Boston punk has its own particular style, with much of it taking Celtic rock influences, like Dropkick Murphys or Street Dogs. However, this regional subgenre has seen many great bands that don’t draw from the stereotypical Boston Irish influences. These are bands that represent pure Boston punk in all its many facets. Here are three punk bands you should know who hail from Beantown.
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[RELATED: Chicago Pop-Punk Bands that Aren’t Fall Out Boy]
The Unseen
The Unseen is a rowdy, rollicking example of Boston punk that leans into hardcore with their shreddy guitars and explosive vocals. They’re classic punk, offering mostly shorter songs that burst forth from a place of strong emotions. It’s all hardcore yelling and melodies that are often similar, but punk is not what you do, it’s who you are. The Unseen expertly embody the spirit of pure punk that emerged in the 90s, as the band formed in 1993 among a group of high school friends. Give The Unseen a try if you’re harboring a lot of anger and need to scream it out, especially their album The Anger and the Truth.
The Explosion
The Explosion took an interesting approach to their 2012 album Bury Me Standing. It opens with a tinkling piano phrase, then transitions into a tight, controlled punk sound. This seems like it would be contradictory for a punk record—since when is punk anything but messy? However, The Explosion has a unique style that reins in the sloppiness of standard punk and gives it more of a Mighty Mighty Bosstones treatment. It leans ska on some tracks, but there’s still the foundation of punk that pulls it all together.
The Ducky Boys
The Ducky Boys are similar to The Explosion in style, as they don’t lean as hardcore as The Unseen. But, they still have a strong punk background that comes out in their lyrics and guitar work. As a Boston punk band, they have a particular attitude that just sounds like Boston—you know the saying that people from New England are kind but not nice? That’s what these bands sound like. They would help you out if you got a flat tire, but they’d berate you the whole time. Really, Boston punk is built different—it’s quintessentially New England, but if you know nothing about New England you might not notice.
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