Why Punk?

Alright, man here goes nothing. So we have a Genre, been around since the Late 70's. We call it 'Punk'. I hear all these songs and have all these people calling themselves punks. I'm good with calling you people 'tards. No problem there buddy walk around with your spikes and orange mowhawk, you think you're badass I think you're stupid.

What respect I used to have for punk I've lost it all since old bands sold out and new bands degrade into garbage... I bet the majority of you punks can't name one band who hasn't sold out... Why do I say that? Because they probably had to sell out for you to hear about them.

Okay so far I've come to this understanding. Punk is slower metal minus the guitar solos, switching the growling snarling ballsy vocalist with a prepubecent teenybopper (at least nowadays thats about all of them).

I play guitar and bass, as well as sing. I'm a well rounded musician and I listen to a little bit of everything (even some punk, every now and then) and as far as I can figure, punk music has taken everything good and meaningful from music, and thrown it away. They have no guitar solos, no bass solos and usually no meaning to the lyics. We all know some punk bands are against cooperate america and the like, and thats bullshit, trendy garbage. Whatever, past that point.

What kind of feeling am I supposed to get from punk? Most of the lyrics are horrible and pointless. The guitars drone on and on for a pitiful three or four minutes, the drummers are nothing spectacular. Its like I said before, slowed down metal minus the solos and a different vocal style. It doesn't give me any sort of feeling at all. I don't feel energetic, I dont want to f@ck the system. I don't want to jump around and It doesn't mellow me out. I don't gain anything from this music besides a headache and/or earache. Its like noise pollution.

With Jimi Hendrix you've got a bluesy feel. Its both calm and powerful at the same time. He can make his guitar sing for him. With Led Zeppelin, Plant belts out his vocal tracks as if his life depended on it, you can feel every bit of meaning in every one of his words. When I listen to Metallica I can feel the agression and the power behind the music, I can hear James grunting or singing every bit of his always meaningful lyrics. When I listen to Pink Floyd I hear the technical excellence and deep hidden meanings in their lyrics. Everything I listen to has a meaning... The biggest point of this article is not that, however, its that the song is properly composed and executed to show that meaning by the band, however deep it may be, whatever emotions it may show, whatever feeling it might give. The band is able to pull it right out of you as if it had a giant-sized handle of some sort.

I find punk music is very lacking in this department... I don't see a meaning in the often repetitive lyrics, there is no feel to the guitar that isn't better found elsewhere, Punk isn't the music it's the culture. Punk's culture died when Regan went out of office, don't give me that. People are kicking as much of a dead horse with punk music as I am with this poorly-written article.

As to why I'm ranting about this. Among the most important reasons: my girlfriend is a die-hard trendy punk fan and I'm interested to really know how you punks tick. Because it's way over my head. Other than that I'm just tired of seeing punks walking around and getting blank looks when I ask them the question "why punk" then listening to them rant a bunch of buzz-words in an attempt to give me a single good reason. I can't find one, and I don't think anyone else can find a good one either.

Comments

[towelman]

Listen to Billy Talent. The singer is not great but listen to the riffs! Awesome punk band today.

[bigmattbrown]

Im staring to get sick of this narrow minded mentality. If i was to write an article about all these so called metalheads that i see walking around who wear iron maiden and motorhead and metallica shirts, and then name number of the beast and ace of spades and enter sandman as their favourite songs because theyre the only songs they've heard of, id get flamed to a crisp. So i wont write about that.

Dont judge the whole by your perceptions. The only Americans ive ever met were fat, smelly, and obnoxious. If i was to judge all Americans by thos perception, then id be wondering how the country managed to stay afloat without the weight of the population sinking it. You wouldnt need to plug the hole in the the ozone layer because youd be protected by a layer of sweat stench clouds (they smelled BAD). But i know not to judge all Americans by the ones that ive met, because that gives you a stilted view. If you dont like these people, then dont talk to them, and to be honest im surprised your die-hard trendy punk fan girlfriend is still your girlfriend, or doesnt she know your opinion of her? Just accept that not everyone has your viewpoint and move on, your life will be a lot easier.

[Oswald]

Punk is not slower METAL!!!!
It is rock!!!
It is simplified ROCK!!!!

[ShoeLaces907]

Dude, if you're into Zepplin, Hendrix, Floyd, and Metallica, you're probably not going to like punk very much unless you have a really open mind.

Uh huh...punk is slower metal? NO. Ever known Led Zepplin to be faster than The Ramones? I don't think so.


I agree that punk is a dead horse nowadays.

But Metal is more of a pose now than it's ever been. I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the metalheads bigmattbrown referenced.

"Why Punk?", huh? Well, yes it's trendy to like punk (are you telling me it isn't trendy to like Metallica or all those classic rock metal bands?), but some people don't like all those damn extended guitar solos and don't like music for the same reasons you do. Some like the more stripped down and blue collar approach of punk as opposed to the guitar wanking and rock operas of the unreachable superstar acts.

[Flamed]

I love to listen to Metallica but I also like punk... Sometimes I'm just in the mood of some simplified music and weak minded lyrics.

[joyful womble]

yeah, i guess john lydon is a 'prepubescent teenybopper'. btw the descendents 'coffee mug ' and 'eunuch boy' are two of the fastest songs ive ever heard. both these bands have guitar solos in most of their songs. rounded musician eh?

[BurNW73]

ok... thats enough flaming for this article. now its time for someone who agrees. I AGREE WITH HIM!

punk may be fast but its only powerchords. which really makes it slower, mentally. Without solos, music is pointless. and back to what bigmattbrown said about those being the only songs that we know... you're wrong. i could name a billion songs that i know (exaggerating, obviously) from different genres. I just don't like the music from the other genres. I must admit that a lot of those fags from boy bands have great singing voices... they dont belong in rock. that's okay. as for punk, i think that its just a cheap way to make money. take blink182 for example. i dont think that they have ANY talent WHATSOEVER. their singer sucks, as does their guitarist(s). Their lyrics (in most cases) are pointless. look at family reunion. "HEY GUYS LETS JUST MAKE A SONG FROM A JOKE THAT WAS ALREADY FUNNY! MAYBE ITLL BE FUNNIER IF WE ADD I F UCKED YOUR MOM AT THE END!! HEHEHE!" ummmm no. thats not how music is supposed to be.
look at metallica and tell me they're not talented. i dont understand how people can't like them. in my opinion theyre on of the greatest bands out there. led zeppelin, hendrix, pink floyyd, pantera, and ACDC are all great as well. I could sit here all day and name sweet rock/metal bands. i couldnt even name 2 punk bands that are decent whatsoever... cuz when you add a solo to punk, you get a crappy kind of metal.

well thats all i have to say.

oh and p.s. look at my little title (like UG Member) above my icon if you see me in the forums. you'll understand another view of mine...

[Immortal Hippo]

Any more pointless, unsubstantiated columns/rants? It's crap because you say so is it? Who are you to judge a genre?

