Inspired by slipthejab's thread. *note that I voted for "other" as to not mess with the results for the other 4, but to get quick access to the poll results.
Ahhh good thread! I think the hardcore movement really came out because of ****ed off suburban youth culture. They were the byproduct of the American dream. I think primarily they came out of LA and DC and a bit later on NYC. It was sort of a reaction to the vast amount of garbage that came out of the music industry with was all pointless, over produced rock and roll that was strung together by the commercial music industry. I think in many ways suburban youth needed an outlet for the frustrations of being bored and poor when they were supposed to be living the American dream. Lots of teen angst... lots of f-you attitude. Lots of time to kill. I can remember being 14 or 15 and thinking that music like what was coming out of the Hardcore scene could actually change things. It was at once both incredibly nihilistic and very optimistic. Not far off the the typical suburban kids mindset of the late 80s early 90s. Also the whole British punk scene had become a bit staid by this point and time.. Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols had become entirely cartoonish and much of the message didn't carry over to the American youth that was only just catching the tail end of the original punk movement if that. From a musical standpoint it's important to point out the difference in tempo between punk and the later hardcore bands. The earlier punk stuff was boatloads more camp. The later hardcore stuff was very much the stuff of a pair of cutoff shorts and sneakers. Tied in heavily to the surf and skate scene on the westcoast. The fast speeds and the faster chord changes really showed that this wasn't your older brothers punk rock.I think much of the punk scene was more politically aware... where the hardcore scene was just angry and full of energy... looking for a chance to be stupid and run around like maniacs at shows. Most hardcore bands didn't really ever delve as deep into politics as bands like The Dead Kennedy's or CRASS. Some did... if read and references understood bands like DC's Minor Threat and Black Flag were political. They had a whole lot to say. But I don't think that was the norm over all. A great little film that gives some insight into the roots of hardcore and showcases some great bands like FEAR, True Sound of Liberty (TSOL), The Vandals and D.I. was Suburbia directed by Alex Gibson. While none of the bands are really what I'd consider hardcore... they do give some ideas about the energy that was around at the time. You can hear a big difference between the chord progression and the aggression in the punk in this flik and later sounds of hardcore bands. Funny enough it's has a part played by Flea of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Worth watching if you want a bit of insight into the early scene. When compared to going to shows at Fenders and the DeAnza etc. it's a fairly accurate representation of the time. God... I'm getting nostaligic! Ok here's a quick clip... The Vandals... playing 'Pat Brown' from the film Suburbia - the scene is a good one. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1LhWFApAA"]YouTube[/ame] and another bit from it as well... classic... (this scene sort of hints at the start of the straight edge scene.. eg. skin stylings/no dope ethic) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY4MMrw2p0s&NR=1"]YouTube[/ame]
Those were great clips! Yeah, I've been wanting to see suburbia for a while, but haven't gotten around to seeing it. Another great movie is the first Decline of Western Civilization film.
