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In this entertainment edition, I’ll be giving the history of my favorite genre, punk rock, along with some of the bands and subgenres. Lastly, I’ll be listing off a few international subgenres as well.

THE EARLY DAYS, NEW YORK


The Ramones playing at CBGBs

Punk rock began in New York in 1974, with a well known band called the Ramones. There were many bands that are helped give birth to the sound of early punk, but the Ramones, along with bands such as the Dead Boys, created the new genre at a venue named CBGBs. In one of their earliest shows, all four members started on the wrong note, threw down their instruments and left the stage. Another important figure, Richard Hell, emerged shortly after.

THE EARLY DAYS, LONDON

Immediately after hearing the new sound emerging in New York, punk rock bands sprouted in London. The British movement was led by the self-proclaimed anarchist band, The Sex Pistols. Punk rock had already built itself attitude, but the political tone that is prevalent in much of punk began with the Sex Pistols. Playing out of the 100 Club, they were joined by bands such as the X-Ray Spex, Buzzcocks, and most importantly, the Clash, who became one of the earliest punk bands to incorporate reggae into the new genre.


After Johnny Rotten wore a shirt with two gay cowboys, the Sex Pistols played on despite having bottles and chairs thrown at them on stage in Dallas, Texas.

THE 80s

By the 80’s, punk rock had erupted throughout Europe, and then much of the rest of the world. In the US, many subgenres, such as hardcore, were being born. In the U.K., other subgenres, such as Anarcho-Punk and Oi! were being established as well.

American punk had many different styles throughout the 80s. Light-hearted and sometimes humorous bands such as the Dead Milkmen and Flipper emerged. The Misfits, fronted by a young Danzig, created the genre horror punk, and wrote songs with a strong intent on shocking mainstream listeners who took the words literally.
It was in the 80’s that bands like the Adolescents, the Forgotten Rebels, the Adicts,the Replacements and the Germs were all riding the peak of their punk careers.


The Misfits performing live in the early 80s

THE 90’s

Though they started in the 80s, Screeching Weasel, Snuff, NOFX and Rancid were all developing a newer alternative sound in the 90’s. NOFX led the longest consistent career out of the others, however both bands developed two big record labels that are used by most of the best known punk bands around today. Fat Mike of NOFX started Fat Wreckords, while Tim Armstrong formed Hell Cat Records.

Bands like Greenday, Offspring and Blink 182 became large in the late 90’s, and playing a more punkish style, had taken charge of mainstream rock. Both bands cite being heavily influenced by Screeching Weasel. Most traditional punk fans don’t like to include Greenday and Blink 182 in with other, older punk bands. This is why I call the style that both bands established, “Alternative Punk”, or “Skate”. Of course, many traditional punk bands still include early Greenday to be punk.


NOFX, led by singer/producer Fat Mike, performing live.

THE 2000’s

In the early 2000’s, punk had become very quiet. In the mid 2000’s however, Against Me!, Leftover Crack, Mischief Brew, and the Briggs all became better, less known bands in the genre.

Leftover Crack became known as the band with violently outspoken lyrics about police, the government, and the September 11th attacks. They were forced to tone down their lyrics and album artwork, before they left Hell Cat Records to release from Fat Wreckords.


Leftover Crack performing in NYC

HARDCORE PUNK

Black Flag are considered by most to have started the subgenre of punk, hardcore. The genre brought attention to punk rock once more, taking the attitude of punk and turning it into aggression. Mosh pits were started by hardcore punk, and prevalent in shows by major bands such as the Dead Kennedys.
Reagan Youth, Agnostic Front, and Bad Brains were all important bands in the hardcore genre.


Reagan Youth was known for mockingly dressing in KKK uniforms, although the band both despised Ronald Reagan, was anarchist, and despised racism.

ANARCHO PUNK

Started in the late 70’s in the U.K., Anarcho punk never intended to be titled “Anarcho”, and was more socially aware than other music, with lyrics that reached out to many different groups. However, the rejection of mainstream record labels and aggression towards cases not strongly enough defended by the government, such as equal rights, animal rights, consumerism, and social responsibilities gave it the title “Anarcho Punk”.

Most anarcho punk bands aren’t aggressive in the music, rather in the lyrics. Bands like Crass, Alternative, Poison Girls, and the Mob helped establish the subgenre.

Anarcho punk continued throughout the 90’s with bands like Aus Rotten and Chumbawamba, and continues even today, although the more mellow sound of the 80’s anarcho punk has become far more uncommon in modern anarcho, replaced with more aggressive styles infused with crust, rap, and even techno.


Crass

OI!

Oi!, or Street Punk was established in the late 70’s by bands such as Cock Sparrer.

The movement helped self-associate the skinhead movement. Skinheads were punks, usually socially leftist or anarchist who focused on standing up for the working class. Eventually, racists and fascists entered the skinhead movement, causing fights between the different groups of skinheads at many concerts, given the almost opposite beliefs of the two groups. This led many traditional skinheads to quit the scene, while bands had to go out of their way to denounce racisim to prevent fascist skins from attending their shows.

