James

Punk is often doesn't get credit as a proper, intelligent genre and it's seen as juvenile and sloppy. But of course it is more than that, punk is one of the most varied genres around, punk is the genre I go to when I want to think but also where I go when I want fun. Punk encourages a way of life but at the same time tells you to throw it all away and not give a sh*t about anything. It tells you what to do, and you enjoy it. To quote Iggy Pop:

"I'll tell you about punk rock. Punk rock is a word used by dilletantes and heartless manipulators about music that takes up the energies and the bodies and the hearts and the souls and the time and the minds of young men who give what they have to it, and give everything they have to it. And it's a term that's based on contempt. It's a term that's based in fashion, style, elitism, satanism and everything that's rotten about rock'n'roll.

"I don't know Johnny Rotten but I'm sure he puts as much blood and sweat into what he does as Sigmund Freud did. You see, what sounds to you like a big load of trashy old noise is in fact the brilliant music of a genius, myself. And that music is so powerful that it's quite beyond my control and when I'm in the grips of it I don't feel pleasure and I don't feel pain, either physically or emotionally. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Have you ever felt like that? When you just couldn't feel anything, and you don't want to either. You know, like that?"


It's been my favourite genre for a while, it was Indie for a small period and then I started to branch out into the subgenres. Then I was bought. Punk has sounds at both sides of the spectrum, sloppy and vile Crust Punk to beautiful and complex, ethereal Post-Punk. But it all has something in common, a sense of youth and lack of worry which can be described by the word Punk. After all, if there was a word for it, why would the music exist?

Punk took it's biggest influence in sound from the garage rock bands of the 60s such as The Stooges, Motor City Five and The Sonics. In the late 70s, Punk was properly born with bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Television and The Damned originating the genre and having a huge influence worldwide. Hundreds of Punk bands formed from hearing the Sex Pistols, often self producing creating the DIY sound Punk is known for today.

Throughout the 80s the punk sound developed, creating fully formed subgenres such as Post-Punk, Hardcore Punk, Folk Punk, Anarchopunk, Crust Punk, Emo, Pop-Punk, Psychobilly and Ska Punk. Incorparating influences from counrty, prog, metal and reggae.

In the nineties, punk fell out of fashion but in the process created more punk subgenres and movements. Like Grunge, Riot Grrrl and Post-Hardcore. From then up until now, Punk is pretty far removed from the maintream, but it still has a cult following and punk related music is released to this day.

This club will run like all of the other clubs, post your recommended album in here with a little writeup explaining what it sounds like. After we have gathered enough nominations we will make a poll to vote for which album will be discussed. The winning album will have a thread made and links will be available, then we will hopefully generate discussion. The process will be repeated weekly. Please, suggest some albums.