Tag: Pop Punk
-
Forever The Sickest Kids ‘Forever The Sickest Kids’ (2010)
There was a brief moment in the late aughts where neon pop punk reigned supreme. That genre adopted all the elements from the early 2000’s pop punk wave of bands like Blink-182, The Starting Line, and Fall Out Boy and took it a step further, introducing even more formal power pop song structural elements and…
Written by
·
-
We Were Sharks ‘Lost Touch’ (2018)
Crunchy guitar riffs, fat drums, and catchy vocal hooks. We Were Sharks Lost Touch slams just about every pop punk trope into the album’s 28 minute runtime with a slight dose of Canadian flair that helps keep things interesting. The band certainly cuts a path down well-traveled roads but there’s a time and place for…
Written by
·
-
Blink-182 ‘Dude Ranch’ (1996)
For myself and countless other millennials who got into punk rock during our early tweens, Dude Ranch is the album that started it all. Blink’s 1999 album Enema of the State was the one which shot them into global superstardom, but real ones know that things started to get real when Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge,…
Written by
·
-
No Doubt ‘Tragic Kingdom’ (1995)
The backdrop of No Doubt’s third album Tragic Kingdom reads somewhat like a soap opera– keyboardist and principal songwriter Eric Stefani left the band in the middle of the sessions after struggling with the fact he was being asked to include other band members in the songwriting process, and shortly after that bassist Tony Kanal…
Written by
·
-
Rufio ‘Perhaps, I Suppose…’ (2001)
Perhaps, I Suppose… is what I remember my early teens sounding like– obsessed with girls with absolutely zero experience in how to communicate with them, imbuing way too much meaning into mundane fleeting glances, and desperately trying to figure out what all these big feelings going on in my head were all about (hint: it…
Written by
·
-
Motion City Soundtrack ‘Commit This To Memory’ (2005)
Motion City Soundtrack was a perennial favorite of mine during high school. This was the era of my life when pop punk reigned supreme and I immediately found connection with Motion City Soundtrack for a variety of reasons– our shared Midwest roots (we both hail from the Twin Cities in Minnesota), their unique blend of…
Written by
·
-
The Matches ‘E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals’ (2004)
There was a point in high school where The Matches were my favorite band in the world, hard stop, no doubt about it. I loved the fact that they were a local band (they hailed from Oakland, CA), I loved the fact that their live show was absolutely electric (I had the chance to catch…
Written by
·
-
All Time Low ‘Wake Up, Sunshine’ (2020)
Veteran pop punkers All Time Low returned to their roots on 2020’s Wake Up, Sunshine and in the process scored the biggest chart-topping song of their career with “Monsters”. Despite the fact the band has been around since the early aughts and been a mainstay in the pop punk scene for over 20 years (which…
Written by
·
-
Hot Mulligan ‘Why Would I Watch’ (2023)
Hot Mulligan is the natural evolution of the mid 2000’s emo and pop punk movement, a band whose creativity and songwriting can both probably be safely described as being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, pinwheeling between chord breaks and rhythmic staccatos at a frenetic pace. As a songwriter myself it’s pretty apparent that what these…
Written by
·
-
Saves The Day ‘Through Being Cool’ (1998)
Through Being Cool is a nostalgic reminder of simpler times. I first got into this album in middle school and re-listening to it again at the age of 36 with two young kids running around the house represented just how fast life can change and how far it can take you on this wild journey.…
Written by
·
-
Goldfinger ‘Never Look Back’ (2020)
Many will remember Goldfinger for their prominence during the late 90’s with their hits such as “Superman” and “99 Red Balloons” (you’re lying if you claim ignorance of these two songs) as well as their brand of kitschy third-wave-ska meets punk rock. In the years following lead singer and songwriter John Feldmann has made quite…
Written by
·
-
Screeching Weasel ‘My Brain Hurts’ (1991)
