Whatever you think of their music, you have to admit that the Sex Pistols made one hell of an impact upon the music world as a whole: No, they didn’t invent punk, but they were the ones who really popularised it, who dragged it into the mainstream music world and who really kickstarted the revolution that was to follow. Punk changed from being an obscure New York scene to a global phenomenon. It swept the UK like a fever, causing literally hundreds of punk and postpunk bands to spring up, each one eager to redefine ‘rock & roll’ and remake it in their own image. The bands that came out of that movement are legendary, and justifiably so: Gang Of Four, The Fall, Magazine, The Clash, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and dozens of others took the attitude and anger of the Pistols and used it on a springboard to create their own unique take on music, creating some of the greatest records ever made in the process.
But not quite as celebrated as the UK punk movement was a similar musical revolution that was happening in the US… Where hundreds of bands, inspired by the Stooges and the NY punk scene as much as the Pistols, set out to create their own weird, personal versions of what they thought punk ought to be. But while they shared a similar backround with the English post-punks, the sound of the two movements couldn’t be more different. American punk was more stripped down, more visceral… They just couldn’t afford the artsy studio tinkering of the UK bands, and they coped with this problem in the traditional punk way: by taking those limitations and making them a virtue. So whil the UK bands moved away from rock and towards stuff like new wave and synthpop, the US bands actively embraced their rock roots and sounded, to me anyway,  much more interesting as a result.
Another important factor in the US punk scene was the problem of scale… In England, it was relatively easy to set up a network for punk bands, especially with stuff like the Rough Trade shops and Melody Maker magazine that supported the underground music of the day. No such networks existed in the US, mainly because it was simply too large for any sort of real nationwide network to form. So what happened was that the different cities all formed their own little underground music scenes, with fanzines and labels and local bands, and as a result of this many areas had their own unique sound: no-wave in New York, noise punk in Chicago, the Paisley Underground scene in LA, etc. So there was an incredible amount of musical diversity going on, with several thriving scenes dotted around the country.

So, yeah. This is the first in a series of weekly articles detailing some of the different movements that made up the US punk underground during the Eighties. First up:

PROGRESSIVE PUNK

What is progressive punk? Well, it’s probably the sound most closely associated with the US punk underground… The sound of bands who, while still retaining the rough stylistic template of punk (speed, brevity, energy), began evolving past that sound, incorporating varied influences and ideas to make music that was creative and original while still being enjoyable and unpretentious. One important distinguishing feature of the progressive punk bands was how much influence they took from 60s music, whether it was Black Flag’s noisy Sabbath-worship, the Minutemen’s debt to the twang of Creedence Clearwater Revival, or Husker Du’s feedback-drenched deconstructions of the Byrds. They looked towards the past for inspiration, but instead of just being bland imitations of older bands, they used them as a kind of musical lego-box… Taking various musical ideas and sounds and building upon them, with startling results.
So here are some of the bands that were at the forefront of the progressive-punk movement. We’ll start, appropriately enough, with…

Black Flag:
Black Flag were probably the single most important and influential band of the entire US punk scene, for a whole bunch of reasons… They pretty much invented hardcore, for one thing, and their relentless touring introduced punk rock to hundreds of small towns throughout the country. But Black Flag’s biggest legacy was perhaps guitarist Greg Ginn’s SST label: one of the first indie labels, it was also one of the most important, releasing seminal records by bands like the Minutemen, Husker Du, the Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr.
But enough history, what about the music? Well, as it turns out, Black Flag were as musically great as they were influential… While they started out as a hardcore band, by the time of their first album ‘Damaged’ they’d changed into something a lot stranger and more interesting, incorporating elements as diverse as blues, free jazz, and atonal music into their sound to astonishing effect… With Ginn’s guitar hacking out deliberately ugly, off-key solos over a tightly-wound rhythm section and Henry Rollins’ raw howl on top of the whole thing, Black Flag sounded like they’d crawled out of some primordial punk ooze with the express purpose of killing your dog and fucking your mom. Genuinely thrilling, and every bit as nasty and nihilistic as anything to come out of the no-wave scene. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHk7zahvDFI , and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKCujt9tshw&feature=related.

Dead Kennedys:
Although they were often lumped in with the hardcore bands, in truth the Dead Kennedys were actually much smarter and more interesting than their peers… While other bands wrote political songs that were basically ‘Reagan sucks, fuck you’, the Kennedys preferred a mixture of caustic satire and pitch-black humour that still holds up today. In addition, their sound was several degrees more exciting than generic hardcore thrash, mixing surf guitars to jazz, pop and even Beefheart influences to make a beguiling form of pop-punk that made even tracks like ‘I Kill Children’ into catchy singalongs. Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R11x32WoxrM, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV44Lf7LLYo&feature=related . The homemade video for the latter is especially interesting, since it kinda highlights how dumb most punk rockers actually are when it comes to politics… It shouldn’t really come as a surprise to learn that many hardcore punks misinterpreted songs like ‘California Uber Alles’ as an unironic statement of intent!

