Rarely do they emerge this great. When Danish punk band Iceage descended upon New York in 2011, months after releasing their debut album, New Brigade, 20 years old today—first on Copenhagen imprint Escho/Tambourhinoceros and U.S. avant label Dias, later, the indie What’s Your Rupture?—something in the air shifted and become inert, like sweat levitating above a reverberating snare drum. The mystifying teenage band inspired such vim almost instantaneously, word spread among music industry impresarios and tastemaker bloggers, gatekeepers who seldom looked to punk for its latest phenomenons.
I wonder, too, if some of the speed in which Iceage’s appeal proliferated was extramusical—bonus points atop an undeniable record. Live, the band is bewildering to watch, unblinking. They wore teenage scowls atop polos and bomber jackets, trench coats, button-down shirts, and white tees tucked into fitting jeans—a far cry from the leather punks so frequently associated with this kind of music.
On more than one occasion, genre purists have labeled and dismissed the band as “pretty boy punk.” While I’d usually avoid such a superficial descriptor, I find it to be relevant. At the very least, Iceage symbolized a new kind of punk: fervent and Herculean as all hell, prone to bloody, high octane pits, but dressed up in a softer, more accessible masculinity—at least for those unfamiliar with or intimidated by the music.*Ten years on, I question ifwould’ve inspired the same sort of immediacy as it did during the time of its release, if it came out in 2021. Truth be told, I don’t think it could’ve existed the same way: the album cover, for one, is runic, and the band has long since been accused of flirting with fascist iconography, like so many post-punk and oi! bands before them.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Straight Shooter: Thomas Rhett On Why His New Tequila Brand Fits His New Country LifestyleCountry star Thomas Rhett has unveiled his new tequila line, and we caught up with the “Beer Can’t Fix” singer to see why he might be changing his tune when it comes to his drink of choice
Read more »
New Year New Hobby, Take Up Photography in 2021The new you could be a master photographer soon enough.
Read more »
Saks Fifth Avenue Breaths New Life into Barneys New YorkFashion loves a good comeback.
Read more »
Essential California: The new new new new reopening rulesOn Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the lifting of all regional stay-at-home orders in California, clearing the way for a wider reopening in many regions.
Read more »
Brockhampton Announces New Album 'Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine'Brockhampton have announced their sixth studio album 'Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine,' featuring 'Buzzcut' with Danny Brown.
Read more »