Punk rock originally emerged as a stripped-back counterpoint to the pretentious excesses of ‘70s arena rock. Inexperience was a virtue in this new genre that valued relentless speed and a do-it-yourself attitude of non-conformity above all else. Of course, a genre can only maintain a sense of danger and non-conformity so long before it’s chewed up, digested and spit out by the ever-changing music industry.

Nearly four decades since the genre’s brief flirtation with mainstream culture in the late ‘70s, punk has become a part of our shared musical history—a righteous mentality and purposely unhinged sound that shows up in even the most unlikely of songs. While it pervades across many genres, it often feels difficult nonetheless to find modern bands that uphold this raucous musical tradition without diluting it. Punk fans hoping for a current fix of rock’s most transgressive sounds need look no further than these eight bands.

Fucked Up

This Toronto-base hardcore act reminds us that punk rock and ambition aren’t mutually exclusive. Though Fucked Up’s sound is dependent upon an impenetrable wall of guitar noise and the throaty roar of singer Damian Abraham, they have no trouble fitting this familiar framework into sprawling concept albums that often exceed an hour of runtime. Behind all the raucous live energy of their songs, which translates surprisingly well to record, there are songs so dense in thematic storytelling and artful orchestral touches it takes a few listens to truly appreciate it all.

The Thermals

The Thermals abandoned their lo-fi sound some time ago, but their music remains rooted in the modest traditions of garage and punk rock. There’s a definite sense of punk rock agency behind their simple but catchy melodicism, as their lyrics frequently twist familiar political and religious imagery into anti-authoritarian calls to action. Singer Hutch Harris talk-sings his way through garage rock anthem after garage rock anthem, revealing surprising personal and universal depths lurking just behind the impenetrable sound of the band’s three-piece dynamic.

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White Lung

Most of White Lung’s songs have all the speed and fury typically associated with punk rock, but their unique, echo-laden production style adds a layer of atmospheric menace that moodier post-punk bands of the late ‘70s. The Vancouver band has garnered all sorts of critical attention for the resounding power and engrossing mood of their relentless albums. Their 2014 release Deep Fantasy, for example, needs only 22 minutes to take listeners on an assaultive but never alienating journey through the echo chamber of raw emotion singer Mish Barber-Way and the rest of the band seem to exist within.

Bad Religion

Bad Religion isn’t exactly new, but their career is a testament to the longevity of great, straightforward punk rock. One of the seminal Los Angeles punk bands, the group has released 16 astoundingly consistent albums since their 1982 debut, relying on a surefire formula where almost every song is a burst of melodic fury. It doesn’t hurt that Bad Religion’s aggressive political messaging is backed up by the real knowledge of singer Greg Graffin, who has also worked as a lecturer at UCLA and Cornell University.

Diarrhea Planet

Embracing the proud rock and roll tradition of excess, Nashville’s unfortunately named six-piece Diarrhea Planet boasts four guitarists in their lineup. The unusual dynamic defines their lively sound that verges depends equally on a thick wall of uptempo noise and intricate interplay between all four guitars at once. Their few albums do an admirable job of replicating their relentless live performances, allowing the band’s arena rock-worthy showmanship to shine through even when their lyrics are rendered unintelligible by the sheer force of the energy pulsing through every instrument on every track.

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FIDLAR

Despite its many subgenres, punk is built upon a sense of communal energy—a righteous us versus the world mentality that makes every mosh pit seem far more important than it probably is. FIDLAR don’t concern themselves with socially conscious songwriting, but their yelping group vocals and unhinged guitar interplay makes every song feel like a communal experience akin to a garage concert showstopper. Their decidedly care-free lyrics probe the lighter side of young adult life, gleefully shouting about the virtues and pratfalls of cheap beer, cocaine, and plenty more.

RVIVR

Refining their sound across a series of EPs and 7” records, Olympia, WA’s RVIVR finally emerged fully formed on their second LP The Beauty Between in 2013. Their familiar sound is backed up by a crisp production and competent playing that makes room for both rage and beauty within the same three-minute anthems. Wonderful assaults of noise give way to arrestingly pretty shimmering guitar solos, and loud calls to action give way to moments of true vulnerability. RVIVR demonstrates the diversity of emotion that can be conveyed within the narrow traditional framework of a punk rock song.

Tacocat

Bursting with enough radiant color to match their sunny bubblegum melodies, Seattle’s palindromic pop punk act Tacocat are a welcome reminder that punk rock can be fun without sacrificing the politically conscious bite that made it such a powerful cultural force in the first place. Billing themselves a feminist pop-punk band, Tacocat’s clever lyrics don’t reach for political relevance but instead stumble upon it in the course of humorously cataloguing life’s little annoyances through song. Whether they’re waxing poetic about dreary winter weather or railing against demeaning cat-callers, Tacocat’s clever lyricism pairs with their propulsive pop-punk sound to create songs that are strangely irresistible.

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