Rebellious Rockers and Patriotic Punks
By Granny Anarchy
America250, Freedom 250... America's birthday celebrations seem to be confusing this year. But most people can agree that America annually acknowledges its independence from England. Enough people in our country rebelled against tyrannical rule that we were able to break free from oppression.
Close to 200 years after that, America and England birthed rock and roll, then the punk movement. In the past Granny has profiled several notable figures in music, so I'm hoping not to repeat myself too much! Instead, I'm offering overviews on a selection of American artists as well as international punks and political activists. This list encapsulates the “Spirit of ‘76” (to quote The Alarm) – people who “shook the world” and “got [themselves] some independence / carve[d] out a future with [their] two bare hands” despite the feeling that “life is cruel and so unkind.” The existence and efforts of this group and those like them have brought awareness and activism to our communities. They’ve used their platforms and power to inform and assist, and their work has made people feel less alone and afraid. Perhaps these brief bios will encourage you to add a song or two to your summer celebration playlists!
Fiona Apple was raped at twelve years old. She has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, an eating disorder, and OCD. Her 1996 debut album, “Tidal,” containing the song Criminal went triple platinum; Apple's unflinching, unrepentant lyrics and attitude made her a feminist icon. In 2019, she pledged two years of royalties from media use of Criminal to assist refugees via the While They Wait Fund; in 2020, the fund reported $90,000 had been donated. Also in 2020, Apple pledged 2 years of media royalties from the song Shameika to The Harlem Children's Zone
and narrated a 2020 video to educate immigrants about ICE. In 2021, Fiona began volunteering for Courtwatch PG.
Alice Bag's determination helped shape the early Los Angeles punk scene. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Alice was bullied for her appearance during her school years. She grew up listening to Bowie, Queen, Mexican ranchera, and soul. Alice co-founded The Bags in 1977. The band's aggressive sound helped inspire hardcore. When the group disbanded in 1981, Bag performed in a plethora of other groups. She also obtained a philosophy degree from California State University and worked as an inner-city English teacher. Her lyrics often focus on social and systemic issues such as oppression and abuse, and her activism has particularly impacted the CLGBTQIA+ community and people of color.
Jello Biafra was born into a secular Jewish family as Eric Reed Boucher in 1958. He helped form the San Francisco based band Dead Kennedys in 1978. The DKs became extremely influential due in part to Biafra's satirical lyrics, many of which focused capitalism and consumer culture, corruption, poverty, systemic violence and war, and the abuse of power. The DKs disbanded in 1986; unfortunately, there was a later lawsuit between Biafra and the rest of the band regarding unpaid royalties. Biafra continued as a spoken-word artist, prankster, political activist, and independent record company owner. He's currently recovering from a March 2026 stroke and appears to be touring.
Jarvis Cocker of Pulp penned the lyrics to the British workingclass anthem CommonPeople. In addition to being the only consistent member of Pulp, Jarvis writes and acts. Although some of his life choices may be questionable in hindsight, he has consistently backed pro-Palestinian causes for over a decade.
Honeychild Coleman started busking in the New York City subway in 1993. In 2017, she formed the blues-rock band The 1865 with Sascha Jenkins. The 1865 explores post-Emancipation America with an uncompromising attitude and stony strength. In 2021 Coleman discovered she had breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy without reconstruction. Coleman is a poetry and fiction writer as well as a musician; she's also collaborated with artists such as The Slits and Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins.
Evan Greer is a transgender activist and writer as well as musician. In the early to mid 2000s, Greer fought for net neutrality and the release of whistleblower Chelsea Manning*. She has recently campaigned against surveillance capitalism and bathroom bills. Musically, Greer has worked with Anti-Flag and released her first album, the folk-punk “Never Surrender” in 2009. In 2021 she released the album “Spotifyis Surveillance.” Her latest work is “AMAB/ACAB” (acronyms for "Assigned Male At Birth" and "All Cops Are Bastards.")
* Manning was stripped of her rank, courtmartialed and imprisoned for leaking documents about civilian deaths, detainee abuse, and other information about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. She was released after her sentence was commuted in 2017.
Grace Beverly Jones was born in Jamaica in 1948. Her family then relocated to the US mainland. Jones' childhood was marked strict Christian discipline and abuse. She seemed to find solace in theatre and the arts, working as a renowned model before beginning a music career in 1977, settling on an avant-garde, post-punk style. Jones’ highlights include the albums “Warm Leatherette” (1980), “Nightclubbing” (1981) and “SlavetotheRhythm” (1985)
She also pursued a career in acting and has been a muse, icon and inspiration to many. Her bold, androgynous style has been influential in the exploration of gender expression and identity.
Love her, hate her, Courtney Love’s (b. 1964) independence and rebelliousness made a significant impact in music, specifically for women. In addition to her relationship with Kurt Cobain and tenure with Hole, Love had an extremely unconventional childhood, became emancipated, and traveled extensively, supporting herself as a stripper and with various odd jobs. She met Julian Cope and Pete de Freitas, briefly joined Faith No More, and worked with Kat Bjelland and Jennifer Finch. She also studied art and is an autodidact. Despite behavior many dislike, Love has always supported LGBTQIA+ rights and sought to prevent sexual violence. In 1994, she made out with a Hole bandmember Patty Schemel during the end credits of Saturday Night Live, flabbergasting crew and cast members. She also tried to warn others about Jeffrey Epstein’s predatory behavior long before others spoke about his abuse.
In 1979, Keith Morris formed Black Flag with guitarist Greg Ginn, leaving shortly thereafter and forming The Circle Jerks. He's also been involved with Off! Keith is of Jewish descent. He is politically aware, often engaging with his audience and trying to encourage them to register and to vote. He's made astute observations over the years in interviews and lyrics. His songs can be cynical and often focus on mental health, politics, and systemic problems.
