Jeffrey, left, with his brother Jack.
By Alex Felsinger
Crass saved punk music. They redefined the genre before it was even fully created by shunning the Malcom McLaren-influenced and Vivien Westwood-designed pseudo-movement – and instead, they stood for something. They never fit the part, never ripped off the Rolling Stones, and never tried to become famous. They genuinely wanted a better world and thought they could help create one through music. Although a better world never came, they have influenced countless bands to continue in the same spirit.
But in the last four years, every kid with a mohawk and a leather jacket has picked up an acoustic guitar to sing against the war and capitalism, recorded some songs on their PowerBook, and then thrown them up on MySpace. Folk-punk, as people call it, has swept the nation’s underground, to the point where legendary punk venue 924 Gilman Street Project has a monthly “Acoustic Night.”
Bringing it full circle, New York City’s Jeffrey Lewis recently released an album – his fourth since 2001 – composed entirely of acoustic versions of Crass tunes. The full-length – 12 Crass Songs (Rough Trade) – covers some of the band’s best, including “Punk Is Dead,” “Banned from the Roxy,” and “Big A, Little A.”