The Screamers:
Very early San Francisco group who never released a real album but were still hugely influential, the Screamers pioneered the field of ‘synthpunk’: if the Germs had switched guitars for MIDI keyboards, you’d pretty much get the sound of the Screamers. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyQZVfQEKcI.

Husker Du:
Along with fellow Minnesotans the Replacements, Husker Du helped define the sound of the US underground, becoming a huge influence on grunge as well as the later alternative and college-rock movements. Don’t hold that against them, however, since Husker Du were one of the most unique and powerful groups to come out of the US underground… Starting out as a kind of experimental hardcore band who mixed hyperfast playing with smears of metallic distortion, they soon began incorporating elements from bands like the Beatles and the Byrds which would lead to excellent results on records like ‘Zen Arcade’… Which mixed vicious punk rock, hummable melodies, and trippy experimentalism to become one of the best albums of the eighties. Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5-nlsotYY and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpcDj5tLnqA&feature=related .

Squirrel Bait:
I can’t think of anything to write that’s more effective and convincing than actually hearing Squirrel Bait in action, so http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWlj49H-jiE ... I actually avoided listening to them for ages because I thought they were just some shitty hipster band, based on some Onion article that mentioned them in passing. Well, long story short, I’m an idiot, because Squirrel Bait kick ass and are recommended for anyone who likes Husker Du or just 80s punk in general.

Wipers:
The unsung heroes of the progressive punk scene. Wipers started out as a good, straightforward hard pop/punk group, but they soon evolved beyond that sound to make, in Youth Of America, one of the single fucking greatest guitar records of all time. Seriously. Ditching punk’s minimalist restrictions for a heavier, more atmospheric and experimental sound (especially on the 10-minute-plus title track), the record was one of the most original and powerful pieces of music to come out of the entire punk scene, and served as a huge influence for bands like Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Husker Du, and basically all experimental punk that was to come after. So yeah, if you decide to check out one new band from this list, then let it be the Wipers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCRxULBVtXI&feature=related, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lRl5QFNsgc.

Saccharine Trust:
Mixing hardcore energy with free jazz improvisation and funk influences, Saccharine Trust were one of the key progressive punk bands of the early 80s. To be honest, though, they were always better in concept than in execution… While good, their songs just weren’t as interesting or powerful as their contemporaries like the Minutemen. Still, they’re definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in this kind of music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhsAK0vb63c , and also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2pl4UxBVEE .

Meat Puppets:
One of the most completely original and exciting bands ever, the Meat Puppets immediately stood out from their peers thanks to their trippy, vaguely Neil Young-ish sound and their penchant for playing extended psychedelic versions of songs from ‘the Wizard of Oz’ live. They were also interesting because they ditched the tense spikiness of most punk and postpunk in favor of a sound that was more laid back and atmospheric… Songs like ‘Lost’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mfk2fLySKU&feature=related )and especially ‘Oh Me’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W327T_6KB_Y&feature=related )had a graceful country swing that combined with Curt Kirkwood’s reverb-soaked guitar to astonishing and beautiful effect. So yeah, check these guys out.

NoMeansNo:
Instrumentally skilled, musically varied, lyrically smart, consistently good, it should come as no surprise to learn that NoMeansNo are legends of underground music. And while they’ve often been cited as the forefathers of ‘math-rock’, they were always too energetic and visceral to fit that rather insipid label… The main reason they’re so great is because all the weird song-structure and instrumental complexity is held together by a raw punk energy that stops them from ever just sounding like a technical exercise. Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4eY59blvSM&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDI2GAexqWw&feature=related .

X:
One of the better-known bands here, X took standard hardcore and mixed it with Sun Records rockabilly and Chuck Berry riffs to make a sound that was accessible and fun while still being musically innovative. As time went on, they expanded their sound to include a more country-rock influence, becoming a huge influence on the later alt.country scene in the process. Definitely recommended: check out http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWunSUmEm4&feature=related and http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1BEWviLcXU8&feature=related .

Mission of Burma:
Almost more post-punk than progressive-punk, but they were still an awesome band so I’m putting them in anyway. Mission of Burma were one of the most musically innovative and unconventional bands ever: there were no real reference points at the time for their music, which had a discordant-yet-tuneful sound and a knack for complex song structures that made them an early forerunner of bands like Rites Of Spring and Fugazi. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L43rq2EohkM and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppt0mVjOk9w&feature=related.

