"And you, music lover"

[bobbynewmarkiii]

i assume your familiar with Death from Above 1979

[Hatta]

Hold on, there's good punk and bad punk? How do you tell the difference?

[Funk, E]

The best punk music is also simultaneously the worst.

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

its nice to see a good discussion about music.
im looking into every suggestion. thanks all

[soniklife]

Well, the definition of what punk and hardcore is truly changes every few years as what people classify as punk and hardcore is constantly in flux. Kids today probably The Offspring punk, while to me my definition of punk are bands like The Minutemen, Born Against, and Unwound while my boss thinks those bands are totally not punk and is more into Uk 82 stuff like The Exploited. So for what it is worth I'll make some recommendations of some of my favorite stuff that falls into punk/hardcore not adhering to subgenre tactics. Also I'll steer clear of the obvious choices-Black Flag, The Clash, The Germs, Fugazi, Dead Kennedy's, etc. Google any of these bands and you'll find a bunch of stuff)

-Born Against (really politically charged stuff that heavily channels Black Flag. Probably some of the best punk of the 90s. They had records on Prank and Kill Rock Stars)

-The Minutemen (a classic SST band that meshed genres together. They took The Pop Group, Captain Beefheart, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ornette Coleman and Parliament Funkadelic and threw it in a blender along with incredibly intelligent socially and politically aware lyrics to create a sound that to me is so liberating. Anything went with The Minutemen and it was all tastefully done. No matter how many styles they meshed it sounded so natural. People who try to discredit The Minutemen for not being apart of the punk subculture because they didn't adhere to three chords should be ashamed of themselves.)

-Unwound ( I guess most would consider Unwound a "post punk" band but I have always hated that term. Everyone always talks about how the Pacific Northwest scene got raped of its underground in the wake of grunge and while there is some truth to that, it really doesn't paint the picture of the absolutely vibrant underground scene there was elsewhere in the region. And if there was one band that I think carried that torch, was Unwound. All of their albums came out on Kill Rock Stars and their music was dark, expansive, noisy, chaotic yet completely serene the next minute. Driving basslines, thumping drums, screamed vocals, and guitars that came from the Sonic Youth school of rock but far more intense. Many people credit Unwound for being the forefathers of the genre unfortunately known as screamo. And no I am not talking about the makeup wearing dingbats on mtv peddling emo as essentially pop punk, but bands that infused hardcore with bigger focus on melody yet ramped up the speed and the vocals to screeching levels, bands like Orchid, Heroin, Jerome's Dream or more recently Raein or La Quiete. Do yourself a favor check Unwound's "The Future of What" it is one of the most abrasive, visceral yet sonically intelligent records I have ever heard in my life.)

-Adolescents ( Out of all the bands I'll list this is probably the band that has more in line with some of the bands you originally mentioned in your thread. Straight up fast West Coast hardcore punk shows that sometimes painting by numbers isn't necessarily a bad thing. These guys came from OC and they had it all the songs were fast yet really infectious. Their s/t album on Frontier Records is iconic and simply put absolutely essential.)

-Coliseum (These guys are from Louisville, KY and play thick, really heavy Tragedy esque d-beat style hardcore. They are definitely not reinventing the wheel but their mix of fast and bottom heavy hardcore and socially/politically driven lyrics is definitely welcomed in this day and age of the mainstreamed, candy ass versions of hardcore the labels like Trustkill are peddling these days. Their latest album is on Relapse and in the past they have had records out on Level Plane and Auxiliary.)

-Combat Wounded Veteran (Some people like stick this in the powerviolence sub genre ghetto which only gives creedence to the candyasses to continue to water down hardcore, to me Combat Wounded Veteran is pure fucking hardcore. So brutal, and fast, like if Minor Threat played Melt Banana songs. It can be easy to discredit the chaos is simply noise, but under the layers of feedback their is some excellent musicianship. And that is why their records still sell and other bands who subscribed to the power violence label have slipped into obscurity. Most of their records came out on No Idea. And it should be noted that some of the guys from CWV started a pretty awesome d-beat band after they broke up called, The Holy Mountain, who are most definitely worth checking out also.)

-Embrace (Ian Mackaye's post Minor Threat band. This what emo was before eyeliner and wearing your sister's pants made emo a dirty word. Embarce is just DC Hardcore played with a greater emphasis on melody. "Dance of Days" may in fact be one of my favorite songs that Ian Mackaye has written. So fucking good.)

