11 LGBTQIA+ punk musicians who changed the genre forever
It stands to reason LGBTQIA+ culture informed, inspired and enmeshed with punk, down to the crossover with the ’70s glam scene that helped spawn it. After all, both worlds were essentially the Island of Misfit Toys, from the Rankin/Bass 1964 holiday special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: a rebel culture for those whose ideas don’t fit […]
These 10 SST Records releases defined ’80s punk and beyond
These 10 albums represent SST Records’ greatest achievements. Greg Ginn began Solid State Tuners at age 12 as a mail-order electronics business still thriving in his early adulthood. In 1978, when pioneering California indie label Bomp! Records dragged its heels releasing Nervous Breakdown, the debut EP from his punk band Black Flag, Ginn figured he […]
These 15 punk guitarists of the '80s set the standards for the future
Welcome to Alternative Press’ list of the 15 greatest punk guitarists of the ’80s. As the timeline shifted from the ’70s into the new decade, the music changed. Punk had morphed from stripped-down, high-speed rock ’n’ roll with a nasty attitude. It was now faster and louder than the already fast and loud sound, with […]
These 15 punk albums of 1987 brought more noise and power than ever
Welcome to the best punk albums of 1987. But first, some context. Feb. 20, 1987: An attack by a domestic terrorist called “the Unabomber” plants a bomb in a Salt Lake City computer store. The owner is injured. March 4: President Ronald Reagan owns up to what was swiftly called the Iran-Contra Affair in a […]
10 legendary bands who built the foundation of the grunge genre
Despite the grousings of certain members of punk’s first generation, grunge most certainly earned its place on rock’s historical timeline, the perfect antidote to the cliche-ridden joke hardcore became fairly quickly: Everyone attempting to run the 100-yard dash in two seconds? Why not take a nice, leisurely stroll, instead? Most know that meat turns out […]
10 old-school punk bands who created the blueprint for the hardcore scene
1979: As far as the American record business was concerned, punk rock was finished. They’d spent a packet on the Sex Pistols, Ramones and Dead Boys, and those albums seemingly shipped straight to the cut-out bins. The Pistols self-destructed at the end of their U.S. tour the previous year, and now that Sid Vicious kid […]
15 alternative music stars who got their start working in record stores
Record stores are magical places. A good, well-stocked and curated record shop with a knowledgeable staff can influence tastes, expand horizons and serve as the hub for a local musical community. It can be a community center, a place to meet with your friends, promote your band’s upcoming shows by hanging up flyers, even sell […]
Billie Eilish, Post Malone, more announced for Life Is Beautiful festival
Downtown Las Vegas will be buzzing this September with incredible music, comedy and entertainment acts ranging from the likes of Billie Eilish to Cirque Du Soleil. Life Is Beautiful unveiled their three day festival lineup that has us booking our flights to Las Vegas right now. Check out the full lineup below! Read more: Spotify removes […]
1998’s top 15 punk albums simultaneously changed and preserved the form
Top 15 punk albums of 1998? You’d be forgiven for thinking that there weren’t any in the year the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal dominated the news. A quick perusal of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles of the year sees domination by several R&B (Destiny’s Child, Janet Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey) or hip-hop (Puff Daddy, Master P, […]
YouTube crowns new most-viewed music video debut
K-pop group Blackpink has broken a YouTube record for the most-viewed music video debut with “Kill This Love.” The four-member girl group dropped the video April 4 and got 56.7 million views in its first 24 hours, according to YouTube. Since then, it now has more than 140 million views. Read more: Tyler Carter talks […]
