Adam's Individual Presentation

Cops are Punks- The Nails

Cops are Punks is a 2:37 long song. The song was released in 1977 from Screwball Records. The band is from Boulder, CO. The members of the band are Marc Campbell, George Kaufman, Douglas Guthrie, Mike Ratti, Dave Kaufman, and Steve O'Rourke. The Nails moved to New York and by the late 1970s had established themselves on the club circuit The song is a short, faced past song that is about how cops are punks. In the lyrics, they talk about how a cop busted your stash and he is going to sell it for some money. They also go on to talk about how cops dress in black and wear leather boots, which is similar to what punks wear. They’re mean and tough, they beat up drunks. I would call this song a new wave punk song, because although it talks about how cops are punks and what they believe a punk is, the music and melody of the song has electronic aspects to it like new wave songs do. There is a fake police siren that is screaming throughout the whole song. The song does have 4 chords and a fast pace drum melody. So although the message is punk, I’d call this song new wave.

Class War- The Dils

Class War is a 1:42 long song. The song was released in 1978 on the “Dils Dils Dils” LP. The members of the band are Chip Kinman, Tony Kinman, and Buddy Hate. They were one of the major bands in the early Los Angeles punk scene. They were known for having very melodic songs and they got the nickname "Punk Rock Everly Brothers".The song itself is a very fast paced song about the band wanting a class war. Some of the lyrics are “I wanna war, between the rich and the poor” and “Class war's gonna be the last war. Are the cowards ready For a class war? I'm not talking about a race war.” They are saying how they are ready and wanted a war between the classes. Between the rich and the poor, and how it’s not about between the whites and the blacks. They believe that a civil war is coming in America’s future but this time it will be between the classes, not the races. In addition to the production value of this song, I would say this is a very punk rock song, due mostly to the message. The message is what punk is all about: the lower class being forgotten about by the upper class. At this rate, the band really does believe there is going to be a class war.

Breakdown- The Buzzcocks

Breakdown is a 1:59 long song. Apparently they made a big deal about how it is not a 2 minute song and that it is a 1:59 long. The Buzzcocks were formed at the Bolton Institute of Technology which is now called the University of Bolton. The original members at the time Pete Shelley, Howard Devoto, Garth Davies (AKA Garth Smith), and Mick Singleton were all students at the time and formed the band and had their first gig. They heard about the sex pistols and really wanted to see them in concert, and after they did, they eventually worked with the band to become their opening act. The members of the Buzzcocks have changed over 11 times and have had 15 members in the band’s history but they are still around today with only one of the original members. They always have 4 members at one time. As for their song breakdown, I would say it is punk rock / pop punk. The only reason I would call it pop punk is because of their large commercial success for opening for the sex pistols. However, since this was one of their first songs before they really became mainstream, I will consider it more punk rock. The lyrics in the song are “Oh mum can I grow out of what's too big for me?” and “Living next to nothing - my never mind remains I'm gonna breakdown ...” he is asking him mom permission to finally be allowed to “grow out of what’s too big for him” aka grow up. I think he is sarcastically asking this in the song, as if he is asking for permission to grow up, but he is going to anyway. He says how they are living next to nothing, which shows how they were very poor and lived in the lower class and how he is finally going to break down.