"They have no guitar solos, no bass solos and usually no meaning to the lyics."

LOL. Ever heard of Fenix TX, NOFX, The Offspring, American Hi-Fi... the list goes on? They solo!! No meaning to the lyrics hey? How naive.

[Weebl]

" i couldnt even name 2 punk bands that are decent whatsoever... cuz when you add a solo to punk, you get a crappy kind of metal."

Green Day and Offspring. they solo and it doesnt sound crap. i dont really like punk but to say that it is completey untalented is just stupid. just because they dont play as fast as they can doesnt make it crap

[emop]

suicidal tendencies are punk and a damn amazing band, same with black flag, minor threat...its just the modern kinda punk that is the same thing over and over again with different lyrics and the powerchords moved up the fretboard with some complimentry single string picking for intro's.

n to keep ranting on about punk is pointless, i mean where im from its EMOtopia, emo is more trendy than nu-metal was...so punk isnt that much of a trend in my eyes.

n solo's dont make a song, u dont just put solo's in a song to make it good and "wow, solo..song MUST be good". solo's are just as important as a well compiled riff or any part of the song.

[PimpJuse]

burnw73 - i didnt even bother reading your whole article because you are a brick wall in terms. 'no guitar solos = not real music' so then why dont you go into describing what music IS then or can the brick wall not think that way.
music is whatever the listener deems as music so whoever playes in this 'genre' (stupid word to me) and does a good job to THEMSELVES then that is some talented music to them. you need to start writing music oe something to get a different standpoint on music as a whole. because if you think guitar solos make 'music' you have a WHOLE lot more coming to you.
peace.

[brake_p]

you know...its not really what genre is the best...different people have different tastes. there are way too many people who think that one genre is better than the other. its bullshit in my opinion...

[emokid182]

i'm sick of punk sucks and punk is dead articles if you guys don't friggin like it then do'nt listen to it. its not that hard of a concept!

[simonparry]

well that was crap

[nagirrab]

"They have no guitar solos, no bass solos and usually no meaning to the lyics" could have sworn that rancid have all of those in them

[Hopes]

I hear all these songs and have all these people calling themselves punks. I'm good with calling you people 'tards. No problem there buddy walk around with your spikes and orange mowhawk, you think you're badass I think you're stupid.
lol, that could not have been said any better. I'm not a fan of punk music, i like how simple it is, but i find it to be too boring and too fast. it's difficult to write a good song when ur a s**t guitar player, but thats punk for ya, either like it or ya don't.

[Valhalla]

I dont like punk either, but your an idiot.

[Geldof the Grey]

for the love of god, get frigginjerk in here to butt-*** you whiny little bitches... I think I hear him coming...

[sugar_free87]

man youre such a dumb ass punk rock is not slower then metal...PUNK RULES..
man take back what youve written & stuck it up your ASS...

[JimmyEatWorldSP]

genocide is ignorant and a stereotyper. listen to more punk rather than the mainstream emo and you'll find solos and meaningful lyrics. also there was an article on what selling-out is, i suggest you go read it...

[Geldof the Grey]

^and another thing, you're moaning about punk rock, where a few of your opinions are justified (and if you could write better, someone might have listened.

If punk wasn't meaningful and didn't have solos, then I'm a cheerleader... gimme an A! gimme an S! gimme another S!

[zepplinmike]

What is called "punk" these days on the radio does suck hard but I think credit should be given to early punk acts like the Ramones and especially the Clash. The Clash experimented with all kinds of styles, and their lyrics had more meaning than a lot of the bands you mentioned (I'm a huge fan of Zeppelin, Floyd, Hendrix, and Metallica by the way).

[horazonblade]

Well I can tell you Im a fan of many kinds of music, mostly rock and metal though, new and old, but I have to give it up for one punk band, Rancid. Im a bass player and I think there bass solos are pretty impressive (Where as you said there were no bass solos in punk before). And really, I think punk wouldnt be so annoying if there wasnt the entire "sell out! Punk is dead! Punk is alive! By the way... what is punk?" talk

[romeoturrent]

Men let me tell you wrote a really bad article.
You are talkin´about PUNK

[abass]

if u were poen minded you would like punk rock. also, punk rock has meaningful lyrics. and as for selling out punk rock bands i can name bout 100+ that havent

[NUBIENLOC76]

people say the same thing about rap... im not a punk fan and dont listen to the crap , hell thereis some rap that i consider crap. and maybe you just have to be born into the culture to understand it but the article dose give good insite and anyone who is offended is a close minded a** hole you dont have to agree w/his opinion but respect it and by the way they do look retarded with the mohawks. how the hell are urban white kids going to be against a system that is mostly in there favor if they learned how to dress. Please people find a real cause to stand for!!!!!

[bigmattbrown]

burNW73

I dont mean all metal fans dont know anything about metal, i am using it as a comparison to the articles point about dressing a certain way. Where i live in england it has become the new 'uber-trendy-post-modern
-ironic' fashion statement to wear eddie on your shirt. Obviously not everyone who wears these shirts has no clue what they're on about, but a lot of them know as much about metal as i do morris dancing, and i dont know morris dancing. Its the same way. I dont have a huge mohawk, or safety pins through my foreskin, but i consider myself more punk than 95% of the people dressing in ratty leather vests and black flag shirts.

one more thing, BLINK182 ARE NOT A PUNK BAND! NEITHER ARE GOOD CHARLOTTE! PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM AS EXAMPLES OF PUNK BANDS!!!!!!!!!

[NUBIENLOC76]

NOW COME ON A LOT OF PUNK AND METAL HEADS FEEL THE SAME ABOUT RAP. AND YEA SOME RAP IS CRAPPY. IM SURE THERE MIGHT BE SOMEPUNK SONGS I MIGHT LIKE ...LOL YEA RIGHT BUT ANYWAY TO SUM IT ALL UP YOU DO LOOK RETARDED W/MOHAWKS. JUST TELL ME THIS WHAT DOSE A GROUP OF URBAN WHITE KIDS HAVE TO REBEL AGAINST , LIVING IN A SOCIETY WHERE EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR FAVOR IF YOU JUST LEAR TO GET A HAIR CUT AND PULL UP YOUR DAMN PANTS . I SAY QUIT WHINNING AND FIND A REAL CAUSE TO REBEL AGAINST

[kerrang]

your rite about it not being complicated, hell your also right about those new dipshits calling themselves "punks". BUT, punk was born AND DIED in 1977. Yes im talking about the sex pistols, none of them had any great musical talent, or any other talent for that matter, but their lyrics had heart, soul and feeling, i mean do you think Jonny Rotten ever looked like he didnt like what he was doing? ever seen him play onstage? he always got really into it. He supported the lyrics in the songs that he wrote. Punk is over, dead. but that does not mean we cant still appriciate it, HELL NO!. But it means were gonna have to pull sumthin real f**kn nasty outta our asses to pull it off again.

