Explain the asthetics of Punk

Hanaleimike said it pretty well... insofar as the ideology, artistic expression is concerned. That was definitely one aspect of it and was the appeal for some/most (?). I would add to his list, eminem. It was simple, honest music/self expression.

You either were one of the tribe and understood it or you didn't. No one really cared what you thought of it.

For me, the genre of music I listened to first was punk, or more precisely American hardcore. I never paid much attention to the lyrics, or political statements and didn't care much about being anti-establishment or anything like that. It was just about the way the music made you feel.

Most of it was absolutely terrible to listen to, but the good stuff was just pure unadulterated aggressive sonic energy. It made you want to slam down your beer, enter the mosh pit, dive off the stage, jump off a 30 foot cliff on your snowboard, slide down a 10 stair hand rail on your skateboard. Perfect compliment to a 14-21 year old male lifestyle.

The hardcore bands out of Washington DC and suburbia USA/Canada exemplified this sound:

- Bad Brains "Banned in DC" (the best punk/hardcore band in my books..great reggae as well)

- Black Flag
- Circle Jerks
- Bad Religion
- Misfits
- Minor Threat, DOA, SNFU, Agnostic Front, Pennywise.

Not exactly punk, but Metallica was also capable of serving up heavy doses of adrenaline with their music (listen to Justice for All).

There is a documentary called "American Hardcore" that attempts to explain the appeal and history of punk rock. It's at least good for a laugh.

A better one is "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey".

I rarely listen to this stuff now, but wouldn't trade the loss of hearing, scars for anything.

Nonconformist teenage angst, pushing the envelope further away from convention. Just part of the evolution of Rock. Punk doesn't even sound so punkish anymore!

I think that it's fair to say that Punk was an angry attempt to reverse the increasingly "corporate" or commercial character that began to dominate rock music after the '60's, when business realized that there was real gold in them thar hills.

Marty

PS - Jaybo & Hodu, Sebastian's point re: Fleetwood Mac is taken. For the record (pardon the pun), cue up "Come" from Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will". None of the punk bands mentioned here has (to my knowledge) recorded anything with the seething anger and crazed intensity of that track. Lindsey Buckingham is absolutely deranged - and I say that with the greatest respect and admiration. I also think that he doesn't like Stevie Nicks very much.

One more thought: Fleetwood Mac has got to be THE most misundertood band in the world. People think of Christine and Stevie when they should think LB. "Tusk" was a purer rejection of commercial interests (it ain't Rumors II, and from almost anyone else, you can bet that it would have been) than anything from the Punks, because Fleetwood Mac put REAL MONEY at risk by delivering quirky, challenging music when no one wanted it. For me, Tusk is on the very short list of truly great RnR records.

Marty

it was a response to corporations deciding what 'the message' would be. the germs, the adverts, the buzzcocks, penetration, stiff little fingers the only ones, and on and on and on....thousands of bands. as is always the case, the corporations now package it as nostagia in TV commercials, etc(and censor like everything else). For the uninitiated, start with the clash-london calling, and buzzcocks-singles going steady....if they don't 'knock you out' no harm done, and go back to Fleetwood Mac(sorry to use them as an example..I love them too). Its all poetry at this point anyway......Anarchy In The UK by the pistols is the ultimate loudspeaker 'killer'. It will destroy any speaker not up to the task of rock music....try it.