the muffs

HE Creative are illustrating the evolution of the punk scene

Don’t be fooled: HE Creative are doing exactly what you think they’re doing when you glance over their Instagram feed for the first time—creating a normalized space for punk rock, female empowerment, diversity and more. Designed in various shades of muted hues, HE Creative are using their creative design studio as a means to elevate […]

These 15 albums from 1997 irrefutably proved that punk was far from dead

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 […]

11 singers who helped define the vocal style of punk rock in the ‘90s

The ‘90s: the decade punk went mainstream. First, SoundScan made radio safe for Nirvana and the grunge-ified hordes. Then Green Day and other pop-punk acts moved in and squatted at the top of the Billboard charts. True, it seemed to be finished two years later, only to be reinvigorated at the turn of the century. […]

15 alternative music stars who got their start working in record stores

Record stores are magical places. A good, well-stocked and curated record shop with a knowledgeable staff can influence tastes, expand horizons and serve as the hub for a local musical community. It can be a community center, a place to meet with your friends, promote your band’s upcoming shows by hanging up flyers, even sell […]

15 albums from 1995 that are a perfect gateway into the world of punk

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 Though it remains unpublished, I asked in the course of it what he thought of Rancid.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 […]

Here's every riot grrrl reference you might've missed in Netflix's 'Moxie'

Amy Poehler’s Moxie is an impeccable homage to the riot grrrls of the ’90s and features numerous Easter eggs that highlight the importance of the women-led feminist punk movement. From Bikini Kill to Tacocat, the film is filled with iconic tracks, images and merch that defined an era of revolution. Moxie follows Vivian (Hadley Robinson) […]

15 punk albums from 1993 that embraced contrarianism over prefab rebellion

Alternative rock still dominated popular music in 1993. This obviously begged the question of just how “alternative” something was if it was now on a major label and on the radio. Not necessarily a bad thing. After all, we’d never have to hear Whitesnake again. Bottom end and distortion returned to rock record-making in a […]

10 of the most influential musicians who passed away far too young

Many artists have changed both the lives of individual fans and the entirety of music history as it stands. Each musical contribution is immeasurable, but some bands, singers, instrumentalists, producers and more have changed the scope of our understanding of what music even is. Within a short span of time, people such as Kurt Cobain […]

20 underrated punk albums that should be considered classics

Some of your favorite punk bands released (what should be) classic albums that, for whatever reason, superfans and the general public just couldn’t get behind. And sometimes bands you’ve never heard of release an album that would top many “best of” lists had there been a proper push and an ardent buzz behind the record. […]

15 punk guitarists of the ’90s who paved the way for the genre’s future

Welcome to Alternative Press’ pick of the 15 best punk guitarists of the ’90s. One notable difference between this list and the other two we’ve compiled is the inclusion of several women. Punk did much to democratize rock ’n’ roll in the ’70s, with many pioneering all-female (the Runaways, the Slits) or mixed-gender lineups (X-Ray […]

Green Day auction guitar in memory of the Muffs' singer Kim Shattuck

roGreen Day are auctioning a guitar via musical instrument resale site Reverb to raise funds for ALS research. The gift is in memory of Kim Shattuck, the leader of heroic ’90s punk outfit, the Muffs. The guitar–an Epiphone Les Paul Special listed yesterday by Billie Joe Armstrong’s guitar tech, Hans Buscher–was played by the Green […]

2019 in memoriam: Remembering the ones we lost

Music, movies, tours: Obviously, there were plenty of cool and wonderful things that were brought into the world in 2019. But there was a significant amount of sadness, as well. We did lose many members of the scene and pioneering alt-rock artists, as well as respected and loved pop culture figures. Here are a few […]

Pixies part ways with new bassist Kim Shattuck

For reasons not immediately clear, the Pixies have parted ways with bassist Kim Shattuck, who joined earlier this year following the departure of founding member Kim Deal. Treated as more of a live player, Shattuck did not appear on the group's recent EP, EP1, but was included in press photos, and accompanied the band around the globe on […]

10 reasons why Pixies matter

New wave upstarts turned college-rock royalty turned alternative-rock avatars PIXIES are playing Riot Fest in Chicago September 15. And while their soft-hard/quiet-loud unhinged dynamics didn’t make bank for them the way it did for other bands, they continue to leave a deep mark on the veneer of future generations of underground rockers. Frontman/guitarist Frank Black, […]