of the charts in Canada, and "Some Say", released as a single only in Canada and Japan. The last single off the record was "No Reason", released at the same time as "Some Say", but with no video and only in USA and Europe, which reached #16 on Billboard Modern Rock.
Sum 41 released a live CD, Happy Live Surprise in Japan on December 21, 2005. The CD contains a full concert recorded live from London, Ontario and was produced by Deryck. The same CD was released March 7, 2006 in Canada under the name Go Chuck Yourself. This version was released under Aquarius Records instead of EMI, the band's former label in Canada. The band had an issue with their producer and their management company, Greig Nori and Bunk Rock Music. Since their management company had a contract with EMI, after the band left the company and dropped the producer, the contract was broken. The Japanese version contained a CD with 5 songs from their live performance. It was originally to be a DVD, but the band was unhappy with the way the filming turned out and decided to put out a live CD instead. The footage is being incorporated into a project along with the rest of the film from the tour.
Following their September 11, 2005 show in Quebec City, Quebec, the band went on a touring hiatus, although on April 17, 2006, Sum 41 played at a tribute to Iggy Pop, joining Iggy on stage for "Little Know It All" and "Lust For Life".
[edit] Side Projects, Dave's Departure, and Underclass Hero (2006 - Present)
Deryck and Cone during the recording of Underclass Hero
Deryck and Cone during the recording of Underclass Hero
On, May 11, 2006, Dave Baksh (a.k.a. Dave Brownsound) announced in a statement through his management company that he was leaving Sum 41 to work with his new band, Brown Brigade. Baksh's departure from the band was said to have been due to artistic differences, and his desire to play music with a more classical metal sound.[5][6]
On May 12th, Deryck made the first official comment on the subject on the official message board post addressing Dave's departure.[7] Deryck confirmed Dave's departure and announced that the band would only be replacing Dave with a touring guitarist, who wouldn't be in videos, photo shoots, albums, or have any decision-making power in the band.
During the band's touring hiatus, Deryck focused in his producer career, writing and producing two songs for Avril Lavigne's album, The Best Damn Thing. Stevo recorded his first video as director for a Canadian band called The Midway State and Cone started a side project with Todd Morse of H2O and Juliette and the Licks. The two-person band, named The Operation M.D., released their debut album, "We Have an Emergency" in early 2007, Cone was backing vocals as well as leading vocals on three songs, besides playing bass and keyboards in the band.[8]. The Operation album was co-produced and mixed by Deryck Whibley. Their first single video, "Sayonara", was directed by Stevo.
Recording of the band's fifth studio album, Underclass Hero, began on November 8, 2006 and was finished on March 14, 2007. The album, backed by the first single and title track "Underclass Hero", will be released on July 24, 2007.
On April 17, 2007, the band released a song on iTunes called "March of the Dogs". Although not a single, the band released it early because "the record won't be out until the summer."
[edit] Musical style and influences
Sum 41 said that their early music (Half Hour of Power) was heavily influenced by NOFX. Another influence on their music was Beastie Boys, especially in their All Killer No Filler hip-hop persona and their Rapcore music found in the "Fat Lip" and "What We're All About" singles. Their later music on the album Does This Look Infected? had heavy influence from The Offspring, as the band itself commented. Also, some metal influence coming from bands like Iron Maiden is noted. In the song "Fat Lip", the quote "Maiden and Priest were the gods that we praised" refers to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Their album Chuck features a series of songs that can be compared with Thrash metal, and they have named Metallica as one of the main influences on their metal music. Sum 41 has said that Green Day has been an influence from the beginning but it is more seen in the alternative style of Chuck.
More recently the musical genre of Sum 41 has been disputed among fans because of the complex combination of different musical styles. The argument is centralized around the punk streak of the band, and they have been labeled as pop-punk, punk rock and even alternative punk. Their lyrics contain some influence and the band's later albums are known for their often politically-driven music.
With Underclass Hero, the band stated a return to their prior music mainly from Does This Look Infected? and All Killer No Filler. This album is "more edgier and faster" than any previous album according to bassist Cone McCaslin, but "Is more punk rock and less metal" as frontman Deryck Whibley stated during the production of the album.
[edit] Internet Videos
Sum 41 become infamous for its self-made, often grotesque, internet videos which have sparked a bit of controversy over the years.
