Music of New Jersey - Punk and Hardcore

Punk and Hardcore

Punk rock and hardcore have played an important role in the music of New Jersey, with many contributing artists who have gained popularity. Many of these bands had their start at basement shows, primarily in New Brunswick.

Arguably the most famous and influential punk band from New Jersey is The Misfits founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, who in 1983 broke from the band and formed Samhain and in 1988 Danzig. Like the later music of the Misfits, Adrenalin O.D. is usually credited with igniting the early N.J. hardcore scene at the dawn of the 1980s. Among those early hardcore bands was Rosemary's Babies. This band was from Lodi as well, and included as drummer Eerie Von, who was to become bassist for both Samhain and Danzig. Other notable punk bands from New Jersey include hardcore punk band Hogan's Heroes who formed in 1984, Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Streetlight Manifesto, The Gaslight Anthem, Titus Andronicus, Ted Leo, Screaming Females, The Early November, Hidden in Plain View, The Wretched Ones, Senses Fail, Saves the Day, Thursday, My Chemical Romance, Lifetime, Midtown, Patti Smith, Man Overboard and Bigwig.

In the late 70's/early 80's the Shore Core Punk rock scene evolved at the Jersey Shore, with its epicenter in Long Branch & Asbury Park. It featured a number of bands on "Mutha Records" including Chronic Sick, Public Disturbance, Fatal rage, The Worst, Dirge and other local bands - Mutha made "the Hot Dog House" in Asbury Park their home base. The Shore also produced the band Shrapnel which featured Dave Wyndorf, Phil Caivano of Monster Magnet and Daniel Rey Rabinowitz.