If ever there was a place on this gobshite planet to incubate good punk rock, that place is Belfast. (Nice try, New Jersey.) And sure enough, the Northern Ireland capital has gifted us with one of the greatest punk bands of all time, Stiff Little Fingers. Rather than wallow in the provocative-for-provocation’s-sake nihilism of their English counterparts, Stiff Little Fingers drew from first-hand experience of their hometown’s Troubles, imbuing their frustration with their island’s inherent, elegiac tunefulness. The albums and singles from the Fingers’ first five years are some of the best, most humane punk records ever recorded. And the Fingers are still soldiering on, with original singer/guitarist Jake Burns and classic-era bassist Ali McMordie joined by guitarist Ian McCallum and drummer Steve Grantley, both of whom have been playing with the band since the ’90s. Like their peers, Stiff Little Fingers give a two-fingered salute to the hypocrisy of the world, but unlike others, their music locates hope amid the rage.

by Ned Lannamann