U.S. Punk Rock from the 1980s

Hey! I’ve been listening to The Replacements record Let It Be recently on my walks. What an album! I wondered if anyone had any recommendations for anything vaguely similar from that time period? I feel as though I have a decent grip on what was happening in the UK during that decade but for some reason a lot of these great American bands seem to have slipped beneath my radar. Punk, post-punk, rock, alternative rock, call it what you will - anything guitar based and noisy is welcome!

Really like this outtake from Let It Be. I’m guessing Kurt Cobain was a fan of Paul Westerberg? Very similar vocal delivery on this.

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For the more melodic, punk/alt rock 80s us stuff, try…

Mission of Burma
Wipers
Husker du
Minutemen
Meat puppets

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I recommend reading Our Band Could Be Your Life too. It covers the American ‘underground’ of the 80’s. It’s a brilliant read.

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Was just about to make the same recommendation - it’s a great book!

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watch this, it’s ace

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Here is one of my favourite 80s punk songs.

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Bad Brains

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The Gun Club!

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Also, check out the debut album by The Dream Syndicate - The Days of Wine & Roses. They headed in a different direction after the first album, and I like pretty much everything they’ve done other than some of the songs from Out of the Grey, but you would probably be most into the debut.

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The Feelies

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this might be a better intro actually

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I LOVE that first album. Never really got along with the rest of them though, which is a shame.

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These guys have a pretty short discography (one album and a couple of EPs, now usually found compiled onto one album called The Greatest Gift) before the singer and bassist formed The Jesus Lizard instead

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Wipers

Greg sage (From the wipers)

Minor threat

Cramps

The Gun Club

Circle Jerks

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one of the best

a bit earlier but still, should do…

One of the best 80’s Dischord albums…

Dag Nasty are pretty ace

Scream

The BIg Boys and The Dicks shared a killer lp

Kids are fightng now so best go help out but yeah, 80’s US punk is great :smiley:

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The book is also responsible for Mission of Burma’s reunion, apparently they all thought nobody cared or remembered them until it came out!

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