Music - British Punk

All Samuels Public Library cardholders are eligible for three free downloads a week from Freegal, a massive online database containing over 500,000 songs.  Sifting through such an enormous selection of music can be a daunting task, so we here at Samuels have decided to offer a few suggestions for the overwhelmed (or new) Freegal user.  This week's topic is British punk rock:

 

The Clash

"1977"
From Super Black Market Clash 

1977 was the year punk exploded in England; it was also the name of the first single by The Clash, one of the first and best bands to emerge in the new genre.  Exuding style and attitude, The Clash brashly sneer through "1977" in less than two minutes, providing a fist-pumping anthem for a generation of disaffected British youth.

The Undertones

"Teenage Kicks"

From The Undertones

The favorite song of legendary DJ John Peel, “Teenage Kicks” is a blast of adolescent hormones, buzzing guitars, and sweet melody.  Arriving on the scene in 1979, Ireland’s The Undertones were part of the second wave of punk bands catapulted into the limelight after the tremendous popularity of groups like The Clash. Poppier than many of their English peers, The Undertones sang about classic rock n’ roll themes: girls, summer, chocolate, and more girls.     

The Only Ones

"Another Girl, Another Planet"

From Special View

Though not a punk band in the strictest sense, The Only Ones formed in England in the mid-seventies and shared a similar sensibility to many of the punks.  At times they echoed the raucous and raunchy sound of punk forefathers The New York Dolls, as on their most punk moment, “Another Girl, Another Planet,” the band’s best song and one of the greatest singles of the era.