Touring in support of Chuck, Sum 41 played videos before their set which were deemed "unsuitable for children". Much controversy arose over the videos.[9] In one video, Basketball Butcher, which was also included in some versions of Chuck, Steve and Cone play basketball and Cone beats Steve badly. Following the game Steve murders Cone and later dismembers and cooks him. In another video, 1-800-Justice, Cone and Steve are drug dealing brothers, while Dave and Deryck play undercover police officers. Steve shoots Deryck as Cone stabs Dave and they make their getaway.
Sum 41's most recent internet video endeavor is a "weekly" series entitled SUM 41 - Road to Ruin. The trailer was posted on 8th of January 2007 on the Sum 41 webpage. The first episode debuted on January 21, following their exploits on their Japan 2005 tour. Since then, their episodes have included footage of drunkeness in New Orleans, unintentionally setting off a fire alarm in a hotel, and a feature about their first ever tour manager, amongst other things. The Road to Ruin show can also be found on their MySpace, on YouTube, and on their official website.
[edit] Band Lineup
* Deryck Whibley/Bizzy D (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
* Jason "Cone" McCaslin (Bass, Vocals)
* Steve Jocz/Stevo 32/Stevo (Drums, Vocals)
[edit] Former Members
* Dave Baksh/Brownsound/Hot Chocolate (Guitar, Vocals) (1996-2006) now in Brown Brigade
* Mark "London" Spicoluk (Bass, Vocals) (1997-1999) later played with Closet Monster and Avril Lavigne
* Marc Costanzo (guitar, vocals)(1998) now in Len
[edit] Touring Members
* Thomas "Brown Tom" Thacker (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sum 41
Sum 41 (from left to right) – Steve Jocz, Deryck Whibley, and Cone McCaslin
Sum 41 (from left to right) – Steve Jocz, Deryck Whibley, and Cone McCaslin
Background information
Origin Flag of Canada Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s) Pop punk
Alternative rock
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) US: Island Records
Canada: Aquarius Records
Worldwide: Universal Records
Associated
acts The Operation M.D.
Avril Lavigne
Treble Charger
Gob
Website Sum 41's Official Website
Members
Deryck Whibley
Jason McCaslin
Steve Jocz
Former members
Mark Spicoluk (1996–1999)
Marc Costanzo (1997–1998)
Dave Baksh (1996–2006)
Sum 41 is a Juno Award-Winning Canadian pop punk band from Ajax, Ontario. The current members are Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard/piano), Cone McCaslin (bass/vocals), and Steve Jocz (drums/vocals).
The band was formed on the 41st day of summer (hence the name Sum 41).
Since signing a record deal with Island Records in 1999, the band has released four studio albums, two live CDs, two live DVDs, over ten singles and sold millions of copies worldwide. As of 2006 the band performed more than 600 times and have become famous for their world tours that are usually more than a year-long.[1]
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Beginnings and Half Hour of Power (1996-2000)
o 1.2 All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected? (2000-2004)
o 1.3 Chuck and the Congo (2004-2006)
o 1.4 Side Projects, Dave's Departure, and Underclass Hero (2006 - Present)
* 2 Musical style and influences
* 3 Internet Videos
* 4 Band Lineup
o 4.1 Former Members
+ 4.1.1 Touring Members
* 5 Discography
* 6 References
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings and Half Hour of Power (1996-2000)
Sum 41 robbing Kelly's pizza in Pickering Village using waterguns
Sum 41 robbing Kelly's pizza in Pickering Village using waterguns
The members of Sum 41 started out in rival bands in high school. They joke that they met while attending a Hole concert 41 days into the summer of 1996. According to the website Supernova, the band was originally named Kaspir, and changed their name to Sum 41 for a Supernova show on September 28, 1996. The website also states that they were scouted by Greig Nori of Treble Charger at a Supernova show at the Opera House in Toronto on February 24, 1996.[2] However, the current bassist, Cone, joined the band in 1999, after the band went through several other bassists. They spent many years playing together hoping to make it big one day.
The band carried a video camera with them to film their crazy antics including robbing a pizza place with water guns and performing a dance to "Makes No Difference" in front of a theater (both of which can be seen on both Introduction to Destruction and on some versions of the bonus DVD from Does This Look Infected?).
