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Avant-punk is a corruption of "avant-garde," a term generally used in popular reference to mean "in the forefront of innovation," though with more specific meanings in the arts. "Avant-punk" is used preferentially to "garage-punk" or "punk-rock" (broader genre definitions avant-punk falls under) to connote a forward-looking and experimental approach to fast stripped-down guitar music, as opposed to the more retrospective ethic of those styles.

Avant-punk as a musical style should not be confused with the literary style of author Carlton Mellick III, who has also coined the term to describe his work.

Avant-Punk is a progressive musical style blending DC Hardcore, post-rock, heavy metal and garage rock. A fast tempo, often in time signatures other than standard 4/4, with frequent shifts in tempo and signature, is common. Instrumentation frequently follows the standard punk template of kit drums, bass guitar and distorted electric guitars, though not always. Vocals may include close part harmonies.

Experimentation is the aim, and jams often form a major part of live sets. Avant-punk differs from prog-rock or even jazz, however, in that the principle aim is to produce high-octane music that is consistently interesting to fans as a whole, rather than to showcase individual musicians' talents or prowess.

Avant-punk also differs from post-hardcore in that the emphasis is on intuitive and spontaneous experimentation with rhythm and melody, rather than the more rigorous or formal approach of the latter. In this respect avant punk can be thought of as forming one end of a continuum of musical styles descending from the above influences, with post-hardcore (as the best known) in the centre and math rock at the other extreme.

The avant-punk aesthetic is also a DIY approach to music production and distribution, heavily influenced by Washington DC based label Dischord Records.

Many labels distributed by Southern Records can be considered 'avant-punk.' Sotones Records, of Southampton, UK, have been described as 'avant-punk'

Sonic Youth may be thought of as the trailblazers of avant-punk, having pioneered the integration of jazz and punk in the 1980s.

Other bands described by commentators (though not by themselves) as avant-punk include ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Chicks on Speed, The Mars Volta and Twentysixfeet.

Leisure (band) and Bluetip can be considered exponents of the 'avant-punk' style. Both (along with most avant-punk bands) show strong influences from Fugazi.