Top Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online

Cobra Starship

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:40 -0800

Cobra Starship are part of a wave of emo rock bands that have, for better or worse, started incorporating heavy club electronics and contemporary R&B into what once was punk-pop, rendering a high-energy style of dance-emo that tends to confuse newcomers. For instance, the NYC quintet features a keytar player. While a sense of irony exists somewhere deep in the music, for the most part, Cobra Starship and their peers (Brokencyde, Hellogoodbye, Hollywood Undead) want little more than to "bring the party," as they say, and lighten the mood in the often overly earnest emo scene. The band's first album, While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets, appeared in 2006, with statement of purpose Viva La Cobra! following a year later. Slots on various touring festivals came next, with "Guilty Pleasure" and "Kiss My Sass" receiving airplay. In 2009, Cobra Starship's third album came out, Hot Mess, which featured lead single "Good Girls Go Bad." - Mike McGuirk

Green Day

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:21 -0800

Influenced by bands like the Clash, Operation Ivy and the Sex Pistols, Bay Area-slackers-turned-rock-stars Green Day set the market for pop-punk in the mid-'90s, and rode that success to critical and popular super stardom in the new millennium. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool (who replaced original drummer Al Sobrante in 1990) came together in Berkeley, Calif., where they quickly became local favorites, frequently playing underground punk haven 924 Gilman St. Their first release, 39/Smooth, arrived in 1990, followed by the compilation 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and 1992's Kerplunk. The latter's success prompted Reprise to sign the group, and Green Day's major label debut, Dookie, dropped in 1994, yielding smash singles "Basket Case" and "Longview" (it was certified diamond in 1999). The band followed it with 1995's Insomniac, 1997's Nimrod and 2000's Warning. All were mildly successful compared to Dookie, though singles like "Brain Stew," "Minority" and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" kept them comfortably in the spotlight. The release of 2004 concept album, American Idiot, however, saw the boys expand upon their sound and songwriting, earning them a Grammy for Best Rock Album, not to mention a whole new generation of fans. Green Day continued their evolution with 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, a three-act rock-opera opus that would provide even more justification to their superstar status. - Stephanie Benson

Paramore

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:59 -0800

With a handful of full-length albums, songs featured on soundtracks for Twilight and Superman Returns (among others), and multiple high-profile appearances on the Vans Warped Tour, Paramore seem like anything but the work of some kids from Tennessee. Singer Hayley Williams was 13 when she was enlisted by guitarist Josh Farro and his brother, drummer Zac Farro, to form the band. By 2007, Paramore were headlining the Warped Tour and had crashed into record-buyers' consciousnesses courtesy of the Florida-based scene-mongering label Fueled by Ramen. In 2009, they followed a tour opening for No Doubt with the release of Brand New Eyes, which found youthful exuberance turning to a more focused, mature take on modern rock. - Mike McGuirk

David Bowie

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:17 -0800

Musicians evolve at the risk of losing their audience -- fans always prefer known quantities to variables. David Bowie is one performer who's made a career out of defying rock convention so flagrantly and with such finesse that fans not only forgive him for it, they worship him. From the fey folk of his pre-Space Oddity days to the right-angled, martinet funk of "Fashion" and Tin Machine's bloated hard rock, Bowie's only constant has been his inconstancy. Considering his vast, diffuse output -- three dozen or so albums and counting -- you can hardly fault him for the occasional bit of slag, especially when there are more than enough nuggets to make all the panning worthwhile. At every career turn, Bowie has often sustained his flashes of brilliance -- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory are two examples among many. His Janus ability to perform with utter candor (as on "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Quicksand") and then, in the blink of an eye, don a mask and enter a role (witness the plastic soul of Young Americans) makes Bowie a living puzzle. We're still awaiting all the pieces. - Chad Driscoll

blink-182

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800

These smart-alecky skate punks back up their posturing with impossibly catchy bursts of off-color sucker punch and arrangements tighter than a...well, let's just say tight. They have steadily risen to the top of the heap of spittle-spewing new-punk acts with their NOFX-derived comic approach to the old school. In the apartheid-like milieu of their adolescent fan-base, they have orchestrated a lucrative crossover, bringing skaters and jocks together in the mosh-pit for intentionally stoopid punk rock with a ska chaser that's got a little more Cheap Trick in it than the Clash. - Mike McGuirk