[Zildjindrummer]

Since I've always wondered this, what is a punk additude. I've heard some pretty stupid trash about it. One person said that he used to be punk until everybody started doing it, but i was under the impression that punk is an attitude of not caring what other people think. Can somebody explain this to me.

[aleczzz]

ok, i'm saying this because i don't understand why you have to whine so much about punks... I mean... do you really consider metalheads better with their long puszy hair bags being all agressive and passionate at the same time? i mean... jeeeeeeeez, punks aren't any worse or better than metalheads so stop ranting

lol punks need to pull up their pants. have you ever seen a kid who likes rap trying to be a thug with his pants around his knees? those are the kids that need to pull up their pants.
oh and blink 182 is not really punk. most of what is on the radio and popular in the masses is pop punk, music made by bands with punk influences who want to make more mainstream music. dont hate punk untill you hear some real punk, the clash and the ramones were both mentioned by others try them.

[Veno]

*aplauds aleczzz*

I feel stupid for reading that article. If you can't find meaningful lyrics in punk music htne your prolly a dipsh*t like burNW73 who watches MTV 24/7 and thinks punk is all blink182 and good charlotte. The fact that you didn't name a single punk band in your article doesn't help. If your a casual fan of punk you're not gonna hear anything good anyways, so you have no room to talk.

and don't even get me started on lyrics. Punk music lyrics aren't meaningful? most metal songs have too much solo and guitar work going on that any spec near a meaningful lyric was lost. 9 of every 10 metal songs lyrics are probably pretty generic( while i'm not a metalhead, but have listened too it alot b/c of friends and so on, don't hold me to this, this was jsut the impression i got from the songs i heard)

Take the stick out of your ass, do a little research, and try again jimbo

[killer fleas]

SHUT UP. ITs that simple. IF you hate it dont try to talk about it. And the only "prepubescent teenyboppers" ive ever heard were only blink 182,sum 41,gc or simple plan. Listen to g.g allin,such a horrible band,but hes hardcore.LEts see, fear,nirvana,stooges,boun
cing souls just to name a few, have great solos and is mentally slow.and veno makes sense,metal is cool but lyrics make no sense. Its just as meaningful as singing "berzerker" (watch clerks.)and it doesnt matter about what,if its crap to you,shut it. if its good,shut it.

[TiMaRmStRoNg101]

yeah, punk has no meaningful lyrics? A lot of punk music deals with issues today, like teens on the street, people being beaten in school because of how they dress, and yes, THE GOVERNMENT. Punk is sometimes referred as a way to let out your agressions. but its also a way to get your point across on many issues. Bands like NOFX, rise against, and anti-flag (To name a few) can tell there point on current issuse while using meaningful lyrics, not many other bands in other genres can do that.

I agree with Veno also. you didn't name a single punk band through the whole article doesn't help. just because you may have listened to something by blink 182 or whatever, doesn't mean you listened to what I consider punk. Sure some punk bands sell out, but a lot of others don't. so Don't say that all punk bands have sold out, since you only know of blink 182 and good charlotte shows that the real punk bands never sold out so you could hear about them. And back to the lyrics thing, if you put in the albums "the art of drowning", or "shut your mouth and open your eyes" by afi, and listen to the lyrics, and if you can understand the "Big words" davey is singing, you can see how "meaningless" the lyrics are. the lyrics on those albums are some of the best I've ever herd. and I have listened to other genres, and I've stuck to punk because they don't sell out their lyrics to appeal to whatever someone is listening to.

I don't know if that made sense to anyone, but thats just how I feel.

[dotheevolution_]

is it a requirement for only narrow minded ignorant people to write columns? i think you should email henry rollins and see what he has to say about that.
get off your damn high horse, and try accepting things for what they are, rather then labelling everything outside your comfort zone has crap.
PUNK IS NOT DEAD, and it wasn't born with the pistols you idiot kerrang

[shortys_03_]

i cannot disagree that metallica and AC/DC are not talented but............you are obviously not listening to good punk........good charlotte-shit...simple plan-shit.......why don't you listen to bands like Anti-Flag which have very good guitar and amazing lyrics that make you think about them...you are just an ignorant bastard that is too close minded to actually TRY to find good punk......just do it once...TRY and you will not be disapointed

[be-back]

Haha I think we don't need this column here anymore every other month someone will comeout and whine, now it's supposed to be ONLY Guitar Accessories or guitar related talk no we don't even need Frigginjerk's selling out dictionary defenitionAll we need here is Guitar Guide Articles.

[xxgenocide98xx]

My first article here...

What I was saying is:: Punk is degraded Rock 'N Roll and obviously noone here has the mental capacity to retain that much before letting their minds get the best of them...

First off, What the *** is with The Misfits? The Dead Kennedys? Wtf? they all sound like shit. EVERYTHING about these bands suck. There is always exceptions to every rule, but the majority of punk I cannot even stand.

AFI suck ass
Anti-Flag should be shot.
The Misfits suck

Punk is dead, Kerrang sucks, The Sex Pistols are SELL OUTS. I'm 16 and I'm in highschool, I spent a week talking to the 'punks' and getting 'bands' and 'songs' that were 'good' in their eyes, they all sucked. They've got NOTHING on the rest of Rock 'N Roll.

I'm not talking about Blink182 or Simple Plan, they arent punk rock they're pop.

Clearly you people need to work on reading comprehension, as you're all saying "not all punk sucks not all punks sell out etc etc" I NEVER SAID ALL PUNKS SELL OUT, I NEVER SAID IT ALL SUCKED. I SAID that the majority sucks, the majority sell out, and shit like that. They do sell out the lyrics to have appeal, why the *** is everyone going to write a song about getting laid? There are only so many ways to get laid, to smoke, drink, party, and all of that. The songs they write pretain to nothing, the musicians themselves are inept enough to play just punk.

I just wanna understand you shits but you're just kicking your dead horse. I'm not narrow-minded by any means I'm quite opposite, Dotheevolutoion_ and you're pretty damn slow and narrow minded yourself to make a judgement like that.

Punk is as dead as jesus christ, people. It might come back but I sure as hell hope you people score some talent before that happens because if not I'm going to go on an anti-punk crusade and I'll be crucifying every band and name I can until I'm stopped

BTW:: Nirvana is not punk, its grunge mr.smartypants.

[myusername]

u must not listen to alotta GOOD punk

[xxgenocide98xx]

Something to add::

To sum up what you people have said, punk rock lyrics are about fighting conformity as TimArmstrong says. Well guess what, the world is full of conformity, if we werent different there wouldn't be any punk music or opinions to write your shitty music about.