The Minutemen:
I’m not really sure what to write here, to be honest… The Minutemen are one of those bands that are virtually indefinable, that have to be heard to be believed. They took Gang Of Four-ish funk, hardcore speed and minimalism, Beefheart skronk and folk influences, then put them all together and turned them into something completely new. The key to the Minutemen was the idea of ‘jamming econo’, i.e. being as thrifty and stripped down as possible… So they mostly dispensed with studio overdubs, recorded songs in one or two takes, dispensed with luxuries like choruses or extended instrumentals, and also had a deliberately minimalist look at the different components of their sound: D. Boon’s guitar was high and trebly to give more ‘room’ to Mike Watt’s bass, and George Hurley’s drums given equal weight in the mix. So yeah, definitely one of the single greatest bands ever, and one which everyone ought to check out. Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzyzVZZfUfM , and especially http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGHNcQ4zv6Y&feature=related, which is pretty much the indie rock national anthem.

Recommended Albums:

Black Flag - Damaged
The Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime
Husker Du - Zen Arcade
Mission Of Burma - Vs.
Wipers - Youth Of America (NOTE: the first three Wipers albums (including Youth of America) are also collected in a box set that goes for the price of one album, so buy that if you see it)
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables.
X - Under The Big Black Sun
Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II (yeah, I know Up On The Sun was a better album, but their second album had a more punk rock sound and energy to it, so bite me)
NoMeansNo - Wrong

Other Stuff:
Anyone interested in the bands listed here or the whole progrssive punk/indie rock movement in general should definitely check out Micheal Azerrad’s excellent book ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’, which is a great read and really puts focus on the incredible creativity and energy of that whole scene. Also recommended is the Minutemen documentary ‘We Jam Econo’, which uses a shitload of concert footage and interviews to give a good view of that whole era of music.

So yeah, that’s it. Some of the records can be hard to find, so PM me and I’ll see if I can find a download link for them. Anyway, check out the bands, and if you know any good ones I left out then be sure to post.
Nest week: no-wave!

Dope stuff, you really know your part.

But, Progressive punk? What is that. More like.. Inventive Punk?
Prog means the song evolves within the song. If you mean Prog as in these bands used different means to conserve what is essential in punk which is its attitude and its characteristic sense of discomfort, well I wouldn't really use that word.
That there was an evolution in punk, that's fo sure. Ian MacKaye is the symbol. From Embrace and Minor Threat to Fugazi to The Evens.

Yeah, I took the name progressive punk from some book on UK postpunk that used it... I couldn't really think of anything else to call this type of music apart from 'american postpunk' or whatever. It doesn't really have any relation to prog rock, although I think I read somewhere that Black Flag were hugely influenced by Yes and the Grateful Dead...

oh man those X videos are sweet. what albums of theirs are more... country influenced?

I heard a minuteman album a while back while I was trying to branch out more and it was just too much for me cause I was still too metal oriented to even begin to enjoy the album. I think I will check them out again.

Well, 'Under The Big Black Sun' is probably their best album and has some strong country influences... It's more rootsy than their earlier stuff, but less 'mainstream rock' than their later albums, and it's definitely worth checking out. Also John Doe, the frontman of X, does solo albums that have a fairly strong country influence to them, so you might want to check him out too... I haven't heard much of his stuff though, so I'm not sure what to recommend.
And the Minutemen will probably turn a lot of people off on first listen and it might take some time before you get the hang of them or whatever, but it's well worth it when you do.

Yeah, I took the name progressive punk from some book on UK postpunk that used it... I couldn't really think of anything else to call this type of music apart from 'american postpunk' or whatever. It doesn't really have any relation to prog rock, although I think I read somewhere that Black Flag were hugely influenced by Yes and the Grateful Dead...

shrug, post punk is usually refered to Joy Division and the beginning of goth rock.

I think Alternative Punk or American Underground are better tags. The latter is the one AMG uses.

rave why do you constantly talk about how open-ended music is and then adhere to such a stupidly rigid set of genres when they all have arbitrary as fuck names anyway

Easy: I separate one thing from the other. I am open minded when it comes to music. But I like to speak with genres as they are a syntethis of what different sorts of music sounds like.
When I listen I disregard genres, when I speak I use em.
It is a pretty slick technique, I tell ya.

heh... PROG PUNK?  any idiot could see this is inventive punk or american underground.

I don't propose nor promote this type of attitude, don't over-interpret what I say thanks sonny.

THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO DO MUSIC OR PLAY OR MAKE MUSIC

Agreed

yeah pretty much

yeah genres are necessary but my point is he's kind of an asshole about them all the time and it's pretty hilarious to see so vocal a proponent of open-ended and free-form creation be so uptight and anal about which arbitrary description best applies when they are all more or less meaningless and applied after the fact by other people anyway

huh, man take a pill, chillax
No assholery here sonny, no ANALS, no uptightness.
You have a grudgey interpretation of what I say.
Besides I already said it was all cool, and I already said I wasn't promoting that kind of asshole attitude you were trying to impose on me, so why the FUCK do you insist?
Chillax bro, don't you come grudging on me.

IT SEEMS YOU JUST SKIPPED MY PREVIOUS POST
I CAN.... SEPARATE THINGS!
man, I'm so evolved

nah, it is a non-issue.
Headphonics is just upset