4 Modern Bands That Prove Punk’s Influence Never Left Rock

Punk rock isn’t super common in the mainstream anymore. The bands that are still around from the sub-genre’s heyday are keeping it alive, but few new artists are leaning into that sound and earning wild popularity anymore. There are only a handful of artists still keeping punk relevant in the mainstream. Check these bands out below. Of course, they aren’t indicative of all the underground artists keeping super fans of the genre entertained, but they are reminding the mainstream fringes what punk is all about.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 3 Punk-Leaning Hard Rock Songs That Perfected the Vibe of 1980s Rebellion]

Fontaines D.C.

Irish rock heavyweights Fontaines D.C. have brought a punky, counter-culture vibe back to rock. Though their sound has elements of grunge, there is an unmistakable punk influence. Take “Jackie Down The Line” for example. The aggressive vocal delivery screams punk in its heyday, while droning guitars hold down the fort. They are one of post-punk’s greatest exports, bringing an edge back to rock that was sorely missed.

IDLES

Moving to the U.K., we have IDLES. This English post-punk band doesn’t care much about digestibility. You either like them or think they are just noise. There’s very little in between. They imbue the spirit of older punk rock bands who shocked the system when the genre was still in its infancy. Sure, there are tinges of modernity in this track, but it has the same energy of punk from days gone by. It will excite punk listeners and scratch a rebellious itch in the listeners of other genres.

Amyl And The Sniffers

Amyl And The Sniffers is keeping 70s high-octane punk around. Though not fully in the mainstream, they’re not underground, adding an accessibility to post-punk that few of their peers can boast. From talking lyrics to jump-worthy choruses, this band has tapped into something thought to be gone from popular music decades ago. Listening to the frontwoman feels like a vibrant relic of times gone by.

Viagra Boys

The Viagra Boys embody the devil-may-care side of punk. Their lyrics are often tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at the genre they operate in. Their “stupid” persona is exactly what makes punk so great. They’re laughing in the face of what’s common, showing listeners a new way forward. That’s really what drew listeners into the sub-genre when it was first established. The bands that helped shape punk offered an alternative to everyday life: bold, brash escapism at its finest.

(Photo by JMEnternational/JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty Images)