6. The Skunks - Formed in 1977, Austin's Skunks may well be the first punk band from Texas. Led by the talented Jesse Sublett, most of what the Skunks had to say, at least musically, was on the fringes of punk. But the attitude essential to all great hardcore bands was there in spades.
5. MDC - Vehemently far-left politically, Austin's (now Portland's) Millions of Dead Cops are as in-your-face as any punk-rock band on the planet. Singer Dave Dictor still fronts a version of MDC, but the uninitiated are directed to 1982's Millions of Dead Cops, an album that features such punk rock mainstays as "John Wayne Was a Nazi" and "Corporate Deathburger."
4. D.R.I. - Houston's Dirty Rotten Imbeciles started in 1982 and quickly released the magnificent Dirty Rotten EP. Featuring 22 songs in 18 minutes, the EP is as raw and full-throttle as punk can get. After relocating to San Francisco, D.R.I. evolved into a metal/thrash band, but they never forgot their punk roots.
