American punk had its roots in '60s garage rock and in the raw minimalism, but it truly begins around 1975-76. A thriving, often artsy punk scene sprang up in New York City, and similar movements took shape in Los Angeles, where the music was more aggressive and closer to what would become hardcore punk; Cleveland, which tended to be weirder and more experimental, partly due to the lack of media attention; and Boston, which was often closer to garagey power-pop than true punk.

25 tracks