The band submitted the video footage along with their demo tapes to several record labels. Island Records, wanting to capitalize on the pop-punk fad popularized by Green Day and blink-182, signed Sum 41 in early 2000.
Sum 41 released the album Half Hour of Power on June 27, 2000. The first single released by the band was "Makes No Difference", which had 2 different videos. The first video was put together using the video clip sent to the record label and the second showed the band performing at a house party.
[edit] All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected? (2000-2004)
Sum 41's first full length album, All Killer No Filler, was released on May 8, 2001. The first single released was "Fat Lip" which became a huge hit during the summer, becoming the number 1 rock song in the US for a week. Performances on the Warped Tour during the year further increased the popularity of the band.
Deryck's doll in "The Hell Song" video
Deryck's doll in "The Hell Song" video
Two other singles were released, "In Too Deep", which had a comedy video of them in a diving competition, and "Motivation", a simplistic video of the band playing in a classic garage band theme. The band toured for much of the year, playing 300 shows in 2001, including a co-headlined tour with blink-182 before returning to the studio to record another CD.
On November 26, 2002, Sum 41 released their second full length album Does This Look Infected? Sum 41 altered their style slightly - bringing in a heavier style, while keeping the smooth harmonies they had become known for. The first single released was "Still Waiting" which had them mocking "new-garage" retro-rock under the name of "The Sums" and was a parody of one of The Strokes' videos. Still Waiting was much heavier than what most fans expected.
The band followed up the release of "Still Waiting" with "The Hell Song" which had the band using dolls with their pictures on them and others such as Ozzy Osbourne and Pamela Anderson. Their next single,"Over My Head (Better Off Dead)", had a video released exclusively in Canada and on their website, featuring live shots of the band. The video was also on their live DVD, Sake Bombs And Happy Endings (2004), as a bonus feature. It has also received limited airing on various music television stations in the USA and UK.
After extensive touring in support of the album, Iggy Pop recruited Sum 41 for his new album, Skull Ring. They co-wrote the first single from the album "Little Know It All" and joined Iggy on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the song. Iggy said he chose Sum 41 "because they have balls."
[edit] Chuck and the Congo (2004-2006)
Sum 41 with Chuck Pelletier
Sum 41 with Chuck Pelletier
In early 2004, the band contributed to the first Rock Against Bush album by recording the song "Moron", which was also a bonus track in the Japanese import of Chuck.
“ One bomb came too close, hit the hotel and the hotel just started shaking. Everyone dove and was lying on the ground. Things were falling off the walls, mirrors were breaking. That's when we all kind of realized that this was really going bad and we're probably not going to make it out. ”
—Deryck Whibley
In late May of 2004, the band traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo along with War Child Canada, a branch of the British charity organization, to document the civil war occurring in the country.[3] Days after arriving, fighting broke out near the hotel the band was staying at in Bukavu.[4] The band waited for the firing to die down, but it never did. A U.N. peacekeeper, Charles "Chuck" Pelletier (also Canadian), called for armoured carriers to take the hotel's occupants out of the hot zone. After 5-6 hours the carriers arrived and the band and the 40 other civilians were taken to safety. The band named their next album Chuck in honor of Chuck Pelletier for taking them to safety. The documentary was made into a film called ROCKED: Sum 41 in Congo, and was later aired on MTV. War Child released it on DVD on November 29, 2005 in the United States and Canada.
Sum 41's album Chuck was released on October 12, 2004. It was a heavy album that had a much more serious tone, without the humor of the band's previous releases. The first single from the album (as well as the only song written after the Congo incident) was "We're All to Blame". The song switching from a fast pace to a slow one represented the band's trip in the Congo, how one minute it was peaceful and the next there were gunshots being fired. The band followed up with "Pieces", a relatively soft song which reached the top of the charts in Canada, and "Some Say", released as a single only in Canada and Japan. The last single off the record was "No Reason", released at the same time as "Some Say", but with no video and only in USA and Europe, which reached #16 on Billboard Modern Rock.
Sum 41 released a live CD, Happy Live Surprise in Japan on December 21, 2005. The CD contains a full concert recorded live from London, Ontario and was produced by Deryck. The same CD was released March 7, 2006 in Canada under the name Go Chuck Yourself. This version was released under Aquarius Records instead of EMI, the band's former label in Canada. The band had an issue with their producer and their management company, Greig Nori and Bunk Rock Music. Since their management company had a contract with EMI, after the band left the company and dropped the producer, the contract was broken. The Japanese version contained a CD with 5 songs from their live performance. It was originally to be a DVD, but the band was unhappy with the way the filming turned out and decided to put out a live CD instead. The footage is being incorporated into a project along with the rest of the film from the tour.
