Punk has many disparate lineages...all that seems to hold them together is a certain (and by no means very large) amount of frustration with/disdain for what is perceived as "mainstream" or "normal" society. While on different coasts, both of these bands share a common lineage in terms of "punk" being adopted by wierdo art fags as a space to be more unabashed than ever in their anti-social strageness. LA's The Screamers play primitive punk rock n' roll with a synth instead of a guitar. Despite lasting several years and having an enormous (if largely subterranean) influence on everything from Wesley Willis to the parade of empty-skulled, headband-wearing, white jeans-rocking fucktards who currently play most of what passes for "synth-punk" these days.
Most of these idiots wouldn't know the Screamers if they were beaten to death with a clue, but Suicide's recent inclusion in the All Tomorrow's Parties wealthy-music-snob wankfest have put their name back in some circulation amongst those who line up to have Pitchfork dictate "their" music taste. Suicide is amazing; truly fucked-up New York art assholes blurring the lines between punk, no-wave, and just plain disturbing noise. These dudes mastered deconstruction without probably ever reading a word of Derrida; musical tropes are shown in their shattered frailty and re-built into monstrosities
meant for the ears of no self-respecting 'Merican. Its also rock n' roll as fuck. These are two amazing bands that are at the root of some of the best and the worst "independent" music today, but overall their specific sound is surpassed by the legacy of their ethic: punk is a place where weirdos with ideas that are to fluid and spastic to fit into the cookie-cutters of genre and scene to come together and create horrible expressions that nobody in their right mind would enjoy.screamin'
killin' yrslf
ahhh suicide is sooo good. it's just the type of music you'd expect to find subliminal messages embedded in.
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