Contributions
Win an Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
There is no doubt that Green Day leader Billie Joe Armstrong is a great guitarist, punk rock or not. He gets great tone and comes up with solid, catchy riffs and tight, tuneful leads. His most iconic guitar is “Blue,” the heavily stickered Fernandes Stratocaster copy his mother bought him for his 11th birthday. It […]
Punk hero Bob Mould on touring, staying healthy and keeping others safe
Welcome to the conclusion of Alternative Press’ two-part interview with Bob Mould. In the initial installment, the former Hüsker Dü/Sugar leader addressed the harsh American political climate of the past few years and how it inspired the Dü-esque rage of his latest album, last year’s Blue Hearts. He explained he connected the Trump years with […]
11 bands and genres that prove Black Flag are a continued influence
“When Damaged came out, it perfectly represented the depths and darkness of my particular teen angst,” Adam Grossman, guitarist for Angkor Wat, Skrew and Ministry, tells Alternative Press. “It was the soundtrack of my life at that point in time.” Any musician involved in the most extreme forms of musical expression owes their existence and […]
Music and songwriting are only two mediums in which Jack White excels
It was fairly evident, once the White Stripes became a secret that neither the Detroit nor the general American underground could contain any longer, that there was something unique and special about them. Leader Jack White, manhandling a red plastic Airline guitar from the ’60s, seemed especially touched by genius. Atop “sister” (in actuality, his […]
These 15 punk albums from 2001 brought the genre back into the spotlight
How the year 2001 unfolded must’ve deeply disappointed Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, director and co-author, respectively, of 1968’s masterly sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey. For one thing, the space race had petered out aeons ago, and NASA had walked back its most ambitious dreams. In the meantime, we discovered there were bigger […]
These 11 punk-rock drummers defined the 1980s
Welcome to Alternative Press’ selection of the 1980s’ 11 best punk drummers. One key factor happened that changed it, and the character of its musicianship: hardcore. ‘70s punk posited that Anyone Could Do It. While this was true on paper, some degree of basic musicianship was required to make truly great punk rock. This was […]
Check out these rare photos of punk legends, as captured by Jim Saah
“People were commenting about this one photo I took of Marginal Man that was in the inner sleeve of their record [Identity, Dischord Records, 1984],” mused veteran Washington, D.C. punk/alt-rock photographer Jim Saah via telephone. He was reflecting on an exhibit at D.C.’s Lost Origins Gallery celebrating his new book In My Eyes: Photographs 1982-1997 […]
11 bands that prove the Rolling Stones' influence on punk was enormous
The Rolling Stones invented the very notion of the modern rock ‘n’ roll band. Which means, in turn, their impact on punk rock and alternative music was total. This is the point where there’ll be a loud and noisy exit from our tale. “Aw, c’mon maaaan! No way! The Stones have had it!” True. They […]
Punk legend Bob Mould on unleashing his need to scream with 'Blue Hearts'
“Government authorize education/(Don’t mean a thing)/They’ll teach you what they want you to think/(Don’t mean a thing)/Saturation of stars and stripes/(Don’t mean a thing)/The only freedom worth fighting for is for what you think/Why bother spending time/Reading up on things/Everybody’s an authority/In a free land” Those 11 lines comprise the entire lyric of “In A […]