Following their September 11, 2005 show in Quebec City, Quebec, the band went on a touring hiatus, although on April 17, 2006, Sum 41 played at a tribute to Iggy Pop, joining Iggy on stage for "Little Know It All" and "Lust For Life".
[edit] Side Projects, Dave's Departure, and Underclass Hero (2006 - Present)
Deryck and Cone during the recording of Underclass Hero
Deryck and Cone during the recording of Underclass Hero
On, May 11, 2006, Dave Baksh (a.k.a. Dave Brownsound) announced in a statement through his management company that he was leaving Sum 41 to work with his new band, Brown Brigade. Baksh's departure from the band was said to have been due to artistic differences, and his desire to play music with a more classical metal sound.[5][6]
On May 12th, Deryck made the first official comment on the subject on the official message board post addressing Dave's departure.[7] Deryck confirmed Dave's departure and announced that the band would only be replacing Dave with a touring guitarist, who wouldn't be in videos, photo shoots, albums, or have any decision-making power in the band.
During the band's touring hiatus, Deryck focused in his producer career, writing and producing two songs for Avril Lavigne's album, The Best Damn Thing. Stevo recorded his first video as director for a Canadian band called The Midway State and Cone started a side project with Todd Morse of H2O and Juliette and the Licks. The two-person band, named The Operation M.D., released their debut album, "We Have an Emergency" in early 2007, Cone was backing vocals as well as leading vocals on three songs, besides playing bass and keyboards in the band.[8]. The Operation album was co-produced and mixed by Deryck Whibley. Their first single video, "Sayonara", was directed by Stevo.
Recording of the band's fifth studio album, Underclass Hero, began on November 8, 2006 and was finished on March 14, 2007. The album, backed by the first single and title track "Underclass Hero", will be released on July 24, 2007.
On April 17, 2007, the band released a song on iTunes called "March of the Dogs". Although not a single, the band released it early because "the record won't be out until the summer."
[edit] Musical style and influences
Sum 41 said that their early music (Half Hour of Power) was heavily influenced by NOFX. Another influence on their music was Beastie Boys, especially in their All Killer No Filler hip-hop persona and their Rapcore music found in the "Fat Lip" and "What We're All About" singles. Their later music on the album Does This Look Infected? had heavy influence from The Offspring, as the band itself commented. Also, some metal influence coming from bands like Iron Maiden is noted. In the song "Fat Lip", the quote "Maiden and Priest were the gods that we praised" refers to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Their album Chuck features a series of songs that can be compared with Thrash metal, and they have named Metallica as one of the main influences on their metal music. Sum 41 has said that Green Day has been an influence from the beginning but it is more seen in the alternative style of Chuck.
More recently the musical genre of Sum 41 has been disputed among fans because of the complex combination of different musical styles. The argument is centralized around the punk streak of the band, and they have been labeled as pop-punk, punk rock and even alternative punk. Their lyrics contain some influence and the band's later albums are known for their often politically-driven music.
With Underclass Hero, the band stated a return to their prior music mainly from Does This Look Infected? and All Killer No Filler. This album is "more edgier and faster" than any previous album according to bassist Cone McCaslin, but "Is more punk rock and less metal" as frontman Deryck Whibley stated during the production of the album.
[edit] Internet Videos
Sum 41 become infamous for its self-made, often grotesque, internet videos which have sparked a bit of controversy over the years.
Touring in support of Chuck, Sum 41 played videos before their set which were deemed "unsuitable for children". Much controversy arose over the videos.[9] In one video, Basketball Butcher, which was also included in some versions of Chuck, Steve and Cone play basketball and Cone beats Steve badly. Following the game Steve murders Cone and later dismembers and cooks him. In another video, 1-800-Justice, Cone and Steve are drug dealing brothers, while Dave and Deryck play undercover police officers. Steve shoots Deryck as Cone stabs Dave and they make their getaway.
