The Battle That Is Punk Rock

There's a never ending battle over what's punk, whether or not punk is dead, and if punk is dead, who killed it? So, I've been thinking for awhile about expressing my opinions on it. First thing is first, the people who tell you that Blink - 182 is a punk band probably couldn't tell you what building this picture above was taken in. The building is 924 Gilman Street, an all ages punk, and ska club out in the East Bay. Think Blink is punk and didn't know that? Start researching. Now, don't get me wrong, I have an average appreciation for Blink - 182 but they're by no means punk.

Punk has always been something generally undefinable. There's never been a single definition of it that's entirely accurate. So, to attempt to classify something as punk or not punk is saying that you can tell someone that they are or aren't something that you're not even capable of defining. Does this make my above statement hypocritical? Kind of.

Although punk can't be defined in it's entirety there are obvious distinctions that can be made. Clearly no one would tell you that Beyonce was punk. To me, that's just as obvious as not considering Blink - 182 punk. Punk has always in some way shape or form been about being different and rebelling against something, whether it's popular society or something political, etc. Blink - 182 covers the typical angst-y relationship trouble and general teenage - like depression that lots of pop - rock bands cover. Now, when I say pop rock please don't mistake it for pop - punk. Pop - punk is punk rock with a melodic twist that most Hardcore - punk doesn't have.

So, while you can never have a precise definition of what is punk or not there are some things that I feel are just undeniably punk or not punk.

Is punk rock dead? This question goes back to the definition of punk. Can you consider something dead when you can't even define it? This is debatable. On one hand I can see how most people feel. I was never alive in the punk rock era but I have a HUGE respect for it. There's no way we'll never have bands like the Ramones, the Dead Kennedys, the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, the Clash or Operation Ivy ever again (to name a few). But there's the other part of me that hopes that maybe there'll be a band that gets it right again. The only hope is that Gilman Street and CBGB can start pumpin out some good punk again. The scenes are still there, they just need a good kick in the ass.

Here's to hoping Punk rock isn't totally dead.