-James Chance & The Contortions (Usually considered no wave, and while I guess it can easily fit under that umbrella James Chance and The Contortions were far to confrontational, and chaotic to not be considered a punk band. Plus they were wreaking havoc in NYC long before Brian Eno coined the term No Wave. James Chance took a fiery, squealing skronk approach to the saxophone almost akin to Jerry Lee Lewis at his most raucous. While Chance envisioned himself as some sort of demented white, version of James Brown, his band The Contortions while one half played extremely rhythmically tight funk, the other half played some of the most scathing racket anyone has ever heard. The guitar sounds set a template of what art rock would later become, and their techniques have been countlessly aped. It was ugly, loud and it was in your face. Chance himself was notorious for being physically confrontational much like Johnny Rotten or Alan Vega of Suicide, which only made the image of this band in suits playing a mutated fucked up version of funk all that more bizarre. Their album "Buy" is one of the greatest records to come from that era. And their rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" is by all counts sacrilege which makes me love it even more.

-The Jesus Lizard (Quite simply one of the best bands that has ever graced this earth. Loud, raucous, and while musically pushing the boundaries underneath the complex veneer of math rock of the rhythm section lied a pure rock n roll guitarist in Duane Denison. For my money there has never been a better frontman than David Yow. They released all but one of their albums on Touch & Go. The intensity in the music of The Jesus Lizard is why I don't buy into bands subscribing to a certain genre. just because something is labeled "hardcore" or "punk" doesn't mean it is going to be intense. The Jesus Lizard made some of these self described hard core and punk bands look as timid as a Joni Mitchell record. I still remember the first time I heard the album "Liar", The music pummeled me while Yow sounded like he was doing his vocals while gagged and tied up in the trunk of a Buick. Plus they do a sick cover of The Dicks "Wheelchair Epidemic".

-Merkit (These guys are DIY hardcore band from Naples, FL and simply put they are the best underground hardcore band in America right now. They remind me a lot of bands like Left for Dead and Born Against. Raging, and sometimes sloppy but sincere stuff with well thought out lyrics. When every hardcore band is looking to be rock stars these it is refreshing have a band as organic and honest as Merkit. All of their records are done on their own IFB Records.)

-DS-13 (If you dig thrashy, DC hardcore like Minor Threat, and Faith you'll probably dig Sweden's finest rippers. Their album "Killed by The Kids" on Havoc Records, is one of the best hardcore records since the original wave.)

-MK Ultra (Blazing fast hardcore kind in the same vein is DS-13 but with more power violence stuff and blast beats going on.)

-Yaphet Kotto (These guys were from Northern California and play very melodic yet heavy and screamy hardcore. The guitar melodies are truly unbelievable at times because you can't believe something that melodic could be so heavy but it is-trust me. The vocals switch from a fierce hardcore growl to high pitched almost falsetto yelling, which at first can be off putting or even sound dare I say wimpy, but within the context of the other sounds it is perfect. They released their albums on Ebullition and they are all excellent. Probably some of my favorite hardcore albums of the last 10 years. Members of Yaphet Kotto went on to play in Look Back & Laugh who are an awesome d-beat/thrash hardcore style of a band and Saviours who are part of the current thrash metal revival)

-The Screamers (Most famous because they never formally released any material, though albums worth of demos made its way onto a bootleg lp and cd that are actually very common. Plus there are several live recordings. Only existing from the year 1977-1978, The Screamers basically took The Ramones formula of 4/4 pop songs played fast however there were no guitars. The Screamers featured a drummer, vocalist,synthesizer and electric piano and are often credited for pioneering synth punk.)

[Flak Beard]

I was into punk for a long time, but the very definition of the music changes so often, I don't even refer to the stuff I listened to as "punk" these days. My taste in music much broader these days, and the handful of "punk" bands I still listen to are probably considered "big" or "popular" by those completely absorbed in the genre. I don't give a shit though, and that's probably why I left the scene. Too many elitists.

Anyway, some of my favorites are Strung Out, Snuff, No Fun At All, The Vandals and Good Riddance. Probably not what you're looking for though.

