4810-Test4
But was grunge a new iteration of punk?
'll let Dr. Steve Waksman (pictured) Chair of the Music Department, Smith College explain: "In grunge, as in heavy metal, the music came first but punk and hardcore exerted a pronounced influence on the creative ethos of grunge. Musicians associated with the Seattle Sound did not eschew virtuosity with the same rigor as did their hardcore counterparts, but they expressed a critical attitude to the virtuosity that bore the mark of hardcore. Specifically, grunge performers decried the new virtuosity that had arisen in the aftermath of Eddie Van Halen's emergence into the commercial hard rock world."
Boston
: the Lyres, Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, the Neighborhoods
4-Skin
A.C.A.B
How popular was Nevermind?
After leaving Sub Pop Nirvana signed with major label DGC (because Sonic Youth would be their label mates) in 1991. Released in September, 1991, the initial pressing (only 50,000 copies) sold out in days. By the January of 1992, Nevermind had replaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous as the #1 record in the US and was selling an average of 300,000 copies/week. It stayed on the Billboard LP charts for 5 years, selling more than 10 million copies. After the success of Nevermind, major labels couldn't sign grunge bands fast enough. Kurt Cobain, struggling with drug addiction and mental illness issues, commits suicide April 5, 1994.
MRR
Although MRR was, more or less run communally, its particular, hardline view of punk was formed by longtime editor Tim Yohannan (pictured here articulating his editorial philosophy). • Although kind of old to be a punk (he was born in 1945), Yohannan believed in order to be punk the music had to be inherently political, preferably in line with his own leftist, anti-authoritarian beliefs. • As noted in his obituary in Rolling Stone: "Yohannan was known for his staunch commitment to political activism, the do-it- yourself ideal, and, most of all, the music he loved." • Often called an elitist, he was hated and loved by punk fans in nearly equal measure. He died in 1998 at the age of 52.
Riot Grrrl
Although the women of the first wave of punk rock helped shape Riot Grrrl as a sub- genre (Patti Smith, the Slits, the Raincoats, Siouxsie Sioux, X-Ray Spex's Poly Styrene, the Adverts Gaye Advert, Alice Bag, the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde) there were also proto-punk influences like the Runaways, especially their guitarist Joan Jett. • Initially, the scene emerges from Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, an ultra progressive liberal arts college. • It would be Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna (pictured) who becomes the movement's focal point/spokesperson as the lead singer of the genre's best known band. • Bands joining in this feminist-punk movement included: Bratmobile, Huggy Bear, Heavens to Betsy, 7 Year Bitch, Babes in Toyland, Lunachicks, Sleater-Kinney, and L7.
SST
Among the bands that recorded important indie rock records for SST from 1978-1990 included: •Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr. (pictured), Husker Du, the Minutemen, the Leaving Trains, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, the Bad Brains, fIREHOSE, the Screaming Trees, and the Descendants.
Did outrage for the sake of outrage make the music more "authentically punk" or was it becoming a parody of itself? A fashion trend?
As more performers/bands jumped on the punk rock bandwagon and punk/new wave was marketed, there was an issue with the genre's credibility.
chicago
Big Black, Naked Raygun
Raymond Pettibon
Born in 1957, Raymond Ginn, brother of Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. ■ Defines the look of SST records, creating a dark, punk rock aesthetic. ■ Influenced by comic book art, images are frequently violent, grotesque, anti-authoritarian, and sexual.
What about the spread of punk and post-punk America's faraway towns?
Boston: the Lyres, Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, the Neighborhoods ■ Cleveland: Pere Ubu, the Pagans, Human Switchboard, Electric Eels, Devo ■ Chicago: Big Black, Naked Raygun ■ Minneapolis/St. Paul: Suicide Commandos, Hypstyrz, Husker Du, Replacements, Soul Asylum ■ Athens, GA: REM, B-52s, Pylon ■ Washington, D.C.: Hardcore (Minor Threat, SOA, Void), Dischord Records ■ Some of these bands were profiled in Michael Azerrad's 2001 book Our Band Could Be Your Life, which details the rise of the American indie rock underground.