Sum 41's most recent internet video endeavor is a "weekly" series entitled SUM 41 - Road to Ruin. The trailer was posted on 8th of January 2007 on the Sum 41 webpage. The first episode debuted on January 21, following their exploits on their Japan 2005 tour. Since then, their episodes have included footage of drunkeness in New Orleans, unintentionally setting off a fire alarm in a hotel, and a feature about their first ever tour manager, amongst other things. The Road to Ruin show can also be found on their MySpace, on YouTube, and on their official website.
[edit] Band Lineup
* Deryck Whibley/Bizzy D (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
* Jason "Cone" McCaslin (Bass, Vocals)
* Steve Jocz/Stevo 32/Stevo (Drums, Vocals)
[edit] Former Members
* Dave Baksh/Brownsound/Hot Chocolate (Guitar, Vocals) (1996-2006) now in Brown Brigade
* Mark "London" Spicoluk (Bass, Vocals) (1997-1999) later played with Closet Monster and Avril Lavigne
* Marc Costanzo (guitar, vocals)(1998) now in Len
[edit] Touring Members
* Thomas "Brown Tom" Thacker (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Blink 182 - The Best That There Is....
blink-182 was a pop punk band originally formed in 1992 by Tom DeLonge (vocals and guitar)[8] who quickly recruited Mark Hoppus (vocals and bass) and Scott Raynor (drums) in Poway, California,[9] a northern suburb of San Diego. Originally, the band's official name was "Blink", however, the numerical three digit suffix was appended early in their career following an objection from an Irish band with the same name. Travis Barker replaced Raynor on drums in 1998, midway through a U.S. tour. The group effectively broke up in early 2005, portraying it as an "indefinite hiatus". DeLonge went on to form a different stle of music, a band called Angels and Airwaves While Hoppus and Barker spawned a more punkish yet poppish style band called +44.
Blink 182 was known for their catchy, simple melodies and lyrical toilet humor. Songwriters Hoppus and DeLonge cite punk rock bands such as The Descendents and Screeching Weasel[10] as their early influences, however, the band's songwriting and production was driven by a pop sensibility. Their last album featured more musical experimentation and lyrical sophistication than previous releases.
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Early years (1992-1998)
o 1.2 Mainstream success (1999-2004)
o 1.3 Indefinite hiatus and new bands (2005-present)
+ 1.3.1 Reunion?
* 2 Discography
* 3 References
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
History
Early years (1992-1998)
In May 1993, Blink recorded its first demo tape, entitled Flyswatter, in drummer Scott Raynor's bedroom. A 4-track was used to record the material, resulting in poor sound quality. According to Hoppus, only around fifty copies of the demo were produced to give to their family and friends. Before the end of the year, the band released another demo, Buddha. Around 1,000 copies were produced by Filter Records, an independent record company headed by Hoppus's boss.
In early 1994, Blink signed with Cargo Records. The band recorded their debut full-length album, Cheshire Cat in three days. The album contained a number of updated versions of songs such as "Carousel", "Strings", "Sometimes" and "TV" that had appeared on the Buddha demo as well as some originals.
Shortly after the release of Cheshire Cat, Blink was threatened with legal action by a pop band in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a dispute, Blink appended "182" to the end of their name. The band has cited a variety of reasons for ultimately choosing 182, with some of the more common explanations being references to the 1985 Timothy Hutton film, Turk 182!, the band's ideal weight, the number of half the days in a year and the number of miles Hoppus had to drive to visit his girlfriend. However, DeLonge has stated that it is just a number that they "pulled out of their ass".
After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album Dude Ranch in 1996 with producer Mark Trombino. Blink-182 recorded the album under Cargo Records, but signed with MCA which later became Geffen Records in 1996, in order to handle increased distribution. The album was released in 1997 and was relatively commercially successful, selling 4 million copies worldwide. The single "Dammit" did well on U.S. modern rock charts, however drummer Scott Raynor later left the band. There are two common explanations for his removal - that Raynor had a serious drinking problem and was asked to go into rehab or face ejection, or alternately, that he departed in order to attend college. Raynor claims he agreed to go to rehab, but that DeLonge and Hoppus were doubtful of his sincerity and subsequently fired him over the phone.[11] Hoppus and DeLonge had asked drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, thus he had to learn all of the songs in a matter of hours before the show. He ultimately went on to join the band permanently afterwards, leaving The Aquabats.
