Artists To Watch In 2026: Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American punk rock vocalist, spoken-word artist, political activist, and record label founder best known as the frontman and lyricist of the seminal San Francisco punk band Dead Kennedys.
Formed in 1978, Dead Kennedys became one of the most influential bands of the first wave of American hardcore punk, blending blistering speed with razor-sharp satire aimed at political corruption, authoritarianism, consumer culture, and social hypocrisy. Biafra’s unmistakable voice, surreal imagery, and confrontational humor helped define the band’s legacy on albums such as Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Plastic Surgery Disasters, and Frankenchrist.
After Dead Kennedys breakup in 1986, Jello Biafra would go on to release several musical collaborations with a variety of artists such as D.O.A., Nomeansno, Mojo Nixon, and The Melvins just to name a few. He would also form several collaborative projects with various artists, most notably LARD with Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker of Ministry, the No WTO Combo with Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, and Jello Biafra and The Raunch & Soul All-Stars with members of Cowboy Mouth, Dash Rip Rock, and Down. In 2018 he would go on to establish his first full-time band since Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine.
No matter if it's music with many collaborations (you never know where he's going to pop-up on stage at a show), or spoken word performances on his ongoing YouTube series, What Would Jello Do? (find it on Alternative Tentacles YouTube Channel) or interviewing artists on his podcast, Jello Biafra's Renegade Roundtable (listen wherever you stream podcasts), Jello remains active and defiant as ever. Across decades of work, he has remained a provocative and uncompromising figure, widely regarded as one of punk rock’s most articulate and enduring voices. Jello Biafra has never stopped challenging authority, encouraging critical thinking, and insisting that art should disturb the comfortable as much as it entertains.
Jello has released a number of recent releases, like the JBGSM split 7" with The November 3, "Blunder Blubber/IFAR" or his cover on "Punch" with Motorpsycho, or his appearance on the the track "Road Goat" off of The Tony Slug Experience tribute, but if you really want to hear some bangers from Jello Biafra, checking out his last album with The Guantanamo School of Medicine, "Tea Party Revenge Porn"!
