The aim of this study is to shape a sensible, intelligible philosophy—the unity of the subtitle—of punk rock, a philosophy that resists historical and cultural specifics, and categorization and containment, scholarly or otherwise. By grounding his argument in a theoretical hybrid of ideological rhetorical criticism and Gramscian analysis, Kristianson, the lead author (of four), offers a convincing critique of historical, sociological, and cultural readings of punk only to affirm, finally, the difficulty of transcending these critical frameworks in articulating a unifying philosophy. Far more successful are readings of four punk rock recordings, each representing a different decade. Bad Religion's 1988 release Suffer emerges as the strongest, most sustained, and most convincing example of how punk rock might look and sound....An important book, not least for its review and synthesis of more than 40 years of punk rock commentary and criticism. Recommended.
CHOICE, November 2010
Screaming for Change reveals the study of punk rock as a subculture and convincingly argues for a reconstitution of punk as more than a musical or alternative clothing style, but rather an ideological unifying punk philosophy that transcends time and space.
- Ann Savage, director of Gender Studies; associate professor of Media Arts, Butler University,