As far as I can see I find a bunch of retarded men and women acting out and playing instruments in a way that would make jesus himself cry. OMG kids on the streets we really have to give a *** about that! if you cared so much about kids on the streets why don't you go f*cking help them instead of writing bad music? If you get your ass kicked its probably because you have your head so far up your ass that you're seeing through your windpipe. "Dressing different" as in cross-dressing? I'd kick a cross-dressers ass, why? Because its obscene, if you guys wanna ***in spike your hair or wear enough metal to make a ***ing 1955 cadillac go ahead but do it in private. I dont want to see people 'being themselves' in public because 99% of the time its an eyesore. I like to walk around naked but do I walk around naked in public? No, why? because I'd get alot of complaints, not everyone likes to see naked people 24/7, right? i dont like to see dipshits with 1ft long mowhawks and peircings. I'm not a 'metalhead' and i'm not some trendy ***, i'm somewhere in the middle of all of this and i'm laughing at everyone that likes to give a bunch of labels, notice how I havent 'labeled' anyone. Yet, everyone here is quick to 'label' me a metalhead? You guys suuure know your shit.

[Backup Guitar]

This is crap. How can I be dumb and suck because I should speak for myself, and because of my name? Let it go, man. The article has been done so many times, its not even original. Go find something unique to write about, and submit it through the columns forum first.

[chuckles_34]

Casualties, Hometown Zero's, Cretins,
Punk: Yes
Solos: Yes
meaningful lyrics: Yes
Sold out: No

If you need more i can name as many as you want

[Wimphyz]

I'm not in mood to write a long comment so I.ll resume it in 4 word... YOU ARE DAMN RIGHT!!!

[xxgenocide98xx]

Oh oh now I forgot something again... Why does it seem that almost every punk band mentioned here has happened to 'sell out'(by most average punk definition..) If you guys wanna read an article thats good, look to the FrigginJerk article on Selling out, I think I like that alot. But you guys are always quick to label and it makes you often times dumb.

I can't believe my rant was published but i'm going to follow up with a more researched one and I'll have to ruin people's shit...

Punk = Rock 'N Roll minus everything good.

[Tcurtis]

you are a dipshit. right after i read "Okay so far I've come to this understanding. Punk is slower metal minus the guitar solos, switching the growling snarling ballsy vocalist with a prepubecent teenybopper (at least nowadays thats about all of them)." i stopped reading because obviously you dont even listen to ***ing punk. so *** you and have a shitty day.

[xxgenocide98xx]

More to reply to!

Chuckles-
You might have found an exception

BackupGuitar
-
Wow what a cliche post, you hypocrite. Your entire post didn't pretain to anything I've said as far as I can figure its just another assumption. You should take a look over yourself before you decide to criticize others.. How dumb do you have to be to write another cliche post about how an article is cliche? PUNK is cliche, everything is the ***in same about it, everything has been done before. I'm trying to figure out why you guys WONT stop kicking a dead horse, and if it take me kicking the shit out of one myself I'm going to do it.

Tip: work on your reading comprehension


-Genoc
ide

[Tcurtis]

also, "They have no guitar solos, no bass solos and usually no meaning to the lyics..." THAT IS FUCKING BULLSHIT. if you want some truly kick ass bass lines, listen to Rancid, if you want some meaningful lyrics, then listen to a band like Anti-Flag.

[be-back]

oh well ^^^^^ finally he loose his retard brain that's good.

stop whining and ranting genocide98. people have different ways of expressing themselves and being "punk" is popular right now. in a few years it will go away and only the good punk bands and real punks will be left. then you can ask a punk to name good music and get a good answer so just shut up and wait.

[sargasm]

this is ignorant

im not even gonna bother arguing

[Punkrockguy17]

"The Sex Pistols are SELL OUTS" ok you said hte Sex Pistols are sell outs? How are they sell outs please tell me? Cause how can you be a sell out when what your main purpose in the first place was to make lots of money? Punk def has solos for some ex. the Clash, BAd Religion, Rancid. And punk is a lot faster than metal usually. And what is you def of music? Cause music as my music theory teacher defined is basically organized sound. Punk is organized sound has solos, has rythem, most infact are written in keys. And BurNW73 punk is powerchords? A bunch of punk is written with chords or barrechords. But its all your opinion but for the most part thats what punk is and if you don't like punk then why do you write an article about why punk is band cause more than likely people are just going to fight back and your not going to change anyones mind on the subject.

[MrLucky77713]

How is punk unintelligent? Greg Gaffin is a huge forerunner of punk...he has a PhD, now unless you happen to have something BETTER than a PhD, he's probably smarter than you on at least a few subjects. Politcally charged punk bands usually know their shit, the ones who dont r the ones you've probably heard. Like sum41. What i got from this is that because a few bad apples go and sound like crap and suck at guitar and have nothing to say, then the whole genre suffers from the same lack of...everything. It isn't just GC and Blink who ruin the genre for some people. Punk has the most subcategories, and its a turn-off, but that is because punk is so diverse. You've got HC, Emo, Pop-Punk, Thrash, Grunge, and even more than that, there are countless ways to set that kind of genre system up. So Benji and Joel wanna go out and suck MTV's balls for cash? So what? that's their own problem. But don't blame Anti-Flag and NOFX for it. Slow metal? maybe NOT, Bad Religion and Anti-Flag and Rancid have some really kick ass solos. Yea, it isn't metal-core shredding, but it's still damn good. Even the poppy Sum41 guitarist (the mexican one or whatever) can play some ripping leads. So what? I've heard easy to play metal before too. Punk is not original? I disagree. Yea, lots of bands are idiots and copy other bands, but not all. Anti-Flag is original. Propagandhi is original. Rancid is original. NOFX is in my humble opinion one of the MOST original bands to date. Punk did not start with the Pistols. Punk did not end with the Pistols. The Pistols still rule. Enough about that argument. I don't care too much for the definition of selling out. My own is that if you make music more to earn money than to play, you have sold out. It isn't always bad, it is though for those who have some message, you lose credibility. I mean seriously here kids, punks can get rich and be good. Nirvana was huge, maybe not rich, but huge. Why? they were GOOD. Billy Idol? GOOD. Ramones? GOOD. is punk the only good music? NO. is punk good SOLELY in the sense of musical skill? generally NO. But there are exceptions to every rule, and punk is an exception to the rule in itself. You don't have to be a great player to be a great musician. KURT COBAIN is definitely going to be in the hall of fame (if he isnt already). He was nowhere near as good as Jimmy Paige or Jimi Hendrix. So? He made good music and in my own opinion saved the world of rock and roll from makeup, leather pants, and woman-hair. You want to diss punks? Metal kids have been just as bad. Makeup, full out DRAG, tight leather crotch-pants, woman-hair. Come on. Well enough of that, I might do a little study on a punk history. It's a blurry subject.

Side Question: What would you call RATM? Rock? Grunge? Just plain AWESOME?

[Mr.Coke]

you are a loser, who needs to get your head out of your ass and look around. The people with orange spiked mohawks don't like new punk. Ther're trying to emulate old punk and bands that play old punk today underground.

[dez18]

can we please stop these pro/anti punk articals...god, everyone is saying the same thing over and over again.....get over it...if you like the music, then listen to it, if not, find something elts.....music isnt ment to be this difficult

[Mr.Coke]

one more thing, before you write any more god-awful articles, take a look in the article writing forums for what you can and can't write on!!

