Introduction
Punk rock is a style of music developed through the 70’s in the U.K., U.S., and Australia. Most punk rock typically features an aggressive bare bones tone combined with politically charged lyrics.
Origin
In the mid to early 1960’s, garage bands are the predecessors to punk. With bands from the U.S. like The Kingsmen from Portland. And The Kinks in England. Dan Marsh coined the term “punk” in 1971 when he described The Mysterians as a “Landmark exposition of punk rock”.
Different scenes
The advent of punk led to people from all around the world to form bands. Punk’s rebellious style allured a lot of people. Most of the famous punk bands come from California. With the likes of Green Day, X, The Weirdoes, Dead Kennedys, and Agent Orange. Britain also had a booming scene. The most famous out of the British bands is The Sex Pistols. They inspired the aesthetic for many future bands.
“Punk is dead”
The phrase “Punk is dead” was coined by the band Crass where they wrote a song with the same name. The term is used by hardcore punk fans to describe the modern generation of punk. The advent of bands like Green Day, Blink 182, and Sum 41 further convinced fans that punk really is dead. Saying that those bands aren’t “True punk”.
Reccomended Bands for Beginners
Punk, at least in my experience, may seem a bit daunting to those unfamiliar with it. As many fans argue what’s punk and what’s not. Well here’s a list for the top 5 bands for those new to the genre. (although not necessarily in order)
- The Misfits
With its horror inspired members and lyrics, The Misfits make quite the appearance. A lot of their songs have lyrics based off of movies and murder stories.The lead singer has a softer voice compared to other bands. If you’re into to dark themes, these are your guys.
2. Green Day
The aforementioned “arguing” amongst fans can be traced to Green Day. When they released their first album, Dookie, many agreed that Green Day was in fact punk. But once Nimrod came out, they experimented with their songs. Many fans disliked this refer to Green Day as pop. Comparing them to the regular trite that’s released. Regardless of whether they’re punk or not, I believe they’re still worth listening. Even fans of classic rock will enjoy their songs.
3. Dead Kennedys
If you’re looking for an aggressive tone with lyrics involving controversial subjects, Dead Kennedys is the best candidate. DK is probably the truest form of punk. Following the ideology of it 100%. They were controversial just for their name. I’d say you should give them a listen if you’ve adjusted to the themes of punk.
4. The Sex Pistols
Arguably one of the most iconic punk bands, The Sex Pistols well deserve their fame. They’re basically the metal version of The Beatles. Being on par with other groups from their time such as Led Zepplin, they’re an easy listen. I definitely recommend playing their songs as party music.
5. Agent Orange
Being the third Californian band on this list, the theme is relatively the same. But Agent Orange is my personal favorite. They aren’t really known for their deep lyrics, but the riffs and drums are in harmony. I’d go as far to say you should but their album. Living in darkness of course.
Is Punk really dead?
Hardcore fans of punk tend resent newer generations of the genre. Calling it “Dead.” I believe that punk isn’t dead, but rather the ideology of punk has died. The anti-establishment themes and going against “The Man.” The heavy riffs and rough voices are still very present in today’s punk. Plus other genres such as Pop and Hip-hop have overshadowed other bands. Punk will never truly die. And I have faith in the newer generations of bands.
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