All Time Low

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:54:40 -0800

Punk-pop ladykillers All Time Low formed in Maryland in 2003, while the members were all still in high school. Tilling the fertile fields of exuberant guitar pop a la blink-182, the band released a pair of records, The Party Scene and So Wrong It's Right, on indie labels in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Extensive touring and coverage on MTV helped raise their profile, and in 2009 their first single off third album Nothing Personal, "Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)," became All Time Low's first Hot 100 charting song. - Mike McGuirk

Sublime

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:04 -0800

Mixing an aggressive blend of thrash punk ethos with ska and dub reggae rhythms, Sublime were one of the biggest names in the late '90s ska revival. Unlike others of their ilk, they paid more attention to the latter than the former.

Rise Against

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:15 -0800

With the intention of resurrecting the energy of classic hardcore, ex-88 Fingers Louie bassist Joe Principe formed Rise Against in Chicago in 1999. Powered by the impressive vocals of Tim McIlrath, the band plays modern retro hardcore that is closer to Bad Religion than Black Flag. But that's OK since they deliver plenty of punch; and while the messages are positive, they stick close enough to the sonic brutality of their progenitors to ensure that punk is still not dead. Since forming in 1999, the band has released four records and a handful of singles, played Black Flag in the skateboarding epic Lords of Dogtown and became one of the shining stars on Fat Wreck Chords' artist roster. - Mike McGuirk

Fall Out Boy

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:59 -0800

Clever emo/pop-punk outfit Fall Out Boy rose from the ashes of several hard-core bands, in the throes of suburban ennui in Wilmette, Illinois. The band's cathartic live shows -- a carryover from their days of rocking the mosh pit -- at venues like the Knights of Columbus Hall earned the boys a solid Midwestern fan base, but it was their hybrid, Green Day-with-a-dream-journal sound that sparked a small but respectable bidding war to sign them. The band, now comprised of founding members Pete Wentz (bass/lyrics) and Joe Trohman (guitar), vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, and drummer Andy Hurley, cut a handful of EPs and two full-lengths for small labels (New Zealand's Uprising Records and the Florida-based Fueled By Ramen). While they were still working on their second album, Island Records gave the band an advance to start their third and sent them on a 280-day tour. The band's exhausting schedule didn't help Wentz's anxiety disorder, and he ended up overdosing on Ativan. While Wentz recovered, the rest of the band had to finish a UK tour with a substitute, which forced them to learn not to rely on Wentz's dynamic stage presence and become stronger stage performers. In 2007, Fall Out Boy released their third album followed by 2008's Folie a Deux. - Rachel Devitt

The Offspring

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:43 -0800

The Offspring got their start much like any other Southern California band in the wake of that region's first punk explosion, playing songs that were lacking some of the first wave's abrasiveness but were musically more adept. The Offspring made their first appearance in 1989 with a self-titled release (on the Nemesis label) that featured many of their trademark sonic elements: crunchy guitars wrapped up in power chords and occasional surf riffs, with vocal stylings that hover between yells and grunts. In '90, the band signed to California indie label Epitaph. With the '94 Smash LP, and the accompanying single "Come Out and Play," the group became the biggest-selling indie artist of all time. Since then, the group have had consistent success with alternative radio, most recently with the single "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)." Since that single hit the charts in 1998, the Offspring have steadily released albums, with Conspiracy of One and Splinter appearing in 2000 and 2003, respectively, and Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace following in 2008. - Mike McGuirk

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:52 -0800

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs formed in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2000, after guitarist Nick Zinner and vocalist Karen O met in a bar and began writing songs on an acoustic guitar together. They brought in an old friend (Brian Chase) on the drums, and decided to forgo the bass all together in an attempt to make as much of a punked-up, glammed-up racket as possible. An EP came out in 2001, when they also made their first live appearances opening up for the White Stripes. As the touring continued, so did the press. People were drawn to Karen O's punk rock/Flashdance-style of dress, not to mention her vocals, which could moan and shriek with passion and suffering. The band itself ran from dance-oriented 4/4 beats toward choppy post-punk; songs are clunky, spastic and melodic. Their debut album, Fever Too Tell, came out in 2003 and features the hit "Maps." They followed up that success with 2006's Show Your Bones. For their third release, 2009's It's Blitz, the trio took a slightly different approach, washing their gritty guitar rock in a wave of synths and dance beats. - Jon Pruett

