Jim Carroll has died. Avant-garde writer, punk rocker, doped-up downtown scenester, never-made-it schoolyard hoop-dreamer. He couldn't have expected to live to see a master's thesis in English at San Diego State written about his journal/novel The Basketball Diaries, or to be interviewed by Jon Stewart about being played by Leo DiCaprio in the movie of his (early) life. [more inside]
posted by escabeche on Sep 13, 2009 - 124 comments

Max's Kansas City closed 25 years ago this night. Although Hilly Kristal's CBGB's is more iconic and perhaps better known today, Mickey Ruskin's Max's Kansas City (and its infamous back room) was every bit as important to fostering the punk scene of the late 1970s and early 80s. Located a 213 Park Avenue South, just up the street from historic Union Square, Max's played host to the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Wayne/Jayne County and the Fast, the New York Dolls, and quite a few others. What's standing there today? Why, the 213 Park Avenue South Deli, of course.
posted by psmealey on Dec 31, 2007 - 26 comments

Punk Guitar Heroes - Television's Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd Television, and its guitar pas de deux between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, fit into the punk scene only because they are the ones basically responsible for CBGB becoming a punk rock club. Verlaine convinced Hilly Kristal to let them practice there and play shows, and the rest is history. [more inside]
posted by psmealey on Dec 17, 2007 - 32 comments

Something to Hüsker : Bob Mould, Grant Hart and Greg Norton live with Joan Rivers on the Late Show. Also live versions of the Byrds' Eight Miles High, The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill/I Apologize, Pink Turns to Blue, Every Everything, Makes no Sense at All, Ticket to Ride, New Day Rising, These Important Years, Every Everytime, and a video for Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely.
posted by psmealey on Sep 21, 2007 - 68 comments

Fanboifilter: Bad Brains have a new album out balled Build a Nation. Some people like it, some people kind of like it. The Onion link has one song up, their myspace page has four more, along with a pic of smiling album producer Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys (interview).
posted by bardic on Jun 27, 2007 - 28 comments

Punk Rock For the People States love symbols. Colorado has the Stegosaurus as its state fossil. New York has the Sugar Maple as its state tree. And every state has an official song. But what about an official punk rock song? Connecticut is leading the way. [warning: youtube / wikipedia / websites that were designed in frontpage 95 ]
posted by Stynxno on Apr 9, 2007 - 27 comments

"Punk rock today is like Happy Days or Civil War re-enactment.” LA Weekly is sponsoring "14 and Shooting," an exhibit of west coast punk photos taken by Jennifer Finch, former bassist for L7.
posted by bardic on Nov 9, 2006 - 29 comments

That's Punksploitation!! Can punk rock episodes of old TV shows kill? Check out punk episodes from Quincy, CHiPs (Part 1 and Part 2), 21 Jump Street (Part 1 and Part 2), as well as the appearance of the Dickies on the Don Rickles sitcom, CPO Sharkey. Other prime vintage examples of media cluelessness on punk rock include a fashion show and a scaremongering Time magazine article, although a recent cookie commercial may revive the punksploitation genre.
posted by jonp72 on Aug 30, 2006 - 55 comments

Never Mind the Bollocks.
posted by bardic on Feb 27, 2006 - 81 comments

Andy Rosen: I was a rock photographer working in London 1976-1984. This is my private collection. These pics have been stored since the Punk Days. This is the first time they can be seen in 25 years. His Clash and London Punks sets.
posted by KevinSkomsvold on Dec 17, 2005 - 16 comments

Straight Edge - Punk rock goes straight: no drugs, no drink, no sex, no meat.
30 minute audio documentary and flash site on an underground music movement.
Minor Threat, Youth of Today, Seven Seconds, Gorilla Biscuits all X'ed it out.
posted by putzface_dickman on Nov 4, 2004 - 69 comments

Another member of the Blank Generation lost. Robert Quine was found dead in his apartment in NYC yesterday, he committed suicide. He was sixty years old and had played with Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole, Materia, Brian Eno and others, he also cut an LP with Jody Harris (Escape), and one with Fred Maher (Basic). It has been reported that he was suffering depression brought on by the death of his wife Alice last August. Robert also recorded the Velvet Underground on a hand held cassette deck, the highlights were issued last year as The Quine Tapes a three CD set. Personally, I'll always remember him from the jagged guitar parts from Richard Hell and Voidoids' "Blank Generation", which were the only guitar parts that I ever bothered to learn and faithfully reproduce note for note in the many times my band covered the song. Condolences to those that survive him.
posted by psmealey on Jun 7, 2004 - 18 comments

Dharma Punx, Hardcore Zen. Buddhism is so punk!
posted by homunculus on Mar 20, 2004 - 19 comments

Grand Old Punks The Sunday Times reported on Johnny Ramone's conservative beliefs today As he grew up he realised that for all his guitar thrashing, he was a conservative at heart. He opposes abortion and gay marriage and thinks welfare benefits are too generous. “Everyone in America can succeed to at least the middle-class level if they work hard enough,” he said. Do these people have a point or do they just not get it?
posted by maggie on Mar 7, 2004 - 51 comments

Punk rock is dead.
posted by cachilders on Jan 29, 2004 - 38 comments

Punk Rock Aerobics. "Punk Rock Aerobics: The work out that rocks out. No more sucky classes full of braindead bimbos in spandex thongs. PRA is for fun people with discerning taste. An hour and a half of cardio and strengthening class that will have you pogoing and skanking your butt off!" Brought to you by Maura and Hilken (the latter of the band fuzzy). As they say on the mission page: "Free your mind and your ass will follow."
posted by moz on Jun 8, 2002 - 12 comments

Dee Dee Ramone dead at 50. First Joey, now Dee Dee. I wanted to be a punk rocker, too, just like Sheena, but I wasn't cool enough back in my rock and roll highschool days. If a punker dies, do we wear white to mourn him/her?
posted by luriete on Jun 6, 2002 - 39 comments