Patricia Morrison formed The Bags with Alice Bag in 1977, leaving a year later. She's also most known for her time in The Gun Club (1982-1984), Sisters of Mercy (1986-1989) and The Damned (1996-2005).
Morrison was also in lesser-known groups Legal Weapon and Fur Bible. She released a solo album in 1994. While unable to perform as a musician, she briefly took a job as a motorcycle courier. Morrison's bass and vocals were central to establishing the Gun Club's acclaimed 1984 “Las Vegas Story.” Similarly, her musical and visual style were crucial to the reception of Sisters of Mercy, although murkiness remains about the extent of her contributions. Her resilience has made her an enduring goth icon.
Sinéad O’Connor was an Irish singer and activist. Her first album, “The Lion and the Cobra”, debuted in 1987. She reached the height of her success in 1990 with “I Do Not Want What I haven’t Got,” containing the Prince-written single Nothing Compares2U. In 1992, O’Connor famously tore a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live to highlight and protest the Catholic Church’s involvement in and cover up of child sexual abuse. After this, she was shunned and her career was derailed. O’Connor was passionate about child abuse, human rights, racism, and women’s issues. In 2018, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada' Sadaqat. She died in 2023.
No list like this would be complete without “The Only Band That Matters.” The Clash –Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon, with drummers Topper Headon and Terry Chimes – formed in London in 1976. They are one of the most influential first-wave UK punk acts and one of the most important rock groups of all time. The Clash fused punk’s raw simplicity with reggae and rockabilly. The Clash’s lyrics were more positive and activist than many nihilist punk bands of the time, but they still offered sometimes searing indictments of political and social situations. Songs illustrated lack of opportunity for young people, international violence and collaboration in war and military operations, and
what male soldiers and occupation do to a country and its women and youth.
Bob Vylan is (are?) a British punk rap duo whose lyrics focus on homophobia, racism, and sexism. Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan speak against issues such as the war on Palestine, toxic masculinity, the surveillance state, mental health, institutional racism, fascism, the environmental and economic impacts of capitalism and technology, and English class culture. Their debut album “We Live Here” was released in 2020. Another album was released in 2022. Their most current, “Humble as the Sun” dropped in 2024.
I’d hate to include anything touching on United States independence without a nod to the original residents of this land. The Dead Pioneers are from Denver, CO. Frontman Gregg Deal is from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. The Dead Pioneers’ heavy sound, power chords, thumping beats, and Deal’s spoken word delivery is reminiscent of The Minutemen, Rollins Band, Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits, and Public Enemy. Deal’s lyrics blend punk sensibility with indigenous pride and resistance to oppression.
Celtic punk band The Dropkick Murphys began in 1996 in Massachusetts. They've had many lineup changes over the years but remain a vocal political band supporting the working class and veterans, unions, and immigrants. All their shirts are made in the United States by union labor. The DMs have also shown support for healthcare workers, electrical workers, and various communications worker unions. They publicly supported officer Michael Fanone, who defended the US Capitol on January 6. Prior to their 2026 concert in Minneapolis, they performed a free acoustic show that also served as a fundraiser. The DMs also contribute charitably in various ways. In January 2026, the DMs released single Citizen I.C.E, a reworked version of Citizen C.I.A.
IDLES formed in Bristol, UK in 2009. Members include Jon Beavis (drums), Mark Bowen (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Joe Talbot (vocals). IDLES played live for eight years before releasing debut album “Brutalism” in 2017. Their follow-ups included “JoyasanActof Resistance,” “Ultra Mono,” “Crawler” and “Tangk.” IDLES is a political rock band with lyrics about class, feminism, immigration, toxic masculinity, and white privilege.
Lambrini Girls were formed in Brighton, UK by Flora Kimberly, Phoebe Lunny, Fox O'Reilly, and Catt Jack in 2019. In late 2020 Selin MacieiraBoşgelmez replaced Fox; by 2022 the group became the duo of Lunny and Maciera. Lambrini Girls' first single, Homewrecker was released in 2021. In 2022, HelpMeI'mGay - a song about feminism and queerness - was released. Lambrini Girls continued to release singles and EPs with lyrics about capitalism, feminism, LGBTQ+ issues, and (white) male privilege. They also speak out about current events, including ICE, free speech, and the war on Palestine. Lunny is a lesbian with ADHD. Macieira is autistic, bipolar, and bisexual.
The Linda Lindas formed in 2018. The band is comprised of sisters Lucia and Mila de la Garza, Bela Salazar, and Eloise Wong. Amy Poehler included them in the 2021 film Moxie, covering Bikini Kill's Rebel Girl and The Muffs' BigMouth. Later that year the group's single Racist,Sexist Boy was released, cementing their status as intersectional feminist icons.
Canadian band Skinny Puppy was formed in 19821983. Members Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key are animal rights activists. Their music helped cement the industrial scene, influencing artists such as Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Their lyrics concentrated on animal rights, consumerism, environmental destruction, and media manipulation. When the band discovered that their music was being played over
and over at a loud volume to torture prisoners at Guantanamo, they billed the US government $666,000.00 for “unauthorized musical services.”.
I also salute: Billy Bragg, Kurt Cobain, Bob Geldof, Laura Jane Grace, Kathleen Hanna, PJ Harvey, Shirley Manson, Tom Morello, Karen O, Eddie Vedder, Jesse Welles, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, Amyl and the Sniffers, Anti-Flag, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Bratmobile, Crass, The Cramps, Fever 333, Kneecap, L7, the MC5, Midnight Oil, Minor Threat, The Nation of Ulysses, NOFX, Parquet Courts, Propagandhi, Pussy Riot, the Sex Pistols, X and so many more!