Mainstream success (1999-2004)
The cover of Enema of the State
The cover of Enema of the State
For the 1999 album Enema of the State, the band hired Jerry Finn as its producer. The album propelled the band into the mainstream, granting the hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song" a significant amount of airtime on radio and MTV. Enema of the State went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide making it the band's bestselling album to that point.
In 1999 the band had small parts in the film American Pie, though Travis Barker was incorrectly credited as Scott Raynor.
In 2000, the band released The Urethra Chronicles, a DVD which featured behind-the-scenes information. The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back, Blink-182's sole live album, was also released in 2000, featuring songs from their three full-length records. The album also included one new studio song, "Man Overboard," among the live renditions. The album quickly went out of print making it a much sought after item. A limited edition was printed in October 2006.
The band continued its commercial success with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001, which was in the same vein as Enema of the State. However, a European tour in winter 2001 was canceled in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Rescheduled dates in early 2002 were also canceled due to DeLonge's problems with his back.
In 2002, Blink-182 co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day. The tour was documented on the DVD Riding In Vans With Boys.
After taking some time off in 2002, recording of the next record began in early 2003. The band released its next studio album on November 18, 2003. It featured the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and "Always". According to Barker, the untitled record was supposed to represent a new Blink-182.[12] It received significant airplay on radio and TV. The Cure front man Robert Smith, often cited as a major influence on the band, appeared on "All of This". During late 2003, the band embarked on the "Dolla Bill" tour, named for the inexpensive ticket costs (It was originally planned to be completely free but later realised that it would be necessary to charge something for the ticket). A tour with No Doubt in the summer of 2004 was also very successful.
Indefinite hiatus and new bands (2005-present)
In mid-February 2005 the band inexplicably cancelled a performance at Music for Relief's Concert for South Asia (a show put on to aid victims of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). Shortly there after, before a planned final US spring tour, on February 22, 2005, the band announced they were going on an "indefinite hiatus".
Geffen Records released a Greatest Hits compilation on November 1, 2005 in the U.S., one previously unreleased track was included "Another Girl Another Planet" (a cover song originally by The Only Ones). The song was also used as the theme song to Barker's new reality TV show, Meet the Barkers. Included was the previously issued "I Miss You" B-side and Blink-182 album bonus track "Not Now". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.[13]
DeLonge's band Angels & Airwaves' debut album We Don't Need to Whisper
DeLonge's band Angels & Airwaves' debut album We Don't Need to Whisper
In the wake of the Greatest Hits album and the announcement of his new band, DeLonge suggested the mounting tension between himself and Hoppus, ultimately caused by DeLonge's desire for a break with his family coupled with Hoppus's feelings of betrayal after the formation of Box Car Racer. After a year-and-half abstaining from any interviews surrounding the issue, Hoppus gave an extensive interview with b182.com in August 2006. Contrary to DeLonge's statements, Hoppus said that the band had been getting along at the time of their final album. Hoppus went on to say that DeLonge requested a half-year respite from touring to spend time with his family, despite a planned final spring U.S. tour. Hoppus and Barker hesitantly conceded, leading to the cancellation of the upcoming tour. Further problems arose in discussions regarding the band's future recording endeavors. It also finally surfaced in this interview that DeLonge had actually left the band before Hoppus and Barker announced that they were to make a new band and before they went on an indefinite hiatus, and that Delonge had changed his number so that they could no longer contact him.
Image:44 AOL 03.jpg
+44, Barker's and Hoppus's new band.
DeLonge announced his new band, Angels and Airwaves in November 2005. He also announced his plans to create a film about the final days of Blink-182.[14] Angels and Airwaves released their debut album We Don't Need to Whisper on May 23rd, 2006, where it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. The band are preparing their second album I-Empire for October 2007. Hoppus and Barker's new project +44 surfaced on December 13, 2005 with the song, "No It Isn't". They released their first album When Your Heart Stops Beating on November 14, 2006 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200.
On April 5, 2007, it was confirmed that Blink-182, along with Rancid and Green Day are some of the bands set to feature in a documentary about modern punk music. It's expected to be released early next year. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk will narrate the film, which also features the likes of NOFX and The Offspring.[15]
Reunion?
