GREENMUSE is a regular reader
and fan contributor at antiMUSIC, the views expressed here don't necessarily
reflect those of antiMUSIC or our sponsors, but we are sure you will enjoy
what he has to say!
Previous Musings
.
Punk's Dead?
Lately I’ve seen this phrase thrown around
by lots of people, mainly followed by the names blink182 and sum41. To
judge an entire movement of music and culture by just a few bands is silly
and seems to be particular to just the punk genre. You didn’t see people
saying "country's dead" when Billy Ray Cyrus came out with "Achy Breaky
Heart", or people saying rock is dead when Limp Bizkit crooned out "rollin"
did you? I didn’t think so, this phrase seems to be permanently attached
to the punk genre. It’s a mystery that perhaps will never be solved.
Then there is a lot of people that go about
saying how "punks changed so much it cant be called punk." I think punk
has changed for the better, sort of the first wave of punk had lots of
energy and rage but the energy was so scattered and the market so saturated
with bandwagon hoppers that it didn’t have the impact it should have had.
Don’t get me wrong the Pistols, Clash, Crass and all were great bands but
then the 80's hit, this was American punks time to shine. Some of the best
music ever was produced during this era. A right wing republican combined
with the excess of the period made for some fantastic music.
Lets flash forward to today, after all
one can’t talk about punks present without talking of the past. It is true
that today’s punk bands don’t really have the fire that their predecessors
had, but are nonetheless just as punk.
Punk has changed with the times; today’s
punks are more social conscious than ever. Many bands donate money to good
causes, such as blindness and cancer just to name two that I can think
of right off the top of my head. Punk’s become more popular than ever and
with the addition of the internet, punk music has become more accessible
to all, musical instruments are cheaper than compared to back in the 70s,
as far as quality versus price. These are very active political times,
just a general feeling of unrest and a growing gap between the rich and
the poor.
In general, I am saying that I think we
are sitting on a veritable timebomb, punk will break out of this stagnant
muck its been stuck in since 1990 or so. People just have to smarten up
and look past all of the marketing gimmicks that seem to define the mainstream
view of punk. Punk’s dead? No, it has just been asleep for a few years
with some stirring every once in while.
Agree or Disagree?
Fan
Speak:
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