No Doubt

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:20 -0800

Surfing high on the Ska Punk wave which raged in the 1990s, No Doubt found their ticket to ride in a watered-down, polished combination of 3rd Wave Ska and punk-pop. With success on the horizon, they quickly moved into more radio-friendly pop territory, launching a career that moved beyond alternative music festivals. As image-perfect as Disneyland, which sat in their backyard, No Doubt embraced a sound and look that countered the aggressive and raw aspects of grunge and punk. What little ska sound they had became buried under tightly crafted new wave currents. The group's appeal skyrocketed with the attention-grabbing centerpiece and vocalist, Gwen Stefani. In both sound and image, Stefani stood out like a forest fire in a snowstorm. Her lofty voice soared over easily digestible, bouncy guitars and took front stage both aurally and visually. Stefani went on to worldwide fame after the band went on hiatus in 2003. - Mark Murrmann

My Chemical Romance

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:23 -0800

New Jersey's My Chemical Romance deliver tightly wound aggression in melodious ways. Their hyper, scream-drenched choruses and metal-flicked guitar lines have earned MCR comparisons to fellow New Jersey-ites Thursday, and the two bands have crossed paths more than once: both recorded for Eyeball Records, and Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly produced MCR's debut album. But MCR's therapy-session alt rock defines its own space, tying up all its disparate influences (Iron Maiden, the Smiths) into one cohesive, explosive whole.

Singer-songwriter Gerard Way and his high-school pal, drummer Matt Pelissier, formed the band in 2001. Within a year, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero and bassist Mikey Way (Gerard's little brother) had rounded the group out to a quintet. Their sophomore release, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, garnered national attention and critical acclaim. Before they could enjoy their success, however, the band had to contend with the departure of Pelissier (who was replaced by Bob Bryar) and the elder Way's issues with drug abuse and depression. But they returned, darkly triumphant as usual, with 2006's The Black Parade. - Rachel Devitt

Panic at the Disco

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:00 -0800

There was a time when music from Las Vegas conjured up images of Liberace, the cape-wearing Elvis, and the sound of drum rolls that accompanied showgirls as they kicked up their gams and flung off their garments. Despite this shtick working its magic on the Strip, the first germ of the idea of what would become Panic At the Disco was planted by two kids oblivious to everything but the sounds of Blink-182 heard on strip mall loudspeakers in the distant suburbs surrounding Sin City. Cofounders Ryan Ross (guitar) and Spencer Smith (drums) eventually pulled in a few more of their high school pals (Brendon Urie and Brent Wilson) to complete the lineup. They experimented with original songs (as practiced in Spencer's grandmother's living room), nearly half of which would end up on their debut release, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. How did the music industry track down these innovative suburban high school talents? After hearing that Pete Wentz, bass player for the emo success story Fall Out Boy, was starting a new label, guitarist Ryan sent him a link to their website. Amazingly, after a few sampled tracks, this e-mailed URL led to being signed to Wentz's Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen records in 2005. Panic! At the Disco stand out amidst their labelmates by incorporating rapid-fire synths and drum machines into their high-energy melodies, along with not-so-rock 'n' roll instruments like a Vaudevillian piano and accordion. - Michele K-Tel

The Clash

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:49 -0800

People weren't joking when they called the Clash "the only band that matters." At the end of a decade when most rock music was being made by increasingly self-possessed millionaires, the Clash were a revelation. They played like the Who on speed (which is a pretty big deal, considering the Who were on speed to begin with) and howled about -- well, it was hard to make out just what Joe Strummer was singing on those first few records, but you could tell he was pissed. More importantly, the band's power and passion sounded like the solution to every social ill they addressed, as well as the cure for every personal disappointment you'd ever suffered. As spontaneous as they seemed, the band's three-chord anthems were marvels of songcraft; lead guitarist Mick Jones' pop smarts gave Strummer's righteous anger plenty of hooks to hang on, while Strummer's rage lent heft to even their catchiest songs. As their career progressed, Strummer and Jones explored the Roots and Reggae hinted at in the band's first recordings with increasing confidence, until hubris eventually did them in. But if the Clash hadn't been so arrogant to begin with, they never could have convinced a generation that rock bands were capable of starting revolutions instead of just singing about them. - Tim Quirk

