Well, I’ll second that, although I never really considered the Minutemen or the BS punk. But I suppose you could make the case…
Also, I see one person mentioned them in passing, but I’ve got to say that no punk collection is complete without the truly classic X album “Los Angeles”.
Kid Dynamite (R.I.P.) is some amazing hardcore. Listen to them. Love them. (I almost cried the day that I heard they broke up.)
Hot Water Music is one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen.
If you’re looking for classics, go with the Clash.
If you want something more recent, check out The Devil is Electric and Against Me! D.I.E. is really good poppy punk and Against Me! just plain rocks.
My fave is “My Baby is a Nut”
You guys have listed a bunch of good stuff, so I just wanted to add Good Riddance and Sick Of It All. If you live in the Bay Area (or want to make a pilgrimage), check out 924 Gilman in Berkeley. The Groovy Ghoulies play there a lot.
We are going to have open sexual intercourse on every street corner in America…where thousands and thousands can watch!
I recommend Rhino’s DIY series for starters…histories of American & British Punk (Volumes 1 & 2), Never Mind The Bullocks and Frankenchrist
This thread reminds me that Punk is a strangely conservative musical form considering that it has been around in name for more than 25 years now. Kind of Sha Na Na to me at times. If you are going to stretch the definiton a bit, I would suggest “…and you will know us by the trail of dead” for a great new band and the Nuggets boxset for the '60’s garage bands who invented the form.
I should add that Elvis Costello’s best punk-ish album is “This Year’s Model.” That is not to say that he isn’t the greatest songwriter alive (he is), but I bet if you listen to, say, “Imperial Bedroom,” or “Mighty Like a Rose” with punk ears pealed you may be disappointed.
While I tend towards pop-punk myself (Offspring, Lit, Green Day, Blink 182 etc) my brother’s obsession with The Artaris and Face to Face seems well placed. My definition of what consitutes a punk band is sort of shaky…I think Rancid and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones sound a lot alike 
but I’ve heard of at least half the bands listed- and I’ve even seen the Dickies, who are great- so maybe I know more punk stuff than I thought. (Does anyone have an idea of what Husker Du might have had as a single in 1995? It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything about them!) I’m glad no one has mentioned Sum41 or the Living End, though, because even I think they suck.
Are you kidding me? These guys all came out of the american hardcore culture. all their shows for years were “punk” shows. See 'em live in the early 1980’s and there is absolutely no question.
No, no, no! Minutemen yes ( great, great band ), but Husker Du were from Minneapolis . They were buds of The Replacements, another fantastic band and a fair contender ( if not necessarily the winner ) in the ‘greatest rock band that never had major, non-college airplay’ compeitition.
I see nobody has mentioned another favorite of mine, No Means No, so I will .
The Germs
Pulley
Agnostic Front
Minor Threat
Government Issue
Good punk music? There’s a ton of it out there, but if you want the best, go buy The Decline by NOFX . It’s an EP with one song. The one song is an 18 minute, 21 second long orgasm. Trust me. I’ve heard a lot of punk, and this is by far the greatest punk song ever written.
Just got back from the record store. Picked up some Descendents, Dead Kennedys, Dillinger Four, and Clash. Will be getting through more of the recommendations as time and money permit.
Some recommendations sounded really promising, such as Thee Michelle Gunn Elephant (“bad ass rockabilly” sounds right up my alley, and while we’re on the subject, I’ve heard good things about the Kings of Nuthin, a local band that plays something similar, and who are opening for the Dropkick Murphys tonight, but I didn’t get around to getting tickets in time, so I’m stuck here rambling parenthetically on a message board) but were out of stock. So, anyone know where to find really obscure albums in the Boston area?
That kicks ass! Let us know what you think of your new cd’s. Which cd’s by each band did you get?
Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs of the Americas
Descendents - Milo Goes to College
The Clash - Combat Rock
Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
My opinions are that the Clash are, of course, a classic, the Descendents are pretty good, Dillinger Four is really good, even if my taste is more East Coast oriented, and the Dead Kennedys really aren’t my thing, too concerned with politics at the expense of the music, which is pretty good when they focus on it.
