
Howl: a nostalgic homage to the brief, hazy era of “pure” London punk - tintinnabula
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/howl-punk-chris-kraus/
======
meesles
While I love capturing these moments of time to share with the world, I can't
help but feel a twinge of sadness that these and many other vibrant,
productive communities all eventually get swallowed up by the mainstream.

What are these groups called today? Where are the mini-Renaissances that play
a massive role in generating culture? Will these happen less and less as
everyone is exposed to the global stream of information?

~~~
shams93
Music is no longer a social movement. Back in the day being a fan of the Clash
went far beyond music you were joining a social/political movement, something
you believed in. Katy Perry might sing a catchy tune but its all about her
personal ego, Joe Strummer say himself as a Che Guevara, a revolutionary
socialist leader, a lot more than just a singer of hit songs. Songs became
hits because they gave you a vision you could believe and participate in.

~~~
cies
> Music is no longer a social movement.

Look harder, I'd say. See Bar25 in Berlin and the sound that is heard there
(Katermukke label, etc.). Or Berghain and it's sound (Ostguton label, etc.).
Hell yeah music and "social/political movement" are still as linked as ever.
There's still a whole "roots" reggae/dub scene world wide that would besides
social/political also come with an embedded spiritual and/or religious
movement. Revolutionary hip-hip, like Dead Prez or Immortal, is still strong.
In Europe there's still Freetekno. I could go on.

Hell no revolutionary vibes from K. Perry! But it's still there.

> Songs became hits because they gave you a vision you could believe and
> participate in.

Yes. It's not advertised. They do not hit the charts anymore. So what. Shun
the charts. We've got soundcloud, they've got ad-ridden radio and MTV.

------
unicornporn
Awesome to see a Zero Books published book here! Also, be sure to check out
"Kill All Normies: Online culture wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the
alt-right", another excellent book recently published on Zero Books.

------
tonyedgecombe
I always thought punk was a bit shit, it didn't seem to have any musical merit
to me so although it was my era I ignored it.

I struggle to see why, a generation later, people look back at it with
anything but disdain.

~~~
harrumph
>I struggle to see why, a generation later, people look back at it with
anything but disdain.

Because your frame of reference of musical merit is at best subjective and at
worst, built upon nothing but raw prejudice.

Attacking that fact is what punk did. That's a freedom, and some people insist
on freedom in art.

~~~
tonyedgecombe
I hear the same thing from the art world, if you don't understand this art
then it's because you are too ignorant. I think it's bullshit there as well.

~~~
harrumph
>if you don't understand this art then it's because you are too ignorant

Maybe I’m not being clear. I’m not saying anything about ignorance. I am
instead saying that some people demand freedom in their art and it necessarily
follows that such persons expect their aesthetic standards to be challenged.
Indeed, such persons usually enjoy or at least appreciate it when a challenge
to their aesthetic appears.

Others, for whom aesthetic freedom is not an animating principle, do not make
that demand, preferring instead to stake out a familiar set of aesthetic
expectations and forms.

Avoiding challenge and preferring familiar forms and expectations is a very
popular choice - it requires far less engagement with art because most
questions about importance of the art are already answered for the adherent.
This easier path is always available for persons who are more comfortable
belonging than they are beholding.

------
languagehacker
I'd probably rather re-read Please Kill Me: An Oral History of Punk by Legs
McNeil

~~~
sincerely
Why? Was it so good that no other book on the same subject is worth reading?
If so I'll have to check it out haha

