Broward-Palm Beach Counties' 11 Best Punk Bands of All Time

Over the past few weeks, we took a look at some of the best punk bands to come out of Miami. While the general consensus was that the 305 did not invent or expand on the subculture back in the day, it will forever be noted that due to its geographical isolation, it certainly developed its own brand of punk rock.

But the 305 was not alone then, since the 954 and 561 were also active with bands and venues!

Maybe not as tropical in execution as their southern neighbors, the other two counties of the tri-county corridor were not short on creativeness and humor, which is what usually sets South Florida's punk rock scene apart from other regions in the USA.

Here are Broward and Palm Beach counties' eleven best punk bands of all time.

See also: Miami's 20 Best Punk Bands of All Time

11. The Trash Monkeys

There was something dangerous and inherently je ne sais quoi about the Trash Monkeys. Harmful, slimy, and gritty in a good way. Nothing places them here better than their attitude and the track above, which should be in every jukebox that still exists in Broward County. County Administrator Bertha Henry should decree a "Trash Monkeys Day."

10. Mysfitz

Straight out of Hollywood via the 1960's LSD excess and free love sensibilities, the Mysfitz were short on spelling but big on dreams and aspirations. Their lone EP, She's a Teaser b/w "Aggravation" should've served as a calling card to potential labels back in '81, but after failing to secure a deal, which I believe took them to New York, the group disabanded.

9. Sheer Smegma

Sheer Smegma was Teddy and the Frat Girls. Or was Teddy and the Frat Girls Sheer Smegma? The question will remain the same and shall remain unanswered. Talk about your weird, balls-off-the-wall all-girl scatological craziness. These Palm Beach debs must've had some serious daddy issues and some raunchy ideas as to how the world works. Never has "shitting out one's intestines" sounded so good.

8. Spanish Dogs

Another band the famed Pete Moss worked with, the Spanish Dogs, were an experimental punk rock, power-pop super group that took New Wave for themselves and over the course of two EPs and one full-length album defined fun-weird for South Florida. Spanish Dogs or Nothing at All!

7. Further Seems Forever

This band, with its wholesome outlook on life and Christian-oriented music did much for putting South Florida on the map when lead singer Chris Carrabba formed Dashboard Confessional a year after starting this band when he decided he wanted to become a heartthrob. That worked out for him like gangbusters. Now many former teeny-boppers can find Pompano Beach on a map.

6. The Mute-Ants

The Mute-Ants were the punk and roll answer to whatever Lookout! Records was doing in the mid '90s with Billy Boloby and crew powering through whatever teenaged notion led the night. Fun, inherently quirky, and really sweaty live, the Mute-Ants left behind a small recorded legacy that is as fun today as it was then.

5. X-Conz

Another early Florida punk band with a small pressing run of their lone 7" record; an unfortunate trend for many outfits of the era. Fun power-pop from a very young Mr. Robert Elba who would eventually become better known to the world as a Holy Terror.

4. The Beltones

There's something infinitely sad about a Beltones' song, is it the whiskey-soured vocals of Bill McFadden or the skid row poetry that always propelled them beyond the Stiff Little Fingers comparisons? One of the more underappreciated gems to come out of Florida in the '90s.

TKO Records recently got their heads out of their asses and have released their debut LP On Deaf Ears (the CD being catalog number 18) on vinyl, 16 years after the fact. However, the limited edition splatter version sort of justifies the time lapse. Sort of.

3. New Found Glory

New Found Glory, love them or hate them, broke out of South Florida, and for the last 17 years have been at it with their brand of punk rock most will liken to the shopping mall crowd.

Whatever your take is on them, they're a known Florida band which is sometimes rare for those who deserve the accolade more. Their recent woes with guitarist Steve Klein's accusations of pederasty have marred the band's image significantly with plenty of vitriol hurled at them and Klein.

2. Morbid Opera

One of the better punk acts to come out of the '80s, Morbid Opera's Jesus Loves You - So Give Us Your Money! EP is a gem. Singer Lisa Hodapp unfortunately passed away in 2010 after battling cancer.

1. The Cichlids

The Cichlids' could've been the first punk rock superstars to emerge from South Florida. But through a combination of signing to disco label TK Records, personal differences, and bad timing, it was simply not meant to be. "Lifeguard Dan" might technically be the first DIY music video shot in South Florida. Drummer Bobby Tak has recently recorded with Charlie Pickett and singer Debbie DeNeese routinely kicks this scribe's ass in Words with Friends. Regardless, their lone album, Be True to Your School is a must in any collection.

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