[TiMaRmStRoNg101]

I really, don't know why I'm defending punk to this guy anyway. he doesn't deserve my time, I got better things to do, like throw stuff on the highway and wait for stuff to run over it. defending this to him won't do anything. we'll just have another forum with the exact same backbone next month and so on and so forth.

[garagerocker69]

ENOUGH WITH THE PUNK ARTICLES! do u people not think that were sick and ***en tired of hearing "i hate punk. punk sucks. they think there cool. theres no solos!" b-b-b-b-bullshit!
there is music with solos, there are bands that arent sold out, and there are people that are sick of these ***en articles. and dez is right, its the same crap over and over again. if u dont like about whine to your mommy not us! if you like something and want to post about it, ill be happy to read it, however, in the mean time...shut the *** up!

[garagerocker69]

woohoo! it didnt censor bullshit and i didnt even put in anti-censor tags!

[saiyanmetalhead]

hey garagerocker69 this is just for you Punk ***ing sucks and should be removed from the face of the earth, that is all for now

[MyBand_NME_rulz]

hey punk rulz nad what the hell is "fack the system"? your gay

[Defiance]

lmfao this guy is a ***ing idiot...you don't have to sell out to get popular...

[runefan88]

whoever the f*ck wrote this is a close-minded ignorant asshole. how can u bash punk if u dont even noe wut it is????

punk was the best thing to happen to rock n roll since the origins of rock n roll itself, ya dumbass. bands like television, the heartbreakers, the stooges, the clash, etc. broke down rock n roll's high and mighty bull attitude that so many rock bands had taken and returned it to its original state of what it should be.

People who dont understand punk, like yourself, need to see punk for what it stands for. not "f@ck the system" but "fix the system, here's how...".

punk is intellgent first off. the greatest thinkers in musical history have come from punk. andy warhol funded velvet underground. joe strummer and jello biafra were two of the smartest political minds ever.

led zepplin and whoever the f*ck u mentioned sold-out immensely, so how can you say punk bands sold out???

Punk has become like a dead horse, but do you know why???? I do. Its dumb-f*ckers like you who dont noe anything about punk, dont want to, and stick with your commercial bands like led zepplin, the sh*ttiest band ever.

[Backup Guitar]

Tip: Work on your brain. The little rat inside it doesn't rule the world.

I write articles. They get high ratings. *points at yours* I submit mine through the forums, I have them approved and critiqued. When I get hashed for it, I just let it be.

If you plan to write another article, just submit it through the columns forum first. Earn some cred.

[Jbrouw10]

First of all im gonna say that the only good punk for the most part is the clash and 80's hardcore(dead kennedys, bad brains, doa, mdc,ect.) and you are right that MOST punk does not require great musical skill yet neither does alot of metal. However bands like the dead kennedys and bad brains had very creative musicians and both are probably the two fastest bands ive ever heard. Also all the bands above have very intelligent lyrics especially the dead kennedys and the clash. Now if you still think punk is crap that consider this: The two most creative and skilled bands the Rage against the machine and Red hot chili peppers have both said they wouldnt be here without the profound influence punk music had on them. And one more thing I also love bands such as hendrix, cream, floyd, zeppelin as well so next time you learn a simple little hendrix riff don't feel the need to strut you guitar smarts buy busting on music you dont understand

[stang84]

wow.....what is the average age on this site, I wonder? I applaud the people who have actually made a well researched and thought out argument against the article, but the rest of you with your little one-line, expletive-fest, cheap shots and those of you who think you've destroyed this guy's argument by giving ONE counter-example that really only represents your own opinion, GET A LIFE. Someone goes "punk is bad..." and all you little punkers come out of the woodwork with your torches and pitchforks to crucify this guy, all of you saying the exact same thing, "Punk ROCKS!! It rocks casue my favroite band is punk so **** you!!!" Ugh! find a better use for your time, go actually play some guitar or something.

[disposablehero7]

Truly Anti-Flag is a bunch of NAZI'S, ive been to one of thier concerts with my brother, i thought i was in a ***in Nazi rally. If u wanna hear music that truly goes against conformity go listen to Pink Floyd's The Wall or watch the movie to understand it, thats true anti-conformity

[Em0-Guitarist]

PUNKS DEAD LADIES AND GENTLEMEN....and very few(and i mean VERY FEW) have been able to "bring it back" anyone that goes around calling themselfs "punK" is an idiot

[kurt775]

two words... DEAD KENNEDYS

[young_blood]

you're ridiculous. learn to appreciate all types of music. music is like the colors. some people like red or blue colors just like some people like punk or metal. so don't go and be dumb about what music "sucks". grow up a bit and write another article once you've learned something about music.

[harm0n20]

no good drummers in punk??? listen to travis barker play buddy.

[xxgenocide98xx]

Backup Guitar-

Hey asshole, I'm giving statements to defend my article and my opinion. I have a brain, apparantly you do, too. However, it must not function well enough. You still need to take my advice, reading comprehension is not your strong point, is it? I shouldn't have to earn credibility and I'm not trying to be held high in anyone's eyes. I'm writing these articles for me, and for others who want to actually understand what makes these punkrock dolts tick.

INCASE YOU FUCKSTICKS MISSED THE POINT OF THE ARTICLE:::

There is nothing special or unique about punk music, some other genre of music conveys any said aspect of 'punk rock' in a better way.

There is more agressive music.
More melodic music.
More expressive lyrics.
More skilled artists.
A deeper meaning.
A better sound.

I can't find what makes punk worth listening to, obviously you can't either and thats why you've chose to flame instead of offer insight. Your attitudes and opinions are both destructive and unwarranted, If you have something good to say, say it. If you want to be an asshole like Backup Guitar, take a tip or three from GoatSe and just go have wild man-sex.

-Genocide

[garagerocker69]

articles like this should be allowed theres too much controversy btw people who think punk sucks, people who "love it", and people who think every1 should just shut up. keep your opinions to yourselfs
0 and saiyanmetalhead, FUCK YOU!

[garagerocker69]

crap it didnt work

[suckthafystem00]

ok... i have a question: what kind of punk r u listening to!? you say lyrics arent meaningful, i say ur full of shit. you say punk is slower metal, i say ur full of shit. u say it has no solos, i say ur partially full of shit. some punk bands do have solos (i.e. yellowcard has guitar and violin solos). i think ur a jackass, and ur annoying. i didnt even take time to read ur whole stupid article. ur rite, maybe a lot of punk bands have sold out, but so have a lot of metal bands (i.e. metallica, aerosmith). and about the guitar thing, id love to see you play simple riffs over and over and over again at that speed for 4 minutes. nad same with the drumming. the drumming may be simple, but its a bitch to play. i play drums, bass, guitar, and sing, and i tried playing drums really fast, and i only went for about 45 seconds. that shit takes endurance. so before you talk shit, do your research, dickweed.

