SoCal Punk: Faux Punk?

[NSL]

This is a question that has been on my mind for quite some time, so I decided to bring it here, for you fine people. I keep hearing people say that bands like blink182, The Offspring, and Yellowcard aren't really punk, for a variety of reasons.

Don't get me wrong. I know they're not exactly Black Flag or The Sex Pistols, but they are still punk bands. They're music may be different, but the message and emotion is still largely the same. I would understand if people excepted it under a different genre (i.e. SoCal Punk), but to discredit it completely is a little too much for me.

 

[X]

This is a question that has been on my mind for quite some time, so I decided to bring it here, for you fine people. I keep hearing people say that bands like blink182, The Offspring, and Yellowcard aren't really punk, for a variety of reasons.

Don't listen to those people, they're foolish. Yellowcard, I know nothing about, so I won't judge them, but Blink 182 and The Offspring are both pop-punk bands. The thing is that when people hear the words "pop punk", they immediately discredit it. Which is wrong. I grew up on Blink 182 and Green Day, "pop punk" if you will. It's just another subgenre of punk rock. The thing is though, Blink 182 in particular has kind of drifted away from pop-punk (on their last album atleast), so I'm not sure if they're even very interested in that subgenre any more.

Don't get me wrong. I know they're not exactly Black Flag or The Sex Pistols, but they are still punk bands. They're music may be different, but the message and emotion is still largely the same. I would understand if people excepted it under a different genre (i.e. SoCal Punk), but to discredit it completely is a little too much for me.

First off...every punk fan knows The Sex Pistols were the Backstreet Boys of punk rock. They're nothing. They made the movement popular, and that's about it. Their music absolutely pales in comparison to the other punk bands of their time. The Pistols isn't even John Lydon's best work, Public Image Ltd. was. And if anyone tries to tell you the Pistols started punk, slap them in the face for being so fucking stupid (The Damned's first single was the first "punk" labeled song ever released).

When it comes to punk rock though NSL, you have to understand, it can be a very elitist subculture. Just like with metal, the more "extreme" or in the case of punk, the more "hardcore" you go, the more "punk" you are considered. Which I don't disagree with. Black Flag is more of a punk band then the Sex Pistols could have dreamed to be. Minor Threat makes The Offspring look like Donnie & Marie.

Let's compare pop-punk with anarcho-punk...

Blink 182 - Carousel

Anthrax [UK] - Exploitation
​

So, there's a rather large difference. Blink 182 and The Offspring certainly incorporate elements of punk into their music, but compared to a band like Minor Threat or Toxic Narcotic or The Exploited...well they sound like raging fucking *****es. And in punk rock, that isn't good. The louder, angrier, and faster you can go, the better.

And that's your punk rock lesson for the day kids!

 

[Dexter]

Ya know what, this SHOULD go without saying, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. Listen to whatever the fuck you like, and anyone who gives you shit about it is a douchebag not worth your time and attention. You like Black Flag? Rock on. You like Celine Dion? Good for you. Hell, as far as I'm concerned, if you wanna call Celine Dion "punk", go for it, as long as you can make a semi-decent argument backing it up. I could give a fuck less.

 

[blood and thunder]

They're pop-punk, and elitist "punx" use it as an insult when in reality it isn't - some awesome bands like Descendents fall under that category, and for what it's worth blink-182 are awesome too. Yellowcard suck but that doesn't mean their music isn't pop-punk. I'd rather just call it punk rock tbh because it's not as if Ramones/Pistols/Clash etc were producing music that was un-pop so to speak - hell The Clash could be just as pop as Yellowcard, and that's a fact.