Event Title
'May all your thrash be progressive': Resistance and the Evolving Punk Aesthetic
Presentation Type
Oral and/or Visual Presentation
Presenter Major(s)
Philosophy, History
Mentor Information
Dwayne Tunstall
Department
Philosophy
Location
Kirkhof Center 2263
Start Date
11-4-2012 10:30 AM
Keywords
Arts, Creativity/ Innovation, Freedom and Control, Identity, Philosophy/ Literature
Abstract
Since the early 1980s, the hardcore punk movement has been associated with resistance, rebellion, and social critique. Received conventions for evaluating music could not be easily applied to the asymmetrical phrasing, shouting vocals, and de-centering song structures, and the execution of instrumental parts carried just as much political commentary as the lyrics set to them. However, over the last 30 years, punk has been subsumed by the capitalistic music industry: many of what are today considered "punk" bands lack the political element in their music, even if they attempt to compensate with overtly political lyrics. An aesthetic critique of two contemporary punk bands, Propagandhi and Rise Against, reveals the necessity for punk to be reflexively aware of the dangers of being co-opted into the mainstream and to continually re-invent the "sound" of punk in order to continue its legacy of challenging, rather than supporting, popular aesthetics.
'May all your thrash be progressive': Resistance and the Evolving Punk Aesthetic
Kirkhof Center 2263
Since the early 1980s, the hardcore punk movement has been associated with resistance, rebellion, and social critique. Received conventions for evaluating music could not be easily applied to the asymmetrical phrasing, shouting vocals, and de-centering song structures, and the execution of instrumental parts carried just as much political commentary as the lyrics set to them. However, over the last 30 years, punk has been subsumed by the capitalistic music industry: many of what are today considered "punk" bands lack the political element in their music, even if they attempt to compensate with overtly political lyrics. An aesthetic critique of two contemporary punk bands, Propagandhi and Rise Against, reveals the necessity for punk to be reflexively aware of the dangers of being co-opted into the mainstream and to continually re-invent the "sound" of punk in order to continue its legacy of challenging, rather than supporting, popular aesthetics.