Punk week at audiography

[castalia]

I just knew this week's topic would bring wank. I'd ask what is it about punk fans that makes them so confrontational about their music more than any other genre fans, but that would be rhetorical.

Already we've had bickering over the definition of "real" punk. The usual intimations that "back in my day..." punk was this, punk was that, punk was just TOO HARD CORE OMG and you so couldn't handle it!

At least there were a few honest folk who admitted that most punk music is loud and incoherent and harsh to listen to b/c most of the "musicians" involved couldn't sing and quite often couldn't really play, either.

I'll readily admit this is one genre I just don't "get", although I'm sure some of you might. I love music and there's not a genre out there in which I can't find something I like - except punk. My sister loves the stuff and I had to suffer through so much loud playing of The Ramones and The Clash and The Dead Kennedys and other harsh guitar abuse riddled with profanity until my ears bled. It may be a statement, it may be something, but I'm not sure I call it music. I sure don't call it pleasant to listen to.

I hope this week's theme is over soon. I'm getting tired of all the "punker than you" elitist attitudes that are coming out of the woodwork thanks to this one. No one posts anything w/o taking a cheap shot at previous posts, then someone always comes by and says it doesn't conform to their definition. Though I'm sure they'd detest my use of "conform" in this case.

They're talking about following up with a "hardcore" week at some point. I love my community, but it's sure to end up on fandom_wank that week.

Comments

[deborak]

It's kinda funny that I can't imagine * what * community you'd be in that was discussing punk, as clearly that is the opposite of your tastes, LOL.

Now, speaking as someone who was actually an living teenager during the punk era who went to concerts by the Dead Kennedys, The Ramones, The Clash, etc. in their heyday -- someone who was actually in a horrible punk band, and lived that kind of semi-homeless lifestyle of crashing on people's floors one step ahead of the police while your roommate is outside banging Henry Rollins in Black Flag's van -- I can attest that 95% of the punk genre is just indeed screaming noise intended to release aggression that would otherwise manifest in serial killings or professional sports.

It's all a matter of taste, and it's stupid to argue about 'street cred' especially if you weren't even alive when the music was created. I would rather listen to thrash punk than rap, even though the message in either is incomprehensible most of the time.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Heh, audiography is for sharing music of all sorts, with weekly themes. This week just happened to be punk. Some weeks I snag tons of stuff, and others nothing at all. But on the whole I've found some great new music there.

I must be terribly boring, b/c I don't see how any of that was fun. But that's probably due to watching how that kind of lifestyle has left my sister thoroughly messed up and going nowhere.

[deborak]

Oh indeed, it was not fun and in no way am I trying to make it sound cool or glorius. It just happened to be better than my other options at the time, which were in another category of "not fun" altogether.