This article is a supplemental part of theMusic of the United States series. |
Roots music: before 1940 |
1940s and 50s |
1960s and 70s |
1980s to the present |
African-American music |
Native American music |
Latin, Tejano, Hawaiian, |
| Table of contents |
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2 Go Go 3 References |
Hardcore
Hardcore punk rock arose in California, but is often said to have reached its peak with the Washington DC scene in the early 1980s. The first DC punk band is said to be White Boy, a notorious father-son team, infamous for breaking up after the father was arrested on 84 counts of child molestation and child pornography. By the late 1970s, DC had several bands strongly influenced by punk rock playing New Wave; these included Insect Surfers, Urban Verbs and Tru Fax & the Insaniacs, along with the most successful DC New Wave bands, Slickee Boys.
The early innovators of DC hardcore included Black Market Baby and Teen Idles, followed by two of the most influential hardcore bands, Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Teen Idles are often said to have been the first, and the band that inspired the next generation of DC hardcore bands. Ian MacKaye started his career with Teen Idles before forming Minor Threat and helping launch emo later in the 1980s. Many of the early scenesters came from affluent backgrounds, thus leading to the "Georgetown Punks" epithet (after a rich neighborhood), which the scene soon embraced.
Teen Idles broke up in 1981, and the scene exploded. Youth Brigade, Minor Threat, S.O.A and Insurrection formed soon after. Henry Rollins, eventually of Los Angeles' Black Flag, began his career with S.O.A. before leaving for the West Coast.
After forming Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye and the DC scene became known nationwide as the capital of straight edge hardcore, eschewing drugs, alcohol and sex. By the time the band broke up, their local fame had become legendary, surpassing even Bad Brains, one of the most popular bands of the genre. Only a few hardcore bands rivalled Minor Threat in local popularity, with Government Issue coming closest, along with Scream, Marginal Man, Double O, The Obsessed, No Trend, Faith, Dag Nasty and Void. Iron Cross, perhaps the first skinhead punk band, was controversial for alleged racism, which the band denied.
MacKaye's Dischord Records soon became one of the most influential independent record labels in the country, responsible for indie rock legends like Fugazi as well as the development of emo.
Go Go
Go go arose in the late 1960s, combining funk and instrumental percussion with rapping. The inventor of go go is Chuck Brown, known for Bustin' Loose, which became a surprise national hit. Later go go bands include Rare Essentials, Trouble Funk and Experience Unlimited.
