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Steven Blush
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American Hardcore (Second Edition): A Tribal History Kindle Edition

by Steven Blush (Author), George Petros (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 209 ratings
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"American Hardcore sets the record straight about the last great American subculture"—Paper magazine

Steven Blush's "definitive treatment of Hardcore Punk" (Los Angeles Times) changed the way we look at Punk Rock. The Sony Picture Classics–distributed documentary American Hardcore premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. This revised and expanded second edition contains hundreds of new bands, thirty new interviews, flyers, a new chapter ("Destroy Babylon"), and a new art gallery with over 125 rare photos and images.

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  1. Print length
    411 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Feral House
  5. Publication date
    October 19, 2010
  6. File size
    21138 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Culling quotes from numerous interviews conducted over a five-year period, Blush presents an oral history of the first generation of American hardcore music (1980-86) what he deems its golden age. Charting the rise of bands such as Black Flag and the Misfits, as well as more famous hardcore alumni like the Beastie Boys and Moby, the book is divided into chapters based on different regional scenes. Rather than having a chronological narrative, then, the book bounces back and forth in time, from chapter to chapter, which will possibly confuse readers unfamiliar with the people and bands discussed. The author's tone also veers between that of a jaded ex-hardcore kid and a sentimental old-timer, but his account is nonetheless fascinating and rings with experience (he promoted hardcore shows and tours in the 1980s). It should also be noted that American Hardcore is the first book to document hardcore on a national level; books such as Cynthia Connolly's Banned in D.C. (1988) and Bri Hurley's Making a Scene (o.p.) have regional focuses. Blush also includes an extensive discography (just on vinyl and cassette, however) that lists noteworthy as well as forgettable releases. Recommended for academic libraries and ones with extensive music collections. Vincent Au, New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Hardcore rock music, "an infectious blend of ultra-fast music, thought-provoking lyrics, and fuck-you attitude," sprang from the puddle of post-New Wave punk. According to Blush, punk transformed the pop-music landscape and quickly flamed out. New Wave, a "watered-down" punk, was then "cranked out by major labels . . . for mainstream consumption." Enough interpretation. The meat of the book is an oral-history-style continuum of the comments of scads of hardcore movers and shakers, leavened by squibs from aging hardcore-scene participants. One highlight is a discussion of the merging of a branch of heavy metal with hardcore to create a hybrid called crossover. Metallica's James Hetfield contrasts tellingly with the Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra and D.O.A.'s Joey Shithead, exemplifying the difference between "old school" metal money-mongers and revolutionary punkers. Difference? Well, "an old school manager" wanted hardcorers Black Flag to tour with metal band Motorhead but tried to charge rent for the lights and P.A. "Flag said, 'Fuck you!,' " as well they should. An extraordinary resource on one of pop music's most overlooked influential subgenres. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003XRDBL2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Feral House; Second edition (October 19, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 19, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 21138 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 411 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 209 ratings

