Cowpunk
 |
| Cowpunk | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Punk rock Southern rock Country rock Roots rock |
| Cultural origins | late 1970s United Kingdom and early 1980's Los Angeles |
| Typical instruments | Vocals - Guitar - Bass - drums - occasional use of other instruments |
| Derivative forms | indie rock - post punk - alternative country - psychobilly |
| Other topics | |
| Punk rock subgenres, Timeline of punk rock, timeline of alternative rock, cowpunk, psychobilly, swamp rock, garage rock, post-punk | |
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock that began in Southern California in the 1980s, especially Los Angeles. It combines punk rock with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style. It tends to downplay the fashion elements associated with the British psychobilly genre, and grew directly out of the city's strong roots in both country music, country rock, and folk rock.[1] Many of the musicians in this scene have now become associated with alternative country or roots rock.
Bands associated with the 1980s "Cowpunk" ethos in Los Angeles
- The Beat Farmers (1980s San Diego)
- The Blasters (1980s Los Angeles, rockabilly and proto-Roots music, led by Dave Alvin)
- Blood on the Saddle (1980s Los Angeles)
- Chris D. and the Divine Horsemen (1980s Los Angeles, leader of the punk band The Flesh Eaters
- Danny and Dusty (1980s Los Angeles, country collaboration between Green on Red and Steve Wynn)
- Green On Red (1980s Tucson and Los Angeles, with roots in the "Paisley Underground")
- The Gun Club (1980s Los Angeles)
- The Knitters (1980s Los Angeles, made up of the members of X (U.S. band) and The Blasters)
- Lone Justice (1980s Anaheim and Los Angeles, led by Maria McKee)
- The Long Ryders (1980s Los Angeles, with roots in "Paisley Underground")
- Los Lobos (1980s East L.A., proto-Roots music)
- Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper (1980s San Diego)
- Rank and File (1980s San Francisco/Los Angeles)
- Rosie and the Screamers (1980s San Diego, led by Rosie Flores)
- The Rave-Ups (1980s Los Angeles)
- Tex and the Horseheads (1980s Los Angeles)
- X (U.S. band) (1980s Los Angeles, punk with country and rockabilly influences)
- Dwight Yoakam (1980s Los Angeles, straight ahead country)
Other Notable Cowpunk bands and musicians
- Blessid Union of Souls
- Colorfinger
- The Cramps
- D-A-D (early career)
- Dash Rip Rock
- Drive-by Truckers
- Gas Huffer
- The Hickoids
- Jason and the Scorchers(1980s)
- k.d. lang (early career)
- Fred LeBlanc
- Th' Legendary Shack Shakers (1990s Nashville)
- Lucero
- Mary Prankster
- Maria McKee
- McPherson Struts
- The Meat Puppets (1980s Arizona)
- The Mekons
- Nashville Pussy
- Nine Pound Hammer
- Reverend Horton Heat
- Rubber Rodeo
- Slim Cessna's Auto Club
- Social Distortion
- Southern Culture on the Skids
- The Supersuckers
- E.J. Wells
- Hank Williams III
Secondary Sources
- Einarson, John. Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2001
- Haslam, Gerald W. Workin' Man Blues: Country Music in California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999
- Wolff, Kurt. The Rough Guide to Country Music. London: Rough Guides, 2000.
See also
References
- ^ Gerald Haslam, Workin' Man Blues: Country Musc in California (Berkeley: University of Calfornia Press, 1999) covers all of the major movements in California Country music from the Hollywood Cowboys to Country Rock. He also includes a chapter on the 1980s and the "Los Angeles renaissance" of country-styled "roots", rockabilly and cowpunk music and interviews members of The Blasters, Los Lobos, X/The Knitters, Lone Justice, Dwight Yoakam, Rosie Flores, Rank and File and The Beat Farmers. Kurt Wolff in The Rough Guide to Country Music (London: Rough Guides, 2000) also highlights chapters covering major California contributions to Country Music: Hollywood Cowboys, The Bakersfield Sound and Country Rock as well as California's contribution to Western Swing. Under chapters dealing with Dwight Yoakam and Alternative Country, Wolf mentions the influence of Los Angeles and its 1980s "roots" music scene.