At its core, punk rock is a confrontation. This confrontation takes many forms. Sometimes it’s about the music, such as when the Ramones bucked conventional norms to deliver blistering two-minute songs. Other times it’s the lyrical content such as the searing poetry of Patti Smith. Perhaps it’s the performance, like the incendiary live shows of […]
The Radical Punk Rock Empathy of Lily Cornell Silver Read More »
“People just soldier on This is the goal and this is the kingdom” From “The Kingdom” by Bush “Judgment” has become something of a four-letter word in our society. Which is unfortunate, because in its most basic form, judgment is not an inherently bad thing. In fact, we can’t exist without judgment. We are constantly
The Good Wolf In Gavin Rossdale Read More »
“Your mommy told you this And your daddy told you that Always think like this And never do that You learned so many feelings But what is there to that Which are really yours Or are you just a copycat” From “Your Emotions” by Dead Kennedys No matter how human and wonderful our parents may
Jello Biafra Is A Chip Off The Old Block Read More »
“We see you burning and we can’t look away All we created erupts into flames How could we know how far you would fall? Bewitched by the shadows that are cast on the wall” From “Auroch” by GWAR We don’t all connect to music in the same way. For some of us, music is at
Dr. Michael Bishop and The Power of Punk Rock Conversion Read More »
“Sometimes I feel like my heart turns to dust” “Unfollow the rules, Unswallow the trust” From “Unfollow The Rules” by Rufus Wainwright It’s maybe 2003 and I’m walking out of my studio apartment in the West Village towards Bleecker Street. I’m not sure what kind of mood I’m in. I’m sad but not depressed. I’m
Wrestling Melancholy With Rufus Wainwright Read More »
“Watch me fly like a rainbow in the sky” From “Siberian Butterfly” by Bob Mould The last concert I saw before the world locked down was Bob Mould. It was at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) – packed into a small theater with my Jersey brethren. I was a couple of rows from
The Raging Struggle of Bob Mould Read More »
“Whatever you do Just do it away from me Whoever you want to be Just be it away from me Wherever you go Just go there away from me Whoever you are now Just stay clear away from me” From “Keep Away From Me” by DevilDriver When you think of someone who suffers from agoraphobia
How Dez Fafara Copes With Agoraphobia Read More »
We live in a world full of people struggling to figure out who they are and where they fit in. This process can be confusing and complicated, and often lasts a lifetime. Sadly, part of the reason why this process can be so difficult and take so long is that we often face stigma and
Why Bob the Drag Queen is Golden Read More »
“So watch yourself And watch what you say The martyr dies So what’s at stake?” From “The Missing” by Ministry In 1969, the late Jim Morrison of the Doors had a prophecy — the birth of electronic music. He imagined that “some brilliant kid will come along … a lone artist with lots of tapes
The Universal Fundamentals of Al Jourgensen Read More »
“Infectious fabrication Leads to blunt determination Leads to a backlash just because” From “Backlash Just Because” by Napalm Death I have a very vivid memory of seeing Napalm Death live. It was in 2016 at Webster Hall. I had just finished interviewing Napalm Death frontman Mark Greenway and Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne for a Psychology
The Peaceful Anarchism of Mark Greenway Read More »
