The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedom, and the DIY ethics, the culture originated from punk rock.
The Germs were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1976 to 1980. The band's "classic" lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album, 1979's (GI), produced by Joan Jett, and were featured in Penelope Spheeris' seminal documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization, which chronicled the Los Angeles punk movement. The Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide in 1980. Their music was influential to many later rock acts, and Smear went on to achieve greater fame performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.
Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of the punk counterculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited to the dressed-down look of North American hardcore. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including glam rock, skinheads, rude boys, greasers, and mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of popular culture. Many punks use clothing as a way of making a statement.
Jan Paul Beahm was an American punk rock vocalist who, along with longtime friend Pat Smear, co-founded the punk rock band the Germs. He died by suicide by overdosing on heroin.
The Decline of Western Civilization is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrote a letter demanding the film not be shown again in the city.
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture and punk rock. It is primarily concerned with concepts such as mutual aid, against selling out, egalitarianism, humanitarianism, anti-authoritarianism, anti-consumerism, anti-corporatism, anti-war, decolonization, anti-conservatism, anti-globalization, anti-gentrification, anti-racism, anti-sexism, gender equality, racial equality, health rights, civil rights, animal rights, disability rights, free-thought and non-conformity. One of its main tenets is a rejection of mainstream, corporate mass culture and its values. It continues to evolve its ideology as the movement spreads throughout North America from its origins in England and New York and embraces a range of anti-racist and anti-sexist belief systems. Punk does not necessarily lend itself to any particular political ideology as it is primarily anti-establishment and though leftist punk is more common due to the prevalence of liberal and conservative ideologies in the status-quo.
"I Kill Children" is the ninth song on the Dead Kennedys album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. It is sung from the first person perspective of an unnamed murderer of children. It satirizes America's twin obsessions with extreme violence and conservatism. Jello Biafra had said on his spoken word tours that he wrote the song when he was 18 years old after thinking about how and why people became serial killers, and actually considers it one of his weakest songs.
GI, stylized as (GI), is the only studio album by American punk rock band the Germs. Often considered the first full-length hardcore punk album, it was released in the United States in October 1979 on Slash Records with catalog number SR 103. The album was later released in Italy in 1982 by Expanded Music with the catalog EX 11. The album's title is an acronym for "Germs Incognito", an alternate name the band used to obtain bookings when their early reputation kept them out of Los Angeles-area clubs. After (GI)'s release, the band would only undertake one more recording session, for the soundtrack album to Al Pacino's 1980 film Cruising. On December 7, 1980, a year after the release of (GI), vocalist Darby Crash killed himself.
Punk literature is literature related to the punk subculture. The attitude and ideologies of punk rock gave rise to distinctive characteristics in the writing it manifested. It has influenced the transgressional fiction literary genre, the cyberpunk genre and their derivatives.
Group Sex is the debut studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks. It was released on October 1, 1980, by Frontier Records. The album consists of 14 songs in 15 minutes and is considered to be a landmark album in hardcore punk. It was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities is the sixth studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks, released June 20, 1995 by Mercury Records. It is the band's last studio album to date.
Wild in the Streets is the second studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks. It was released on March 4, 1982, by Faulty Products, a sub-label of I.R.S. Records.
Since the mid-1970s, California has had thriving regional punk rock movements. It primarily consists of bands from the Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, Alameda County, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Oakland and Berkeley areas.
The Stisism Band, later known simply as Stisism, was an American punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York.
Artcore Fanzine is a punk zine first published in January 1986, covering punk and hardcore music based out of the United Kingdom. It is published once or twice a year and as well as interviews of new bands, labels and artists. It is also known for the other half of the magazine called Vaultage which covers bands, labels, artists, authors and photographers from throughout the history of this style of music. There have been 40 issues of Artcore published to date (2022) and at least 9 vinyl/CD and cassette releases.
Th' Inbred was a hardcore punk band from Morgantown, West Virginia. It released two albums, A Family Affair and Kissing Cousins, and an EP, Reproduction.
Marco Almera is a Southern California artist.
Positive hardcore is a branch of the hardcore punk music scene, that is socially aware, or focuses on values, such as being inclusive, community-oriented, and anti-violent. The genre was created as a backlash to the violence and negativity in the straight edge scene.
Mydolls is an American punk band from Houston, Texas, United States, consisting of Linda Younger on guitar and vocals, Dianna Ray on bass and vocals, Trish Herrera on guitar and vocals, and George Reyes on drums and vocals that were active from 1978–1986, then from 2008 until the present.
Bad Compilation Tapes / Borderless Countries Tapes is an independent punk/hardcore music label founded in 1982 by Chris Chacon and Dave W. in San Diego, California. The label, with a declared DIY ethic, published from 1981 to 1986 twenty-seven compilations on cassette involving 149 groups from 17 countries. It still sold tapes until around the year 2000, but it made the last 2 tapes of the 27 in 1986. It is considered one of the labels that contributed most to the spread of the European hardcore punk scene in North America. All BCT tapes are available on Anarcho-Punk.net-Crust Punk Community & Music Download for free download.
