Punk and Alternative Rock

New York City had the earliest punk rock scene in the United States. Drawing on local influences like The Velvet Underground , Richard Hell and the New York Dolls , punk developed at clubs like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City. Patti Smith , Talking Heads and other artsy New Wave artists were also extremely popular in the mid to late 1970s as bands like The Ramones were establishing an American punk rock sound.

In the early 1980s, hardcore punk was developing primarily in Southern California and Washington, D.C.. The New York hardcore scene was founded by 1981, and bands like Reagan Youth , and Kraut led the initial charge, along with The Stimulators, who didn't play hardcore but were still influential in its development. By 1985, the New York hardcore scene had become inhabited by straight edge fanatics and skinheads, including bands like Agnostic Front , Cro-Mags , Heart Attack, Kraut , Youth of Today and Murphy's Law . Another offshoot of the punk movement held closer to noise and art elements of The Velvet Underground . Bands such as The Cramps , Sonic Youth , Alice Donut , Yo La Tengo , The Feelies , Pussy Galore and others kept this scene alive and strong throughout the 80s and into the 90s and beyond.

New York continued producing bands through the 1990s up to the present. With the collapse of the CBGB's hardcore matinees due to constant violence, a more activist, DIY oriented scene began to develop around ABC No Rio and the squats of the Lower East Side. Out of this came such bands as the seminal punk/ska band Choking Victim , which later developed into Leftöver Crack . The hardcore scene never quite died out, with newer bands such as Kill Your Idols , and "chaos punk" bands such as The Casualties continue to have a following.

New York has been at the center of the U.S. ska punk scene since the foundation of Moon Ska Records in the early 1980s by Robert 'Bucket' Hingley. Out of this scene came such fairly traditional acts as Skinnerbox, The Toasters , Agent 99 , and Stubborn All-Stars ; the label itself released bands from all over, such as Floridians Less Than Jake . While lacking the foundation that Moon Ska once provided, many of these musicians continue to play today.