Killswitch Engage

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:44 -0800

Vocalist Howard Jones, guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, bassist Mike D'Antonio and drummer Justin Foley are no strangers to the history of the modern metalcore scene they represent. Hailing from a strong lineage of seminal Massachusetts metalcore outfits, with former members from pillar bands Overcast and Aftershock, their family tree doesn't stop there. KSE guitarist and producer extraordinaire Adam D. not only produces every Killswitch album, but has also pulled production duty for Mass natives Unearth, All That Remains and Shadows Fall, among many other popular metalcore acts from across the country. Translation: Not only have Killswitch helped set the stylistic pace of what denotes modern metalcore, but they also have a hand in the sound new metalcore acts churn out. Sonically, Killswitch Engage possess the same preciseness and agility in and out of labyrinthine passages as Swedish melodic death metal masters At the Gates. Flame-scorched screams define verses and trade off into clean, operatic choruses and bridges while rending guitars and hardcore breakdowns fully define their amalgamated approach. - Jen Guyre

Taking Back Sunday

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:00 -0800

Taking Back Sunday is a punk-ish emo band that not surprisingly takes its cues from godfathers All and NOFX. Guitarist Ed Reyes was a member of Movielife before joining the band. The band formed in New York in 1999 and released its first album, Tell All Your Friends, in 2002. - Mike McGuirk

Plain White T's

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800

The Plain White T's make catchy, commercial punk-pop that befits their beginnings in the basements of suburban Chicago and fits perfectly alongside the Warped Tour juggernauts with whom they rose to fame in the mid '00s. Led by Tom Higgenson, the group has outlasted numerous personnel changes since it started playing club dates in 1999. 2001's self-released Come On Over caught the ears of the Fearless label, which issued their 2002 LP Stop. The band toured hard before 2005's All That We Needed, and eventually settled with a roster of Higgenson, guitarists Dave Tirio and Tim Lopez, bassist Mike Retondo and drummer De'Mar Hamilton. It was the "Hey There Delilah" single that became the band's huge hit, and they wisely issued it on an expanded EP before offering Every Second Counts, their major-label debut. - Nate Cavalieri

Pixies

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:42 -0800

In the alternative rock family tree, a big fat line runs from the Pixies directly to the chart-smashing noise pop and grunge that Nirvana broke with in 1991. Surfer Rosa, the Pixies' 1988 full-length debut of skronked-out, surf-damaged punk-pop, was a revelation to just about everyone who heard it. At first listen the remedial chord progressions, utterly nonsensical lyrics, and bizarre delivery sounded like the flailings of inept college rockers with a psychotropic casualty for a lead singer, but once the hooks were in, there was no escape. The Bostonians reminded everyone how to write a perfect, repetitive song that you knew by heart two seconds in. With wonder-twin powers Black Francis and Kim Deal writing paeans to sexually charged dementia, an idiosyncratic guitar sound, and what sounded like the Jolly Green Giant playing drums, the Pixies took the alt-rock world by storm, releasing four near-perfect records before self-destructing under the weight of their own talent, in 1993, after opening U2's Zoo TV tour. In their wake, Deal went full-time with her side-project the Breeders and began working on Last Splash, which would eventually go gold in the U.S., and Black -- as Frank Black -- starting penning a solo eponymous debut, which didn't fair so well. In 2004 -- with disparate and storied careers -- Deal, Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering reunited for a North American tour and several dates at European summer festivals. The group is currently rumored to be working on a new studio album, the first since 1991. - Mike McGuirk

