Anarcho-punk
| Anarcho-punk | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Punk rock |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s, United Kingdom |
| Fusion genres | |
| Other topics | |
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Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk[1] or peace punk[2]) is an ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcore punk, folk punk, and other styles.
History
Before 1977
Some members of the 1960s
Post 1977
A surge of popular interest in
The early 1980s saw the emergence of the
Pioneering crust punk bands Antisect, Anti System, Sacrilege and Amebix all began in the anarcho-punk scene, before incorporating their anarchist lyrical themes with elements of early heavy metal.[14] Early British grindcore bands like Carcass, Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror were primarily a part of the 1980s anarcho-punk scene, however began embracing elements of extreme metal and American thrashcore.[15]
United States
Anarcho-punk spread to the United States in the late 1970s with groups like Austin's MDC and San Francisco's Dead Kennedys. Los Angeles' Black Flag also embraced anarchists politics between 1982 and 1986, when Henry Rollins was their vocalist.[2] United States anarcho-punk generally supported revolutions in Latin America and anti-Apartheid movements and criticised the Presidency of Ronald Reagan.[16]
In the 1980s, New York City cultivated a thriving anarcho-punk scene. Beginning as a part of the larger New York hardcore scene, bands like Reagan Youth, False Prophets and Heart Attack[17] made use of a similar musical style and mentality to their British counterparts.[18] This scene split from New York hardcore as the decade progressed.[17] Nausea were a key figure in the scene during this period, helping to cultivate a new scene in the city based around politics and squatting.[19]
In the 2000s, American anarcho-punk groups like
Ideology
| Part of a series on |
| Anarchism |
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Anarcho-punk bands often disassociated themselves from established anarchist currents like
Anarcho-punks have criticised the flaws of the
Although Crass initially espoused pacifism, this is not necessarily the case for all anarcho-punks. Despite the broader punk subculture's antagonism towards hippies, the ideals of the hippie counterculture were an influence on anarcho-punk. Crass were explicit regarding their associations with the hippie counterculture,[9][22] and this influence has also carried over to crust punk.
Direct action
Anarcho-punks universally believe in
DIY punk ethic
Many anarcho-punk bands subscribe to a "
Musical style and aesthetics
Anarcho-punk bands are often less focused on particular musical delivery and more focused on a totalised aesthetic that encompasses the entire creative process, from album and concert art, to political message, and to the lifestyles of the band members.[27] Crass listed as band members the people who did their album art and live visuals. The message is considered to be more important than the music.[9][27] According to the punk aesthetic, one can express oneself and produce moving and serious works with limited means and technical ability.[27][28] It is not uncommon for anarcho-punk songs to lack the usual rock structure of verses and a chorus, however, there are exceptions to this. For example, later Chumbawamba songs were at the same time anarcho-punk and pop-oriented.[29]
Bands such as Crass, Conflict, Nausea and Chumbawamba make use of both male and female vocalists.[30][31][13][32]
See also
References
- ^ "Anarchist Punk Music Genre Overview". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c Sartwell, Crispin. Political Aesthetics. Cornell University Press. p. 110.
- ^ MC5. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Edgar Broughton Band". Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Vander Molen, Jodi (February 2002). "Jello Biafra Interview". The Progressive.
- ^ Colurso, Mary (29 June 2007). "Jello Biafra can ruffle feathers". The Birmingham News.
- . Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ISBN 1-84609-402-X.
- ^ a b c d Berger (2006), pp. 67–68
- ISBN 978-1901447248.
- ^ "ABRASIVE WHEELS". 9 March 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ISBN 978-1604865165.
- ^ a b Music in Leeds vol.3. The City Talking. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Von Havoc, Felix (1 January 1984). "Rise of Crust". Profane Existence. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ Glasper 2009, p. 11
- ISBN 978-0197534885.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ ISBN 9781935950127.)
Steve Wishnia: At some point there was a split between what would be considered the peace punks - us, Reagan Youth, Heart Attack, No Thanks, A.P.P.L.E - and the skinhead bands like Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front.
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Todd Youth: The whole peace-punk political thing didn't have anything to do with our world. They were all trying to be British peace-punk bands and do the Crass-type thing.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 9781935950127.)
Nausea was definitely a catalyst in 1985 for forging an alternative to the CBGB hardcore matinees. Their brand of highly politically charged punk had antecedents in NYC with documented groups like False Prophets and Reagan Youth, and the unknown ones like Sacrilege and Counterforce. But Nausea had a connection to the squatter movement that spoke to people who felt disconnected from the NYHC scene of the day.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 978-1621062158.
- . Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ a b "...In Which Crass Voluntarily Blow Their Own..." Southern Records. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
- ^ "César Chavez on the Pragmatics of Violence". Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy (SAAP). Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Fringe anarchists in middle of violent demonstrations". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-351-38444-5.
- ^ Bidge, Dickhead (12 April 2021). "The Anarchism and Punk Book Project: By the Punks, For the Punks!". DIY Conspiracy. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c allmusic quotation:
...its ideology of personal freedom (musical self-expression ought to be available to anyone, regardless of technical ability), and also that the message tended to be more important than the music.
- ^ David Byrne, Jeremy Deller (2010) Audio Games, in Modern Painters, 1 March 2010 quotation:
I think I embrace a bit of the punk aesthetic that one can express oneself with two chords if that's all you know, and likewise one can make a great film with limited means or skills or clothes or furniture. It's just as moving and serious as works that employ great skill and craft sometimes. Granted, when you learn that third chord, or more, you don't have to continue making "simple" things, unless you want to. Sometimes that's a problem.
- ^ Smith, Aaron Lake (June 2012). "Chumbawamba's Long Voyage". Jacobin.
- ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
- ^ Griffin, Joh. "Nausea Biography by John Griffin". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ Rimbaud, P; "...EXIT – 'The Mystic Trumpeter, Live at the Roundhouse 1972'" accompanying booklet, Exitstencil Recordings 2013
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-19-504479-7p. 476-481.
- Ian Glasper - The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984 (Cherry Red publishing, 2006 ISBN 978-1-901447-70-5)
- Craig O'Hara - Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise (ISBN 978-1-873176-16-0)
- George Berger - The Story of Crass (London: ISBN 1-84609-402-X)
Further reading
- Avery-Natale, Edward Anthony (3 March 2016). Ethics, Politics, and Anarcho-Punk Identifications: Punk and Anarchy in Philadelphia. ISBN 978-1-4985-1999-1.
- Donaghey, Jim (2013). "Bakunin Brand Vodka: An Exploration into Anarchist-Punk and Punk-Anarchism". ISSN 1923-5615.
- Glasper, Ian (2014). The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980–1984. ISBN 978-1-60486-988-0.
- Gosling, Tim (2004). "Not for Sale: The Underground Network of Anarcho-Punk". In Bennett, Andy; Peterson, Richard A. (eds.). Music Scenes: Local, Translocal, and Virtual. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. pp. 168–183. ISBN 978-0-8265-1450-9.
- Mann, Jackson Albert (2020). "The Short, Tragic, and Instructive Life of Anarcho-Punk". Hampton Institute.
- Roby, David (2013). Crust Punk: Apocalyptic Rhetoric and Dystopian Performatives (Thesis). Texas A&M University.
- Thompson, Stacy (2004). Punk Productions: Unfinished Business. ISBN 978-0-7914-6187-7.
External links
- A critical look at anarcho-punk Links to a series of articles and interviews on the subject.
- Crass Documentary Trailers & download
- What is Anarchist Music? by Ruud Noys
