The Pop Group were an explosive mutant gene that made British punk seem safely safety-pinned. A deranged fusion of punk rock, dub reggae, free jazz, political poetics and horrific noise, they never exactly fit in, but ultimately served as a do-what-thou-wilt clarion call to a legion of admirers, starting with feminist-skanking sister band the Slits. Nick Cave, who has described the Pop Group’s music as “unholy, manic, violent, paranoid and painful,” grafted their anarchic spirit onto the Birthday Party. They paved the way for Fugazi’s politicized dissonance, Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails’ larger-than-life soundscapes, and the dancefloor-friendly art-rock moves of contemporary bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars. Read more at Rolling Stone…