About the author

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Steven Blush

Steven Blush

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STEVEN BLUSH is the author of AMERICAN HARDCORE: A Tribal History (Feral House, 2001), AMERICAN HAIR METAL (Feral House, 2006), .45 DANGEROUS MINDS: The Most Intense Interviews From Seconds Magazine (Creation, 2008), LOST ROCKERS: Broken Dreams and Crashed Careers (powerHouse, 2016), NEW YORK ROCK: From The Rise of the Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB (Macmillan, 2017), BUSTIN' BALLS: Pro Sports, Pop Culture, Progressive Politics (Blush Books/Feral House, 2020), and the new WHEN ROCK MET DISCO: The Story of How The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, KISS, Queen, Blondie and More Got Their Groove On in the Me Decade (Backbeat, 2023). He wrote and produced the award-winning documentary film AMERICAN HARDCORE: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986 (Sundance Film Festival, Sony Pictures Classics), and is Executive Producer of an upcoming major documentary about World Team Tennis, inspired by BUSTIN' BALLS. Blush was the editor and publisher of Seconds Magazine, the music editor of Paper Magazine, and has had bylines in over 50 publications, like Spin, High Times, and The Times of London. Blush got his start at age 19 promoting DC Hardcore shows by the likes of Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat and Trouble Funk. For years he was a New York City club DJ-promoter, noted for his DJing residencies at Carmelitas, Pyramid, Mars, Nell's, and Limelight, his "Röck Cändy" and "Bitch" parties at Don Hill's, and his sound design for fashion designer Stephen Sprouse. Blush spends most of his quality time raising a family in New York.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
209 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Timothy Corcoran
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative Look at Hardcore History
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023
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"American Hardcore: A Tribal History" is like a backstage pass to the wild world of hardcore punk, and it totally blew me away. Steven Blush breaks down the whole scene, from the gritty music to the hardcore lifestyle. It's not just about the tunes; it digs into the real-life stuff, the ups and downs, and the attitude that shaped a whole subculture. The stories and firsthand accounts make it feel like you're right there in the pit. If you want a no-nonsense, in-your-face look at the roots of hardcore, this book is it. Hardcore fan or not, it's a killer ride through a crucial piece of music history that's just too cool to miss.
One person found this helpful
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Bryan Coates
5.0 out of 5 stars Punk As F**K
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2011
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I first purchased this book in 2001, a short while after it was originally published. It blew my mind with the coverage, well-known bands and forgotten regional bands, punk fashion, poster art, pretty much everything D.I.Y.
I first was exposed to Hardcore in early 1982 and absorbed everything that I could about this fresh, exciting subculture that was perceived as a real threat to people back in the early 80's. The harassment I experienced was nothing compared with punks in large American cities at this time. The Quincy punk episode did alot of damage to the scene, portraying punks as psycho killers.
That fact wasn't covered in the book, but it brings back memories of the time period.
Anyways, the new, expanded version of AMERICAN HARDCORE is just as good, if not better than the original. LOTS of different pictures added, more gig flyers, as well as interviews with the Beastie Boys and Moby (Vatican Commandos) were added, which were not in the original book.
Hats off to Steven Blush who worked so hard on this book and the expanded content he added.
Whether you were there at the time to experience the original hardcore scene, or got into it after the fact, this is a must-have book that covers almost everything that was vital to that original time.
9 people found this helpful
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Caleb Truax
5.0 out of 5 stars Bible of America’s most impactful counter culture
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018
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THIS IS THE BIBLE OF INFORMATION ON AMERICAN HARDCORE PUNK. In writing my academic article on Hardcore I found every reference from other academics to even basic journals citied this book. It turns out there is a good reason for that! If you want info whatsoever on American Punk (but mostly the good stuff ;) ) THIS IS YOUR ONE STOP SHOP!
3 people found this helpful
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1312
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2012
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This book is awesome. I read it cover to cover. I learned a lot about the start of hardcore punk. It only covers hardcore up to about 1986 though. I was disappointed to see that it didn't really get into the subgenres such as youth crew or powerviolence. However its a great book and will show you a lot about the OG's of hardcore. Also, I guarantee you'll find a new band through this.
2 people found this helpful
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Rich L.
5.0 out of 5 stars THE essential USHC book, in expanded format.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2013
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There's a ton of information in this book-sort of a U.S. equivalent of the UK "The Day The Country Died" book. Tons of bands, from the big names to the ultra-obscure acts. So much information that they couldn't fit into the movie (which is excellent also.) Highly recommended for fans of early 80's USHC.
One person found this helpful
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Danielle Felisha
5.0 out of 5 stars my friends and family are afraid of this book cover ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2015
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my friends and family are afraid of this book cover, so after I read it I made sure to display it on a shelf.
One person found this helpful
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Aaron Thacker
5.0 out of 5 stars Gone Digital
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2013
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I have the hardback 1st Edition and, as a new Kindle user, I was glad to see the second edition on digits. More niche books need to go in this direction.
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anthony thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars A great history
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2013
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An entertaining history of one of the less well documinted cornors of punk rock. This book takes you back to the days when punk was still underground
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Top reviews from other countries

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Norbert T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Hardcore Lives!!!
Reviewed in Germany on October 6, 2016
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Kurz und knapp: Klasse Buch über die "Entstehung" des Hardcore. Gute Idee des Autors, sich mit diesem Thema auseinander zu setzen...Empfehlenswert!!!
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Mark T
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great book with so much history
Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2015
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Such a great book with so much history. It's been slammed for leaving out a bunch of stuff, but really, how are you going to get EVERYONE? This second edition is a great addition to any book collection.
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Greg
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable
Reviewed in France on July 18, 2015
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Ouvrage indispensable pour les vrais fans de hardcore, je parle des vrais, pas ceux qui passent leur temps sur les réseaux sociaux a faire de poses guerrières et qui ne vont pas aux concerts!
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Mefistofil
5.0 out of 5 stars Evangelio del Hardcore
Reviewed in Spain on November 21, 2014
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Si hay un libro importante en la historia del punk/hardcore es este tremendo análisis que Steven Blush recogió en "American Hardcore": libro que, por desgracia, todavía no se ha publicado en castellano. Cuatrocientas páginas trepidantes que pueden ser leídas y disfrutadas por cualquiera que tenga un inglés de nivel medio (¡no es James Joyce, claro!) y que terminan por convertirse en el mejor texto que se haya hecho sobre la escena del hardcore americano de los ochenta: por sus páginas aparecen nombres bastante conocidos como Black Flag, Social Distortion, Dead Kennedys, T.S.O.L, Hüsker Dü, Bad Religion o DRI, pero también otras bandas como Big Boys, Artificial Peace, Battalion of Saints, Rebel Truth, Toxic Reasons o Circle One. Aparte del innegable valor de su texto, una de las mejores cosas que tiene esta segunda edición de "American Hardcore" (ampliada y corregida, por cierto) es la gran cantidad de material gráfico que incluye: fotografías inéditas, fanzines, flyers, logos... Un libro apasionante para cualquier amante del punk y hardcore.
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mesecina
5.0 out of 5 stars この本を先ず読め！
Reviewed in Japan on October 5, 2005
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アメリカンハードコア－のことを知りたいと思ったら、一番最初に読むべき本です。先入観無しで、バンドの情報を入手できます。初期ハードコア－音源も再発されている現在、非常に便利なガイドブックです。
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