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by mysteryhawk on January 16th, 2005

mysteryhawk

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How is punk rock different from rock?

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  • by allanbz on January 21st, 2005

    allanbz

    [This repeats many of the above answers, but I've gone this far, may as well post. I'm sure much of this is subjective and even wrong by somebody's lights, so have at it.]

    Punk is a subgenre of rock originating in the seventies as a reaction to other music on the airwaves at that time. As the Buzzcocks sang, "I hate disco, boogie, pop; they go on... and on and on... and on and on... oh how I wish they would stop!"

    Punk music sounded like rock songs played faster, shorter, louder, less melodically, more repetitively. All you needed were three chords to play most songs. Punk typically eschewed the elaborate studio mixing techniques then in fashion for a rough, direct sound. Most punk music follows the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure of rock. The content was often focused on anger, boredom, and disaffection and as an afterthought, anarchy or social change. "I... wanna be... anarchy!"

    If you were punk during the seventies you were likely listening to the seminal bands the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, the Clash.

    Punk in the eighties had evolved into power pop and new wave (think Blondie and Talking Heads), but the original mainline of punk was still alive. Bad Religion. Dead Kennedys. Black Flag. Circle Jerks. Social Distortion. Tim Yohannon's Maximum Rocknroll documented much of the fragmented scenes during this time. Grunge (Seattle), emo (Washington, DC), and hardcore (NYC, LA) were subgenres that evolved in the (mid?) eighties.

    The ailing punk scene of the nineties was rejuvenated by Nirvana, bringing punk back into prominence, and opening the floodgates for local bands to "sell out" (always a big concern for punks).

    Punk is definitely local, and speaks to local scenesters; if you and your cousin across the country know of the same punk band, it's more than likely that the band has sold out to the mainstream, and, ipso facto, is not punk (the major label on the record is also a big clue). I jest. Aspiring garage bands aiming for the mainstream typically play at venues where an A&R rep will hear them; punk bands aim to get their music heard by people who will take it to heart.

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