Los Angeles (and a little bit of Northern California too)
British bands (the Damned and the Jam) had played in Los Angeles as early as 1977. ■ Early LA punk scene (1977-1980): Dils, Bags, Weirdos, Screamers, Dickies, X, Avengers, Germs, Go-Gos, Los Lobos, the Blasters, Flesh Eaters. ■ Slightly later post-punk scene (1981-1986): Black Flag, Fear, Minutemen, Angry Samoans, Agent Orange, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys (from San Francisco, actually). ■ There was also a very active punk zine scene, with publications like Flipside, No Mag, Search and Destroy, Slash, and Maximum Rocknroll (based in San Francisco)
UK Subs
CID
Napalm Death
From enslavement to Oblivion
Washington,DC
Hardcore (Minor Threat, SOA, Void), Dischord Records
120 Minutes
In 1986, MTV debuts the program 120 Minutes designed, in the words of early host/producer Dave Kendall (who actually came up with the idea for the show's concept and convinced MTV to air it): "By far the most important thing about 120 Minutes was that it acted as a distribution channel for organic musical produce, if you will. The only other outlet for non-mainstream music at the time was a few local college radio stations, because unlike in the U.K., mainstream U.S. radio stations were not open to new ideas." • In short order, 120 Minutes became the program by which viewers/listeners could see and hear bands that were considered "left of the dial" or part of the punk- influenced college rock/indie rock scene.
Punk Rock as Moral Panic
In the 80s, mainstream media's (especially network television) portrayal of punk was one of social dysfunction and violence. •Punk fans were viewed as nihilistic sociopaths dedicated to the destruction of all existing social norms and a threat to the existing moral order. •This Afterschool Special was relatively late to the anti-punk party airing in 1987.
Punk-O-Rama compilations
In the immediate post-Nirvana era, a new generation of punk bands were experiencing commercial success that had eluded the bands from the 70s. Soon albums by Offspring and Rancid were selling huge numbers (for punk anyway) and their videos played on MTV. • Between 1994-2004, Epitaph Records, founded by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, began releasing annual compilations of punk and punk-related sub- genres (garage punk, hardcore, skate punk, pop punk, etc.). • The label also out together tours featuring bands from these compilations. • In the era preceding Napster and digital downloads, these (very inexpensive) CDs were crucial to a new generation of punk fans. And, for some, it was their introduction to what they considered "real" punk rock.
Why did punk/punk-inspired music find commercial success?
It wasn't just one thing. The audience for punk — which now constituted Gen Xers as well as boomers — had been building with the band associated with hardcore, college/indie rock and, in some cases, metal (specifically grindcore and thrash metal). •Although many of the bands on indie labels like SST, Touch & Go, Twin/Tone weren't getting played on the radio or on MTV, commercial hard rock had become enamored with so-called "hair metal" bands who, although influenced by the same glam-rock bands who had influenced the first generation of punk rock, seemed less threatening and eager to make commercial concessions to make it big — the antithesis of hardcore punk and much indie rock.
Replacementts
Kids don't follow
Jesus and Mary Chain
Never Understand
shape of riot girl
Patti Smith, the Slits, the Raincoats, Siouxsie Sioux, X-Ray Spex's Poly Styrene, the Adverts Gaye Advert, Alice Bag, the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde) there were also proto-punk influences like the Runaways, especially their guitarist Joan Jett. kathleen hanna
Cleveland
Pere Ubu, the Pagans, Human Switchboard, Electric Eels, Devo
Maximum Rock N Roll
Punk Rock's longest continually published fanzine 1982-now
So, If Punk's Not Dead What does it sound like now?
