Anarchy was embraced as an aesthetic by early influential punk bands like the Sex Pistols, but Anarchism was advocated by punks quickly following the founding of the movement. Anarchist themes show up in lyrics, art, and a DIY ethos that favors independent record labels over corporate ones. Bands who directly promote Anarchism are called anarcho-punk, and while not all bands are anarcho-punk, the influence of bands like Crass and Choking Victim on punk is impossible to overstate. But before I get into it, I should probably explain what Anarchism is and what I really mean when I call a band “anarcho-punk.”

First, Anarchism, contrary to popular belief, is not the whining of edgy teenagers but an actual formal ideology with serious ideas about how society should work. And those ideas are not “cause as much destruction and chaos as possible.” I could explain everything anarchists believe, but that isn’t really the point of this post. If you do want know more, I highly recommend this video PhilosophyTube.

Second, calling some bands anarcho-punk is brushing in broad strokes. It does not communicate all the political ideas bands have espoused over the years, including but not limited to: anti-capitalism, anti-authoritarianism, anti-racism, feminism, environmentalism, veganism and animal rights. It also doesn’t communicate the fact that many different bands that are called anarcho-punk occupy completely different genres, ranging from crust to folk punk. Even the pop band Chumbawumba has been called anarcho-punk due to its members advocacy of it.

With that said, instead of covering anarcho-punk bands in general I thought I would focus on anarcho-punk bands that were influential in the movement and/or are personal favorites of mine.

CRASS

I personally don’t enjoy Crass’ music all that much, but any discussion on anarcho-punk is incomplete without at least mentioning them. They are, without a doubt, the most important and influential anarcho-punk band ever. Not only did they popularize Anarchism in the punk scene of the late 70’s through music and handouts they made themselves, they also founded and released music on their own record label. They were also active anarchists outside of their music, spreading their message through graffiti, coordinating squats and other political actions. They became synonymous with the Peace Movement of the late 70’s and early 80’s, soundtracking the rise of the peace punks. For all the provocative posturing of the punk bands of the day, Crass was truly subversive.

Crass released five albums: The Feeding of the 5000 (1978), Stations of the Crass (1979), Penis Envy (1981), Christ – The Album (1982), Yes Sir, I Will (1982) and Ten Notes on a Summer’s Day (1986). I don’t have much to say musically about them, but they are important regardless. I will say that Penis Envy is the best name anyone could have come up with for a feminist punk album.

ZOUNDS

Zounds was the first anarcho-punk band I ever listened to. They emerged out of the cassette culture of the 70’s, where artists would send each other tapes in the mail for them to listen to. They also often performed at illegal squats and free festivals, concerts where there’s no admission and visitors are encouraged to perform as well as listen to the music. They were also good friends with Crass; after a chance meeting, Zounds began to tour with them and even had their first album, 1981’s The Curse of Zounds, released by Crass Records.

Although they put out another album in 2011, The Curse of Zounds defines Zounds to me. I normally hate post-punk, but I could listen to this album every day. In between all the harshness inherent to anarcho-punk, there’s something refreshing about their unique sound. It can be fast and explosive, or slow and methodical; Did He Jump or Was He Pushed is a nearly ten-minute song, almost unheard of in punk, but punks worship it all the same. The lyrics, instead of directly or aggressively attacking the establishment like most bands, focus more on the daily emotional toll capitalism takes on people.

The beat is infectious. The guitar work gives you tight and punchy riffs, never going for any longer than they need to. In short, it’s a post-punk band that isn’t boring. That’s an accomplishment in itself.

CHOKING VICTIM

Although Choking Victim was founded almost 20 years after both Crass and Zounds broke up, they ended up being one of the most influential anarcho-punk bands ever. How influential? How about creating-their-own-subgenre influential? That subgenre is called Crack Rock, named after the song Crack Rock Steady in their only album No Gods, No Managers, released in 1999. Even though the band broke up the day after it was recorded, this album practically went viral in the punk community.

I used to listen to this album every single day. Musically, it’s almost perfect. It finds just the right blend between hardcore and ska, also getting me to finally stop making fun of ska. Although the lyrics are pessimistic, they’re also very funny. Combined with ska’s melodic rhythms, it’s one of the most gleefully energetic albums I know.

Politically, Choking Victim was often focused on criticizing capitalism. The songs are often intro’d with excerpts from a speech by political scientist Michael Parenti, such as Money, where he rails against the influence of money on police and military actions. They also seem to have a particular hatred for “ignorant” people who watch TV, despite the fact that they all smoked crack, as expressed in 500 Channels: “500 channels of a day-dream simulation/helps me to resent my life and raise my expectations/Locked into reruns, your memories repeating, and all your ideas seem so self-defeating.” Nevertheless, the overall lyrics are way more complicated and intelligent than most anarcho-punk bands of the 70’s and 80’s were. But they still never let go of that sense of fun.

Punk rock, especially anarcho-punk, can be very self-serious. And it should be. The world needs challenging music. But the best way to present challenging music in is to also make it fun.

That’s it for this post. Thanks for reading, and have fun listening to your new favorite bands.