We have launched our second playlist in the xXx Fanzine Spotify series. This time, we cover the year 1984 with 19 songs curated by xXx's own Mike Gitter.
Gitter comments "In the year of George Orwell's dystopic classic, 1984, punk and hardcore were forging themselves into something new. The "old guard" had largely called it quits the year before, with the likes of Minor Threat, The Misfits and The Faith packing it in as scenes got bigger and a step removed from their original sense ofDIY inspiration (and desperation). What was coming into focus was a sea-change in the underground as the likes of Black Flag, Die Kreuzen and Corrosion of Conformity began to explore heavier, more intricate sounds as others, including Husker Du and Channel 3, pushed their songwriting beyond sheer speed and brazen slogans. As documented on Maximum Rock N Roll's Welcome To 1984 compilation, the worldwide scene was also changing, growing larger with bands ranging from Finland's Terveet Kadet, all the way to Italy's blistering Raw Power to the roughshod sweetness of Canada's The Nils pushing themselves to the forefront. In was the beginning of something new; the beginning of punk's season of soul searching. "
LISTEN HERE
Hardcore was coming of age.