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Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:
Q: What are some of your favorite underground punk bands from the past decade? A: In some ways, I feel that punk rock now is in a dark age, with bands aiming squarely for mediocrity and pre-established sounds. But then I realize that the sheer number of boring safe bands is probably larger, there are many, many awesome new punk bands.
Here are some that I like:
1. Gnarboots- you all know I love this band. You have to see them live to really understand it, but the happy birthday mixtape is a great start. Really, if you ask me, Gnarboots is the most punk band out there, because their live show just completely alters the band/audience dynamic, is constantly weird unpredictable, and challenges which is "music." THAT'S PUNK. Listen here.
2. Nobunny- Nobunny wears a scary mask an no pants and rocks out. but not only does he rock out, his songs often seem to be "cute" but are actually horrifying. What is "I am a girlfriend" actually about? Listen here.
3. The Garden- This might be my favorite record this year. The Garden is just two brothers, and is so minimalistic that it's captivating and you focus on every little bit of sound to piece it all together. Just drums and bass. 15 second songs. Lyrics about apples with legs. Rapid, weird, clever, strange, and extremely unique. Listen here.
4. Crazy and the Brains- Fast, wild, wacky, silly, and funny. Garage rock taken to it's highest level. Listen here.
5. Neon Piss- the band is broken up now, but it was modern post-punk taken to its coldest, most energetic, and artful place. Too bad they only put out one LP, but in a way, it is poetically perfect. Listen here.
6. Bomb the Music Industry! / Jeff Rosenstock- I feel that I put it best here. Listen here.
7. Dog Party- Two sisters kick out some of the hardest, most jagged punk I've heard in a decade. 70's La Punk Meets pop music goodness. Listen here.
8. Vivian Girls / La Sera / Babies- The ladies in these bands are some of the most talented musicians I ever heard and seen. Everything they touch turns to gold. The nasty tunes are hella nasty. The sweet ones are so sweet that I help old ladies cross the street after I hear them. 50's girl groups meets discord punk meets 90's college rock meets perfection. SO GOOD. Listen here, here, and here.
9. Kicker- Pete the Roadie and guys from Neurosis, Filth, and Dystopia doing UK82 punk. It's funny but it also just some of the best written music in the classic punk structure I've ever heard. Listen here.
10. Ceremony- modern hardcore taken to a dangerous, but also intellectual angle. Brutish and calculated. Listen here.
11. Night Biiiiiirds- Aww yeah! Listen here.
12. Mikey Erg- pick any band. He is probably in it.
(I didn't include Off! or Jello's new stuff because that is kind if an extension of their previous catalogue. You should check those guys out though, as it is some of the greatest music ever made.)
-John G.
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