What punk albums appeal to the "prog" ear?  (interesting sounds, musicianship, etc.)

For instance, ones that I have that I enjoy from the perspective of interesting music would be -

The Gang of Four - Entertainment!
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance, Dub Housing
Television - Marquee Moon
Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
Wire - Pink Flag, 154

Anyone recommend anything else?

I listen to some punk bands that may attract the prog ear. I've mentioned "Rx Bandits" many times but many people have not responded to them. They are a fast driven reggae type band that experiments with times and has some very clever lyrics. Though they are not prog they are one of my favorite bands. They have one guitar player, drummer, an alto/tenor sax, keyboard, and other various cameo horns. Another band (though tending a little towards metal) is "thrice". Their lyrics are incredible and the music is very cool with some nice time changes and instrumentation. Those are the best two I can name for you as most punk bands don't care much for talent or experimenting.

If your into a more hardcore approach I would recommend "Refused" (though they broke up) they came out with an album "The Shape of Punk to Come" in 1998 that was really pushing the borders (especially to the standard "punk"s eyes.) They do a lot of cool time changes, have some part by part songs and lyrics that deal with a revolution, peace, and the equality of humanity.

But overall, check out Rx. The album to check out would be "The Resignation" since the other albums are less instrumentational and not as well written. They have also said that their new album (coming out in November) will be far more musically advanced and will lean towards "pushing the boundaries of modern music" so I am extremely pumped for that. Thrice has also anounced that their new album will be their style of punk (very instrumentally invovled with changing signatures and poetic lyrics) will be more blues and jazz driven, which will be a surprise that I am waiting for.

Overall I feel like thrice and Rx Bandits (especially) are going to evolve into the newer sounds of modern prog without being heavily prog influenced in their backgrounds. This is what will make them unique and separate them from the progressive bands that we are used to hearing. A lot of my friends that listen to prog think I'm crazy for saying it, but these bands that grew up in the punk and ska/reggae scene IMO will be the new bearers of a new style of prog.

Thanks Bartok for the interesting topic. Theres been enough punk bashing without the time to experiment the small minority of impressive bands in the genre.

I highly Recomend At The Drive-In.  Two of the band memebers are in the Mars Volta, and you can catch a bit of the spirit of their old music.  Their best album would probably be "Relationship of Command."

i would suggest black flags album - family man a half instrumental half spoken word album

Something about the dead kennedys i like as well maybe im just crazy

and definetly check out the first 2 public image ltd album there awesome even though there closer to avant garde then punk i would recomend it

The Stranglers (inc great moog solo on Nice N Sleazy)

Siouxsie And The Banshees (.btw the remasters of their albums are coming out soon)

Public Image Limited (the album with Steve Vai)

Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts (or is that grunge??!)

I second Stranglers.

And I know I'm alone in this around here, but I love Green Day, especially the latest album.

Toyah - Sheep Farming in Barnet / The Blue Meaning

The former is co-produced by Keith Hale of Comus and Hawkwind fame.

I third the Stranglers - and would recommend the 1977-1982 Collection to anyone not familiar, or vaguely familar and wants to hear more of their good stuff. The albums tend to be patchy, but never standard punk fare. 

Also, the Damned did some very interesing psychedelia inspired stuff. "Machine Gun Etiquette" and "Phantasmagoria" are well worth a second listen. I'm particularly keen on their cover of "Alone Again Or" (the Love classic).

