rites of spring

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 […]

These 10 artists made Washington DC into one of the epicenters of punk

It’s been said in various ways that Washington, D.C. is the least punk town in the world, which perhaps makes it the perfect place for a punk scene. Certainly, the national capital’s first stabs at three-chord ‘70s teenage rebel music might challenge Johnny Ramone or Joe Strummer’s idea of the same. Among the earliest local […]

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 […]

25 most influential albums that define what it means to be emo

The genre affectionately known as emo started out as a wave of internalized rage bubbling under the surface of Washington, D.C.’s Revolution Summer in the mid-’80s. Within three decades, it had permeated the mainstream and changed beyond all recognition. Like it or not, the bands inspired by that initial breakthrough, including Rites Of Spring and […]

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 […]

These 15 punk albums from 1985 are the roots of alternative rock 

The year is 1985: Punk’s now 10 years old and changing again. Hardcore was now a formula: 1. Pick a seemingly random number of initials for your name (Say, SRI – Social Reagan Injustice); 2. Play at light speed. 3. Sing about how you hate Reagan and nuclear war. 4. Shave your head. Like rock […]

20 emo classics that helped define today's scene, from 1985 to 1997

Has it really been 35 years since a group of well-intentioned Washington, D.C. punk scenesters coined the term “emo”? Because hardcore was cemented in its own realm, new bands and fans were looking for some kind of vernacular to describe a new sense of introspection. But it’s pretty safe to assume that back then, nobody […]

The essential emo albums from the genre’s 35-year history

Here at AltPress, we’ve learned a crucial lesson. Mainstream America doesn’t understand that the concept of “emo” is over 30 years old. We know it wasn’t invented in a Hot Topic store. But we also know that the Grammys don’t have a category for “Best Emo Performance By A Duo Or Group With A Minimum […]