Punk Country
tagStarted 1978Peak 1981–1990; 2015–presentLast big hit still active
Punk country keeps country structures or imagery but attacks them with punk speed, distortion, sneer, and DIY production. Rhythms are quicker, guitars rougher, and the mood less "cry in your beer" than "throw the bottle and then maybe apologize tomorrow."
History
This lane developed in both U.K. and American punk/post-punk scenes where musicians discovered that old country songs and three-chord punk shared a common love of blunt feeling. It overlaps heavily with cowpunk but can be even rawer and less reverential toward classic-country sonics.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- cowpunk histories
- Britannica on rockabilly
- roots-punk scene histories