FragileDT wrote: I listen to some punk bands that may attract the prog ear. I've mentioned "Rx Bandits" many times but many people have not responded to them. They are a fast driven reggae type band that experiments with times and has some very clever lyrics. Though they are not prog they are one of my favorite bands. They have one guitar player, drummer, an alto/tenor sax, keyboard, and other various cameo horns. Another band (though tending a little towards metal) is "thrice". Their lyrics are incredible and the music is very cool with some nice time changes and instrumentation. Those are the best two I can name for you as most punk bands don't care much for talent or experimenting. If your into a more hardcore approach I would recommend "Refused" (though they broke up) they came out with an album "The Shape of Punk to Come" in 1998 that was really pushing the borders (especially to the standard "punk"s eyes.) They do a lot of cool time changes, have some part by part songs and lyrics that deal with a revolution, peace, and the equality of humanity. But overall, check out Rx. The album to check out would be "The Resignation" since the other albums are less instrumentational and not as well written. They have also said that their new album (coming out in November) will be far more musically advanced and will lean towards "pushing the boundaries of modern music" so I am extremely pumped for that. Thrice has also anounced that their new album will be their style of punk (very instrumentally invovled with changing signatures and poetic lyrics) will be more blues and jazz driven, which will be a surprise that I am waiting for. Overall I feel like thrice and Rx Bandits (especially) are going to evolve into the newer sounds of modern prog without being heavily prog influenced in their backgrounds. This is what will make them unique and separate them from the progressive bands that we are used to hearing. A lot of my friends that listen to prog think I'm crazy for saying it, but these bands that grew up in the punk and ska/reggae scene IMO will be the new bearers of a new style of prog. Thanks Bartok for the interesting topic. Theres been enough punk bashing without the time to experiment the small minority of impressive bands in the genre.

This guy knows what he is talking about.  Rx Bandits are possibly my favourite band and not very well known at all so they play incredibly small venues.  So different, and great live.  Initially Refused sound quite harsh if you're not used to Hardcore but there is something about that album that keeps you listening.  Thrice are supposed to be going in a more "Cinematic" direction for their next album, which sounds promising!

I would add Coheed and Cambria to this list (Another one of my personal favourites).  If you like epic Sci Fi Tretraologies at all, this is the band for you.  The story is woven through the albums which is also being revealed in the singer's series of comics.  Geeky to the maximum, but in a good way, and lyrically not as cringeworthy as some of 2112 by Rush, although they are clearly a big influence.  Claudio Sanchez has got a freakishly high voice though that is a lot better than Geddy Lee's, in my opinion.  Coheed are also great live and the singer's afro is a sight to behold.  "In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth:3" is probably their best album to date but i am looking forward to the first part of the end of the saga "Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness".  Possibly one of the most ridiculously long titles ever but it should be good. 

Rx Bandit wrote: This guy knows what he is talking about.  Rx Bandits are possibly my favourite band and not very well known at all so they play incredibly small venues.  So different, and great live.  Initially Refused sound quite harsh if you're not used to Hardcore but there is something about that album that keeps you listening.  Thrice are supposed to be going in a more "Cinematic" direction for their next album, which sounds promising! I would add Coheed and Cambria to this list (Another one of my personal favourites).  If you like epic Sci Fi Tretraologies at all, this is the band for you.  The story is woven through the albums which is also being revealed in the singer's series of comics.  Geeky to the maximum, but in a good way, and lyrically not as cringeworthy as some of 2112 by Rush, although they are clearly a big influence.  Claudio Sanchez has got a freakishly high voice though that is a lot better than Geddy Lee's, in my opinion.  Coheed are also great live and the singer's afro is a sight to behold.

I could never get into RxBandits when I listened to them a few years back.

The funny thing about Coheed is that they are not directly influenced by Rush.  Claudio claimed to have disliked Rush until very recently (and now he is a fan).  Their influences are more Iron Maiden based.  I saw Coheed live in London a few months back and they were pretty bad.  But I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and seeing them again in Brighton in a few weeks time.

spectral wrote: Rx Bandit wrote: I could never get into RxBandits when I listened to them a few years back. The funny thing about Coheed is that they are not directly influenced by Rush.  Claudio claimed to have disliked Rush until very recently (and now he is a fan).  Their influences are more Iron Maiden based.  I saw Coheed live in London a few months back and they were pretty bad.  But I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and seeing them again in Brighton in a few weeks time.

