jello biafra

Punk rock would never escape society’s accusations of ineptitude. To mainstream ears, the music was ugly — tuneless, arhythmic, untalented. Worst of all, the vocalists couldn't sing. How could that garbage be called music? We all know the naysayers were wrong. But a degr...

Fresh Produce Media and Audible have launched the Punk in Translation: Latinx Origins podcast. The project “tells the stories of Latinx artists and Latin music's overlooked role in the origins and evolution of punk,” according to a press release. Additio...

Due to English director Edgar Wright’s (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) recent cinematic hagiography The Sparks Brothers, 2021 has become the year of Sparks. Variously described as “the best British band to come from Los Angeles,” “your favorite band’s favorite band” and “the greatest band you’ve never heard of,” it’s high time. After all, it’s only been 49 years since the ever-shifting...

1997: All media is declaring the alternative-rock explosion—for which Nirvana lit the fuse—over. This means the commercial pop-punk wave Green Day touched off was over in their eyes, too. That selfsame media could not have been more wrong. Green Day ...

Yes, part one of this conversation with former Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra ran two months ago. There’s a good reason: We spoke for three hours. It was practically a monologue. The complete transcript is 15,413 words. It’s difficult to determine what highlights are germane to promoting Tea Party Revenge Porn, his recent album with current band Guantanamo School Of Medicine. Tea Party ... Re

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 in the mainstream, where your fellow outsiders accept you for

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. to...

“It should not take a bush league punk-rock musician to point this shit out,” announces punk icon Jello Biafra, born 62 years ago in Boulder, Colorado, toward the end of our three-hour conversation. And what “shit” would Jello Biafra be talking about? For a start, how about...

Punk was, by design, meant to be small and regional. True, bands might break out and become national or even international. But the overarching idea was keeping things small and accessible. You wanted to be able to reach out and touch your favorite band in a small sweaty club, maybe have a beer with the members after...

When pub-rock singer Joe Strummer of the 101ers first met with former London SS guitarist Mick Jones in 1976 to brainstorm material for a new band eventually named the Clash, Strummer was shown one of his songs, “I’m So Bored With You.” He wasn’t ...

Amidst the ongoing Pro-Trump protests at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Dead Kennedys decided to share their thoughts on the events that transpired. However, it looks like their comments have backfired. Many individuals in the punk community including former Dead Kennedys member Jello Biafra and Eve 6 have responded to Dead Kennedys' latest comments...

It does seem positively quaint. But there was a time when it looked like the world completely hated everything regarding punk rock. Popular culture reflected that back at us. Somehow punk was going to destroy the values Americans held so sacred back then...

You think you know your punk history? You’ve studied protopunk, punk rock, post-punk, hardcore, grunge, pop punk, garage-punk and every other hyphenated subgenre spinoff? You know your Stooges and MC5 and New York Dolls and Flamin’ Groovies? Your Ramon... Read More ...

In the ’80s, there were plenty of great recordings that came out of the nascent new-wave and punk scenes. But one of the single greatest documents of the period was actually a movie. Urgh! A Music War was the 1981 concert film that featured 36 bands from the U.S. an...

Maybe it’s just us, but it seems like the Trump family are doing a fine job pitching civil rights, international diplomacy and economic stability into the crapper, continuing the work the Bush family did earlier this century. Then again, think of all the great music their presidencies have inspired. Reco...

Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra announced he is going on a spoken word tour. During his spoken word tour, he is also playing shows with his band Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine. The material is an extension of what you may have seen on his YouTube channel (video below.) It's set to ...