Punk Music And Punk Rock Bands

The beginnings of punk music have been debated back and forth since the 1970s, when the earliest punk rock bands started to emerge on music scenes on the East Coast of the United States and on the streets and pubs of Britain. Although punk music and punk rock bands have moved from back alley bars to worldwide fame, punk music still continues to draw from many influences and infuse its influence on new genres of music. Despite its commercial appeal and success, antithetical to the DIY attitude and contrary to its anti-authoritarian/ anti-establishment roots, punk music still retains some of its credibility as the "Sound of the Counter-Culture."

Indicative of its inherent rebelliousness, punk music and punk rock bands have defied strict labeling. Consistent throughout punk music history, is the sponge-like ability of punk rock bands. Drawing from many different wells, punk music reflects the complex environment of rock music. From early on,the genre would include unique mixtures of different influences. Precursors of styles that would become defined as rockabilly (artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash), garage rock (The Yardbirds, The Kinks and The Animals), pub rock (Elvis Costello, Dr Feelgood and Riff Raff), proto-punk (Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, New York Dolls), glam-rock (Alice Cooper and Iggy Popp) and early heavy metal (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult) would all play in considerably on the formative years of punk rock bands and during the infancy of punk music.

The punk genre, fomenting with the rich musical influence of the fifties and sixties, was a combination of complex social, political and economic issues both in the United States and Britain, and youthful angst. The blend contributed to a new, original sound laid as the backdrop to a socially conscious message. Although the origins may seem convoluted, purist punk rockers and punk rock bands carry strong anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian sentiment, hallmarked by the DIY (do-it-yourself) ethic. This is evident in every sub-genre of punk music (excluding Nazi punk and Christian punk).

Punk music still stays true to its diverse influences. Labeling has only forced dozens of sub-genres supporting different ethos, ethics and style, under the punk genre. Included among the many sub-genres are anarcho-punk (punk bands like Crass and Propagandhi), street punk (punk bands like Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and The Casualties), horror punk (punk bands like The Misfits and The Groovie Ghoulies) and skate punk (punk bands like Dead Kennedys, Pennywise and The Bouncing Souls). Of course many, if not most punk bands, even when categorized, frequently bend the parameters of their genres.

Punk music has fused with many different genres to form completely new takes on the sound. Among the many punk fusions are Celtic punk (punk rock bands like Flogging Molly and The Tossers) and psychobilly punk (punk music like that of Tiger Army, The Reverend Horton Heat and The Cramps). Perhaps the most popular, most long-lived is the fusion of punk music and Jamaican forms like ska, reggae and dance hall. The ska- punk form features stylistic elements of punk coupled with elements of ska, most notably horns. Known by many names, but predominantly as ska-core, the ska- punk blend has produced notable ska- punk bands like Operation Ivy, No Doubt and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

The stylistic elements of punk music are difficult to delineate and critics, punk rock bands and punk fans may argue at length as to what is punk, what is not punk, and what is definitely unpunk, Perhaps the best attempt at applying a definition to "what is punk" comes by way of "A Punk Manifesto." Written by Greg Graffin, frontman of one of the world's best known, most well received punk bands, Bad Religion, "A Punk Manifesto" seeks to address the larger cultural issue behind punk music rather that forcing stylistic elements and qualitative aspects on the punk genre. Graffin, musician by night, evolutionary biologist by night, sees punk rock bands and punk music as a greater reflection of a "personal expression of uniqueness" that resonates an "experience growing up in touch with [the] human ability to reason and ask questions" rather that the widely stereotyped and frequently portrayed extension of a violent, "primitive," and "animalistic" subculture.

Although Graffin's lofty ideals for punk music and punk culture may seem lost in the popularity and trendiness of chart-topping punk music hits, punk at some level still holds true to the anti-authoritarian/ anti-establishment message. Three decades after punk music bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Clash, punk music and punk bands continue to grow strong and can take credit for the popularity of emo, indie, New Wave, post-punk and alternative rock. Although other critics may see punk rock bands as missing the message of early punk music, a reflection of a larger "identity crisis within the framework of [punk's] ideology" that is readily visible in the "new youth entering the movement" and a lack of "true inner direction, candor…and overtly most important, passion to mold the future," stalwarts like Graffin still hold true to the punk music ideal, and continue to serve as role models for those that want be the "Sound of the Counter Culture."


Sources:
Turnwall, Craig. “The Apparent Indeterminable Classification of Counterculture.” The Match Factory. 2006. 19 Mar 2007. http://www.thematchfactory.com/craigturnwall/0206_ theapparentindeterminable.html
Graffin, Greg. “A Punk Manifesto.” Bad Religion. Dec. 1998.19 Mar 2007. http://badreligion.com/news/essays.php?id=5
“Punk Rock.” Wikipedia. 19 Mar. 2007. 19 Mar 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock