Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Punk anin't no religious cult- punk means thinking for yourself!

Honestly, punk is sort of a dead ideology. I love a lot of the music, but the whole stigma and attitude that comes with it is just really meatheaded. Dressing in leather and studs and having dyed hair does not qualify as being punk.

That being said, Midwestern punk is basically taking off at the moment. Like 80% of the decent punk bands all fall under that category.

April...how are things going? Good to see you on here...

As far as punk goes, I've never really been a fan. I listen to some fringe punk bands, but I've never really gotten that much into it.

And as far as thinking for yourself, all music is about that (except maybe teenie bopper music). Originality is something that is required for music to be accepted. So I hate it when people that like different genres of music try to single themselves out as special. All music is great, and it's more a matter of _style_ than a matter of thinking for yourself.

As far as the "punk" sub-category goes(and I hate labeling), I would group Ani DiFranco, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits under that category. Am I crazy or are they more punk than other so called "punk wonders" like Good Charlotte, Sum 41, New Found Glory, and the such that dried out formulas made standard on Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph catalogues (which, honestly, were getting a little stale at the point of these labels' respective peaks).

I'm a bastard when it comes to cracking down on "punk" bands. Because it is paining me to see the kiddie porn fad that is being passed off as the brutally honest _expression_ that punk used to represent, I write this.

as far as i'm concerned, punk started out as something original, but then got watered down with groups continuing to do the same thing over and over. groups like good charlotte (now sellouts), sum 41, and new found glory are excellent examples.