Category: Punk
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The Offspring ‘Americana’ (1998)
The Offspring’s 1998 album Americana is a trip down memory lane, a time when punk rock was having its mainstream moment and MTV was pushing those music videos with reckless abandon. The Offspring were one of the first punk bands to break out into the mainstream with their (wait for it) smash-hit Smash, followed it…
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Sum 41 ‘All Killer, No Filler’ (2001)
With news that Sum 41 will finally be hanging up the guitars after 27 years together, it only felt right to dust off All Killer, No Filler and take it for a spin this week. This was the album that started it all for the Canadian punk rockers off the heels of their massive hit…
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AFI ‘Sing The Sorrow’ (2003)
I love a good epic album opener and holy hot damn does Sing The Sorrow ever have a massive album opener. “Miseria Cantare: The Beginning” gets the ol’ heart rate going immediately with those big kick drums, gang vocal chants, and epic operatic synths. The first AFI album I fell in love with was The…
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The Menzingers ‘After The Party’ (2017)
Beyond the east coast Bruce Springsteen storytelling chops, rollicking Les Pauls plugged into Marshall amps, and gritty vocal hooks, what I appreciate most about The Menzingers’ After The Party is how perfectly they capture the feeling of being an adult in your 30’s who has aged out of the punk scene but still appreciate the…
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Punk Goes… ‘Pop Volume 4’ (2011)
The “Punk Goes…” series has been a mainstay in punk rock since the early 2000’s and to this day I remember how impactful it was for me when I was 16 years old. I graduated HS in the class of 2006, and while original music absolutely appealed to me, hearing a punk band play a…
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Billy Idol ‘Rebel Yell’ (1983)
There’s nothing like Billy Idol’s vocals on Rebel Yell‘s title track. It’s what got me into Idol in the first place. It’s a perfect new wave punk song. Idol’s manic and uncontrolled primal energy, the undeniably hooky guitar lead line, how the overdriven guitars punch through in the chorus, the absolute shredfest of a solo.…
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The Bouncing Souls ‘Maniacal Laughter’ (1995)
The Bouncing Souls lead singer Greg Attonito has one of the most recognizable voices in the world of punk rock. On 1995’s Maniacal Laughter Attonito is the star, his vocal approach elevating the relatively straightforward punk arrangements into something more interesting than the sum of their collective parts. This 23-minute ripper, which features only a…
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The Clash ‘London Calling’ (1979)
There are three bands that stand alone in the Holy Trinity of punk rock. Those bands are the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and The Clash. All three have combined to inspired literally hundred of thousands of kids to pick up guitars, start their own bands, and express themselves musically. All three have had a massive…
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Ramones ‘Ramones’ (1976)
Largely considered the first punk rock group in history, the Ramones had it all– black shirts, leather jackets, ripped jeans, and a cool backstory where each member adopted the “Ramone” surname as a pseudonym. Their 1976 self-title debut was the very definition of New York cool. It was loud and fast as hell. Unlike their…
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Sex Pistols ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols’ (1977)
There is a primal energy that permeates every second of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. Raw. Visceral. Impossible to deny. Formed during a period of high unemployment and working class discontent that pervaded the U.K. in the mid-70’s, the Sex Pistols were a punk rock bomb that blew up in in the…
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The Ataris ‘Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits’ (1999)
In 8th grade The Ataris were my favorite band. No band was even close. They had a mainstream breakthrough moment with 2003’s So Long Astoria based off their cover of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer”, but Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits will always and forever be my favorite record by them. It is…
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Iron Chic ‘Not Like This’ (2010)
Some bands are so earnest and straight from the heart it makes it impossible not to pay attention to them. Iron Chic is that kind of band. Not Like This is that kind of album. Punk music does “earnesty” better than any other genre. I think that stems from the low barrier of entry, which…
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The Bronx ‘The Bronx’ (2003)
The Bronx is a shot of adrenaline after getting punched in the face. Pure hardcore punk rock poetry. Besides the fact it’s just a fun as hell 28-minute ride, this album deserves a spin based solely off its killer cover art. It’s one my favorite album covers of all-time because it tells you exactly what…
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NOFX ‘So Long & Thanks For All The Shoes’ (1997)
NOFX has been at it for 40 years now, which is frankly incredible for a punk band. They are one of the most commercially successful independent bands of all-time, has never been signed to a major label, and has stayed unwavering in their dedication to their DIY roots. 1997’s So Long & Thanks For All…
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Misfits ‘Famous Monsters’ (1999)
Late 90’s Misfits may not have had the star power of Glenn Danzig, but Michale Graves’ performance (especially on the sublime ballad “Saturday Night”) is touchingly haunting. These songs don’t tread into any new sonic territory outside of incorporating some thrash elements, but that’s sort of the point– Misfits always sound like a barroom brawl…
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