rocket from the crypt

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 had just issued their fifth album, Nimrod. The Offspring, the band who made the catchphrase […]

In 1996, Your Punk Professor interviewed the Clash’s distinguished lead guitarist Mick Jones for a proposed Alternative Press piece on punk’s original guitar heroes. Though it remains unpublished, I asked in the course of it what he thought of Rancid. Jones waxed effusive, noting he’d met the Berkeley punk traditionalists in the course of a […]

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 […]

The mood of 1992: “We won!” Nirvana’s Nevermind sold by the truckload hourly. All anyone could talk about was alternative rock and grunge. Record biz execs walked around that spring’s SXSW convention in Austin in floppy, artfully unwashed hair, just-purchased flannel shirts and ripped jeans. You’d pass a line of them in the parking lot […]

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 having it: “‘Ere, let’s rewrite this now!” The rather wimpy romantic […]

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 […]

The 1990s started out with DS-1 distortion pedal grunge bands viciously stomping on the global spandex-wearing hair-metal movement from the decade before and ceremoniously ended with the rise of the baggy-pant rockers of nü metal and bleached-blond boy bands with chiseled faces, courtesy of TRL. However, some incredible acts and songs fell under the radar […]

If the flannelly, lo-fi nature of ’90s grunge killed the hairspray bravado of ’80s hair metal, then the 2000s definitely brought back some of its technicality and musicianship. The first decade of this century showcased way more than 20 perfect examples of a timeless guitar riff. It was quite difficult narrowing this list down, but […]

  We’re honored to assist in the destruction of both your music-playing devices and hearing with this one. Hardcore outfits Integrity and Bleach Everything have teamed up to cover tracks from Two Seven Halves, the legendary 1992 double seven-inch set from hardcore fulcrum Septic Death (the band started by hardcore art-avatar Pushead) and garage-rock icons […]

Managing editor Scott Heisel catches up with Chris and Scott of the Flatliners on the first day of Riot Fest Chicago. MORE RIOT FEST INTERVIEWS: All Time Low | Pierce The Veil | Yellowcard | The Lawrence Arms | The Devil Wears Prada

Riot Fest have announced the 2013 aftershows that take place across four Chicago venues to follow up the fest, which takes place September 13-15 at Humboldt Park. Tickets go onsale this Friday at 11 a.m. CST. View the full schedule, which includes shows by Against Me!, Andrew W.K., the Lawrence Arms  and more below. Concord Music […]

Converse have launched a free concert series, Converse Represent, which will take place at Slim's in San Fransisco June 23 – 27. The five-day series aims to celebrate musical diversity, and will feature both established and up-and-coming artists. These free concerts will lead up to the grand opening of San Francisco's Converse retail store on […]

Hardcore-punk quartet, OFF! (featuring members of Black Flag/Circle Jerks, Rocket From The Crypt/Hot Snakes and Red Kross) have revealed that they will tour the U.S. West Coast in February with Bad Antics and Negative Approach. Dates and the tour admat follow: 2/07 – Epicentre – San Diego, CA 2/08 -The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles […]

The Hell Sauve Les Requins EP Matt Skiba's been a pretty busy dude in recent years. While his main squeeze, Alkaline Trio, continue to tour frequently and release albums at a steady pace, he also released a solo album of demos (appropriately titled Demos) on Asian Man Records in 2010, and in February 2011 formed the […]