Genre Characteristics:

Our music video genre is punk rock, particularly British and circa 1980-1988. These are some of the typical characteristics found in songs and videos of this genre:

1. Typical punk rock instrumentation includes one or two electric guitars, an electric bass, and a drum kit, along with vocals.
2. Punk rock songs tend to be shorter than those of other popular genres.
3. Punk rock lyrics are typically frank and confrontational; compared to the lyrics of other popular music genres, they frequently comment on social and political issues- Trend-setting songs such as The Clash's "Career Opportunities" and Chelsea's "Right to Work" deal with unemployment and the grim realities of urban life.
4. The classic punk rock look among male U.S. musicians harkens back to the T-shirt, motorcycle jacket, and jeans ensemble favored by American greasers of the 1950s associated with the rockabilly scene and by British rockers of the 1960s.
5.  In the early days of punk rock, this ethic stood in marked contrast to what those in the scene regarded as the ostentatious musical effects and technological demands of many mainstream rock bands.
6. Punk bands created fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics.
7. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produced recordings and distributed them through informal channels.
8. Punk rock vocals sometimes sound nasal, and lyrics are often shouted instead of sung in a conventional sense, particularly in hardcore styles.
9. Production tends to be minimalistic, with tracks sometimes laid down on home tape recorders or simple four-track portastudios.
10. The typical objective is to have the recording sound unmanipulated and "real", reflecting the commitment and "authenticity" of a live performance.

These characteristics are found in most punk rock songs, including songs by The Clash, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Velvet Underground.