Throughout the last decade there has been a rising number of bands inspired by the genre of Post-Punk, so is it making a comeback?
Post-punk (originally called New Musick) is a genre that evolved from Punk-Rock in the late 1970’s. By ignoring the conventional rules of rock music, post-punk musicians developed a separate sound, praising the benefits of free expression. It was a more experimental version of Punk-Rock, as artists were not scared to mix traditional rock and more ambiguous genres together, like electronic music. Therefore, the genre is quite a broad one and has bridged the gap between many other genres. A lot of Post-Punk artists in the early 1980’s were inspired by politics and modernist art and were adopted mainly by independent music labels. An example of popular bands that have made the genre a success are Bauhaus and The Cure.
During the 1980’s, the genre had a high influence on popular pop and rock music as a whole but was swallowed up by the birth of Alternative music. However, it started to emerge again in the 2000’s as bands (like The Strokes and Deerhunter) began to draw direct inspiration from it, resulting in a post-punk revival.
In my opinion, the Post-Punk bands that have formed over this decade have been even more experimental than before, and these bands are on the rise to become extremely influential. Parquet Courts are a Brooklyn-based band that began to make music at the beginning of the decade. Their lyrics often question relevant issues in society, such as the track ‘Almost Had to Start a Fight’, which was inspired them seeing a fan wearing far-right political memorabilia. I highly recommend Parquet Courts, as they are easy to listen to but driven to convey a message in their music.
Another band that echoes post-punk is Black Midi. They also fit into the genre of experimental rock and are known for their beautifully chaotic live performances, sometimes featuring improvisations that can last for over 10 minutes. In the last year their popularity has exploded and they were nominated for the Mercury Prize. Their debut album Schlagenheim was released this summer.
The band NOV3L has a sound that echoes the beginning of Post-Punk as a genre, which is interesting to hear from a band that released their first single last year. Their songs are often politically driven, for example, the song ‘To Whom it May Concern’ which features anti-capitalist chants. They are known to give a good live performance through their use of unsynchronised riffs and disco beats and are definitely a band to watch.
Post-Punk has been making a slow return in recent years and people seem to like it! I would also highly recommend Squid, Pottery, Fontaines D.C and The Murder Capital.
