Rebel Music Zine

MUSIC

The mostly opiniated but sometimes credited facts about revolutionary music genres

Punk was a response to how commercialized rock ‘n’ roll had become and it became and anthem for the anti-establishment youth of the 70’s and beyond. Most definitions of punk are bland and lack substance, describing it just as “fast and aggressive” music. It’s much more that that! Punk is a philosophy, a fashion movement, a reaction to experiences like injustice and oppression, but mostly it is freedom. Freedom to think how you want, be who you want, act how you want, dress how you want, and fuck, fight, love whoever you want. To generalize punk as simply a music genre is just dishonorable and a disservice at best.

Popular punk bands and icons include Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Black Flag and The Clash. Pop punk also emerged in the late 80’s with bands like Green Day, Sum 41, and Blink-182. Some of my favorites are NOFX, Dead Kennedys, Against All Authority, Mad Sin, Cancerslug, and The Interrupters. Some others I consider punk that I love are Harley Poe, Matt Pless, and Gen and the Degenerates. And in the words of author Alexander B. Wolke, “The elitists of punk, take this as a fuck you. No one wants your pretentious opinions.” Well said, Alexander!

Similar to punk, metal music is not simply a genre but an attitude, lifestyle, and appearance. Author John Hart characterizes metal as not a genre of moderation but one of extreme excess. Perhaps this is why the older generations were quick to despise metal when it emerged. If you were not a willing participant of conformity than you were deemed an outcast, a loser, a bad seed, or a rebel. Many people believed it to be an excessively loud, hateful genre that would guide listeners to Satanism. However, metal music is not a genre of hate. It speaks out against abuse, government deception, war, politics, and religious hypocrisy. The loudness and most lyrics are a direct reflection of anger against corruption and trauma. Furthermore, artists spoke out against parental abuse they encountered as children, mostly from their fathers. Take these lyrics into consideration from Pantera’s song “25 Years”:

“I vent my frustration at you old man, after years your ears will hear.. You screamed that you tried, but it’s words of a weakling and promises made by a drunken liar,”

Metal is a genre that gives artists and listeners the platform to express their true feelings, even if those are feelings of anger and hurt.

Some great metal bands are Black Sabbath, Metallica, Korn, Judas Priest and Megadeath. Metal has many sub-genres including heavy metal, metalcore, thrash metal, nu metal, and more. My personal favorite metal bands include Motionless In White, Ice Nine Kills, Asking Alexandria, Pierce The Veil, King 810, and Slipknot. I find listening to metal in unhappy moods will have a healing effect.

goth

Goth is another genre that can be described as a culture instead of just a music genre. Goth developed in the late 70’s and '80s from the post-punk culture, but with a dark twist. This is a genre of thematic purpose. Many goth artists include themes of death, poetry, supernatural beings like vampires and ghouls, and romance. It's easily recognizable with its distinct sound of synthetic guitars and keyboards and dark aesthetic that is tied to romantic literature and horror culture. The message behind the music is simply, “dare to be different.” The fashion statements of the goth culture align with the music: the more theatrical and non-conformist, the better. The goth culture exists to allow people free expression and to accept who they are. This genre is for people who love life and death and refuse to live in blissful, cheery ignorance. Full of passion and melancholy, goth music exhibits The duality of the human spirit.

“The

world is fucked, but there is beauty”

Major goth bands are Bauhaus, The Cure, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The are many genres that have been influenced by goth music. For instance, in the early 2000s, goth paved the way for emo culture with bands like My Chemical Romance, Panic at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy leading the (black) parade. My favorite goth artists, and some may disagree they fall into the goth category but I don't give a fuck, are POORSTACY, She Wants Revenge, Johnny Goth, Dead On A Sunday, and Mike's Dead. It can also be argued that one of my all-time favorite artists, Amigo The Devil, falls into the goth-folk category.

HIP HOP

Hip-hop is a product of disco, a genre loved by the Latino, black, and queer communities. To understand the true essence of hip-hop you need to empathize with the themes of hardship, anger and racial barriers. This revolutionary genre allows artists and listeners to turn those sentiments into a creative outlet to cope with traumatic and at times violent lives. This music genre was led by visionaries who wanted to lead the disenfranchised youth away from gangs, drugs, and violence. This is contrary to popular belief that hip-hop a product of gangs and violence. True hip-hop does not follow those ideals, although it does recognize them. The four elements of hip-hop are DJing, breakdancing, rapping, and forms of visual art, which are all creative outlets. West Coast hip-hop is rooted in Revolution. With the evolution of gangster rap, hip hop evolved into something that was influential, intoxicating, funky, and told the struggles of living in LA county. Rappers like Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr Dre were pioneers of the West Coast sound.

West coast West coast

East Coast hip-hop developed earlier than it's West Coast counterpart. It is sometimes referred to as New York Rap because it originated from block parties thrown on the streets of New York City in the 70's. During the '80s and '90s is when hip-hop really spread across the country in full force. This is the turning

point in the culture referred to as the “Golden Age” and it's characterized by the explosion of influence, innovation, and mainstream success. The Godfather of hip-hop, Afrika Bambaataa, encouraged peace and unity through expression. Hip-hop also inspired fashion such as clothes and accessories and they are used as a form of expression as well. Even street slang evolved into what we now know as Ebonics. East Coast hip-hop is characterized by complex word play and metaphors. It paved the way for the culture. Big names on the east side are Grandmaster Flash, the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Mobb Deep, and Notorious B.I.G. Some of my favorite rappers include Tech N9ne, Eminem, Hopsin, Vinny Paz, Ekoh, 50 Cent, and King ISO.

EDM

You may be thinking how the hell does electronic dance music fall into the category of revolutionary. But what is more revolutionary than spreading love, peace, and hope in this tragic world? Another product of disco, EDM started in various parts of the world during the late 70's and 80's due to advancements in the technological devices used to produce music. From Germany to Chicago, EDM was making its way into every corner of the world. But one fact I bet you didn't know is that EDM actually brought a country together in the 90's. During the Bosnian war in the 90s, music had

become a luxury for the country's youth. It was a welcome distraction from the crushing reality of everyday life in the middle of a war. EDM brought people together through music and gave people hope during this horrific time. The electronic scene was linked to the anti-war movement in Bosnia and although it was very dangerous to participate in the rave culture, the youth did it anyways. The music and community was always more important. Even after the war was over, electronic music still flourished and held true to the ideas of peace, love, unity, and respect.

NOW GO FORTH AND REVOLT MUSIC