Punk Turns 30

Dee Dee Ramone I guess everyone who cares knows that there is a motion picture feature about The Runaways in the making... I wondered who would be cast as whom... the one thing I had known for a long while that it was going to be directed and written for the screen by Floria Sigismondi, who is best known for her photography and for directing a ton of high profile music videos ( Bowie, Marilyn Manson, White Stripes, The Cure, Raconteurs, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and more). She's a good 5 - 10 years younger than the median age of the 70s punk rock era people, so I have also always wondered how this age gap would work in terms of her being able to translate my particular "coming of age" period (and I'm 8 years older than she is) in a cultural milieu that my generation made safe for hers. It all remains to be seen, of course, but news comes from the PR machine about the casting of The Ramones in this story. Johnny Ramone Here's the actual press release. New ...

The Runaways were the first girl group I'd categorize as a punk rock band. They were from Los Angeles, and in 1975, formed their first line-up that included Kari Krome, a gifted rock n roll lyricist, whose tenure in the band would be cut short once the star-making-machinery started rolling. That's Kim Fowley, the man who co-wrote several of the Runaways hits with Joan Jett, produced their records and crafted that star-route that won these girls international fame and notoreity. In 1976, when The Runaways first album was released on Mercury Records, they were the first of the LA punk bands to be signed to a major label deal. They were ahead of their time...so many punk-influenced girl groups followed in their shadow. And that's a good thing. For me, it was always Joan Jett who stood out as the one with the chops to make this rock n roll a lifetime thing. I think she's still the standard-bearer for any girl who wants to sling a guitar. Here she is in 1977, with t...