While trying to locate Tampa's Punk House, I went to the MySpace sites of Crash Mitchell and NinjaGun. As normal on MySpace sites, the groups music started playing. I clicked on some other songs from each group and found I liked their music. Last Cowboy, Smoking Gun, Dry Hump Lovin'. Wait a minute. I thought this was supposed to be punk. Isn't punk music loud, harsh, discordant stuff? Sex Pistols kind of thing? People with spiky hair? This sounded like mainstream stuff I would hear on WMNF. Well, WMNF mainstream, not corporate top 40 mainstream.
Okay punksters, punkys, punkifonts, punkoids, elucidate me.
Punk only really existed as "punk" for a few years in the late 70's. Prior to that, seminal bands like the MC5 and the Stooges would be hippie jam bands by today's standards and bands like the New York Dolls drew heavily from blues. Even in it's heyday, the Sex Pistols and the Clash felt the need to butcher a few Eddie Cochran songs.
ReplyDeleteAfter the implosion of the UK punk scene, with the resulting side benefit of musicians actually knowing how to play, outside influences came rushing in as the pigeon holes crumbled. Country was very easily assimilated thanks to similar attitudes, chord structures, and enthusiasm for alchohol. (albeit on the exact opposite side of the coin)
Bands like Gun Club and Tex and the Horseheads were some of the first to add a western feel to their "punk" sound.
Add to this the fact that as people get older, they mellow a bit and being the best little menace to society that they can gets replaced by the desire for a stable roof over one's head and as musicians we learn that power and emotion can be conveyed at a bit slower tempo (but not too slow).
I've played in alt-country bands who's lyrics are darker and way more disturbing than my current punk rock band. I've also played punk rock and seen members of up and coming Austin country bands in the audience. I personally like the fact that the lines have been blurred and the only label that needs to be put on music is "that's pretty good".
Mal, where can we hear you play?
ReplyDeleteTry some Dropkick Murphys. A band out of Boston. Punk with a bit of a Celtic slant.
ReplyDeleteFlyer, as odd and pathetic as it may seem, I saw the NY Dolls about 2 years ago at SXSW in Austin. They had a new album coming out and had lost NONE of their original appeal.
ReplyDeleteInteresting historical pap; the Dolls "last" show was here in Tampa. They wound up broke and broken down. Johnny Thunders lit out for England to start his "solo" career while the rest of the band was holed up in a trailer park off of Nebraska trying to get enough money to get home.
Love, love, love old punk! I often refer to my husband (Mal Carne) as the punk rock encyclopedia.
ReplyDeleteI must say; however, I love all of the new stuff the "old punk" rockers are doing. Not big on the 'Emo' style all of the kids are into today.
BloggerWife,
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to decide if I wanted to post this or not, as I'm arrogant about all the inconsequential things in life and quite humble about my creative side.
As these can't come back to haunt me anymore I'll give you the links to "the Austin years:"
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=201574
http://www.myspace.com/theblueflames
As for what I do right now, I'll leave a few clues. Starting with the article about the punk house: County aristocracy has interesting things to say about a children's book on their website.
Although the band has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe, the main character is a bit more traveled than us.
Nope, but they did treat us to what was probably the most bilesome version of Janice Joplin's "piece of my heart" known to mankind.
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