Screeching Weasel is one of those bands that is your favorite band’s favorite band. A long-time fixture in the skate punk scene, Screeching Weasel has been cited as a significant influence by a metric load of bands that I grew up on– luminaries such as Blink-182, Green Day, New Found Glory, MxPx, Fall Out Boy,…
Written by
·
-
The Movielife ‘This Time Next Year’ (2000)
Anyone familiar with emo and its various offshoots during the mid aughts can immediately recognize that distinctive Long Island sound– sugary sing-a-long pop hooks with a deliberate nod to the hardcore roots that dominated the scene in the mid-to-late 90’s. Bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and Glassjaw effectively defined that Long Island sound…
Written by
·
-
The Story So Far ‘Proper Dose’ (2018)
Walnut Creek’s The Story So Far has been a part of the new wave of pop punk bands for going on about a decade now, bringing an emotive and earnest approach to songwriting that pays homage the foundations of the pop punk genre while updating that sound for a new generation of listeners. What sets…
Written by
·
-
Kindergarten Cartel ‘Kindergarten Cartel’ (2024)
About a year ago I was driving in the car with my two-year old daughter and newborn son, listening to PinkFong’s rendition of “Baby Shark” for what felt like (and was certainly most likely) the 23rd time in a row, and thought to myself “there has to be a better way.” For a young father…
Written by
·
-
Meet Me @ The Altar ‘Past // Present // Future’ (2023)
Along with having perhaps some of the most impressive uses of typographical symbols in both their band name and album title (the dual solidus in the Past // Present // Future is a chef’s kiss, frankly) Meet Me @ The Altar turns in a refreshing rendition of 2023 pop punk throughout their debut album. All…
Written by
·
-
Green Day ‘Nimrod’ (1997)
While not as artistically impactful as their pop-punk powerhouse 1994 album Dookie, or as critically lauded as their commercial smash-hit American Idiot in 2004, Green Day’s 1997 album Nimrod is a seminal album that would have a massive impact on the punk rock genre as a whole and frankly could be considered a magnum opus…
Written by
·
-
Something Corporate ‘Leaving Through The Window’ (2002)
In the early aughts pop punk scene Something Corporate stood out for one distinct reason– lead singer and songwriter Andrew McMahon. His use of piano as both a composition tool and for lead hooks was unique in the genre and immediately set the band apart from their peers sonically in a way that was similar…
Written by
·
-
Teenage Halloween ‘Till You Return’ (2023)
Teenage Halloween has exploded onto the underground pop punk scene in recent years backed by their earnest and fervent take on growing up as a young person in America who doesn’t quite fit in. Till You Return is an explosion of energy, encapsulating thematic subject matter that ranges from self-identity (the vast majority of the…
Written by
·
-
Alkaline Trio ‘From Here to Infirmary’ (2001)
Alkaline Trio has always held a special place in my heart for one simple reason– their obsession with the macabre. Combining relatively simple and straight forward skate punk chord progressions with references to corpses, rotten milk, scars, chainsaws, and alcohol (yes, lots and lots of alcohol) has always been a recipe for success for primary…
Written by
·
-
Neck Deep ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ (2015)
Neck Deep’s 2015 sophomore album absolutely bucked the trend of the sophomore slump, delivering some of the best pop punk of the 2010’s which is saying something considering how much the genre had seen a resurgence in popularity that decade. Life’s Not Out To Get You sounds incredible– Lloyd Roberts’ and Matt West’s guitars are…
Written by
·
-
Lit ‘A Place In The Sun’ (1999)
A Place In The Sun holds a special place in my heart in that it features “My Own Worst Enemy” which is the first song that I ever played live in front of a group of people. During eighth grade my middle school held a Talent Show where students were invited to participate. It was…
Written by
·
-
My Chemical Romance ‘The Black Parade’ (2006)
The Black Parade was emo’s answer to The Who’s Tommy, a concept album that sounded more like a Broadway musical production than a standard rock record. From soaring guitars to a rollicking rhythm section to Gerard Way’s distinctive gritty falsetto and dramatic enunciation, The Black Parade was Vaudeville on steroids and one of the most…