When asked about a reunion all three members seem to say that they'll never say never to a reunion. Tom states "I'd love to play with those guys again, but if I do, it would make my time with AVA seem like a waste of time." Travis says "I don't know if this is the end of blink". Mark says "I don't picture myself working with Tom again. But 15 years ago, I would have never guessed that I would end up where I am now, so I guess I'll keep my mind open."
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Blink 182
Left to right: Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker before a 2003 performance for troops.
Left to right: Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker before a 2003 performance for troops.
Background information
Origin Flag of United States Poway, California, USA
Genre(s) Pop Punk[1][2][3][4]
Punk rock[5][6][7]
Years active 1992 – 2005
Label(s) Filter, Grilled Cheese, MCA, Geffen
Associated
acts Box Car Racer
Angels and Airwaves
+44
Website www.blink182.com
Members
Tom DeLonge (vocals and guitar)
Mark Hoppus (vocals and bass)
Travis Barker (drums and percussion)
Former members
Scott Raynor (drums and percussion)
Blink 182 was known for their catchy, simple melodies and lyrical toilet humor. Songwriters Hoppus and DeLonge cite punk rock bands such as The Descendents and Screeching Weasel[10] as their early influences, however, the band's songwriting and production was driven by a pop sensibility. Their last album featured more musical experimentation and lyrical sophistication than previous releases.
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Early years (1992-1998)
o 1.2 Mainstream success (1999-2004)
o 1.3 Indefinite hiatus and new bands (2005-present)
+ 1.3.1 Reunion?
* 2 Discography
* 3 References
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
History
Early years (1992-1998)
In May 1993, Blink recorded its first demo tape, entitled Flyswatter, in drummer Scott Raynor's bedroom. A 4-track was used to record the material, resulting in poor sound quality. According to Hoppus, only around fifty copies of the demo were produced to give to their family and friends. Before the end of the year, the band released another demo, Buddha. Around 1,000 copies were produced by Filter Records, an independent record company headed by Hoppus's boss.
In early 1994, Blink signed with Cargo Records. The band recorded their debut full-length album, Cheshire Cat in three days. The album contained a number of updated versions of songs such as "Carousel", "Strings", "Sometimes" and "TV" that had appeared on the Buddha demo as well as some originals.
Shortly after the release of Cheshire Cat, Blink was threatened with legal action by a pop band in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a dispute, Blink appended "182" to the end of their name. The band has cited a variety of reasons for ultimately choosing 182, with some of the more common explanations being references to the 1985 Timothy Hutton film, Turk 182!, the band's ideal weight, the number of half the days in a year and the number of miles Hoppus had to drive to visit his girlfriend. However, DeLonge has stated that it is just a number that they "pulled out of their ass".
After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album Dude Ranch in 1996 with producer Mark Trombino. Blink-182 recorded the album under Cargo Records, but signed with MCA which later became Geffen Records in 1996, in order to handle increased distribution. The album was released in 1997 and was relatively commercially successful, selling 4 million copies worldwide. The single "Dammit" did well on U.S. modern rock charts, however drummer Scott Raynor later left the band. There are two common explanations for his removal - that Raynor had a serious drinking problem and was asked to go into rehab or face ejection, or alternately, that he departed in order to attend college. Raynor claims he agreed to go to rehab, but that DeLonge and Hoppus were doubtful of his sincerity and subsequently fired him over the phone.[11] Hoppus and DeLonge had asked drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, thus he had to learn all of the songs in a matter of hours before the show. He ultimately went on to join the band permanently afterwards, leaving The Aquabats.
Mainstream success (1999-2004)
The cover of Enema of the State
The cover of Enema of the State
For the 1999 album Enema of the State, the band hired Jerry Finn as its producer. The album propelled the band into the mainstream, granting the hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song" a significant amount of airtime on radio and MTV. Enema of the State went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide making it the band's bestselling album to that point.
In 1999 the band had small parts in the film American Pie, though Travis Barker was incorrectly credited as Scott Raynor.
In 2000, the band released The Urethra Chronicles, a DVD which featured behind-the-scenes information. The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back, Blink-182's sole live album, was also released in 2000, featuring songs from their three full-length records. The album also included one new studio song, "Man Overboard," among the live renditions. The album quickly went out of print making it a much sought after item. A limited edition was printed in October 2006.
The band continued its commercial success with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001, which was in the same vein as Enema of the State. However, a European tour in winter 2001 was canceled in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Rescheduled dates in early 2002 were also canceled due to DeLonge's problems with his back.
