Punk rock and popularity

Before I begin, when I make reference to "punk bands", I'm going to be including bands that are of the usual fare, aggressive, not overly complicated, emotionally involved and high energy, while usually kind of melodic. There are a lot of bands right now under realms of hardcore, indie rock, metalcore, etc. etc. etc. that really still are the "punk bands" of our day. Back in the 70s, the X-ray specs, Clash, and later Crass were still just called punk bands, regardless of how different they were. With that understood, I'm still going to reference "punk" how it normally is today, or what may be called "hardcore melodic punk" or whatever. My band probably tries to capture that early 90s feel, but we get called "Thrashy oi oi punk" anyway. Shit. Onwards, with hopefully less quotation marks.

Jump back to say, 1996, when I first became aware of something called punk rock. Why did I become aware of it? Because punk was popular. Green Day, Offspring, Rancid et al. were all over the place and as much as people would like to call them all sellouts, that's how half of us got into this damn mess. I think you need the big names to lend popularity to the small ones.
I started going to local shows in 1999, because to me they embodied more personal versions of the bands I listened to (see above) when gearing up for hockey games. Not to mention, the DIY ethic and community involvement of punk are aspects that I always have found incredibly intruiging. I grew up in a small town outside of Sudbury, and it was awesome to meet and hang out, and watch bands with people who kind of saw the world in the same way - people who wouldn't beat me up outside a hockey arena because I had some band scrawled on my shirt.

Around 2000-2001-ish, if my memory serves me correctly.. punk started getting unpopular. Ska all but had dissapeared from the scene, and domination from really poppy sugary "punk" acts made way for ultra-sweetened emo, and far worse, screamo, metalcore, etc. music.
Everything just started to suck. Everyone I idolized in the local scenes had grew up, moved away, or stopped caring.

(side-note: For some reason, when ultra-visible punk rocker type people started donning more 'regular type folk' clothes, for some reason it really got to me. Christ I mean, they just wanted to stop having to put up their mohawk, but for some reason deep down I felt as if they were giving up. Really lame, and I know better now, but hell it was hard to get over as a kid. I think that's why the Casualties still do it.)

Cut to now, 2007. Punk is, well, is really fucking dead. There are a handfull of decent punk bands around ontario, and a lot of them going relatively unnoticed which is MIND-BOGGLING.
If you get a chance, pick up Hostage Life's "Walking Papers". Every goddamn song is great - I don't know how kids can justify to themselves buying the U.S.A. metalcore bullshit, when a band pumping out catchy, down to earth punk music is treading water in Toronto.

I don't know how at all, so this is what I'm figuring.
Many things in life are cyclical. Fashion is cyclical, music is most often cyclical.
Punk is going to come back in a BIG way - I don't know when, but I'm feeling it soon, its in the cards.
1977, 1982/84, 1992-1996 , 2008/9-?

Those dates may be a little off, but goddamn it I'm waiting for the revolution here people.
Each time bands listen to the "generation" before them, get influence, take influence from elsewhere, and then you get a ton of kick ass bands all coming out at the same time that kick ass.
There are great punk bands happening all over the US and Canada, and its only a matter of time before more mainstream outlets pick up on it, and the kids are back hip.


Listening to: Candy Snatchers (I hate those "listening to" things, but I wanted to do it just once)