[ott0bot]

Well, the definition of what punk and hardcore is truly changes every few years as what people classify as punk and hardcore is constantly in flux. Kids today probably The Offspring punk, while to me my definition of punk are bands like The Minutemen, Born Against, and Unwound while my boss thinks those bands are totally not punk and is more into Uk 82 stuff like The Exploited. So for what it is worth I'll make some recommendations of some of my favorite stuff that falls into punk/hardcore not adhering to subgenre tactics. Also I'll steer clear of the obvious choices-Black Flag, The Clash, The Germs, Fugazi, Dead Kennedy's, etc. Google any of these bands and you'll find a bunch of stuff)

-Born Against (really politically charged stuff that heavily channels Black Flag. Probably some of the best punk of the 90s. They had records on Prank and Kill Rock Stars)

-The Minutemen (a classic SST band that meshed genres together. They took The Pop Group, Captain Beefheart, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ornette Coleman and Parliament Funkadelic and threw it in a blender along with incredibly intelligent socially and politically aware lyrics to create a sound that to me is so liberating. Anything went with The Minutemen and it was all tastefully done. No matter how many styles they meshed it sounded so natural. People who try to discredit The Minutemen for not being apart of the punk subculture because they didn't adhere to three chords should be ashamed of themselves.)

-Unwound ( I guess most would consider Unwound a "post punk" band but I have always hated that term. Everyone always talks about how the Pacific Northwest scene got raped of its underground in the wake of grunge and while there is some truth to that, it really doesn't paint the picture of the absolutely vibrant underground scene there was elsewhere in the region. And if there was one band that I think carried that torch, was Unwound. All of their albums came out on Kill Rock Stars and their music was dark, expansive, noisy, chaotic yet completely serene the next minute. Driving basslines, thumping drums, screamed vocals, and guitars that came from the Sonic Youth school of rock but far more intense. Many people credit Unwound for being the forefathers of the genre unfortunately known as screamo. And no I am not talking about the makeup wearing dingbats on mtv peddling emo as essentially pop punk, but bands that infused hardcore with bigger focus on melody yet ramped up the speed and the vocals to screeching levels, bands like Orchid, Heroin, Jerome's Dream or more recently Raein or La Quiete. Do yourself a favor check Unwound's "The Future of What" it is one of the most abrasive, visceral yet sonically intelligent records I have ever heard in my life.)

-Adolescents ( Out of all the bands I'll list this is probably the band that has more in line with some of the bands you originally mentioned in your thread. Straight up fast West Coast hardcore punk shows that sometimes painting by numbers isn't necessarily a bad thing. These guys came from OC and they had it all the songs were fast yet really infectious. Their s/t album on Frontier Records is iconic and simply put absolutely essential.)

-Coliseum (These guys are from Louisville, KY and play thick, really heavy Tragedy esque d-beat style hardcore. They are definitely not reinventing the wheel but their mix of fast and bottom heavy hardcore and socially/politically driven lyrics is definitely welcomed in this day and age of the mainstreamed, candy ass versions of hardcore the labels like Trustkill are peddling these days. Their latest album is on Relapse and in the past they have had records out on Level Plane and Auxiliary.)

-Combat Wounded Veteran (Some people like stick this in the powerviolence sub genre ghetto which only gives creedence to the candyasses to continue to water down hardcore, to me Combat Wounded Veteran is pure fucking hardcore. So brutal, and fast, like if Minor Threat played Melt Banana songs. It can be easy to discredit the chaos is simply noise, but under the layers of feedback their is some excellent musicianship. And that is why their records still sell and other bands who subscribed to the power violence label have slipped into obscurity. Most of their records came out on No Idea. And it should be noted that some of the guys from CWV started a pretty awesome d-beat band after they broke up called, The Holy Mountain, who are most definitely worth checking out also.)

-Embrace (Ian Mackaye's post Minor Threat band. This what emo was before eyeliner and wearing your sister's pants made emo a dirty word. Embarce is just DC Hardcore played with a greater emphasis on melody. "Dance of Days" may in fact be one of my favorite songs that Ian Mackaye has written. So fucking good.)

