Genre story · Punk
Art Punk
Art Punk describes musicians who used punk's permission to make direct, unconventional music while introducing ideas from visual art, poetry and experimental composition. New York groups including Television, Patti Smith and Talking Heads approached the intersection in different ways during the 1970s. Pere Ubu and Devo were part of a related, equally distinctive Ohio experimental network. The term is an umbrella for several approaches rather than one uniform guitar sound.
A song may be sparse and angular, tightly rhythmic or full of nonstandard instrument sounds. Lyrics and performance can draw on theatre or poetry. These characteristics overlap with Post-Punk and Art Rock, though neither label covers the entire history.
Listening examples
- 1977TelevisionMarquee Moon
- 1978Pere UbuThe Modern Dance
- 1979Talking HeadsFear of Music