Punk Rock in The Studio: A Dynamic Subculture – The Ramones to Green Day & Senses Fail

Spoken like a true punk rocker, Sid Vicious of the The Sex Pistols once said, “Undermine their pompous authority, reject their moral standards, make anarchy and disorder your trademarks.  Cause as much chaos and disruption as possible, but don’t let them take you ALIVE.”

None more punk

A genre that fuels on fan energy and anti-authoritarian principles, this sect of music has changed over the years to encompass a much broader catalogue of artists and unique styles. Formed during the mid-1970s, punk rock knew how to push limits and electrify a crowd like no other, still accomplishing this feat today.

With the help of advanced studio technology (when artists have allowed it) – a once underground scene can now be considered mainstream in some cases.

Real Change for Rock

During the era in which punk rock emerged, the style and demeanor of its artists was so unconventional that the genre got it’s name because American critics viewed it as derogatory.

Some of the first bands to emerge (London’s The Sex Pistols and The Clash, and New York City’s The Ramones) were extremely influential in the rise and success of the genre.

With a desire to cut straight to the point and reinvent rock & roll during a time in which these artists felt it was struggling, some of the greatest musicians and songwriters of all time set out for change – and so, the punk rock revolution began.

In the Beginning and the Middle Ages — A Succinct Story

The entire style of punk rock is fairly basic. However, so as not to underplay the genre’s value, take a page from American folk singer Pete Seeger, who once said “Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.”

One of punk rock’s most notable characteristics is its short song lengths, many spanning just under two minutes while still retaining a verse-chorus structure. Power chords are the driving force to most of these songs and although lengthy guitar solos are not common, a quick guitar cut is frequently utilized.

Vocals are usually raspy, raw and nasally –The Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett is a perfect example of this (even though the band is considered ska punk).

Drums and bass both follow simple chord progressions and percussion patterns, except in rare cases.  For example, Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker and Minutemen bassist Mike Watt exhibit complex patterns that not many could replicate.

Production always tends to be pretty simplified, with many bands starting out on home recorders and making it big that way. Production had come more into play during the genre’s revival and subsequent dissolution, while still maintaining a lo-fi quality finished product. The mastering process is uncomplicated, leaving the focus on the genuine sound that the bands strive to produce.

If you want to put out a good punk rock record, merely make it sound like it was recorded in an unmanipulated, live setting. Many times clips of the band cursing and laughing, as well as false starts and mistakes, are kept on the tracks to secure that careless image when it comes to quality and composure value – the artists essentially want to give their music to the fans as is.

Epitaph Records and Fat Wreck Chords are just two of the many currently reigning record labels that seem to have expertise in releasing a quality punk rock record.

Charging Forward

As mentioned earlier, punk rock has changed tremendously since its birth.  The best way to gauge what the current popular punk rock scene is like is by checking out the annual VANS Warped Tour, which was formed in 1995 to showcase the genre’s current bands that are on the rise.  Bands like Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, NOFX, Anti-Flag and a countless list of others remain the current face of the punk rock scene.

Today, styles like emo, screamo, and hardcore punk prevail in the local scenes while pop-punk has infiltrated the mainstream where it remains. Even post-punk, which is widely popular in our current era, directly emerged as a result of its punk rock ancestors.

Another division of the genre, New York Hardcore (NYHC), became significantly popular during the 80s, with bands like the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Madball and later on, Sick of it All and H2O.  Moshing, although always a common way to dance to punk rock, became more intense during this era.

Pop-punk emerged with the help of bands like the Descendents, The Vandals, and earlier, The Buzzcocks.  Its current major players include Green Day, Blink-182 and The Offspring to name only a few.  Bands like Good Charlotte bridged the gap between pop-punk and emo.  Ska punk bands have incorporated trumpets and trombones to their already exhilarating punk rock sound.  Irish punk bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly complement their tunes with a traditional bagpipe, which seems to work quite well.

Senses Fail is currently one of the many bands that remain at the top of the emo/screamo subcategory, with an album like their recent Renacer pushing them further into the screamo category, which the band has commented was a result of the influence of new band members.

The emo approach to punk rock began with bands like Fugazi and At The Drive In and originally referred to an artist’s tendency to show intense emotion during performances.  It is now more widely used in reference to the passionate lyrics and whiny vocals that seem to complement the punk instrumentation so well.  Some of the current driving forces of this scene include bands like Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New and The Used.

Fall Out Boy’s recent album Save Rock and Roll seems to be closing their gap between pop punk and straight up pop, with their popularity skyrocketing by reaching a much larger target audience.  The studio played a big part in this for sure, with greater enhancements, cleaner mastering, and computerized sounds and audio manipulations utilized in finished products.

We don’t see this too often in punk rock, and many traditional style fans and artists shun this type of posturing, but it really did bring more attention to a once underground and talented genre.

Punk In Head

Punk rock is a style of music that has always and will forever be a genre filled with energy, truth and passion. It continues to hold strong in our current era of music, and its dedicated fans are largely responsible.

With punk’s schism creating a broader range of subcategories, can this genre spread even further? Will more fans be recruited? It’s safe to say that current fans and loyal artists will continue to remain true to the genre for decades to come.

Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.