black flag
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 punk albums that set up 1994 to be a year of major change for the genre
To consider Alternative Press’ list of 1994’s top 15 punk albums, one has to bear in mind two factors: Green Day’s Dookie was released Feb. 1. Kurt Cobain died by his own hand April 5. The alternative nation’s voice was suddenly, shockingly stilled. After three years of the most popular music being an agonized scream […]
10 punk guitarists who took a unique approach to the genre in the '10s
When the ball dropped in New York City’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight Dec. 31, 2009, punk rock had been around 35 years. (Or 33, depending on if you date the subculture from when the Ramones began playing gigs or from the mythic Punk Year Zero of 1977.) It was well into its […]
10 modern punk bands who are channeling acts from the first wave
Despite what some TikTok troll in his aunt’s basement is incoherently ranting about in 2021, punk rock isn’t dead by any means. It never has been, and a sea of incredible bands in its aggressive world get overlooked all too often. We’re here to remedy this. Whether you’re a punk-rock purist who thinks that Sex […]
15 bands who are crucial to the history of noise music
When it initially blasted into the world from New York’s Lower East Side almost concurrently with punk in 1977, it was dubbed no wave. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau referred to it as “skronk,” an onomatopoeia based around the general guitar sound. He uncharitably dubbed its ’80s practitioners “pigfucker” bands. This writer’s personal name for […]
21 Northern Californian artists who have influenced AFI’s Hunter Burgan
Southern California gets a lot of credit for being the birthplace of many bands that you know and love such as Black Flag and Bad Religion, but Northern California’s discography, which includes both Green Day and Metallica, isn’t exactly that shabby either. The area may get a little less public affirmation, but hopefully we can […]
10 musicians who joined established bands and didn't miss a beat
Band lineup changes are hardly a rarity in the music scene. Between creative differences, life events and personal fallouts, it’s pretty common for at least one member to go in a different direction over the course of an outfit’s tenure. And that, of course, leaves a significant void to be filled. How a band decide […]
20 pop-punk drummers who set the beat for the whole genre
If you’ve been a pop-punk fan for quite some time now, we’re willing to bet it was a fast, upbeat song that first made you fall in love with the genre. You probably still remember the jolt of energy you felt when your now-favorite songs blasted through your speakers for the first time, and you […]
25 most influential emo bands who made the genre what it is today
Emo (noun): a hotly contested music genre where bands and fans alike refuse to agree on who qualifies for a place in the rankings for all eternity, where no band admits to falling into the criteria of emo, and no fans admit to listening to it either. Of course, the one precursor to belonging to […]
One of Frank Iero’s guitars ended up with Slayer’s Gary Holt—here’s how
It looks like one of Frank Iero‘s guitars has ended up in the hands of Gary Holt for a reason you may not think. This week, the Slayer and Exodus musician revealed just how he became the new owner of one of Iero’s guitars. Read more: Metro Station know about that comparison to MGK and […]
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 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 […]
Here's how to turn a One Direction fan onto Black Flag
More so than any other musical genre, punk rock certainly has an overwhelming number of scene policemen. Said cultural arbiters are always ready to tell anybody within typing distance about what is definitely “not punk.” We understand the headline for this APTV rundown is enough to set the most hardened pit warrior into a frothing […]
Milo first heard Descendents’ debut album at a stranger's house in college
Maybe you’re a grizzled punk lifer who hates the kids. Perhaps you came of a certain age where you use the term ”melodic hardcore” more than “pop punk.” You may be a new listener doing a deep immersion into punk history. If you identify with any of these terms, we know you understand the importance […]
Here are 10 bands that punks and metalheads can totally bond over
A long, long time ago, before there was “the scene” and the sonic buffet of Warped Tour there was… division. The punks deemed metal as boring and slow. Metal’s return fire was that the bands couldn’t play and the whole genre was “not music.” Fortunately we live in 2020 and that schism isn’t as entrenched […]
These 20 songs from the '80s left a lasting mark in the underground
The ’80s are usually looked upon in two different mindsets. The first is usually through the prism of mass-culture nostalgia from those who were there. The other school of thought was that the ’80s were a hotbed for creativity. Forget the songs that you were playing when your mom met your dad. How about the […]
The sleeves of these 25 old-school punk singles are as cool as the music
As recently established here, the 45 RPM record was the greatest medium for punk rock. It’s compact, it’s affordable and brevity’s of essence—distill all of your best moments in three minutes or less. You can also master these seven-inch beauties hot, perfect for loud music. Then you have the picture sleeves. With punk being so […]
The best punk albums of 1984 were leaner, meaner and so much weirder
The Sex Pistols may have cheerfully sang “No future for you” back in 1977. But in the ’80s, an entire generation lived in fear that America and Russia would lob nuclear warheads at each other, making for a really MAD time. It’s only fitting that as American politics got more conservative, the underground would dig […]
The contributions of these 10 hardcore bands will be felt for decades
Believe it or not, there was a time when hardcore was considered a fad. It was angry, unfocused, violent, testosterone-driven and a bunch of other adjectives that nobody wanted to be saddled with. Rock critics and commercial radio stations wanted no parts of it. Hardcore bands in the early ’80s were a tough bunch. They […]
Here are 10 skateboarders who became musicians
Skateboarding culture has always gone hand in hand with music, whether it’s punk, metal, hip-hop or any other genre. Some of the most famous skateboarders around have also expanded their creative pursuits beyond the extreme sport, though, and broke into the music world. Trading in kickflips for shredding guitars doesn’t seem like too much of […]
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