-James Chance & The Contortions (Usually considered no wave, and while I guess it can easily fit under that umbrella James Chance and The Contortions were far to confrontational, and chaotic to not be considered a punk band. Plus they were wreaking havoc in NYC long before Brian Eno coined the term No Wave. James Chance took a fiery, squealing skronk approach to the saxophone almost akin to Jerry Lee Lewis at his most raucous. While Chance envisioned himself as some sort of demented white, version of James Brown, his band The Contortions while one half played extremely rhythmically tight funk, the other half played some of the most scathing racket anyone has ever heard. The guitar sounds set a template of what art rock would later become, and their techniques have been countlessly aped. It was ugly, loud and it was in your face. Chance himself was notorious for being physically confrontational much like Johnny Rotten or Alan Vega of Suicide, which only made the image of this band in suits playing a mutated fucked up version of funk all that more bizarre. Their album "Buy" is one of the greatest records to come from that era. And their rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" is by all counts sacrilege which makes me love it even more.

-The Jesus Lizard (Quite simply one of the best bands that has ever graced this earth. Loud, raucous, and while musically pushing the boundaries underneath the complex veneer of math rock of the rhythm section lied a pure rock n roll guitarist in Duane Denison. For my money there has never been a better frontman than David Yow. They released all but one of their albums on Touch & Go. The intensity in the music of The Jesus Lizard is why I don't buy into bands subscribing to a certain genre. just because something is labeled "hardcore" or "punk" doesn't mean it is going to be intense. The Jesus Lizard made some of these self described hard core and punk bands look as timid as a Joni Mitchell record. I still remember the first time I heard the album "Liar", The music pummeled me while Yow sounded like he was doing his vocals while gagged and tied up in the trunk of a Buick. Plus they do a sick cover of The Dicks "Wheelchair Epidemic".

-Merkit (These guys are DIY hardcore band from Naples, FL and simply put they are the best underground hardcore band in America right now. They remind me a lot of bands like Left for Dead and Born Against. Raging, and sometimes sloppy but sincere stuff with well thought out lyrics. When every hardcore band is looking to be rock stars these it is refreshing have a band as organic and honest as Merkit. All of their records are done on their own IFB Records.)

-DS-13 (If you dig thrashy, DC hardcore like Minor Threat, and Faith you'll probably dig Sweden's finest rippers. Their album "Killed by The Kids" on Havoc Records, is one of the best hardcore records since the original wave.)

-MK Ultra (Blazing fast hardcore kind in the same vein is DS-13 but with more power violence stuff and blast beats going on.)

-Yaphet Kotto (These guys were from Northern California and play very melodic yet heavy and screamy hardcore. The guitar melodies are truly unbelievable at times because you can't believe something that melodic could be so heavy but it is-trust me. The vocals switch from a fierce hardcore growl to high pitched almost falsetto yelling, which at first can be off putting or even sound dare I say wimpy, but within the context of the other sounds it is perfect. They released their albums on Ebullition and they are all excellent. Probably some of my favorite hardcore albums of the last 10 years. Members of Yaphet Kotto went on to play in Look Back & Laugh who are an awesome d-beat/thrash hardcore style of a band and Saviours who are part of the current thrash metal revival)

-The Screamers (Most famous because they never formally released any material, though albums worth of demos made its way onto a bootleg lp and cd that are actually very common. Plus there are several live recordings. Only existing from the year 1977-1978, The Screamers basically took The Ramones formula of 4/4 pop songs played fast however there were no guitars. The Screamers featured a drummer, vocalist,synthesizer and electric piano and are often credited for pioneering synth punk.)

This man knows his stuff. I especailly recomend Unwound, some of the best music ever. They kinda mellowed out towards the end, and so did I. Which is good because there last record "leaves turn inside you" was amazing. It still had some great abrasive songs but it's more psch-rock and droned out. I was lucky enough to see there last tour. Definately check out "Repetition" as well.

If you're mentioning Embrace, maybe check out Rites of Spring. It was Guy from Fugazi's prior band. Not so much punk, but good stuff.

If you want odd and lo-fi check out The Urinals and early Butthole Surfers.

[fastbilly1]

Why its the drunk piano player, your so drunk you cant hit nothing. Infact your probably seeing double...

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

i got two guns, one for each of ya.




haha thanks for pickin that up man. its my favorite movie.




p.s. soniklife bravo man that was a lot of help i found a lot of stuff i like there. thanks

[GSZX1337]

Helps me find some good lesser known punk/thrash punk/hardcore punk bands?

What the hell is Thrash Punk? Do you mean Thrashcore or Thrash Metal?