| Egg punk | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Devo-core (early) |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 2010s,Indiana |
| Typical instruments | |
Egg punk (originally known asdevo-core) is an Internet-basedmicrogenre ofpunk rock that emerged during the 2010s. The genre is characterized by alo-fi recording style and satirical tone, influenced bynew wave bandDevo, originally referred to as "devo-core".
The origins of egg punk are attributed both to a community ofDIY midwestern American punk rock artists from the early 2010s, which included the Coneheads and Lumpy and the Dumpers, as well as their subsequent characterization as "egg punk" by a series ofinternet memes circulated in the late 2010s.
The music of egg punk is influenced by thedo-it-yourself ethos ofpunk subculture, characterized by the use of minimal orlo-fi recording and mixing methods and hand-drawn orcollage album covers.[1] Also described as Devo-core, the genre is heavily influenced by the music ofnew wave bandDevo as both an aesthetic and stylistic influence.[2][1][3]
Pitchfork described the genre as "subversive", "experimental", and typified by "wry lyrics and cheapo keyboards".[2]John Robb wrote that the subgenre consisted of "lo-fi perfectly ‘badly’ recorded fast punk rock songs", featuring "garage melody with jitterbug jittery guitars and even sometimes cheapo synths" and oriented towards "cocking a snoop at punk’s sometimes seriousity instead embracing introvert nerds, alien noise fiends and manic goofy behaviour".[4]
The nomenclature of egg punk was Internet-based and originated from a series ofinternet memes circulated in 2017 that proposed a spectrum ofpunk rock music between "egg punk" and "chain punk".[5][6] The meme was intended to distinguish between the traditionalism and aggression of "chain punk" with the more experimental and satirical approach of "egg punk".[5][7][8]
Themicrogenre describes a range ofpunk rock bands active in the earlier 2010s in theMidwestern United States, centrally theIndiana band The Coneheads, founded in 2013 and led by Mark Winter,[4] andSt. Louis band Lumpy and the Dumpers, whose frontman, Martin Meyer, would distribute similar cassette recordings under label Lumpy Records.[3] Other Midwest bands adopting a similar approach includedUranium Club inMinneapolis, and Warm Bodies inKansas City.[6] The satirical tone and style of these bands have been considered as a response to the traditional "chain punk" bands in the local scene that were viewed as taking their music and message too seriously.[9][10][5]
The increased visibility of the egg punk scene was attributed to the distribution of rips of cassette tapes toYouTube by mononymous user Jimmy.[5][3][11] The onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has been also suggested to have facilitated the adoption of egg punk as musicians had more time and fewer resources to create music, leading to greater openness to aDIY approach.[6] Egg punk has extended outside the Midwest to several regions, including the Australian punk scene, involving bands such as Ausmuteants, Checkpoint, R.M.F.C., Tee Vee Repairmann, and Gee Tee.[3] Other notable artists labelled as egg punk includeSnõõper, Prison Affair, Powerplant, C.C.T.V. and Landline.[12]