- suckthafystem00

[SchecterAxer182]

Shut the hell up... don't ever post you're thoughts again you gimp

[xxgenocide98xx]

Garage, If people don't want to read it or would be offended they dont have to. The title and description fit well enough for you to decide. They just want to start an argument.

Does anyone have some insight to this?

I used to listen to the offspring and green day, billy joe can't play guitar and noodles isnt much of a soloist, i've seen them both live, the offspring twice(they used to be my favorite band six years back?) and yeah.. I don't know its nothing that sounds too great..

[suckthafystem00]

oh and saiyanmetalhead, nice name, and ur a dick, i agree w/ garagerocker, so u should stfu... wo0t! haha... this feels good to post this shit!

[nasty_santa409]

You should've called this "Punk is dead round 3," and I would've known not to read this. It's the same as round 2 and it's crap. admit it. and garagerocker69, just put FUCK YOU in caps and it'll work

[endywendy]

you guys argue too much. whoever wrote this article, it is very subjective and it can hinder people's music tastes just because you like ranting. you are an opinionated dickface. =)

[xxgenocide98xx]

Technically speaking heres my stats:
I play every kind of music you can shake a stick at..

Bass Guitar-3 years, finger/slap-pop style.
Guitar-10 months, Downpick/sweep pick/alternate pick, single hand tapping and working on double tapping (a-la eddie)
drums-- fooled around on them for a bit here and there.

I can play anything you want me to, deathmetal, punk, everything.

I can play simple riffs, and complex riffs, over and over and over again. Aerosmith isnt metal, and Metallica has sold out, I don't care. You punks are the ones that love the term 'sellout'

Suck, I say you're full of shit. Yellowcard ***ing suck, by the way.

[suckthafystem00]

haha as everyones said, ur entitled to your own opinion. and i expected a metalhead dickface like you to say that an awsome emo band like YC sucks... haha you ***ers r so predictable!

[ted_dotw]

what the hell is wrong with you moron. if punks bother you so much then why do you talk to them and date them. another thing is that i know plenty of people who are "punks"...me beiong one of them and i dont know anyone with orange mohawks or any of that crap. punk isnt about being complicated and flashy, in fact us punks frown upon that because where us humans come from thats what we like to call SELLING OUT!!! im not gonna try to down you for listening to crappy music because that wouldnt make me any better than you, but please let me say that before you judge an entire culture of people get your facts straight.

[suckthafystem00]

and ill say this, metal is awsome, punk is awsome, funk is awsome, everything cept that new rap shit and country is awsome. but i think some of the allogations u make in ur article are extremely ignorant (i.e. punk is a slower form of metal)... and the only form of metal punk can be slower than is thrash, which for the most part, is a hardcore-imitation genre (hardcore i.e. since by man, harkonen, sweet cobra, etc...)

[suckthafystem00]

PS - that meow mix song is ***in catchy as hell...
i want chicken
i want liver
meow mix, meow mix
please deliver

wo0t wo0t!

[xxgenocide98xx]

I'm dating one because I'm able to set aside a difference to better myself and her... I don't usually associate with punks. I told you I am doing research, trying to get my shit straight, and figure this out. It was one big ***ing question for all to see

"WHAT MAKES PUNK WORTH LISTENING TO?"

Noone has answered it, noone ever will. The question will keep up going and going. I don't listen to crappy music, if you say I listen to crappy music, you'd be very mistaken. I have got my facts straight, not one person here has given me a bunch of consistant answers and examples as to why punk is worth listening to.

All i've got are sparse examples and exceptions to my general rule, which I've already heard of all of them before. You people arent giving me anything new, in fact you're just getting old. Flames are for kids, get over it. You can be positive or just not be anything at all.

[suckthafystem00]

i have a question: "WHAT MAKES METAL WORTH LISTENING TO?" its not a question that can truly be answered, its just one of those things that people have opinions on. like "Is W. Bush a dickfaced jackass?" we all know the answer is "yes," but people can have their opinions about it ;

[xxgenocide98xx]

By the way i'm not talking about main-stream metal when in compairson, most punk IS slower than most metal. There are exceptions, but you're being ignorant yourself. My allogations are both fair and un-baised (I used to like punk myself) and noone has yet to give me a good answer.. Punk has no unique traits, every trait it has, some other form of music does it better... I just don't understand whats so hard to answer...

[ted_dotw]

heh...suck plays bass in my band and while i dont agree with his extreme criticism i must say that he has a point with the predictable thing...you all seem to hate us and i dont understand it. you dont give our music a chance, if someone isnt growling or chocking or soloing you immediately assume that the song is crap. do me a favor and really listen to it for a minute, you might see that punk addressed real things...maybe not relavant things, but then again metal doesnt either. they just scream about how theyre angry and have still suprisingly have enough braincells left from all the headbanging to tie there own nuse...and in my opinion that isnt a very great accomplishment

[suckthafystem00]

yeah, another question. why r "punks" so depressed/angry when metal is all about how pissed off u r and how much u love worshiping the devil? just something that came up in my mind...

[ted_dotw]

by the way...what makes metal worth listening to? unless ur a drunk or a burned out 40 year old man whos wishing that he had gone to college instead of sitting on his ass in his moms attic i just dont understand it

[xxgenocide98xx]

Um.. Well yeah its opinion, thank you for stating the obvious. Now you're missing my point, I'm asking "Why do it this way if another way is better?"

Why would you want to listen to music that is mediocre in comparison to other genres of music?There are ALWAYS exceptions but not enough to make me change my mind about it...

Metal is Agressive, loud, and energetic. Some metal has alot of talent to it, some doesn't. Thats really opinion.

[suckthafystem00]

"Metal is Agressive, loud, and energetic. Some metal has alot of talent to it, some doesn't. Thats really opinion." some punk has talent too, jesus. look into 2 bands called "Thrice" and "Thursday," if u kno them ur gonna say this: "Thursday and Thrice are shitty emo bands" and im gonna say "you ***ers are so predictable!(again)" but look into some of their guitar riffs (i.e. Under a Killing Moon, Paper Tigers) and then criticize punk guitarrists talents.

[ted_dotw]

suck...i think u mean is bush a dickface or a jackass...cuz i mean hes got to be one or the other

[suckthafystem00]

hmmm... good point... my bad

[jeeba jaba]

yeah the thing about no meaningful lyrics in punk music is almost complete total anus invasion ever heard any of thursdays or anti-flags stuff and when did lyrics get so meaningful and deep good songs dont have to have meaningful lyrics i mean look at longview damn good song about masturbation a very serious issue you can say that any genre's lyrical writing style is ilke the same thing and yeah your true almost all genres sing about the same stuff just in unique ways. yeah the "lyrical genius" of pink floyds stuff is almost total bullshit Im not saying they werent a damn good band im just saying that anybody that does that much acid and plays music is going to make up something so funked up that people will just call it brialliant

[xxgenocide98xx]

Ted_dotw

If you havent noticed, I do listen to all the bands I make references to in my article. I'm well-versed in music, I have the ability to comprehend meanings and the like. I'm not pro-metal, I'm pro-music that kicks ass. I've just noticed that punk has alot less ass-kicking than any other genre of music.

You guys are focusing on one point in order to open a weakenss but you're really just running steadfast into a brick wall..

Suck::
I like some of thrice's songs, I've been an avid fan of them for about a year. They are an exception. Deadbolt / See you In the Shallows are amazing songs and they're currently 35 and 49 most played on my winamp

What I am saying:: The majority of punk is not very good... People seem to think its good enough to create a following.. why is that so?

[garagerocker69]

thx nasty santa and suckthafystem.
genocide,
what i'm saying is taht you shouldnt write articles just to start arguments; thats what threads are for. its up to you though

[ted_dotw]

hahahaahahaha...jeeba jaba, u just made a friend for life

[da_loyde]

Punks is the bottom rung of anythign they all deserve to be shot into the sun the drummer in my beginner band gets more work from his shitty songs then any punk player does in a concert and the guitar ohhh he played some power chords overand over and then uh ohh he switched them only to continue with the same fukign thing again someone call a proffesional cause this is way to fuking challenging and dont even get me started on the bass. all i have to say about punk is they suck balls big time and dont deserve to have any of their intruments plugged in try playing any punk song acoustic ITs Shittier then grandpa after thanksgiving without the sustain and distortion they are nothing and they shoudl all just crawl back into their hole and die before their shitty music contaminates us anymore

[suckthafystem00]

deadbolt ***in pwns... jeeba jaba, u kick ass kuz u like thursday hah. and dude, seriously, even if u like thrice, look into the two songs (Under a Killing Moon, Paper Tigers) and if you learn to play them and send me a mp3 of you playing it, ill shut up. and look into thursday because they're extremely talented musically and lyrically.

[da_loyde]

***ign angst filled suicidal depressed oh i have so many problems that EVERY ONE ELSE DOESNT HAVE bitches

[suckthafystem00]

da_loyde... that was confusing, and stupid :-/ sorryman, but jsut... no...

[Punkrockguy17]

well prob why lots of people listen to punk is because it maybe listenable to people. infact i know lots of kids and lots of musicians that infact hate long solos and say that solos just ruin music and they put so much empahsis on it but don't put emphasis on what the song is about. and in my opinion i think good music is done by doing what you think is right and it so happens that punk bands do something that lots of people think is right and listen to it. but well anyways i believe people listen to punk is because they find it listenable and you may not find punk listenable but lots of other kids do so i hope htat answers your question on why kids listen to it.

[xxgenocide98xx]

Jeeba Jaba-

Syd Barrett was heavy into acid and was kicked out of the band after the 1st or 2nd album. After that they cleaned up. Pink Floyd write some of the best lyrics I have ever heard. Most of it is random shit, but at the same time it holds a meaning to the band, and that is why they wrote it.

You people again miss the point:::::::::::

What I am saying:: The majority of punk is not very good... People seem to think its good enough to create a following.. why is that so?


Garage:: I'm not writing articles to start arguements, I wrote an article to recieve feedback and gain some ground in better understanding punk so when the time comes that I try to deal with this stuff I can stand it more easier. I don't want to hate anything, and I'm trying to better understand the music and the people because hate spawns from a biased view that was based on information that was incomplete or hidden.

I'm trying to figure this shit out so I can get along with you guys and your music world, music means alot to me, more to me than it does to most people probably, and I'm trying to understand it to better myself and the people i know, and maybe some day even the world if I ever get that big.

[xxgenocide98xx]

and people that hate solos don't understand the technical excellence and are numb to the emotions that can be expressed via the guitar. They're just dense and don't want to further comprehend something that is hard to grasp. Essentially people shy away from it because they're lazy or just outright scared. The guitar is a tool, and people that 'dont like guitar solos' are being narrow minded, so who are they to criticize me? Solos help further the message, they just arent patient enough to wait and understand it =/

[frigginjerk]

didn't read it. don't care. boring article on a dead topic. find something else to write about.

[suckthafystem00]

solos can be good, but i think they're just a way to show off sometime. i dont think solos are necessary, its good to throw one in once in a while just to let everyone know you can actually play your guitar, but they're not needed. people like tom morello, they have to solo. thats y i dont like audioslave as much as RATM. because tom morellos solos are simple, but they kick any Iron Maiden solo's ass because they sound so much cooler. i mean, you tell me whats cooler: "Number Of The Beast" or "Guerilla Radio"? i say guerilla radio, and its more meaningful. wo0t RATM PWNS!

[geoco_69]

I JUST CANT BELIVE YOU TOOK YOUR TIME IN WRITING THIS PIECE OF SHIT ARTICLE....SHUT UP AND GET A LIFE!

[guitarjared]

genre articles are getting boring. *yawn*. how about giving us something useful like one of those guides to guitar stuff or history to a really good band. i would write one but i'm not sure i know enough.

[Gag-Reflexe]

bashing this new mainstream-punk ( < oxy-moron is you ask me ) is pretty trendy nowadays also.. therefore you suck.

[suckthafystem00]

wo0t! bash the metalhead! haha

[shantzy11]

your ridiculous...all your practically saying is Punk sucks oh yeah all these bands suck...well I can just say Metallica sucks to you and itd have the same effect..even tho I dont think that I listen to prety much all rock....I think basically your saying punk sucks....but your backing it up with false info because you havent looked into the music that much....you seem to be proven wrong many times here..

[R@fa88offspring]

why does everything that is in this columns has to be something about led zeppelin??
and let me say this... FU CK YOU!

[j_forrest2]

hi.....my names joel! i like to listen to music.......in fact i would consider music my life.......theres good music.......theres bad music.....people have differnt perceptions on what kind of music they like! As for "being punk" its not something you can dress and be...its something you are. punk started out as people who where against shit.....and thats true punk.....and buncha crazy mother ***ers who love to party, and dont take shit, and love to have a good time! Punk music kicks ass! im gunna shut up, im to drunk to be going on about all of this.......! have you ever seen a llama.....weird lookin mother ***ers.......anyways.peac
e!

[hiddentrack15]

your a close minded bastard....you wanna hear a sick bass solo listen to that rancid song maxwell murders.....your a well rounded musician my ass.....waste of all of our good oxygen

[stanger5154]

HELL YEAH... YOU ARE AWESOME.... MAY YOUR GUITAR ALWAYS BE IN TUNE AND YOUR TONE AWESOME!!

[awesomedude89]

dude *** you. if you dont like punk then shut the hell up. nobody wants to hear you wine and complain about how all punk bands are sellouts and punk is dead cuz thats bullshit. why do you go out with your girlfriend if shes into punk? i would have broken up with you already if i were her.

[RiffURheadOff]

to whoever said music is meaningless without solos.. WTF are you talking about?

[awesomedude89]

by the way, do you really have that much time on your hands that you can write an entire column on how much you don't like something? get a ***ing life. i might have forgotten to mention this but FUCK YOU!!!!!!

