ITT: Post Post-Punk

Before anyone tries to redirect this to the punk thread, post-punk is a completely separate genre of music. After the whole punk movement took a nosedive in the late '70s, bands following in its wake took on a much more experimental and unique style. Established punks like Talking Heads, The Stranglers, and Wire began trying out new sounds and styles, while new bands cropping up like Gang of Four and Echo and the Bunnymen also drew from a punk influence while remaining distinctively not punk. Plus, the punk thread is about as dead as punk itself >.>

Anyway, this thread is for post-punk music. Most of my knowledge comes from late 70s to early 80s post-punk, but don't let that stop you from posting post-post-punk (or however many posts you kiddies add nowadays to sound hip). If it's got that punk-inspired DIY attitude and a flair for something a little more avant-garde, just post it. Everything from Devo's herky-jerky synth-pop to Joy Division's cold rhythmic bleakness to Birthday Party's noisy musical deconstruction applies here, folks.

Without further ado, let's listen to some music!


Human Switchboard



These guys are just pure garagey, fun post-punk with an incredible knack for great melodies and amazing lyrics. They're like the musical descendants of the Velvet Underground or the Modern Lovers. When I first listened to Whose Landing on My Hangar, that album instantly skyrocketed to one of my favorites of all time. Picked up their more recent anthology when that came out, and it didn't leave my car's CD player for three weeks straight.

[youtube]0tfAG-52xt8[/youtube]

This song has such a slow build up, but once it starts to really pick up, you become hooked. Even when Bob Pfeifer starts singing in Slovenian, you can't help but try to sing along. The back and forth singing between him and Myrna plays out marvelously. And when it feels like it's reaching a breaking point, it just drops back down, only to build up slowly once again. By the end, it's devolving into just a gloriously beautiful mess. Such an amazing song. Listen to it, take a moment, and hit replay.


Tones on Tail



After the Bauhaus but before Love and Rockets, this is what Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins were up to. Although definitely a darker, more gothic kind of post-punk, Tones on Tail were an extremely varied band. They drew from jazz, funk, psychedelia, rock, synth pop, punk, and everything else around them and created consistently wonderful songs.

[youtube]eRyZmaznjbU[/youtube]

This tune is just fucking cool. The sound of lighting up a cigarette around 24 seconds in just clinches it. It maintains a mellow, jazzy vibe while getting more and more swinging as it goes on. Daniel Ash's laid-back, nonchalant singing is spot on, ending each verse with a jaded "It's no good." Definitely one of my favorite songs to just chill out and smoke to.


The Feelies



Nerdy and awkward at first glance, The Feelies offer some great twitchy rhythm and fun wordplay. There's a certain energetic nervousness to their music that just works too perfectly. And even when they come off as just being goofy, you can always tell that this is a band that really has fun playing their music.

[youtube]Uw9GdO9aIdk[/youtube]

Right from the start, the Feelies dive into the song with an animated, spirited vigor. The whole band just plays and sings along with such giddy joy. The chorus really couldn't be much simpler, so you'll quickly be singing along as well. The album this is from, Crazy Rhythms, aptly describes just what you're getting. It's upbeat, catchy and over far too soon.


Young Marble Giants



Eerily minimalistic, this band knows how to use silence in their music. Their sound is bareboned and choppy, even empty sounding. But it works so perfectly, especially once Alison Statton starts singing. In its bleak, musical surroundings, her voice just casually drifts through unintrusively. I'm pretty sure this is what ghosts listen to.

[youtube]HifY-0pzLMg[/youtube]

This song feels so restrained, like it's just trying to break out while the band just coolly keeps it held back. Statton's voice haunts the song, passing in and out with a sort of free indifference. But most importantly of all, it sounds so cool. I don't know how to describe it, really. Eerie, weird, desolate, whatever it is, it's cool.


