The other day I performed a couple of gigs at a church where they read Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.’s letters from a jail in Birmingham. This really got me thinking about a revolution for civil rights and various musical events that happened throughout history that helped promote Dr. King’s ideal but there was also a huge punk movement throughout the 90’s that was used to voice the concerns and frustrations of the people who were struggling with mental health issues and different struggles in their lives. In the United States there is an inauguration that will be happening this week with many unhappy people and there is definite angst among the younger generation. Where might we see these being presented you may ask? Well continue the read and I shall provide my insight.
Feminism is one of the biggest movements throughout the punk community that has been underrepresented throughout the mainstream industry. Looking at the local punk scene here in Minneapolis there has been a lot of bands that seem to take after influences such as Hole, Blue Rose and other bands that promote feminist ideals throughout the nation. The reason to believe that this movement is on the rise is that during this last election cycle there were many misogynistic messages that came across making many people unhappy. There is also a Women’s March scheduled this Saturday in the US to promote equality for all giving further influence on future feminist punk rockers.
The separation of the middle and low class from the high class is also one topic of discussion that pops up in many conversations, not only in the US, but throughout the world. When Punk was big here in the US times were hard for many people and most of the bands that made it big were formed people who came from a struggling middle to lower class households making their emotions heard through song. The reason this is applicable today is because the separation of the upper class from the lower-middle class is even more defined and will very likely be a struggle that many punk artist sing about.
Mental illness is the last point that I’ll make for a new emergence of punk music. Mental illness is becoming more common throughout the current generation in the US and it is no laughing matter. My counselor suggested the other day that this election cycle brought about waves of mental health patients that they had never seen before. Punk music, being about the anger and sadness many experience, is one of the many ways that people chose to express themselves. With much anger and hurt here throughout the US it is likely suggested that there will be more punk albums made over the next few years.
These are the reasons that punk music may be on the rise over the next few years. With the inauguration happening this weekend it is not unlikely that there will be other events that influence punk music, but these are the few of many examples in why there might be a new Punk Era on the rise. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Side Note: The 474theMiX Rock Radio Community would like to welcome Sarah M. to the blog team Sarah is an Augsburg College Graduate and currently resides in the surrounding Twin Cities area!
Christopher Huss
474theMiX Rock Radio
Station Promoter/Blogger
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