What is "agitpop"

n. (context music English) pop music of an agitational character

Agitpop is an art punk band from Poughkeepsie, New York. The band was formed in 1981 and began touring widely in 1983. They released four records on the Comm3, Twintone and Rough Trade labels. Its members include Mark LaFalce, John deVries and Rick Crescini. The band was part of a pioneer movement in the underground music community and were particularly known for their unusual song styles, instrumentation and lyrical content within the rock genre. The shows attracted celebrated members of the New York arts scene including the Pop Art era photographer Billy Name.

The portmanteau Agitpop is derived from agitprop and is a conjugation of ‘agitation pop’, a now well defined label that describes how popular music asserts political ideas and views. The band members were enamored with the idea and the origins of the word from the Russian Revolution and used the repetition and philosophy of it within pop culture. Agitpop as a term can be applied to the name of the band itself, but also translates well into the character of the songs themselves.

Agitpop members have often described their approach to music as ‘a unique brand of fractured pop, derived from the dismantling of rock as we knew it.' At the time Agitpop was making their first records, the description worked as a default definition of the approach to making music the band was taking, where provocative amalgam with strong melodic hooks and poignant lyrics prevailed. Keeping with their intents and keeping with the needs of the times to re-define rock music, the band was consequent in their approach and forged a style unique to the times. The live shows were a natural extension of the philosophy of the band was following. Agitpop's performances were very confrontational. They alienated the audience or drew them in.

In a review from trouser press of one of the shows in the mid-1980s, Agitpop's unique stylistic approach to rock music was described with the phrase ‘Free your mind…and your ass will follow'. The review followed them continually around throughout the band's existence. Whether they are put into the music categories of the times or not, they have had a strong influence on many younger bands, inspiring them to adapt a willingness ‘in dismantling’, or emancipating rock away from standard instrumentations and song styles.