And that just barely scratches the surface. There's so much great post-punk out there; dive in and start posting. Try to link to the songs if you can; this is a music thread, after all. Don't just post "I really like the Fall" and add nothing else. Old school, new school, home school, whatever, I don't care, just post it if it's post-punk ^.^
 
My favorite genre? Maybe

Sample playlist:

MAGAZINE - Shot by both sides http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybUqM8jf3mU
PIL - No birds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xg5ShByeuA
BAUHAUS - The Passion of Lovers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8UnELB1hV4
THE CHAMELEONS - Second skin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8u5qyn0Zzk
CHRISTIAN DEATH - Romeo's distress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8uniITqqB8
WIRE - Marooned http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5IRAOVkuw
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN - Nocturnal me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZFScP4B4Q4
NEW MODEL ARMY - My Country http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnmg-k1BR6U
THE WILD SWANS - The iron bed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-gox5HQy7A
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - Several sins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL2ZcBBU8VA
DECIMA VICTIMA - Tan lejos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCZt4tq_Ws
KILLING JOKE - Love like blood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpwuRlXbhk
PERE UBU - Non-alignment pact http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZty5DTmpMY
 

gene

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some lesser-known gems:

red temple spirits - exorcism / waiting for the sun - tribal-sounding, sounds a bit like bauhaus sometimes. unfortunately, the only video i could find has shitty sound quality.

ikon - condemnation - addictive, sounds like joy division with johnny marr.

pink turns blue - after all - looking out the window on a rainy day or something

frank the baptist - signing off - 00s gothic rock

egor and the fuckups - freedom - noisy russian post-punk band. gloomy with folk and psych influences.

wonky alice - atomic raindance - jangly, psych-influenced post-punk
 
Haha, nice finds, gene. Also, spies, thank you for posting Wild Swans. I've been meaning to look into them for a while, but just kept...not doing so for some reason. Finally did, and I'm digging it.

How about getting some Danielle Dax up in here? She's like a creepier, darker Siouxsie...

[youtube]xogygZPBxS0[/youtube]

Her voice is oddly as sexy as it is unsettling... >.> or is that just me?
 
[youtube]wSr0aeHYMSc[/youtube]

Ah yes, The Cure's "Pornography" album. Who could forget it?

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Idk I love this song. Heard it one time when I was extremely drunk and it became my jam ever since.

[youtube]2ownZDWNIRs[/youtube]

[youtube]21htaunoKOA[/youtube]

The Smiths writing was heavily influenced by post-punk and I would consider them post punk so....
 
Johnnyrolo not a single one of those bands you just listed are post punk >_> EDIT: well NOW they are :D (props for Crass though, always thought they were a cool anarchopunk group)

EDIT: will for sure add more later but i'll throw a few favorites out now

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[youtube]lzZMhAM2SqU[/youtube]

[youtube]5cKuqBGrvy8[/youtube]

[youtube]t7sNfbprnKU[/youtube]

[youtube]jBaQOdsTAKo[/youtube]
 
Awkward post-punk dance off time ^.^

Ian Curtis, shake your shit!

[youtube]QVc29bYIvCM[/youtube]

David Byrne, how do your legs even do that!? Seriously, how!?

[youtube]KsksSWOxq2Y[/youtube]

Nick Cave, please, stop that. It's hideous to the eyes ;-;

[youtube]l5I2vEcVC_I[/youtube]
 
Out of curiosity, when do you all think post-punk got started? I've heard people say it wasn't until Joy Division started up, which is nice to think, I guess. I've also heard that the death of the Buzzcocks and formation of Magazine marks the beginning of post-punk. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, but I'd say Iggy Pop's The Idiot was the first real post-punk album.

