MF’s 15 Modern Punk Anthems: Vol.1.
15 Modern Punk Anthems – Your Ears, Right Now.
Musically Fresh has always featured a vide variety of Music from bands and solo artists alike and we pride our selves on such but in truth Punk music has always been a core of our features.
So with that I decided, with the help of long-time reader US-based Ahlea Young, to put together a list and playlist of sorts compiled from some of the music we have featured over the past few years.
Choosing fifteen select tracks was difficult enough but choosing just one from some of these bands was also very taxing. The fifteen chosen either through their musical composition, their lyrical content or both are collected together for the anthemic and “fist-in-the-air” aesthetic.
We will list where to find each of the bands as well as our most recent articles on them for freshness-related reasons. Obviously.
Three Grams – Denver, Colorado, USA – ‘Hellaluyah’
When I heard that Three Grams were giving it another go, I invested further in their semi-serious Ska-core. Hearing the debut track of Awakening, ‘Before The Fall’ I had initial thoughts of this playlist but it wasn’t until I heard the violent catharsis of socio-political rage that is ‘Hellauyah’ that band’s determination hit home. The track briefly flirts with Ska before fast Melodic Hardcore takes centre stage and a soaring chorus that is nothing but “fist-in-the-air” worthy hammers the point home. – MS.
Find them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Paper Champ – Ipswich, England, United Kingdom – ‘Can’t Stand Up’
Out of the ashes of staple underground Skate Punks The 4130’s Paper Champ released their first demo very quickly. Despite featuring most of the aforementioned past group, Paper Champ are very much their own band. With ‘Can’t Stand Up’ the band fully engage with classic and emotive Skate Punk, with the soaring chorus and backing vocals acting as nothing but honest. This is one of those tracks that gives you the chills from the very opening, even before the harsh rhythms and soaring melodies.
As much as the band’s latest EP has just been released – Click Here – we felt that honouring their early material was the best decision. – MS.
Find them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Article
Riskee And The Ridicule – Ashford, England, United Kingdom – ‘Drown’
By the time of this second full-length, Riskee And The Ridicule’s idiosyncratic Punk-Rock was well founded. With lashings of more traditional Punk, Hardcore and Pop-Punk , alongside Ska, Reggae and Grime, the band stick out like sore thumb. Blame Culture is a harder, heavier and darker album generally speaking and with ‘Drown’ the band once again viciously analyse their surroundings and the truth of it all off the back of their more straight-line Punk-Rock sound. – MS.
Find them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Spotify // iTunes/Apple Music // Article
Captain Trips – Fareham, England, United Kingdom – ‘Faux News’
Although it really isn’t a facet of Punk-Rock that you’d normally associate with the UK scene, Skate Punk and punchy melodic Punk-Rock are growing rapidly across these tiny islands and Captain Trips are definitely up there. ‘Faux News’ is a rage against society falling for the same old rhetoric on the back of fast, jagged and melodic Skate Punk that shows that the genre isn’t just for Southern California. Captain Trips currently have their second EP in the works and that I can safely say, is real news. – MS.
Find Them: Facebook // SoundCloud // Spotify // bandcamp // Article
SickOnes – South West England, United Kingdom – ‘I Don’t Exist’.
There are too many good photos of SickOnes and we feel the above suits the band and the first of the more Hardcore intrusions of this list. SickOnes are one of the most explosive and rapidly growing bands in the UK South-West, blending groove laden riffy modern Hardcore with the old-school and even further forward to brutal Powerviolence. With ‘I Don’t Exist’ the stripped down three-piece are in exclamation and blunt refusal to have anything to do with someones else’s forced world. This is Punk and Hardcore anger at its best and an anthem for the pits. – MS.
‘They need your admiration so that they have validation.
This entire generation now lives in isolation.’
Find Them: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Launch Control – Reading, England, United Kingdom – ‘Moving Targets’
Photo credit: David Bradford.
Reading is home to three-piece politicied Punk-Rock band by the name of Launch Control. When it came to the formulation of this list, I knew before I had even complied the full list that this band would be on it and I had nothing but agreement from Ahlea. Launch Control combine North American melodic Punk and Skate Punk with cutting English accents in this blunt force yet precision attack on politicians from a band who rival that of Bad Religion and Rise Against for quote worthiness. – MS.
Find Them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Amazon // iTunes/Apple Music // Article
Over Time – Denver, Colorado, USA – ‘Pretentious’
Another from the bursting-at-seams scene of Denver, Colorado, Over Time cultivate their appreciation of brutally honest Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Skate Punk and shavings of 90’s Pop-Punk in a sound so inviting you find hard to believe the band’s relative newness to it all. This track was in before I even thought of the list, at all in fact. From that near perfect 90’s intro to the anthemic chorus this track rages emotionally rather than politically but just as unrelentingly as it screams – ‘You’re the worst person I’ve ever met!’. – MS.
