Way back in 1982, four kids aged 10-14 in Evanston, IL formed a punk band, Verböten. It lasted about as long as most bands that kids make (or that adult punks make), breaking up the following year – but not forgotten. Guitarist Jason Narducy has gone on to have a musical career, from his ‘other Verbo’ band, Verbow, to working with the likes of Bob Mould, Superchunk, and Michael Shannon. Singer Tracey Bradford’s cousin got into music after seeing the band – cousin Dave Grohl. More recently, Verböten was referenced in Grohl’s Sonic Highways documentary, inspiring playwright Brett Neveu to make a musical about the band. And now, over forty years since they ended, Verböten have gotten back together and released their punk rock self-titled debut.
Verböten definitely draws from the early eighties punk rock style, eschewing the sneering ‘Spirit of ‘77’ punk for straightforward pressure. This comes out in the speed behind such tracks as opener “No More Indecision”, “Full Disruption”, and “Scam Culture”, but also in the bigger punk calls to action like the building “Bodily Autonomy” and closer “Conviction of Youth”.
Admittedly, the story behind Verböten kind of overshadows the album Verböten, but it is a great story. Punk’s not dead – just give it time…
