Post-punk revival

Post-Punk Revival
Stylistic origins	Indie rock, Post-punk, Punk rock
Cultural origins	Early 2000s, United Kingdom and United States
Typical instruments	Guitar – Bass – Drums – Keyboards

The post-punk revival is a movement in alternative rock of the 2000s where bands draw from of the original sounds and aesthetics of the post-punk sound of the late 1970's, some also taking cues and influences from various genres. The movement began and is most prominent in English speaking countries such as the UK, the US, and various Mainland European countries, and has been especially tied to the New York City and London music scenes.

History of the post-punk revival

Originally, the term "post-punk" was coined to describe those groups which in the late seventies and early eighties took punk and started to experiment with more challenging musical structures, lyrical themes, and a self-consciously art-based image, while retaining punk's initial iconoclastic stance. Classic examples of post-punk outfits include the Psychedelic Furs, Gang of Four, Joy Division, XTC, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Raincoats, Wire, and Magazine.

At the turn of the century, the term "post-punk" began to appear in the music press again, with a number of critics reviving the label to describe a new set of bands that shared some of the aesthetics of the original post-punk era. The Rapture, Liars, Interpol and Bloc Party were the first commercially successful projects to revive media interest in the movement.. This second wave of post-punk incorporates elements of dance music and genres that are part of the indie rock movement in much the same way that the original post-punk movement was influenced by the Krautrock, Dub, and Disco music of the 1970s. Music critic Simon Reynolds notes that these bands generally draw influence from the more angular strain of post-punk bands such as Wire and Gang of Four.

As this revival continued to pick up steam, even more influences could be heard in new bands, besides the aforementioned angular sounds. Many of the more recent post-punk revival bands have been informed by a diverse range of original post-punk music, ranging from the ethereal guitar textures of bands like The Chameleons and Sad Lovers and Giants to quirkier, more eccentric artists like Magazine, Josef K, and The Monochrome Set to noisy art-punk bands like The Birthday Party, The Fall, and The Pop Group. Even more analog electronic groups such as Fad Gadget, early Human League, and Tuxedomoon can be heard in many of the most recent revival bands.

See also

• List of post-punk bands

External links

• New Wave/Post-Punk Revival at All Music Guide