‘Luke’s English Podcast’ Review: Music and Culture-Punk

Editor’s note: As part of CMN’s ongoing music journalism program, we asked our team of music writers to choose a single episode of a podcast about music to review . The choices were electric and interesting. Check out all the podcast reviews by browsing our music section. 

 
Luke’s English Podcast is a show that focuses on a number of different subjects from assistance learning about the English language to film reviews.

There is also is a nearly 90-minute conversation focusing on the punk movement and its effects on pop culture. Omitting the heavy influences on the genre by bands from the U.S, especially in New York, the London based presenters focused heavily on the movement’s impact in the U.K during the late ’70s.

I dove into the episode with the hopes of learning more about the golden age of punk music and it did not disappoint.

As former musician, podcast host Luke and his brother James offered a wealth of knowledge on the subject and held my attention as I listened on the way to work and then again while working out at the gym.

Pros:

The presenters were highly knowledgeable on the subject and gave it a personal feel by discussing important punk venues that where they had personally performed, as well as shows that they had attended. The brothers have great chemistry and seemed comfortable interacting.

They also interwove their conversation with snippets of songs, as well as interviews from some of the genre’s most influential bands. That helped get me immersed into the content, and they helpfully provided a number of different tracks and interviews to check out at the conclusion of the video.

Link to clips used in the episode were posted on his website.

Cons:

This episode was published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistol’s first and only full length record Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. That explains why the duration of the episode focuses heavily on the London punk legends — with minimal references to other groups such as the Buzzcocks, The Damned and Joy Division.

Despite the Pistols undeniable impact on the genre, it would have been informative to have the presenters elaborate further on the movement’s many other influential groups. It also would have been nice to hear more about the impact that the movement had on 70s culture in punk culture hotbed New York City, although it’s understandable why the brothers stuck to their UK wheelhouse.

The episode was entertaining and informative. Along with the songs and interviews, this is worth a listen for anyone with an interest in one of our societies’ most chaotic cultural movements.