The difference, by ear
Noise rock inherits the Velvets' side of this directly - dissonance, drone and volume used to abrade.
Noise rock is shouted where proto-punk is sung cleanly, and slower: 90 to 150 bpm against 140 to 180. To hear the difference, play The Stooges next to Sonic Youth. They share a root in rock, and proto-punk came first, by sixteen years.
In figures
Proto-punk
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Garage rock › Proto-punk
In short
Garage rock turned hostile and repetitive, with noise and nihilism. Nobody called it punk yet, but everyone at CBGB copied from it.
How it sounds
- A repetitive, near-hypnotic riff held without development - the opposite of blues rock soloing.
- Spoken or shouted vocals delivered with calculated contempt.
- Noise, feedback and lyrics about boredom, drugs and urban alienation.
Key acts
- The Stooges
- MC5
- The Velvet Underground
- New York Dolls
Start here
The pickThe Stooges - Fun House. The sound of a band self-destructing in real time.
Full page →Noise rock
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Noise rock
In short
Alternate tunings, feedback as an instrument and rhythm sections that hit like machinery. The grandfather of sludge.
How it sounds
- Alternate tunings, often invented for a single song.
- Feedback and harmonics treated as musical material rather than accidents.
- A heavy, near-mechanical rhythm section with distorted bass up front.
Key acts
- Sonic Youth
- Big Black
- The Jesus Lizard
- Melvins
Start here
The pickThe Jesus Lizard - Goat. The rhythm section sounds like heavy plant in operation.
Full page →