How do you describe Garage and Punk to people who don't get it?

[Alex]

I was having a conversation this morning with someone in my office who had never heard of garage music before, and she asked what it was.  Because this person was of the age that she might have remembered some of the better known bands, I started by asking if she knew of The Kingsmen.  She said yes, so I said "Songs that sound like Louie Louie."  She said "Oh, like classic rock!"  "Not quite," I told her.  Then she wanted more examples so I threw out The Electric Prunes and The Sonics, but she didn't know them.  I tried to describe frat rock bands of the 50's and 60's with no luck.

 

Then she asked what punk was, and I told her about bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols.  She kind've knew what they were, but only because I mentioned the poppiest of Ramones tunes, "I Wanna Be Sedated."  She had never heard of the Stiff Little Fingers.

 

This wasn't the first time I've been asked these questions, but I still don't have a good answer.  How do you describe our favorite kind of music to people who aren't in the know?  There's garage, punk, frat rock, rockabilly, psychobilly, surf, primitive rock, budget rock, trash rock, horror surf, hardcore, gunk punk (nod to Eric Davidson for that one)... but how do you describe the sound to people who have never heard of the Stooges, Radio Birdman, Minor Threat, The Mummies, Billy Childish, The Oblivians, and the like?

[kopper]

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture. Just give her this link and tell her to listen:

http://www.garagepunk.com/podcastjukebox.html

Oh, and tell her to TURN IT UP!!

[Oswald The Lucky Rabbit]

Classic rock... tsk tsk tsk... I remember seeing 60's punk filed under "oldies but goodies" in a record store in New-York. What a shocker, I'd never seen that in Europe!
I'd define garage as Rock'n'roll for purist with limited abilities filled with teenage lust and electricity. When I say limited abilities it's not derogative, it's my way of saying it's the only genre where the music is all that matters.
And I'd describe the sound as raw, electric, frantic, full of snarls and cumming guitars.

Or I'd just say: "Go and get a copy of nuggets, wanker!"

[DammitDave]

A:
1 - Garage - Sounds like early/60s Rolling Stones or The Who.
2 - Punk - Sounds like early/60s Rolling Stones or The Who LPs played on a cheap stereo on 45 instead of 33. That usually gets them to shut up.

Q:
Why are you talking to "those people?" (Just kidding but not really.)

[NoHitWonder]

"if the kids don't hate it, it ain't Rock 'n' Roll...."

[The Black Saxons]

Tell her to watch the shootout scene in Taxi Driver with the volume muted, whilst listening to Surfin' Bird really loudly. That should get her in the mood for enlightenment, either way it can't hurt.

"Classic rock"?...That's a real shame.

[ramborat]

simple you just don't haha. it's like describing color to a blind person

[Duke Of Earl]

RocknRoll at its primitive best. Don't tell her. Show her. More fun that way.

[mell O.]

kopper said:

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture. Just give her this link and tell her to listen:

http://www.garagepunk.com/podcastjukebox.html

Oh, and tell her to TURN IT UP!!

Perfect.......

[Jeremy Hall]

I don't know how to describe what it sounds like, but it smells like sex.

Actually, I ran into this same sort of conversation with a coworker, and I finally just told him it was rock and roll that sounds like it gives even less of a shit than it usually gives.

[John White]

Three cords and the truth!

[electrocute your cock]

It's bad music for bad people. It's punk that wants to party. It's the sound of awesome.

I'd just give 'em a copy of Never Been Caught or something and tell them to get the hell outta my house.

[Oswald The Lucky Rabbit]

What about sonic spunk?