* * * *I felt this article needed to be written because of the lack of knowledge people have about punk music. I’m sure almost everyone reading this has heard of bands like Blink 182 and the Offspring, but you have to dig deeper than the radio to get quality punk rock. When you do listen to punk you shouldn’t restrict yourself with any prejudices you may have against it.
* * * *One reason many people blow off punk right away is because of the often unintelligible lyrics. Many punk bands don’t try to look for good singers because the point isn’t how well it’s sung; the point is that the idea or story gets across. These “different” voices often give a song character or keep the song interesting. Anyway, the lyrics often hold truth that can usually only be heard in punk songs. If a song isn’t political or philosophical, it’s usually amazingly funny.
* * * *Another reason people don’t listen to punk is because of the sometimes funny way many people think “punks” look. I can understand that a bright green mohawk may not be appealing to many people, but you shouldn’t allow these fashions to distract. The way someone looks shouldn’t matter when it comes to any genre of music. Many times these “funny fashions” are a way of expressing their separation from the rest of society. A way of saying that the unsaid rules of style, fashion, and morals don’t really matter.
* * * *The main reason, I think, that people dismiss punk rock is the fact that you can’t easily find it. It takes quite a lot of thinking to find this music. Like I said earlier, you can’t just listen to the radio and expect good punk music to fall into your lap. To help you get started I made a guide that can help you find some good punk rock music.
* 1. Listen to them and see if you like any specific bands. Try to see if you can find one of their CDs.
* 2. Look for punk compilations in a record store, there’s bound to be plenty.
* 3. Order catalogs. Many record companies will send them out. A good punk record company is Fat Wreck Chords.
* 4. Look in smaller record stores. Places that sell used CDs often have good punk.
* 5. Look in the newspaper for shows. If you go, try to make some friends. Most punks are nicer than you think.
* * * *Remember that it’s not always going to be easy to find good bands. To get you started I’ll name some of my favorite bands. Operation Ivy (often called Op Ivy) is said to be one of the most influential punk bands. Rancid is a band that has two of the members from Op Ivy. Rancid has some awesome bass lines and some pretty catchy tunes. Other “old school” punk bands are the Vandals, Sex Pistols, and Crass. The Dead Kennedys is a highly political band from the 80s. Screeching Weasel is a great band with some great melodies. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a great cover band with some great punk covers of songs like “Uptown Girl”, “Country Roads”, and “California Dreaming”. Covers are quite popular in punk music. In fact, Less Than Jake is a band that did a whole “Grease” cover album. (Less Than Jake play ska which is often categorized with punk. Ska usually has the guitar playing on the off beat. Ska also usually has horns playing the melody.) Some other good bands are NOFX, Anti-Flag, the Living End, and Propagandhi. These suggestions should at least jumpstart you if you’re interested.
* * * *I realize that punk is not for everyone and I also realize that most of you are not in the least bit interested in punk music. I just hope I’ve at least opened some of your minds to new things. I further hope that I’ve helped at least one person find something they really enjoy.
