punk

From Shonen Knife to Guitar Wolf, these 10 bands define Japan’s punk scene

The screen fades in from black to a grainy, high-speed chase through an urban landscape, all jerky camerawork and streaky lights, flickering between night and day. The lens finally settles on a water plant or oil refinery rushing by, cutting to details of a speeding motorcycle carrying a pair of riders who resemble Mad Max […]

Fousheé on songwriting: “If something feels too normal, then something is wrong”

Fousheé has been writing music since childhood, but her path to stardom has been unexpected. After appearing on The Voice in 2018, she made 250 song samples for the online music platform Splice, which allows musicians to purchase and use samples royalty-free. One of Fousheé’s samples was used in Sleepy Hallow’s “Deep End Freestyle,” which […]

20 greatest punk-rock vocalists of all time

From Patti Smith and Joe Strummer to Iggy Pop and Keith Morris, see our list.

Music photographer Lisa Johnson on shooting Nirvana, Linkin Park and more

Each month, Alternative Press Gallery explores the work of photographers, directors and other creatives who help shape the music world from behind the scenes. With each issue, we explore the stories behind the shoots and take deep dives into the most compelling media, asking about the vision as well as the happy accidents that create […]

Nova Twins are making a difference in AltPress issue #402 cover story

On a spring day in London, Amy Love and Georgia South sat listening as the rain danced its desultory rhythms on the pavement outside the South family home. Seeing that the two young women, then teenagers, were succumbing to listlessness and boredom, South’s father issued a stern injunction. “Stop wallowing,” he told them. “Go and […]

12 great standalone punk-rock singles, from the Clash to the Libertines

The seven-inch 45 RPM single was the perfect punk–rock medium, insofar as anything about a musical genre and culture as fly-by-the-seat-of-your-bondage-pants as punk can be designed. This is because it was originally rock ‘n’ roll’s perfect medium, and punk’s initial goal was reducing rock to its fundamentals. And if you restrict your presentation’s time to […]

EKKSTACY reveals why love is at the core of his music—interview

EKKSTACY is among a crop of young artists driving the ongoing punk revival. He is unique in the crowd for the version of punk history he tells. Stripped of pop-punk hooks and bright, crispy guitars, EKKSTACY leans toward the darkest corners of the genre. His sound follows from the rawest elements of early ’80s punk, […]

A history of riot grrrl, from “Rebel Girl” to “Racist, Sexist Boy”

In 1991, Anita Hill testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee about being the target of sexual harassment from African-American judge Clarence Thomas at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. The hearings were televised, and Hill’s lurid testimony sent bolts of shock and disgust across an America yet to become completely tabloidized. When this all-white, all-male committee […]

The Linda Lindas on making punk rock their own with ‘Growing Up’

The Linda Lindas walked out of quarantine in a very different position from where they were when COVID-19 forced them and the rest of the world inside. Before, they had played only around 15 shows, meeting up to rock out simply because they loved it. Afterward, their faces and words were everywhere.  Read more: Dominic […]

DE'WAYNE says his next album will blend Ramones, Iggy Pop and the Strokes

“It’s been an all right year,” DE’WAYNE says. The genre-bending artist released his debut record, STAINS, an explosive combination of punk, hip-hop and pop, in June. For DE’WAYNE, it wasn’t just the powerful start of a new era but also a chance for him to cross a childhood goal — releasing an album by the […]

DOA discuss the legacy of second album 'Hardcore 81'

Burnaby city councilman Joe Keithley (aka “Joey Shithead”) has led Vancouver, B.C. punk pioneers D.O.A. since 1978, the band’s sole mainstay. In part one of our conversation, he was interviewed one hour before going onstage. The trio — these days, guitarist/vocalist Keithley, drummer Paddy Duddy and bassist Mike “Corkscrew” Hodsall — were touring to commemorate the […]

11 bands that shaped Detroit punk, from MC5 to the White Stripes

Detroit in the 1950s and ‘60s was a “boomtown,” according to MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. “It was the manufacturing center of the world,” he wrote in the October 2003 issue of Mojo magazine. “If you wanted it built, we could build it in Detroit. Jobs were there for anyone willing to put in an honest […]

Pink Siifu won't repeat the story—he has to "give you a whole new book"

Within minutes of speaking to Pink Siifu, it’s clear that he’s a student of music who’s bursting with ideas. He mentions Pink Floyd in the same breath as Alice Coltrane, rattling off several more names that delight and inspire him. Like those artists, Siifu’s music demonstrates the same breadth and richness, tilting between punk-inflected free […]

10 bands that prove why Misfits endure, from Metallica to My Chemical Romance

Misfits are the very model of an influential punk band. Which was most likely not Glenn Danzig’s goal when he formed them in 1977 in his native Lodi, New Jersey, naming them for Marilyn Monroe’s final film from 1961. After initially being driven by Danzig’s distorted electric piano, Misfits became known for sludgy power chords […]

Turnstile perform on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series—watch

Turnstile are the most recent band to be featured on NPR‘s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series. Surrounded by what looks to be hundreds of little stuffed animals (an art installation by John Scharbach), Turnstile burn through seven songs over 17 minutes. Despite the fact that the band seem to have gone with a more reserved approach […]

From Waterparks to the Regrettes, these 15 artists are influenced by blink-182

You could argue that blink-182 are one of the major reasons why pop punk exploded into the mainstream in the 2000s. Following Green Day’s release of Dookie in ‘94 and Weezer’s nerd-positive brand of rock, blink were the reason a lot of kids wanted to pick up guitars. It was through TRL hits such as […]

Meet the 22 artists set to have a massive year in 2022 – AltPress issue 402

2022 is finally here. A new year is always packed full of potential, offering both a chance to start over and an opportunity to continue building on past success. Enter 22 in ‘22. We’re kicking off the new year with issue 402, showcasing 22 of the bands and musicians who are poised to have a […]

A history of horror punk, from the Damned and Misfits to Alkaline Trio

I Put A Spell On You: Horror-punk roots Horror punk? Well, the cheapest, tackiest horror films have always been part of the cultural detritus that’s informed the punk aesthetic. Think of Ramones’ ode to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, “Chain Saw.” Remember the bloody, dripping creature feature font adorning Iggy And The Stooges’ Raw Power […]

Catherine McGann recalls photographing Harlem drag balls, Eminem and Flea

AP Gallery explores the visual culture of the music we know and love. Each month, we connect with photographers, directors and other creatives who shape music from behind the scenes. With each issue, we explore the stories behind the shoots and take deep dives into the most compelling media, asking about the creative visions as […]

D.O.A.'s Joe Keithley on how punk rock prepared him to become a politician

D.O.A. are the longest-running survivors of Vancouver, BC’s late ‘70s punk scene, as well as one of the architects of hardcore. It was begun in 1978 by singer/guitarist Joe Keithley — who operated for several years under “Joey Shithead” — out of the ashes of the Skulls, which also spun off the other great Vancouver […]
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