In 2002, Blink-182 co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day. The tour was documented on the DVD Riding In Vans With Boys.
After taking some time off in 2002, recording of the next record began in early 2003. The band released its next studio album on November 18, 2003. It featured the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and "Always". According to Barker, the untitled record was supposed to represent a new Blink-182.[12] It received significant airplay on radio and TV. The Cure front man Robert Smith, often cited as a major influence on the band, appeared on "All of This". During late 2003, the band embarked on the "Dolla Bill" tour, named for the inexpensive ticket costs (It was originally planned to be completely free but later realised that it would be necessary to charge something for the ticket). A tour with No Doubt in the summer of 2004 was also very successful.
Indefinite hiatus and new bands (2005-present)
In mid-February 2005 the band inexplicably cancelled a performance at Music for Relief's Concert for South Asia (a show put on to aid victims of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). Shortly there after, before a planned final US spring tour, on February 22, 2005, the band announced they were going on an "indefinite hiatus".
Geffen Records released a Greatest Hits compilation on November 1, 2005 in the U.S., one previously unreleased track was included "Another Girl Another Planet" (a cover song originally by The Only Ones). The song was also used as the theme song to Barker's new reality TV show, Meet the Barkers. Included was the previously issued "I Miss You" B-side and Blink-182 album bonus track "Not Now". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.[13]
DeLonge's band Angels & Airwaves' debut album We Don't Need to Whisper
DeLonge's band Angels & Airwaves' debut album We Don't Need to Whisper
In the wake of the Greatest Hits album and the announcement of his new band, DeLonge suggested the mounting tension between himself and Hoppus, ultimately caused by DeLonge's desire for a break with his family coupled with Hoppus's feelings of betrayal after the formation of Box Car Racer. After a year-and-half abstaining from any interviews surrounding the issue, Hoppus gave an extensive interview with b182.com in August 2006. Contrary to DeLonge's statements, Hoppus said that the band had been getting along at the time of their final album. Hoppus went on to say that DeLonge requested a half-year respite from touring to spend time with his family, despite a planned final spring U.S. tour. Hoppus and Barker hesitantly conceded, leading to the cancellation of the upcoming tour. Further problems arose in discussions regarding the band's future recording endeavors. It also finally surfaced in this interview that DeLonge had actually left the band before Hoppus and Barker announced that they were to make a new band and before they went on an indefinite hiatus, and that Delonge had changed his number so that they could no longer contact him.
Image:44 AOL 03.jpg
+44, Barker's and Hoppus's new band.
DeLonge announced his new band, Angels and Airwaves in November 2005. He also announced his plans to create a film about the final days of Blink-182.[14] Angels and Airwaves released their debut album We Don't Need to Whisper on May 23rd, 2006, where it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. The band are preparing their second album I-Empire for October 2007. Hoppus and Barker's new project +44 surfaced on December 13, 2005 with the song, "No It Isn't". They released their first album When Your Heart Stops Beating on November 14, 2006 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200.
On April 5, 2007, it was confirmed that Blink-182, along with Rancid and Green Day are some of the bands set to feature in a documentary about modern punk music. It's expected to be released early next year. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk will narrate the film, which also features the likes of NOFX and The Offspring.[15]
Reunion?
When asked about a reunion all three members seem to say that they'll never say never to a reunion. Tom states "I'd love to play with those guys again, but if I do, it would make my time with AVA seem like a waste of time." Travis says "I don't know if this is the end of blink". Mark says "I don't picture myself working with Tom again. But 15 years ago, I would have never guessed that I would end up where I am now, so I guess I'll keep my mind open."
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Blink 182
Left to right: Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker before a 2003 performance for troops.
Left to right: Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker before a 2003 performance for troops.
Background information
Origin Flag of United States Poway, California, USA
Genre(s) Pop Punk[1][2][3][4]
Punk rock[5][6][7]
Years active 1992 – 2005
Label(s) Filter, Grilled Cheese, MCA, Geffen
Associated
acts Box Car Racer
Angels and Airwaves
+44
Website www.blink182.com
Members
Tom DeLonge (vocals and guitar)
Mark Hoppus (vocals and bass)
Travis Barker (drums and percussion)
Former members
Scott Raynor (drums and percussion)
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