The Sex Pistols may have provided the shock-value dynamite for the punk explosion in 1970s Britain, but it was the Clash who channeled the energy of that explosion into a discrete form of music. Or rather, they channeled it into several forms simultaneously; they diversified the space of punk. The Cl

Bombast, Pioneering, Political, Punk, Slangy

The Asian Dub Foundation is England's answer to America's Rage Against the Machine -- without all the hard-ass guitars and screechy posturing. They're a group of young, politically driven musicians of Asian descent out to change social and political agendas through music. Though Asian Dub Foundation

Agitated, In-your-face, Pioneering, Political, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Social revolution

Any band that brings together Jamaican ska and British punk and actually makes it fun should indeed be called the Specials. Their music was certainly an exciting mix. The ska movement was born in Jamaica and based on traditional reggae with subtle hints of R & B and jazz. The punk scene, on the other

Kinetic, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Smoky, Social revolution, Urban

Drawing from a tradition that embraces excess -- whether it be in poetry, rock 'n' roll, life, or all of the above -- Patti Smith brings passion and wit to her rough-edged, anarchist music. Her songs recall the lives of such debauched, ecstatic souls as Rimbaud, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and James

Agitated, Bombast, Dissonant, Gritty, Hard rock, Punk, Religious, Rough