Recognition of Rusted-On Aesthetics
Jun. 5th, 2009 04:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tcpipIn my youth - about twenty five or so years ago - I found a strong association with that genre of music known as 'punk rock'. I blame, at least in part, people like reddragdiva and his journal "Party Fears" for assisting in this along with venues like The Red Parrot.
My particular tastes in this genre weren't terribly obscure. I was incredibly impressed by the musical diversity and socialist politics of bands like The Clash, especially the Sandinsta! triple-album. But from the other side of the big pond, I really liked The Dead Kennedys; although they weren't as musically diverse (usually sticking to a hard and fast delivery), they were musically very competent and, of course, I found much in common with their left-anarchist politics.
The final song on their second album, Moon Over Marin (youtube) I found particularly striking. A more melodic combination of surf music and punk rock the mental image of the lyrics portrayed environmental dystopia on the scale of science fiction (shades of John Bruner's "Stand on Zanzibar"). 'Marin' of course, is the rather beautiful coastline and peninsula of California that includes the Bay Area.
French punk band Les Thugs do an absolutely superb cover of 'Moon over Marin'. I've been playing it like a heartbroken or angry teenager today. I may as well just admit it; I'm an aging punk who never gave up on its values. No wonder a young shop assistant expressed pleasure at my Clash hoodie a couple of weeks back. I was a little surprised and slightly embarrassed; I guess young people today, like young people then, respect those whose stick to sound principles in politics and taste and don't sell out. I hope that will always be the case.
reddragdiva and his journal "Party Fears" for assisting in this along with venues like The Red Parrot.My particular tastes in this genre weren't terribly obscure. I was incredibly impressed by the musical diversity and socialist politics of bands like The Clash, especially the Sandinsta! triple-album. But from the other side of the big pond, I really liked The Dead Kennedys; although they weren't as musically diverse (usually sticking to a hard and fast delivery), they were musically very competent and, of course, I found much in common with their left-anarchist politics.
The final song on their second album, Moon Over Marin (youtube) I found particularly striking. A more melodic combination of surf music and punk rock the mental image of the lyrics portrayed environmental dystopia on the scale of science fiction (shades of John Bruner's "Stand on Zanzibar"). 'Marin' of course, is the rather beautiful coastline and peninsula of California that includes the Bay Area.
French punk band Les Thugs do an absolutely superb cover of 'Moon over Marin'. I've been playing it like a heartbroken or angry teenager today. I may as well just admit it; I'm an aging punk who never gave up on its values. No wonder a young shop assistant expressed pleasure at my Clash hoodie a couple of weeks back. I was a little surprised and slightly embarrassed; I guess young people today, like young people then, respect those whose stick to sound principles in politics and taste and don't sell out. I hope that will always be the case.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 06:13 am (UTC)I'd be terribly uncool wearing a Clash tshirt in my forties and not being a Clash fan!
I do remember when the Happy Mondays sold more t-shirts than records in the early 90s..
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Date: 2009-06-06 08:17 am (UTC)It's terrible of me to sometimes be resentful of new fans of older punk bands, isn't it? Especially if they're my age and suddenly decide so-and-so band that broke up ages ago is cool. And I'm thinking "Where were you? We coulda used you back in '86."
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Date: 2009-06-06 09:50 pm (UTC)