Find Them: Facebook // Spotify // bandcamp // iTunes/Apple Music // Article
The Patient – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – ‘Unite As One’
The Patient have many ill stories that have attached themselves to their name but it has never stopped them in any way. The band’s debut album of the same name as this track is a strong testament to the Australian Punk and Hardcore scene as it straddles the diversity of both genres. ‘Unite As One’ was another obvious choice from both of myself and Ahlea, as the track showcases nothing but an anthem of community via mid-to-fast abrasive Hardcore plied with strong influences from the state of Victoria and its strong anthemic Punk sound. This is another for the pit, so raise those fists. – MS.
Find Them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Castle Bravo – Perth, Western Australia, Australia – ‘Hide’
From their latest album, Foreign Object Free, Castle Bravo hits right where you need it with ‘Hide’. With commanding vocals and lyrics that well and truly stick with you, it’s the emotional thrash you didn’t know you needed until now! Much like the band as a whole, ‘Hide’ has attitude and amazing rhythm. Now what more could you possibly need?! You’ll be glad you listened! – AY.
Find Them: Facebook // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Own Your Life – St. Neots, England, United Kingdom – ‘OYL’
Giving you NYHC meets Metal, Own Your Life from the UK give you what you came for with this self-titled song. The powerhouse voice, “f-you” attitude and in your face lyrics are yelled to remind you Hardcore is alive and well. You are eased into the song with a grimy guitar riff, throughout you grasp onto the Hardcore chords and heavy hitting vocals. This new school Hardcore is here to stay and these guys will make sure of it. – AY.
Find Them: Facebook // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Bogans – Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom – ‘[redacted’]
The energy, charisma and attitude you want your Skate Punk to have, Bogans have got it. Rugged vocals and great chord progression that keep you listening, ‘[redacted]’ will be one of your favourite anthems. Giving a early 2000’s Pop-Punk feel but just enough “Skate” to keep it balanced, this chant worthy song makes for a great tune to keep your party going. – AY.
Find Them: Facebook // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Papertank – La Chaux De Fonds, Switzerland – ‘God Bless You, Wicked’
If you like your music fast, dirty and Post-Hardcore, Papertank is just what you need. The first single from their album Playground, ‘God Bless You, Wicked’ gives you aggressive and unique from the beginning. Fast and booming drums pull you in while the dominant vocals leave you wanting more. This three-piece gives you a taste of originality and the essence of early 2000’s emotive Garage Rock, instantly getting you hooked. – AY.
Find Them: Facebook // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Two For Flinching – Perth, Western Australia, Australia – ‘Cuckoo’
Great riffs, emotional driven vocals and powerhouse drumming. It’s everything you want in an anthem and Two For Flinching gives it to you. ‘Cuckoo’ is different. It’s memorable chorus flows as the group shouts and progressions throughout are greatly timed. It gives a slight Hardcore vibe while staying true to the bands Aussie-Punk sound. A must listen. Literally right now! – AY.
Find Them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Article
Fire At Will – Toulouse, France. – ‘Walk The Line’
From the sombre opening to the charged percussion following, this track builds and builds to anthemic guitar melodies soaring through a raw chorus. All the while an anthem of camaraderie is sung at you in such away that even if you’re on your own, you raise a fist in solidarity. This is just under two and half minutes of honest anthemic Melodic Hardcore born from nothing but emotion. This is one of my personal favourites on this list and I really hope it makes into your playlists. – MS.
Find Them: Facebook // Twitter // bandcamp // Spotify // Article
Darko – Guilford, England, United Kingdom.
Darko prior to the release of this album and consequently this track, boasted that it would contain their biggest chorus’ to date. Having been a relatively green fan of the band at the time, I did my research before the release of this mammoth of melodies and crunchy technical riffs and was happy enough. However, then Bonsai Mammoth was released or rather unleashed and the difficult task of choosing just one ensued. ‘Life Forms’ was chosen eventually and ill leave it to you to work out why. – MS.
Find Then: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // bandcamp // Spotify // Deezer // Article
And so marks the end of this list, I hope you enjoyed listening to it as much as we did putting it together as we will likely do a volume two in the near future.
To finish this musically, I decided to go with the the track and video – ‘When We Rule The World’ by Authority Zero.
AZ have always been a personal favourite and with their latest album Broadcasting To The Nations being the absolute Punk-Rock powerhouse that it is, a track from it had to go in. The band then released the video for this during the long process of putting this article together and as you will gather, it’s quite frankly perfect.
Look after each other out there…
#StayFresh
