Dead Kennedys are a band I’d heard of for year, but I’d never listened to their music before now. The band originated in San Francisco, California in the late ‘70s. At the time of Dead Kennedys’s formation, the punk scene of San Francisco outgrew from the hippie counterculture of the late ‘60s and was energetic and political. There was a unique offense against cultural systems brought to the music. Dead Kennedys fit into this scene by giving performances with a sense of chaos and reciting political monologues between their songs. They revolted by playing songs that attacked the music industry when they became regionally successful and were invited to perform outside of punk clubs. Dead Kennedys had underground bands open for them after their …show more content…
Dead Kennedys sound more like the bands I think of when I hear “punk rock”. There is less variety of sound than bands such as The Clash and is more hardcore rock. Dead Kennedys do have a distinctly Californian sound. The riff in the opening and after the choruses in “Holiday in Cambodia” reminds me of The Beach Boys and results in images of surfing and hanging out on the beach. Jello Biafra possessed an unique voice. It has a distinct reverb, although he shouts when he sings like the punk artists before him. The song is a message against an horrific political happening, which is both a reflection of the intentions punk rock was founded on and an evolution of earlier work in the scene where artist sung demands of revolution that were selfish and lacked backing. I like Dead Kennedys because of their hardcore sound, the satirical nature of some of their songs, and their defense of …show more content…
Their music does align with the political nature of their region’s punk scene, as many of their songs are about anti-patriotism. Their anthems were about people who rejected America because America had rejected them. The Avengers were not as reckless as other bands when performing but brought energy to their shows. In fact, Penelope Houston looked almost soulful when she sang, though her sound was more ferocious. They were among other famous San Francisco punk bands that played at Mabuhay Gardens in 1977. Their relatively short career began as openers for The Sex Pistols, and they were regarded as San Francisco’s best punk band at the height of their popularity. While sounding like other punk bands of the era, they also sound vaguely New Wave to me. The Avengers also took influence from their setting, as the intro to “The American in Me” sounds like surfer rock. The vocal are understandable are harmonious. The repetition of the JFK quote as well as the statements in the verse are meant to be seen as ironic. This satirical writing was done so the ridiculousness of violence in America could be highlighted. The song is not as hardcore as other punk songs of the region and has more of a contemporary rock sound. It stood out because it was the only song on the playlist with exclusively female voice. These vocals coupled with the softer guitar is perhaps why I got a New Wave vibe from the initial listen of the song, as it