Pop/Rock » Alternative/Indie Rock » Garage Punk

Before the punk-pop wing of America's '90s punk revival hit the mainstream, a different breed of revivalist punk had been taking shape in the indie-rock underground. In general, garage punk wasn't nearly as melodic as punk-pop; instead, garage punk drew its inspiration chiefly from the Detroit proto-punk of the Stooges and the MC5. Attitude and noise were far more important to garage punk than catchy melodies, and the attitude was reflected in the sound of the music: dirty, grimy, sleazy, angry, menacing, and just flat-out ugly. Some of the first garage punk bands who appeared in the late '80s and early '90s (Mudhoney, the Supersuckers) signed with the Sub Pop label, whose early grunge bands shared some of the same influences and aesthetics (in fact, Mudhoney became one of the founders of grunge). Although garage punk never came close to hitting the mainstream, bands like New Bomb Turks and the Humpers helped maintain a cult audience for the style through the '90s. Additionally, several bands in the stoner-rock revival movement (Nebula, for instance) began crafting a slightly psychedelic variation on garage punk.