I know, I know, The Idiot came out in 1977, when punk hit it's famed glory year. And I get that it's hard to say that the post-punk movement was already in full swing when punk was at it's prime. But, it seems sensible that a man that's been playing this sound for a decade was also the first to be ready to move on. Let's face it: if The Idiot came out in 1979, no one would question that it's post-punk. And, honestly, listen to this shit:

[youtube]5F718vM1hHE[/youtube]

Make a legit case that it doesn't sound post-punk, and I'll accept it. But to my ears, that's the beginning of something new. It's experimental, it's satirical, and it's fucking new. And seriously, at that point, punk was becoming the pantomime of itself that it's known for today. The Idiot was the first album to jump up and say "yo, this shit is being taken way too seriously," and accept the fact that it would be called idiotic because of that.
 

xenu

Banned deucer.
posting some essentials

NEW ORDER - SUBSTANCE 1987



This is just a fantastic album. New Order's probably some of the best post-punk out there. They're pretty similar to Joy Division (a bit more electronic though tbh) so you should definitely check them out, especially this particular album.

[YOUTUBE]DgxfrANenCw[/YOUTUBE]


JOY DIVISION - UNKNOWN PLEASURES



joy division's best

[YOUTUBE]fhCLalLXHP4[/YOUTUBE]


TALKING HEADS - REMAIN IN LIGHT



[youtube]ilcD1fHcGB0[/youtube]


that's all for now
 
I have a post punk song stuck in my head but the problem is I dont know what it is, who sings it, or a full lyric to the song.
 
Nice, classics! Also, jonnyrolo, it's totally "Totally Wired"

[youtube]aT-ZD5Q8G2w[/youtube]

If it wasn't, it totally is now. T-t-t-totally.
 
Bringing this back from the grave cuz we all need to hear some more post-punk and Glen still needs to post gdi! I'll get it back rolling with some stuff I've been really digging the past few months~

The Clean

A giddy, quirky New Zealand act. They put out an anthology not too long that I definitely recommend. Tons of great songs, but it would be a crime to not link "Tally Ho" first.


The Boys Next Door

Nick Cave's first band. They're a lot less hectic than the Birthday Party, for better or for worse. "Shivers" is a really soul-bearing tune that shows the early punk-poet at work, but I gotta go with a Nancy Sinatra cover that can knock your teeth out.


The newest Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album fits the post-punk bill perfectly as well, so be sure to give that a spin~

The Trypes

If you liked The Feelies, two of the founding members forced their way into this band. Pretty easy to see the resemblance, though it's a bit more mellow. Velvets and Television fans will probably dig these lads.


Phew

Spooky Japanese krautrock goodness. I can't understand a word this chick is saying, but it's fine, cuz I dig it regardless.


So, what post-punk have you kids been playing lately?
 

Bad Ass

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i am absolutely not cool enough for this thread.

any time is a good time for wipers. one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums, really raw and intense. i love the sound of the guitars on youth in america (the album and the song), i heard it once described as a buzzsaw which i thought fit really well.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAwBKjz91F0‎ AND
other bands that it is always a good time for include public image ltd. i saw spies post something earlier, and here are two of their "less popular" songs (everyone knows fame and swan lake). vocals are especially rock your fucking socks off, john lydon surpasses anything he ever did in sex pistols with the shit he does here. classic post-punk.



this heat is a little more out there than the last two bread-and-butter ones i posted. nonetheless, they are still great. pretty paranoid, jerky, mysterious, cryptic lyrics and interesting instrumentation. their 1981 album deceit is quite good, one of those albums where it's difficult to pick out a bad song.


mark smith is truly great. if you like your lyrics to have a particularly deep meaning, perhaps stray away from the fall, but his unique brand of crazy-guy-on-the-corner-esque rambling proves to be very interesting.


suicide is one of those bands that i have to be in the mood for but in any case its very energetic and tense muzak.


i don't give a fuck if this is post-punk or post-hardcore or math rock or who gives a fuck because its awesome [unwound]
 

Bad Ass

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holy formatting batman, sorry about that but i cant be fucked to change each individual paragraph to the correct size
 

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