the damned

10 Manchester bands who cranked up the punk in the late '70s

In the ’70s, England had two great punk cities. Most across the planet thought London was the world’s only punk capital, completely ignoring the music and culture’s beginnings in New York City, mostly due to the Sex Pistols’ outsized reputation and influence. But if London was English Punk City No. 1, Manchester definitely came in […]

10 times punk rockers stole the show on American TV in the ’70s and ’80s

You would think television (the medium, as opposed to Television, the band) and punk rock were a match made in heaven. After all, the music and culture are sharp, edgy and visually arresting. This should have made punk flawless televisual fodder, right? Truthfully, punk and TV collisions have more often resulted in mutual incomprehension and […]

10 essential ‘70s punk bands from Los Angeles you should already know

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 […]

Chrissie Hynde sees protest anthems and love songs as one and the same

Akron, Ohio born and bred Christine Ellen Hynde has led the Pretenders from the top of the charts since the band’s debut single, a 1979 rethink of Ray Davies’ “Stop Your Sobbing” that killed the Kinks’ 1964 Mersey Beat-ish original on contact. Sort of a spiritual big sister to Joan Jett, she led that gang […]

10 essential political bands every punk fan needs to hear

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 […]

10 essential punk Christmas songs to add to your holiday playlist

Christmas is quite possibly the most musically controversial holiday of the year. Not everyone digs the varying styles of seasonal music, though it’s a genre unto itself. You have the ancient carols, full of religious imagery, usually sung by hoary old choirs. The early 20th century’s awash with hokey Tin Pan Alley Christmas standards, sung […]

These 15 punk guitarists of the '80s set the standards for the future

Welcome to Alternative Press’ list of the 15 greatest punk guitarists of the ’80s. As the timeline shifted from the ’70s into the new decade, the music changed. Punk had morphed from stripped-down, high-speed rock ’n’ roll with a nasty attitude. It was now faster and louder than the already fast and loud sound, with […]

These 17 punk guitarists from the '70s truly forged the cutting edge

Part of the initial hype around punk rock was it had “no guitar heroes.” That was an exaggeration. To clarify, punk (in part) was meant to destroy the cult of technique. The obsession with 15-minute guitar solos, cramming in every note and lick you know at lightning speed. After all, what’s the point of playing […]

QUIZ: Do you know when these classic ’70s punk albums were released?

Record collectors of any sort can be a persnickety bunch. But few can be worse than punk-rock record collectors with titles spanning from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond. They can make Simpsons character Jeffrey “Jeff” Albertson (aka “Comic Book Guy”) look positively well-adjusted. Come on: In a world in chaos, much like the lyrics […]

QUIZ: How much ’70s punk trivia do you really know?

For many, first-wave punk was the sound of liberation. Chainsaw guitars, locomotive drums and screaming singers delivered brutal street poetry about the times. It saved us from a lifetime of dull progressive rock, snooze-worthy singer-songwriters and six-string heavy metal. For certain die-hards, ’70s punk is the only punk. For them, both the music and the […]

Must-See Music: New tracks from Evanescence, KennyHoopla and more

This week’s Must-See Music selections make us want to slap people who complain that there’s “no good music anymore.” There is great music out there—the complainers simply don’t know what’s going on. If you’re seeking alt-rock icons, punk lifers, guitar rockers and pensive singer-songwriters,you’ve come to the right spot on the web. This is Must-See […]

Healthy Junkies made a movie and a kickass song came out of it

Two years ago, the British punk outfit Healthy Junkies made it stateside to bring their wild rock ’n’ roll to the masses. Lead singer Nina Courson filmed tons of footage of the event for Forever On The Road, an epic “rockumentary.” (No, really, it is epic, clocking in at over three hours.) Guitarist/co-founder Phil Honey-Jones […]

The sleeves of these 25 old-school punk singles are as cool as the music

As recently established here, the 45 RPM record was the greatest medium for punk rock. It’s compact, it’s affordable and brevity’s of essence—distill all of your best moments in three minutes or less. You can also master these seven-inch beauties hot, perfect for loud music. Then you have the picture sleeves. With punk being so […]

These five records prove exactly how the Damned became punk-rock icons

Real talk? The Damned are the greatest punk band to come out of the United Kingdom. Yes, the Sex Pistols got the notoriety while the Clash got the mainstream success. But the Damned? They’re still writing chapters in punk-rock history. For those of you unaware (it’s cool, just don’t parade that), this APTV video shows […]

Here’s your ultimate goth guide to survive the summer inside

Summer is that special time of year where days are longer, the sun is brighter and the sound of ice cream trucks can be heard cruising through every suburban neighborhood along with the giggling of children as their feet pitter-patter on the sun-kissed pavement, racing to get their favorite treats. Lightning bugs illuminate the hot […]

These 15 punk albums from 1982 paved the way for so much that followed

We’re pretty sure you’ve heard the old aphorism: “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” It’s a statement that’s always been universally prescient. However, it might not apply to these choice punk albums from 1982. This APTV video revisits that awesome year for some groundbreaking releases. If anybody really wants to […]

These 5 albums embody the Damned’s punk-rock magnificence

Oct. 28, 2019: Dissatisfied with being the first at everything in English punk-rock history (first U.K. punk 45, first U.K. punk LP, first Britpunks to tour America, first U.K. punk band to break up, first to reform), the Damned called upon the masses to help them enter The Guinness Book Of World Records. Booking the […]

These 5 essential Misfits albums practically defined punk

Oct. 19, 2019: The original Misfits—singer-songwriter Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only and guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (with ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and guitarist Acey Slade, formerly of Joan Jett‘s Blackhearts) headlined NYC’s Madison Square Garden over ’90s punk heroes Rancid and OG late ’70s Brit-punks the Damned.  The sold-out pre-Halloween celebration was a triumph […]

These 15 punk records from 1980 were complete game-changers

By 1980, U.S. major labels abandoned punk with Sid Vicious‘ corpse. The American underground reacted, hard: “Don’t want us? Fuck you, we’ll do it ourselves!” The independent record distribution and touring network kicked off in earnest, as the harder/faster/louder hardcore punk sound started revving up, initially in Los Angeles before spreading across America through the […]

15 punk-rock albums of 1979 that still rule four decades later

By 1979, punk was firmly established. Seemingly, a million new bands formed weekly, releasing great singles seconds later. But some of the old guard were starting to feel constrained by angry teenage ramalama. Where else punk could go? These are the best punk-rock albums of 1979. As bands such as the Clash and the Damned […]
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