Plus, other punk albums I already had are:
Dropkick Murphys - The Singles Collection '96 - '97
Dropkick Murphys - Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Dropkick Murphys and Face to Face split EP
Pennywise - Pennywise
Operation Ivy - Energy (surprised no one mentioned them here, I really like this album)
Black Flag - The First Four Years
The Clash - London Calling
NOFX - Punk in Drublic
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Mourningside - From Two Graves Back (local hardcore band, their drummer is one of my coworkers)
Not sure if 311 counts, but I have their first two albums. Same with the Pogues, whose first four albums I have.
I think up next will be Subhumans, Pixies, Stiff Little Fingers, more Clash, Ramones, and perhaps some of the more obscure stuff if I can find it, 'cause I usually have good luck with CDs I buy on a whim.
If The Pixies are next on your list, then try either Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, although the former is more punk. I’d second looking out for The Buzzcocks or anything by The Undertones, especially Teenage Kicks.
personally I can’t stand much old school with the exception of the dead kennedys. I like my punk music Fast! melodic and technical. Some “moderne classics” from my collection you might want to check out are:
Strung Out - Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues (i can’t believe the mighty strung out hasn’t been mentioned yet, or have they?)
NOFX - Heavy Petting Zoo (I know this was sh!t on by NOFX fans when it came out, but it will grow on you, trust me)
At The Drive In - Relationship of command (post-punk, but one of the best albums I’ve ever heard)
Thrice - The Illusion of Safety (a beautiful blend of metal, punk, emo, and hardcore this album is brilliant)
Lagwagon - Duh (super catchy technical santa barbara punk, buy it, you might thank me later)
Propagandhi - Today’s Empires, Tomarrow’s Ashes or How to Clean Everything
Sublime - S/T or 40 oz. to Freedom
and lastly Bad Religion - Suffer (the new school starts here, this is the album that Fat Mike of NOFX claims “changed everything”)
for me these are all cds that dont require the skip button I hope you take my advice
I knew that. Of course, I was referring to bands on the SST label. Including the Meat Puppets, who were from Phoenix or Tuscon or somewhere in Arizona. Speaking of which, what about all the Arizona bands.
JFA looms large, the Zany Guys. There was a great compilation called something like Madison Square Garden, featuring Arizona bands.
BTW, I would point out there is a difference between “punk” and American hardcore, but I’m not going to go into an explanation suffice to say they are related but very different genres.
I forgot to mention specific Albums.
Seeing your taste thus far I reccomend:
Bad Religon - Stranger than Fiction
Dangerhouse Compliation 1 - If you can find this, it has an excellent sampling of bands like X, Eyes, Rhino 39
Descendants - Somery (kind of a “best of” album)
Dead Kennedy’s - Plastic Surgery Disasters
Misfits - Collection 1 & 2 - All their great tracks from the Glen Danzig era. Nothing better than schlock horror movies turned into punk songs.
NOFX - Pump up the valium
The Vandals - Live Fast Diarrhea or Fear of a Punk Planet
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Have a Ball or Are a Drag - this band has people from Lagwagon, Swinging Udders and NOFX doing some great cover tunes
You mentioned you like Rockabilly style so I reccomend The Reverend Horton Heat - Liquor in the Front
hey Water2J
I was just wondering how old you are and if you checked out any of my picks. its great to see someone exploring new genres of music.
I’m 23.
And I haven’t gotten to your suggestions yet. Though I have been meaning to get some Sublime and Bad Religion at some point in the forseeable future.
Since my last post, my debit card came in the mail, so I have been very fiscally irrresponsible. I picked up:
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies - Blow in the Wind
The Clash - The Clash (US version) and Sandanista
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Circle Jerks - Golden Shower of Hits
Stiff Little Fingers - No Sleep 'til Belfast
Subhumans - From the Cradle to the Grave
I haven’t even unwrapped all of these yet, so I don’t really have much of an opinion on them, except Me First, which is very addictive.