Hardcore punk for dummies

Okay, to be brutally honest hardcore punk kind of scares the crap out of me, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes or shit in my hands and clap than have to go through an entire three or so minutes of ear bleeding screaming. I remember my first encounter of hardcore punk was in a friends car, the music was loud, his driving was reckless, and there may have been pee in my panties. So I decide to listen to it again, but I mean really listen, and behind all the screeching and toe curling screams, there is some depth to hardcore punk and here are some steps on how to embrace hardcore punk.

Step 1: Slowly work your way into hardcore punk.

Okay so if you’re a Taylor Swift, Bruno mars or Justin Bieber kind of individual, I recommend you start off with some hardcore punk that’s a little easier on the ears, such as Greenday or Blink 182 (even though true hardcore punk fans are probably going to shun me for saying such things) then work your way towards something a little heavier such as Rise Against or The misfits.

Step 2: Understand what Hardcore is not.

Many people (including myself) have false assumptions of hardcore punk fans. We see them as reckless, troublemaking, drug and alcohol using shitheads who constantly look like they’ve been starved of happiness, however this is false, in fact most hardcore punk fans and band members are actually against alcohol, drugs and immoral sex there are even some vegan/vegetarian straight edge punks who are all about green peace and spreading the love, and the more you listen to the lyrics the more you’ll realize that what I am saying is true.

Step 3: Know the look

The hardcore punk scene has an anti-fashion emphasis, hardcore punk fans are all about the t-shirts and jeans and the DIY trend. Hardcore punk is not about flashy accessories or weird hairstyles, it’s about being yourself and if weird hairstyles and piercings are what make you happy then by all means pierce away!

Step 4: Be yourself

Don’t stop listening to what you love, just learn to accept the beauty of other genres, listen harder and embrace what hardcore punk has to offer, if you prefer more chilled music then that’s great, just stay open minded and be yourself and let the music consume you.

She is hardcore, she is punk, she is hardcore punk.

Hardcore isn’t just music, it is a movement. It’s a way of thinking, it’s doing what you know is right, its being who you want to be and never letting anyone stand in your way. Hardcore music involves shouted vocals with a fast aggressive tempo and a guitar sound featuring quick chord.

Punk is all about being different, its about being yourself, liking what you want, doing what you do and not having to live up to anyone else’s expectations. There is no dress code, hair colour or rules to be punk, punk is all about being who you are and being true to yourself. “Punk rock music is a kind of rock music anti-establishment which means against institutional authority and against the conventions of society”

Put the two together and you get hardcore punk. Duh. So what is hardcore punk exactly? Well picture it as the women who will give you a good ride. She is dark yet luring, she has her own way of thinking and believes what she wants to believe, she is not a blink 182 or sum 41 kinda girl. She goes against the world by being different, she has her own voice, her own opinion. She gives you the kind of confidence to say ‘fuck this’ I’m going to speak to her. She’s loud and passionate. She’s rebellious and wild and stops for no one. She makes you feel alive she makes you want to fuck shit up. She is the cheap sex, The unseen. She has No use for a name. She is promiscuous yet vulnerable, she will make you scream; she will give you the best night of your life. 

Like Chalk and Cheese

“As different as chalk and cheese.” This is an old expression and the earliest citation is in John Gower's Middle English text Confessio Amantis, 1390: ‘Lo, how they feignen chalk for chese.’ To this day I’ve never understood why chalk and cheese would ever find themselves in the same sentence or how they’d ever be compatible, in fact they never will be, unless you’re into taking unlikely combinations to another level. If so I may have something that’ll tickle those strange taste buds of yours. Kwaicore. Just like chalk and cheese Kwaicore consists of two of the most unlikely genres of music, Kwaito and Punk. You’re thinking no that must sound like a cats baptism but you are wrong. It’s time to prepare those inquisitive taste buds of yours because you may just be presently surprised. Remember the first time you heard it, the thrill, the sudden rush of anger, the adrenaline rushing through your veins, that spontaneous feeling of wanting to make shit and fuck shit up, that moment when you really don’t give a shit what anybody thinks about you. That’s what punk is all about, the feeling, the raw energy. Now mix that with the catchy melodic and percussive loop samples, deep bass lines, and vocals of Kwaito and you have yourself a new fresh musical sensation that puts chalk and cheese to shame.