[IbanezAX]

Yeah, im with him too. I seriously can't stand punk. It might be mostly cause I'm am a real guitarest, and I don't like to hear the same riffs over, and over, and over, etc... LET'S HEAR SOME STUFF THAT TAKES TALENT TO PLAY!! LETS HEAR SINGERS WHO ARE GOOD!!! LET'S HEAR GUITARS WAIL!! LETS HEAR DRUMS!! I quote AC/DC when i say "LET THERE BE ROCK!"

[suckthafystem00]

man, we "punks" as the dickweed says, are kickin his ass... looks like the pussy has finally backed off... wo0t we kick ass!

[suckthafystem00]

i quote me when i say "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

[FJM2C]

NO MORE PUNK PUNK IS/ISNT DEAD (OR) WHY PUNK DOES/DOESNT SUCK ARTICLES!!!

[suckthafystem00]

*** FUCK... jus checkin what gets edited

[jacstarnes]

i didnt really take the time to read through everyones comments(i cant read that fast it would take me a week to go through all those) but people who keep comparing todays music to lep zeppelin and pink floyd are refusing to realize that times change and the influences of those bands are very obvious in some of todays music. the new punks like thursday and thrice and poison the well all worship the bands of yesterday... the heart and soul those bands put into thier music is just as strong as those of metallica and floyd...and as far as people saying music today sucks because of a major lack in solos...music would have started blatently repeating its self long ago...just because guitarists today dont do the things jimi did...doesnt mean they cant...you all know as well as i do that no one can touch the likes of hendrix...and the reason for this is because of: 1. jimi was a pioneer for the electric guitar 2. his music was influence by a different source...think about it and youll know what i mean...the 60's were covered in a thick layer of ganja and acid pills...3. people who keep ranting about how todays music will never be as good as jimi and floyd...you are the people who discourage these new bands...you are the ones who refuse to buy their cds without ever listening to them first...im not saying todays music lacks in areas...but so did the music of the 50's-80's...(you cant say that Flock of Seagulls and duran duran had that much to say that sting hadnt already said) but like i said before...music changes...it evolves everytime a kid picks up a guitar for the first time and strums the strings...but we are starting to make those kids be discouraged and hate music because of all the bull-sh it comments about how horibbal it is today and how its useless to try because of how its so much easier to rob a bank than it is to get a record deal...this is where punks comes in...if it wasnt for the open mindedness of punks(im not talking about those stupid skinhead punks) then some bands would never have a chance and the music would die out...punklabels like lookout records and kung fu records put money from their own pockets into buying studio time for bands...not all of these bands are good...in fact half of them suck...but they do this casue they understand that someday they might get lucky and give some misguided band studio time and then that band will go in and record the next thing that blows us away...music is the heart and soul of everybody...its a universal language...maybe its time for us to shut up and finally listen...its something we havent done in a long long time...

[suckthafystem00]

you write a lot, and i like your post. but im too lazy to read it all :-/... one suggestion: you used to many "...'s" but i agree with you,... and Flock Of Seagulls rock! wo0t haha

[Punkrockguy17]

just cause you like solos doesn't mean you say they are narrow minded infact the people i know that don't use solos that often are like really good musicians and they listen to like everything cause they believe every genre has good music u just have to search for it and they believe if you put your heart into the music nad have fun then thats all that matters. Solos are there to have fun but get dull after time and people don't get into as much as when they hear some catchy riff that they are like "wow that sounded great! i can hear it in my head now" people seem to do the smae with solos but solos people seem to get tired of quickly because they are so long and they wish it was over with. but seriously who cares really how techniqual the music is i think musici s more about having fun if there was no fun in it then why would we do it and solos can be fun but majority of people may not like it and so just accept the fact that lots of people like punk and find it listenable and maynot accept solos like people used to and have fun with whate ever you like to do on guitar.

[zepplinmike]

Man, I'm not the biggest punk fan but calm the *** down. Some people like less complicated music because they can relate to it more. You obviously need music you listen to appeal to you're guitar skills or whatever (which for the most part is what I look for in music too). What I like about the little punk I do like is the aggression behind it. Plus I only listen to punk with meaningful lyrics like the Clash .

One thing you should think about is that a lot of rock you probably like wouldn't have been the same without the 70s punk movement. Metallica and other thrash bands were influenced by hardcore punk bands like Minor Threat, that's where all the aggression and speed came from. And the grunge movement was heavily influenced by punk. In their early days, Nirvana and Soundgarden were essentially punk bands, and even in their more popular albums there are songs that could be called "punk".

Whether or not you like to listen to the music you should appreciate that some people who have made music you like probably were somewhat influenced by punk. Personally, I think people who listen only to punk are definately missing out on much better music, but punk is (or was) an important part of Rock & Roll.

[awesomedude89]

question. have you ever listened to punk? because from what ive heard in your full of shit article you have no FUCKING clue what your talking about. no FUCKING solos, are you on crack? maybe if you looked up what your talking about in the big bad boog of punk, it would tell you that your a jack ass. and suckthafystem00 you are my hero

[FlyingFuc!<]

everyone wrote a lot!

my two cents:
rap rocks, punk sucks.

[awesomedude89]

sorry about that folks i meant book not boog

[jacstarnes]

im bored now...and my fingers hurt from typing to much...theyre bleeding...lol...maybe that the ketchup im eating

[Em0-Guitarist]

btw,good article genocide

[Babaca]

2 words - the decline

whoever wrote this sh!tty article, listen to 'the decline' by NOFX. those are some of the best lyrics ive heard, and the solos are great! not to mention anyone who can play a song 18:30 minutes long and not be repeadtive (minus the last 1:30) is awsome. u know how hard it is to put together tha many chord formations!? andnot be repeadative!? if that doesnt convince u man, i dont know what will. NOFX is also a band that has not sold out. They have gotten popular all by themselves, not being played on corperate radio or TV. they make no music videos anymore (with the exception of Franco-UnAmerican, which was a political video and song anyways). They did everything DIY and got where they are today by themselves without going mainstream

[think11270]

''Because they probably had to sell out for you to hear about them.''
So if my friends heard of my band that means were sellouts??

[BassPlayer4Hire]

Ok, this guy has obviously never heard of Bad Religion or Pennywise *cough* Loser *cough* but it's ok, it's never too late to find what good punk music sounds like. Meaningful political lyrics, insane guitar solos (what the hell do u mean no guitar solos in punk music), the occasional bass solo and drummers with more skill and balls then the whole continent of Asia.

[Man Made Errer]

"Flamed:
I love to listen to Metallica but I also like punk... Sometimes I'm just in the mood of some simplified music and weak minded lyrics."

w3rd to the last bit.......

[firenze, NY]

its REAGAN, nor Regan. stupid.

[Bong Water]

my god, PLEASE stop writing this sh!t, no one cares, if youre gonna write a punk article youre just gonna get flamed, and