DESCRIPTION:
Talking about Punk while at TAANG! an independent record label and retail store, specializing in punk, hardcore, and ska.
-This is not a history of the label we put on this music nor is a biography about any band. This is just the perspective of a 40 year old guy who happens to visit a lot of record stores and has recently been on a Punk rock binge.
-I grew up in the mid-west sheltered from many of the music scene tides rising and falling through the late 70s, 80s 90s but a few did manage to slip through the cracks and found its way to my ears…most of the music could be found by turning the FM dial or a cassette tape passed down (or possibly stolen) from a friends older brother. I won’t bore you with my musical journey but I can say there is no denying punk’s influence across a broad spectrum of music. No different from necessary cooking ingredients like salt, pepper or garlic I can hear a punk influence in almost all of my favorite bands, past and present.
I don’t have a degree, certificate or background that even comes close to offering an educated opinion on this topic. Even if Henry Rollins had a printed degree on the subject, that in itself would oppose all things punk stands for.
-The standard home recipe involves snarling vocals or indecipherable screaming; the controlled chaos of the bass typically compliments a blaring electric guitar riff frenzy springing from a worn fret board. Like a kite blowing in a hurricane the chords all somehow stay grounded by an incessant pounding and endless energy of the person behind the drum kit. When the lyrics of humor, twisted stories and strings of defamatory words about an ex-girlfriend aren’t enough: get out some frustration by slamming your broken political system or corporate control. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about it but at least I’ve said my God given right peace about it!” When all of this stops after 2 minutes and 41 seconds, somehow I have an itch to hear more!
Since we were born we wanted make an impact on the world around us and this music has been an outlet for countless creative and talented people. Sub genres of punk include rock, goth, hardcore, nardcore, pop, alternative, proto but one thing all of these have in common is celebrating an attitude and exercising a right to expression.
-I urge you to tap into lyrics and artwork unfiltered by traditional or color by number templates. I urge you to explore the early punk recordings that captured our history with a polar opposite perspective than CNN and the Associated Press. You just might be inspired when unleashing the energy of youth that comes alive again with just a press of the play triangle or drop of the needle.
-Corey