proto punk | Musicosity

proto punk

The Other Half

This obscure San Francisco '60s band gained a degree of notoriety in the '80s when their punk-garage single "Mr. Pharmacist" was included on one of Rhino's Nuggets compilations and covered by the Fall. Actually, most of the Other Half's material was far less garage than psychedelic, featuring the sustain-laden guitar of Randy Holden, one of the best Jeff Beck-inspired axemen of the '60s. Boasting a just-out-of-the-garage approach to Haight-Ashbury psychedelia, the group cut a little-heard, fairly strong album, as well as a few rare singles, in 1967 and 1968.

Artist Type: 

Joan Jett

Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) is an American rock singer and guitarist. She was the guitarist for the rock group The Runaways from 1975 to 1979, after which she released two solo albums - 1980's "Joan Jett" and 1981's "Bad Reputation" - before forming her own group, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. "The Hit List" (1990), a covers album recorded by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, was labeled as being by Jett alone.

Artist Type: 

The Standells

The Standells were a 1960s rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California who, like The Seeds, exemplified the style. The band was formed in 1962 by lead singer/organist Larry Tamblyn and guitarist Tony Valentino. The Standells' first hit single was Dirty Water, which reached #11 on the Billboard charts on June 11, 1966. Multiple urban myths exist about the origins of "Dirty Water", which has become a Boston radio staple.

Artist Type: 

The Barracudas

This London-based Anglo-Canadian band, whose members include Jeremy Gluck (vocals), Robin Wills (guitar), David Buckley (bass), and Nick Turner (drums), was formed in 1979 and scored a U.K. chart hit in 1980 with the neo-surf song "Summer Fun." Turner and Buckley left after the release of the first album Drop Out With the Barracudas (1981) and were replaced by Jim Dickson and Terry Smith. Chris Wilson also joined on guitar.

Artist Type: 

Paul Collins

Paul Collins was a founding member of The Nerves, a legendary underground rock group from 1974-77. (Other legendary rock groups formed in 1974, including Blondie, The Ramones, Radio Birdman and The Dictators). The Nerves were a 3-piece band featuring the talents of Jack Lee, Peter Case (The Plimsouls) and Paul Collins (The Beat). Aside from touring with The Ramones, The Nerves funded their own recordings without a record deal. The Nerves originally recorded the song Hanging On The Telephone, which was leter covered by Deborah Harry and Blondie on the chart topping "Parallel Lines" album.

Artist Type: 

The Outsiders

There are several artists named The Outsiders (11 are mentioned here): (1) The Outsiders were a sixties beat band from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Formed in 1960 as a neighbourhood band from Amsterdam East, The Outsiders became one of the most succesful Dutch groups of the 1960s. They made some lastingly great records and never recorded anyone else's material, with singer Wally Tax writing the lyrics and guitarist Ron Splinter the music for nearly all of the twelve 45s and three LPs they made.

Artist Type: 

Rose Tattoo

Rose Tattoo is an Australian blues/hard rock band, led by Angry Anderson and slide guitarist Peter Wells. Among their best known songs are "We Can't Be Beaten", "Scarred for Life" and "Bad Boy for Love" (co-written by Ian Rilen.) Their first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and George Young who also worked with AC/DC. Along with AC/DC and The Angels, Rose Tattoo helped establish an Australian rock sound in the 1970s that was copied around the world.

Artist Type: