Editing Dead Kennedys (section)

== Artistry ==
[[File:Dead Kennedys (logo).jpg|thumb|upright|"DK" logo]]
=== Music and lyrics ===
Dead Kennedys have been described as one of the first [[hardcore punk]] bands.<ref>{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=Dead Kennedys {{!}} Biography & History |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-kennedys-mn0000786613/biography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107034638/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-kennedys-mn0000786613/biography |archive-date=November 7, 2016 |access-date=August 22, 2016 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> They were noted for the harshness of their lyrics, which generally combined biting social satire while expressing a staunchly left-wing view of contemporary America.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dead Kennedys on MSN Music |url=http://music.msn.com/music/artist/dead-kennedys.1/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429030833/http://music.msn.com/music/artist/dead-kennedys.1/ |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=June 13, 2011 |publisher=Music.msn.com}}</ref> Unlike other leftist punk bands who use more direct sloganeering, Dead Kennedys' lyrics were often snide. For example, "[[Holiday in Cambodia]]" is a multi-layered satire targeting both [[yuppie]]s and Cambodia's recently deposed [[Khmer Rouge]] regime.  Or, on "Jock-O-Rama", featured on ''Frankenchrist'', they mock southern small towns whose residents’ lives revolve around high school football.

=== Logo ===
The original logo was created by [[Winston Smith (artist)|Winston Smith]]. He later contributed artwork for the covers of ''[[In God We Trust, Inc.]]'', ''[[Plastic Surgery Disasters]]'', ''[[Frankenchrist]]'', ''[[Bedtime for Democracy]]'', ''[[Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death]]'', the back cover of the "[[Kill the Poor]]" single and the [[Alternative Tentacles]] logo. When asked about the "DK" logo in an interview, Jello Biafra explained, "...I wanted to make sure it was something simple and easy to spray-paint so people would graffiti it all over the place, and then I showed it to Winston Smith. He played around with it, came back with a bunch of designs that had the circle and slightly 3-D looking letters and he had ones with different patterns behind it. I liked the one with bricks, but ultimately I thought simple red behind it was the boldest and the best."<ref>{{cite web |date=May 6, 2007 |title=Tremble Under Boom Lights: Interview with Jello Biafra |url=http://trembleunderboomlights.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-jello-biafra.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708071213/http://trembleunderboomlights.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-jello-biafra.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |access-date=June 13, 2011 |publisher=Trembleunderboomlights.blogspot.com}}</ref>

=== Influence ===
Dead Kennedys have influenced multiple acts such as [[System of a Down]], [[Green Day]], [[Faith No More]], [[Rage Against the Machine]], [[Sepultura]], [[Descendents]], [[Bad Religion]], [[Slayer]], [[X (American band)|X]], [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]], [[The Hives]], [[Saves the Day]] and [[Screeching Weasel]] among others.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-kennedys-mn0000786613/related |title=Dead Kennedys {{!}} Similar Artists |website=[[AllMusic]] |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624104240/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-kennedys-mn0000786613/related |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |date=June 6, 2012 |title=The Hives are Abuzz Again |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/the-hives-lex-hives |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915160348/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/the-hives-lex-hives |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |access-date=November 13, 2024 |website=Interview Magazine |quote=You build up a library of influences. It’s not like the influences of the first album aren’t here now, like the Dead Kennedys. It’s just that the library of influences gets bigger and bigger.}}</ref>