Pussy Riot, "Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland" (2014) War on Women, "Swagger" (2015) Downtown Boys, "Wave of History" (2016) Sleaford mods
athens, GA
REM, B-52s, Pylon
Important LA punk/indie record labels
Started by Black Flag Guitarist Gregg Ginn (pictured) SST (Solid State Tuners) in Long Beach, CA in 1978, by the mid-1980s it was one of the most influential indie labels in the US along with Twin/ Tone, Dischord, Touch & Go, Ace of Hearts, and Alternative Tentacles. • According to the British newspaper the Guardian: "The bands signed by Ginn seemed to reflect his reverse refusal to give people more of the same. As a certified Deadhead who was also into free-jazz, Ginn valued individualism and uniqueness more than Xerox punk. • SST's influence on punk is bigger than it's given credit for. Early releases from Soundgarden and Screaming Trees heralded the advent of Seattle grunge, whereas the Descendents prepared the ground for the later rush of SoCal pop punk bands such as Green Day."
Vans Warped Tour
Started in 1995 by Kevin Lyman (pictured) the Warped Tour capitalized on the popularity of punk to create what would become the largest traveling music festival in the US. Over time, the festival was very broad in its application of "punk" or "indie/alternative" rock when it came to adding bands to the line-up. • Skateboard shoe manufacturer Vans has been sponsoring the tour since 1996. For some, this marked the end of "real punk" and the start of the tour appealing to the younger, so-called Hot Topic "mall-punk" crowd. • The 2017 tour featured 86 bands on 7 stages. • Lyman announced recently that after 23 years, 2018's tour would be the last one.
minapolis/st paul
Suicide Commandos, Hypstyrz, Husker Du, Replacements, Soul Asylum
Lollapalooza
The brainchild of Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Ferrell, the first year was designed as a farewell tour for the beloved Jane's Addiction, and included a relatively small but diverse lineup including, Living Colour, Nine Inch Nails, and rapper Ice-T. Originally a tour (rather than stand alone event), by 1992 the lineup had increased from 9 bands to 28. But, by 1998, interest had waned in the festival, partly the result of the decision in 1996 to book Metallica — a decision seen as going against Lollapalooza's focus on "alternative" music. In 2005 Farrell (pictured) Lollapalooza returned, this time not as a touring festival but as a one-time three-day festival in Grant Park in downtown Chicago. The festival has been on an upswing ever since, appearing every year in Chicago, and has expanded to include multi-day festivals in a total of four other countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Germany. With 133 bands playing in 2014, Lollapalooza has continued its history of musical diversity, with recent years emphasizing electronic and indie rock more heavily.
Latino/a/x Punk
The roots of latino/a/x punk rock go back to 1964 and the Peruvian garage rock band Los Saicos — although it's difficult to assess how available (and popular) their recordings were in the 1960s/70s. Still, when punk came to Los Angeles, there were a number of Latino/a/x performers who formed bands as a result of hearing the Ramones, Sex Pistols and the Damned: The Plugz (Tito Larriva, Charlie Quintana); The Bags (featuring Alice Bag aka Alicia Armendariz); the Zeros (Javier Escovedo, Robert Lopez, Hector Penalosa, Baba Chenelle); and Los Illegals (Willie Herrera, Bill Reyes, Manuel Valdez, Tony Valdez, Jesus Vela)
Nirvana
Their debut LP Bleach (1989), was recorded for $600 and was a cult hit, but it was Nevermind (1991), and the video for the first single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" that made them one of the world's biggest rock band by the end of 1992. The indie label at the forefront of this scene was Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop started by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman.
Mudhoney
Touch Me I'm Sick 1988
Chumbawumba
Tubthumping
Fugazi
Waiting room
the ruts
babylon's burning
rancid
bloodclot
Suicidal Tendencies
institutionalized
Bikini Kill
rebel Girl
Slash
was started by artist Bob Biggs as a fanzine covering the LA punk/indie rock scene. The label was an outgrowth of the zine and soon released records by Fear, the Blasters, Los Lobos, the Dream Syndicate, and the Germs. • A subsidiary label, Ruby Records started in 1981 releasing records by the Misfits and the Gun Club. •In 1982, Biggs signed a distribution deal with Warner Brothers and eventually sold the label to London in 1986 (which later became part of the Universal Music Group).