Big Oi! and street punk bands include the Angelic Upstarts and Blitz of the 80’s. The 90’s brought out Defiance, the U.S. Bombs and perhaps the largest known street band, Rancid, while bands such as the Briggs emerged in the 2000’s.


Cock Sparrer, one of the earliest Oi! bands.

SKA

Ska Punk is a subgenre of punk rock that combines heavy reggae sounds. Ska originated long before punk rock, however in the late 70’s, bands like the Specials led the subgenre by combining ska with a punk sound. In the 80’s, Operation Ivy emerged with one LP album before breaking up and forming Rancid. Operation Ivy’s album, Energy, is highly regarded as one of the greatest in punk rock. The band combined many aspects of Ska into their music. Modern bands like Leftover Crack, and Reel Big Fish combine both ska and hardcore in their songs.

IRISH/CELTIC PUNK

Most punk fans label the Pogues as the godfathers of Irish punk rock. Irish punk bands often focus on drinking, working class, Irish nationalism, and famous national songs from both Ireland and Scotland.

The genre grew in the 80’s, and New York’s earliest popular Celtic Punk band, Black 47, was founded in 1989.

Modern celtic punk bands include American bands such as the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, although the subgenre has also spread to many non-english speaking nations. Spain, for example, has the celtic punk band Bastards on Parade.


The Pogues perform in Japan

JAPANESE PUNK

The Blue Hearts were the first major Japanese punk band. Inspired by the Misfits, Balzac became Japan’s first horror punk band and has toured internationally numerous times. Japan has become the leading Asian nation in the number of punk bands, with censorships in China and conservatism in Korea, both nations have a limited number of punk bands.

During the 90’s, when Alternative punk led the radio in the U.S., similar bands like Penpals played out of Japan, and another major Japanese punk band, High Standard, signed with Fat Wreckords in the 2000’s.

SPANISH PUNK

The first Spanish speaking nation affected by the punk rock movement was Spain. Punk rock held a hard political theme in Spain, with many anarchist bands thanks to the long reign of a fascist government that ended as the punk movement was starting. Today, Spain and Argentina both hold the largest punk scenes of Spanish speaking nations. One of the earliest bands, La Polla Records, was formed in the late 70’s. Eskorbuto, formed in 1980, was one of the most influential Spanish punk bands. Bands such as Elektroduendes later formed in the 90’s.


One of Spain's most influential punk bands, Eskorbuto

SOUTH AMERICAN PUNK

Brazil was the first South American country hit with the punk rock movement, and had bands such as Colera, and more ska influenced bands like Raimundos in the 90’s.

Argentina had a vast punk movement, starting with bands like Los Violadores and Sumo. “South America’s Ramones”, Attaque 77 took lead of the movement in the 80’s, along with Flema and Fun People.

Peru also had a minor punk movement, with bands like Leucemia.


Leader Ricky Espinosa and Flema

FEMALE-FRONTED PUNK

The X-ray Spex and Holly and the Italians were some of the earliest female-fronted punk bands. Bands from all over the world were also female fronted such as the Rezillos (Scotland), XL Capris (Australia), the Reactors (USA), the Lost Cherrees (England), the Avengers (USA), Cocadictos (Spain), Scattergun/Cut My Skin (Germany), along with many more.

The Riot Girl movement was started with the female punk scene, and was led by bands such as Bikini Kill.


Lara Logic (Sax) and Poly Styrene (Vocals) of X-Ray Spex

CONCLUSION

Rebellion is the key aspect in Punk Rock. The genre emerged in a time just after Vietnam, where peaceful protests led nowhere, and upcoming generations became more fed up with being restricted by social norms and mainstream standards. Social controversies have long been fought for, along side radical ideologies in much of punk rock.

Most punk rockers moved on to more advanced genres when they felt like they could no longer grow in punk rock. Many of them started out in punk because they werent very talented and could stick to simple notes while forcing both their message and music to be heard, but after growing and feeling more limited, post-punk led many artists into new wave and alternative genres.

The genre gave birth to not only subgenres, but inspired Kurt Cobaine, of Nirvana, leading to the Grunge genre of rock in the early 90’s. The genre continues to grow, despite common accusations that “Punk is Dead” with newer subgenres being established every few years, such as Gypsy Punk, by Gogol Bordello.

The longer the world yearns to rebel, the longer punk will live on.


MY CURRENT MISSION

In a few days i'll be posting the next Leaders article. Afterwards I'll be releasing the winner of the ILP writing contest. Other than that I'll be fighting against TWO on every front I can.

-R.A.

Issue Song:
Colera - Adolescente
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yBYApVfE1I

"Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people." - Oscar Wilde

The Irish Radical issue #45