And I wouldn't be surprised since their music a few years back was not as impressive as the new album (though the lyrics were still very good.) I think you should really give "the Resignation" a listen, it will surprise you, the only similarity to the old sound would be the reggae influence that seems to coat Matt Embree (the singer and lead guitarist.)

probably the Dead Kennedies. the Stranglers have always been wrongly branded punk, since they were one of the few bands who could actually play polyphonic. an interesting little known punk band with prog attitudes is Inner City Unit, a band in which Nik Turner of Hawkwind played. if any band is prog punk it is definitely them. their best albums are "Pass Out", "Punkadelic" and "The President Tapes". "The Maximum Effect" is a bit tame, and "New Anatomy" doesn't quite convince me, but they deserve being checked out.

here a link to their homepage:  http://www.doremi.co.uk/icu/ - http://www.doremi.co.uk/icu/

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781ADC4BAF7120D4932A48E9B561F101DB51ADD74C790453CEB0345B881F60E412F686D3F4A139E53BFCA77BE61607CCCCF154FCDC63713487EEA56A39395B7775&sql=10:fmd0yl15xpsb - http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47 81ADC4BAF7120D4932A48E9B561F101DB51ADD74C790453CEB0345B881F6 0E412F686D3F4A139E53BFCA77BE61607CCCCF154FCDC63713487EEA56A3 9395B7775&sql=10:fmd0yl15xpsb

Check this album out - you might like it?

Also this:-

Murray Street
Sonic Youth

 + Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs - onwards

Mercury Rev

BaldJean wrote: probably the Dead Kennedies. the Stranglers have always been wrongly branded punk, since they were one of the few bands who could actually play polyphonic. an interesting little known punk band with prog attitudes is Inner City Unit, a band in which Nik Turner of Hawkwind played. if any band is prog punk it is definitely them. their best albums are "Pass Out", "Punkadelic" and "The President Tapes". "The Maximum Effect" is a bit tame, and "New Anatomy" doesn't quite convince me, but they deserve being checked out. here a link to their homepage:  http://www.doremi.co.uk/icu/ - http://www.doremi.co.uk/icu/

Punkadelic's a great album - "Watching the Grass Grow" and "Space Invaders" are really progressive thinking songs.

Scratchy wrote: Worlds Apart ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781ADC4BAF7120D4932A48E9B561F101DB51ADD74C790453CEB0345B881F60E412F686D3F4A139E53BFCA77BE61607CCCCF154FCDC63713487EEA56A39395B7775&sql=10:fmd0yl15xpsb - http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47 81ADC4BAF7120D4932A48E9B561F101DB51ADD74C790453CEB0345B881F6 0E412F686D3F4A139E53BFCA77BE61607CCCCF154FCDC63713487EEA56A3 9395B7775&sql=10:fmd0yl15xpsb Check this album out - you might like it?

I think that record is borderline prog IMO.  Absolutely superb.  Some lyrics from the title track...

"Look at those c**ts on MTV
With their cars, and cribs, and rings and sh*t
Is that what being a celebrity means?
Look, boys and girls, here's BBC
See corpses, rapes and amputees
What do you think now of the American Dream."

[/QUOTE]

I think that record is borderline prog IMO.  Absolutely superb.  Some lyrics from the title track...

"Look at those c**ts on MTV
With their cars, and cribs, and rings and sh*t
Is that what being a celebrity means?
Look, boys and girls, here's BBC
See corpses, rapes and amputees
What do you think now of the American Dream."

[/QUOTE]

I would have to disagree and say that those lyrics are pretty bad. I mean going about talking about the corruptions of MTV and the American Dream by calling them c**ts is immature. I would advise to look at many other songs on the same theme before that one. The lyrics are so bad it makes me think there is sarcasm in the statement.

Something like

"I can't wait for the day
When I hear us all screaming,
HERE COMES THE REVOLUTION.
When every race color and creed
of militant human beings, stand up
With fists together for substance and true meaning
Because right now we got our feet stuck in cement
We're too caught up in
A material status quo punishment
And one thing is for sure
And that's the sun will always set,
Darling you can bet our moon is quite the opposite
So baby take a axe to your makeup kit
Set ablaze the billboards and their advertisements
Love with all your hearts and never forget
How good it feels to be alive
And strive for your desire
Just cause you can't see your cage
Doesn't mean that you are free
When there are laws against nature
But its ok for you to be
Addicted to over the counter prescriptions
And magazines that dictate all our human relations"

-Rx Bandits, Overcome (The Recapitulation)

Now those are some really good lyrics on a very similar topic.

It is the intent of the lyrics, not necessarily the lyrics themselves that are important.  I doubt there is sarcasm in the tone of the lyrics, not judging by them having an entire song dedicated to how bad TV is for you (Classic Arts Showcase).

On a prog note, Trail of Dead sample Soft Machine.