slightly stoopid

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:41:18 -0800

Following in the footsteps of Lee Scratch Perry, the Wailers, G. Love and the Long Beach Dub Allstars, Slightly Stoopid blend acoustic rock with hip-hop, dub, punk, ska and reggae, attracting an army of die-hard fans, "Ese Locos." Core members Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald were high school classmates when they signed to Sublime frontman Brad Nowell's label, Skunk Records. Like their Skunk cronies, the band helped define the aggressive sounds of the '90s SoCal skate-punk scene, beginning with their 1996 self-titled debut. Drummer Rob Moran and percussionist/vocalist Oguer Ocon joined the group for third studio album Everything You Need , which showcased their newly vamped live-dub sound. With 2005's Closer to the Sun , the band finally found a home on the Billboard charts. Famous for their crowd rousing jam sessions, Slightly Stoopid continue to tour with a variety of artists, including G. Love & Special Sauce, N.E.R.D, the Roots, Toots and the Maytals and more, playing nearly 200 gigs a year. 2007 kicked off their Summer Haze tour with G.Love and Ozomatli. - Sabrina Sutherland

Bullet For My Valentine

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:16 -0800

Hailing from Bridgend, England, Bullet for My Valentine's first incarnation was quite a bit different than the thematically immense, metal-clad rock of 2005's debut, The Poison. Back in 1998, the quartet of lads from Bridgend College was churning out Metallica covers under the name Jeff Killed John. It wasn't until 2003 that the band changed its name and beefed up their sound with a solidified lineup of guitarist and singer Matthew Tuck, guitarist Michael Paget, bassist Nick Crandle and drummer Michael Thomas. After issuing an EP and their debut on the British label Trustkill, they picked up Kerrang! magazine's Best British Newcomer Award in 2005 and eventually signed a deal with Sony/BMG. The band enjoyed quick success with American audiences and a number of high-profile tour slots, including one supporting Rob Zombie, from which they were booted when Tuck called Zombie and his cohorts "money-grabbing f*cks" on the band's message board. - Nate Cavalieri

Blondie

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:33 -0800

In contrast to the heroin-fueled, raw farage power offered by the Stooges, the stilettos-and-lipstick glam of the New York Dolls, and the turtlenecked, literary-minded experimentalism of the Talking Heads, Blondie were the embodiment of sweetly seductive, powder-puff pop wrapped in punk sandpaper. Built on a foundation of wistful '60s girl-group pop spiked with tough-chick lyricism, Blondie walked a fine line between innocent good girl/seductive bad girl imagery: in their songs, the dewy-eyed sex kitten may have been purring contentedly, but her claws were razor sharp. The formula worked well enough for the band to become a major mainstream force -- vocalist Debbie Harry's striking beauty was certainly no hindrance -producing new wave hits that appealed to types far beyond those who frequented CBGB's. The band continued to create new, inventive music by covering obscure artists (the Nerves, the Paragons) and delving into then-widely unexplored genres (ska, reggae, rap), cementing their reputation as founding punk figures and musical experimentalists. - Kali Holloway

Dropkick Murphys

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:17 -0800

One of the only skinhead acts to make it big in the states, the Boston-based Dropkick Murphys revitalized an increasingly jaded Punk scene by re-introducing the aggression of "Oi!" Recognizable by its football scrimmage grunting and Ubermensch machismo, "Oi!" holds a strong appeal for young, working class ruffians who like to shrug off the day's labors with a little male bonding and a lot of beer. Melding down-tuned metal heaviness and zippy Ska melodies, the Dropkick Murphys utilize tough, street punk sensibilities to counter Punk's watering-down via the influx of tepid radio pop. - Kali Holloway

Escape The Fate

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:58 -0800

Las Vegas-based post-hardcore quintet Escape the Fate formed in 2005 and immediately gained a large local following thanks to radio airplay and by winning a contest judged by members of My Chemical Romance, who took the fledgling band on tour with them. After signing to Epitaph, releasing an EP (No Sympathy For the Dead) and a debut LP (Dying is Your Latest Fashion) in 2006 and agreeing to a tour with Bullet For My Valentine, singer Ronnie Radke was charged as an accomplice in a murder trial, an event that sunk the tour opportunity and effectively ended Radke's time in the band. In 2008, Escape the Fate released This War Is Ours with new frontman Craig Mabbitt. - Mike McGuirk

