the germs

From DEVO to Le Tigre and more, these artists defined synth-punk

One of punk rock’s original goals was “the destruction of rock ‘n’ roll.” While that didn’t happen, most early punk musicians were rock fans, in spite of their espoused rhetoric. Hence why most early pogo soundtracks were basically Chuck Berry with a Marshall amp. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But this is hardly […]

Orville Peck has announced dates for the fall Drive Me, Crazy tour

Orville Peck has announced dates for his fall Drive Me, Crazy tour. The country singer with an alternative flair will play over a dozen shows across the United States, starting at Nashville Pride Sept. 18 and ending at Madison Square Garden. There, Peck will open for Harry Styles Oct. 30 and 31. Between those dates, […]

10 Joan Jett-inspired artists who are breaking boundaries just like her

“Joan Jett doesn’t play rock ’n’ roll,” I wrote two years back, reviewing her SXSW showcase for The Austin Chronicle. “She is rock ’n’ roll.” It’s true. The individual born Joan Marie Larkin in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, embodies the music and spirit better than anyone this side of Keith Richards. As Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong […]

10 bands who led the very grisly idea of goth-punk across history

“Goth-punk,” eh? Not as far-fetched as you might believe. Goth was essentially an offshoot of punk, especially its darker early bands—the Damned or Siouxsie And The Banshees, anyone? But basically, anyone playing chainsaw punk rooted in the artsier end of glam a la Bowie and Roxy Music, a fondness for Hammer horror films, macabre literature […]

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 […]

15 bands you probably didn’t realize are supergroups

There was a time when the “supergroup” was super obvious. When the world saw legendary axman Ted Nugent making his guitar squeal with the guy from Night Ranger to his right and a guy from Styx to his left, we all knew there was something special afoot. (Classic-rock lovers will recognize this ’80s band to […]

QUIZ: How well do you know your punk-rock history?

Punk rock has evolved so much since its beginnings over five decades ago. While modern bands enjoy the freedom of singing about whatever they please, it wouldn’t have been that way without the pioneering artists who rebelled against the mainstream back in the ’70s and ’80s. From veterans such as Black Flag, Descendents, the Sex […]

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 […]

10 iconic bands who only released one album—so far

Have you ever discovered an artist who you really loved and proceeded to jam their entire discography into your earholes for a week straight? Sadly, the groups in this list are only responsible for producing one studio album as a group. Don’t worry though: There are plenty of familiar faces who went on to produce […]

Germs bassist Lorna Doom reportedly dies

Bassist Lorna Doom (Teresa Ryan) of the legendary LA punk band the Germs has reportedly died. Her passing was confirmed via Facebook by former Germs drummer Don Bolles. Read more: 5SOS’s Michael Clifford and Crystal Leigh are engaged “Lorna” was all Bolles wrote in a Facebook post, later adding in the comments, “she left this mortal […]

10 classic hardcore bands you need to get into now

Classic hardcore punk sowed the seeds by which today's alternative music blooms. Be it death metal, metalcore, pop-punk or screamo, the current iterations of aggressive rock wouldn't exist without our hardcore forefathers. Here are 10 classic hardcore bands we think you'll love. BLACK FLAG The launch pad for both Keith Morris (now frontman for Off!) […]

Henry Rollins' 20 favorite punk albums

Henry Rollins may not be making music anymore, but the L.A. Weekly columnist did list his favorite 20 punk albums yesterday. Check out the list below or click here to check out the article: “Rollins: This list is in no particular order. Lists like these often get confusing because they beg the question, what is Punk? […]