Written by
·
-
The Aquabats! ‘The Fury of the Aquabats!’ (1997)
Adorned with matching costumes and masks, The Aquabats 30-year career has taken them on a long ride from their ska punk roots to a more current iteration that features more of a New Wave feel. Along the way their brand of comedy rock and tongue-in-cheek humor has made them somewhat of a cult classic underground…
Written by
·
-
Blink-182 ‘One More Time…’ (2023)
Yesterday Blink-182 released One More Time…, their first album with Tom Delonge since 2011’s Neighborhoods, closing a 12-year hiatus that saw the band go through a rather tumultuous breakup that roiled through the music industry. The personal challenges between Delonge and bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker have been well chronicled, but effectively the…
Written by
·
-
Cartel ‘Chroma’ (2005)
The late 90’s through the mid aughts were a five year period that defined pop punk. You had Blink 182’s Enema of the State, Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler, and Green Day’s Dookie that by and large defined the genre, and then the variety of subsequent offshoots which took that formula and tweaked it…
Written by
·
-
No Use For A Name ‘Hard Rock Bottom’ (2002)
During 8th grade I was just beginning to get into punk music. Bands like The Ataris, NOFX, MxPx, Blink-182, Green Day, and Pennywise were my gateway into the genre. Listening to those bands today has a way of transporting me back almost immediately– and while some albums have aged well (and others not so well)…
Written by
·
-
Millencolin ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ (2000)
If you played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater as a kid it’s an absolute guarantee that you’ll recognize the first song off Pennybridge Pioneers. That game was a defining part of my childhood and many of my generational peers, and “No Cigar” was a mainstay on the game’s soundtrack. It’s a perfectly put together skate punk…
Written by
·
-
MxPx ‘Life In General’ (1995)
At one point in my life during middle school MxPx was my favorite band. The lyrics filled with young teen angst, straightforward vocal melodies, fuzzy electric guitars, and snap crackle drums sounded absolutely perfect to my 12-year old ears. They were also one of the rare punk bands approved by my mom to listen to…
Written by
·
-
The Wonder Years ‘The Greatest Generation’ (2013)
Pop punk has been having a moment in the past few years, experiencing a resurgence since it lorded over the pop music culture in the early 2000’s. And Pennsylvania’s The Wonder Years, who have been carrying the torch since the late aughts, are a huge part of that resurgence. It’s sort of funny to think…
Written by
·
-
Spitalfield ‘Remember Right Now’ (2003)
Spitalfield is one of those emo bands that you sort of had to go to high school in the mid-aughts to really appreciate. They were the hip emo band that influenced a ton of bands in the scene but never really had their big break like fellow Midwest emo bands The Get Up Kids and…
Written by
·
-
Blink-182 ‘Enema of the State’ (1999)
If you were in middle/high school during the early aughts it was basically impossible to avoid Blink-182. They were the most influential pop punk band in history at a time when pop punk was absolutely everywhere, looked the part with the spiked blond hair and Venice Beach skater garb, and possessed a real talent for…
Written by
·
-
The Get Up Kids ‘Something To Write Home About’ (1999)
Something To Write Home About was one of my first introductions to emo and pop punk as a middle schooler. At that time they were just another band in the lineup that comprised my burgeoning love for music– emo and pop punk in particular were just beginning to take off, and I was jumping on…
Written by
·
-
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…
Written by
·
-
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…
Written by
·
-
Sugarcult ‘Start Static’ (2001)
Start Static will forever remind me of freshman and sophomore year high school. It’s where Sugarcult sort of started and ended for me in terms of any sort of regular listening cadence, and outside of the off the cuff nostalgic spin of “Stuck In America” once a year or so, it’s safe to say it’s…
Written by
·
