Punk-O-Rama

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Punk-O-Rama is a series of compilations by Epitaph Records featuring bands from Epitaph and its sub-labels, Hellcat Records and Burning Heart Records. First released in 1994, they were released every year, with the exception of 1995 and 1997 up until 2005, when the final volume was released.

Despite its name, the Punk-O-Rama collections have showcased music beyond the punk genre. While that was its original intention, once Epitaph started expanding its roster to other genres the series started to reflect this. Indie rock and hip-hop tracks started to appear, with examples on Volume 4: Tom Waits' "Big in Japan", and Volumes 8-10, including tracks by Sage Francis, Atmosphere, and Eyedea & Abilities.

The basis of the compilations was to promote the bands on the Epitaph labels, and as such, the suggested retail prices of the releases were usually half the price of other new releases, averaging well under $10. The songs featured on the compilations were both previously released on Epitaph labels and previously unreleased material.

In 2003, a DVD was released under the Punk-O-Rama name. It featured music videos that were made throughout Epitaph's history. Although the title indicated it was Volume 1, no other DVDs were released in the series. The next year, however, the Punk-O-Rama CD included a bonus DVD, which featured current music videos for Epitaph artists, most of which appeared on both the CD and DVD. The same was done for the following, and last, entry in the series.

In 2006, Epitaph Records retired the Punk-O-Rama series of compilations. Its replacement is the Unsound series, which had its first release in June, 2006.

Epitaph had come under criticism from long time fans of the Punk-O-Rama series, some of whom claimed that the name 'Punk-O-Rama' had become misleading, as the more recent releases in the series (particularly volumes 9 & 10) included emo, screamo, hardcore, indie rock and most controversially, hip hop. The new, non genre-specific name, Unsound was chosen to allow Epitaph to include a wider variety of music in the series.

[edit] Releases

Volume 1 (1994)
Volume 2 (1996)
Volume 3 (1998)
Volume 4 (1999)
Volume 5 (2000)
Volume 6 (2001)
Volume 7 (2002)
DVD Volume 1 (2003)
Volume 8 (2003)
Volume 9 (2004)
Volume 10 (2005)

[edit] Trivia

Five bands were on all but one album in the series, with Bad Religion on all but Volume 5, NOFX on all but Volume 9 and Pulley on all but Volume 1, and both Rancid and Pennywise on all but Volume 10.
A few times, Epitaph also put on tours under the Punk-O-Rama name. Bands that have appeared on these tours included bands that appeared on the compilations, such as Guttermouth, Millencolin and The Distillers.
In 1997, Hellcat Records, a subsidiary of Epitaph, started its own compilation series, Give 'Em the Boot. Some bands would appear on this series as well as Punk-O-Rama, since they both include Hellcat Records bands.