the cramps

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 Ramones and Heartbreakers and Blondie? Well, that’s cool. But do you know about the stuff that fell […]

Welcome to the best punk albums of 1987. But first, some context. Feb. 20, 1987: An attack by a domestic terrorist called “the Unabomber” plants a bomb in a Salt Lake City computer store. The owner is injured. March 4: President Ronald Reagan owns up to what was swiftly called the Iran-Contra Affair in a […]

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. and U.K. playing live. The film […]

1986 was a turning point for punk rock. Some people thought it should stay frozen in beer-soaked amber or it should sit the hell down. For a culture that proclaimed there were no rules, it felt like the punk-rock rulebook was going to go into its second or third editions. Fortunately, there were plenty of […]

Rock ‘n’ roll has the capability to inspire and offend. And it’s even cooler if both of those things can be done at the same time. Welcome to the world of shock-rockers, artists who strive to push themselves to the highest extremes, creatively and personally at whatever cost. But first some mitigating factors. Rock ‘n’ […]

1986 was the year that speed metal and crossover (metal/core a la Cro-Mags’ The Age Of Quarrel) metastasized across the now-stale hardcore scene. The true sound of mid-’80s punk was the seeds of pop punk. Hüsker Dü were the kings of this, although Descendents really are the square root of every band who eventually played […]

Let’s think about this for a second. Why do we love horror movies? What makes the medium (and its attendant subgenres) so attractive? It’s doubtful anyone reading this would actually enjoy violent disfigurement or death at the hands of a deranged human or mythical monster. Perhaps it’s the idea of psychic release, the search for […]

Beginning with their 1979 single “Night Of The Living Dead,” the Misfits have made a career of mining classic, cult and B-grade movies for fodder for their hard-driving, melodic brand of patented horror punk. With results ranging from the sublime fury of the classic Glenn Danzig-fronted lineup’s “Astro Zombies” to the unabashedly ridiculous “The Devil’s […]

Welcome to our look-back video at some of the best 1981 punk albums. While the foundation of punk rock was already in place by the late Seventies, there were still possibilities to be explored. We’re still thanking all the deities for that. Historically speaking, the Eighties have been frequently referred to as “the Me decade.” […]

While everyone is self-isolating, we’re all looking for ways to fill our time. Why not spend it digging into some of the classic bands you’ve always been meaning to learn about but haven’t been able to? With the amount of spare time everyone has, sitting down and listening to an iconic band’s entire discography is […]

Zombies are everywhere. Pick up a comic book, turn on your Xbox, visit the cinema, browse the app store and there they are, cheerily determined to eat the flesh off your bones. Open your iTunes and chances are you’ll find at least one song with the Z-word in the title, too. Below are 15 of […]

Drummer Nick Knox, one of the pillars of cool in the legendary psychobilly band the Cramps, passed away today (June 15). He was 65. Read more: Mikey Way to join Waterparks on Vans Warped Tour Knox (whose real name was Nicholas Stephanoff) joined the NYC-via Akron, Ohio, outfit in 1977 alongside larger-than-life frontman Lux Interior, tough-chick […]

With Tiger Army releasing their long-awaited album, V •••– (Luna Tone/Rise), in May, it’s time to re-educate yourself on the psychobilly genre. This hard-charging scene meshes oldies flair (think standup basses and pompadour hairdos) with manic tempos, horror-inspired lyrics and fashion. Death becomes these 10 bands: NEKROMANTIX Ground zero for psychobilly (leader Kim Nekroman rocks […]