Minutemen

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About Minutemen

Legendary SoCal punk band Minutemen were both one of the most inventive and exciting bands of the ’80s underground and a tantalising case of “What if?” Formed in 1980, the group’s iconic lineup consisted of D. Boon, Mike Watt and George Hurley (who replaced original drummer Frank Tonche shortly after the band’s birth). The Minutemen’s debut 7-inch EP, Paranoid Time, was produced by Greg Ginn of Black Flag and SST Records and introduced the band to a wider group of hardcore and punk supporters in California. Their debut LP, The Punch Line, was released a year later, and more firmly introduced the band’s signature style of ultra-quick, explosive songs revolving around jazz, funk and folk rock, mixed with D. Boon’s unique, off-colour brand of social commentary. The band reached their critical apex with the sprawling, massively influential 1984 album Double Nickels On the Dime, which squeezed in 43 songs and further expanded the parameters of pun with spoken-word experiments. Frontman D. Boon died tragically in a van accident a year later at the age of 27, leaving fans and remaining band members wondering what else the great group could have achieved. However, the group's influence endures through bands as varied as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Parquet Courts, while a whole new generation of punk kids was introduced to the Minutemen's charms when the Double Nickels track "Corona" was repurposed as the theme song to MTV's Jackass franchise.

ORIGIN
Los Angeles, CA, United States
FORMED
February 1980
GENRE
Alternative
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