All That Remains

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:13:18 -0800

choruses that aren't afraid to flirt with emo at its poppiest. Shadows Fall vocalist Phil Labonte and guitarist Oli Herbert -- an innovative shredder fond of unusual modes, like the Hungarian minor scale -- formed the band in 1998, and by 2002 they had signed to Metal Blade. After a few lineup changes, including the addition of guitarist Mike Martin, 2004's This Darkened Heart proved the band's breakout album, with production by Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz putting just the right degree of polish on their fusion of Swedish black metal stylings and American emo yearning. In 2006 All That Remains followed up with The Fall of Ideals and hit the road with Ozzfest before strutting their stuff on 2007's incendiary All That Remains Live. For all the hardcore swagger on display onstage, 2008's Overcome encountered a backlash from fans none too enamored by the band's radio-ready choruses. - Philip Sherburne

The Used

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:20 -0800

The Used hail from Utah, where they fought personal hells of drug addiction and homelessness to rise above the crowd of alt metal-touched post-grunge bands. Using their experiences as inspiration, the band writes songs that often deal with these serious subjects with a refreshing honesty. They can ramp up some pretty heavy tunes, but appear most comfortable with melodic, modern rock balladry. - Mike McGuirk

Sum 41

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:53 -0800

Sum 41 are from Ajax, Ontario, but their pop-punk sound is straight out of California. The trio -- vocalist-guitarist Deryck Whibley, bassist Cone McCaslin and drummer Steve Jocz -- started in 1996 as a NOFX cover band and later started writing its own material and charting Green Day and blink-182 territory. The band soon earned a contract with Island Records, and their debut album, Half Hour of Power, was released in the summer of 2000. Their 2001 follow-up, All Killer No Filler, produced by Green Day and blink mix-master Jerry Finn, yielded two of the band's biggest hits -- "In Too Deep" and "Fat Lip" -- and went to the top of the charts. A year later, Does This Look Infected? brought a harder edge and a hip-hop influence, and featured the hit "Thanks for Nothing." In 2004, with Chuck, Sum 41 took on a more serious demeanor after a traumatic experience in war-torn Congo, where they had to be rescued by U.N. peacekeepers. "We're All to Blame" was an indictment of the West for its apathy toward Congo's genocide. After a hiatus -- and the departure of guitarist Dave Baksh -- the band returned in 2007 with Underclass Hero, its highest charting album to date (at No. 7). - Dan Shumate

Flogging Molly

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:18 -0800

Deliriously energetic Celtic rock band will take you on a boozy romp through the Irish heath at midnight, whisper nasty brogue in your ear, and leave you to step-dance your way home. Way harder than Michael Flatley. - Michael Ansaldo

The Ramones

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:29 -0800

"Hey ho, let's go!" And so the Ramones introduced themselves to the world. The song was "Blitzkrieg Bop" and the album was entitled simply Ramones. For many people, those fourteen staggeringly short songs marked a joyous return to real rock 'n' roll -- to a time before the music was muddled by overblown arrangements and self-aggrandizing pomposity. They have been amazingly influential, showing budding musicians everywhere that you don't need technique to create exuberant, catchy and joyous music. Countless imitators followed -- everyone from the Sex Pistols to Blink 182 owe a huge debt to these four Brooklyn-based ne'er-do-wells. Onstage, the frighteningly tall Joey lurched and staggered, dangerously close to falling and impaling himself on the mic stand, while bassist (and primary creative force) Dee Dee shouted "1-2-3-4!" to introduce every song. The Ramones command attention with the sheer energy of their fast and loud sonic onslaught. They love pure pop -- the kind produced by girl groups of the early 1960s and songwriters such as Brian Wilson. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," "I Wanna Be Sedated," and even "Pet Sematary" are absolutely infectious songs. By melding such hook-laden tunes with an aggressive stance, high volume, and no-frills songwriting, the Ramones became one of the most important rock bands of all time. - Will Lerner

AFI

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:37:26 -0800

AFI top the short list of modern-day hardcore saviors. After starting out in the early '90s as another bouncy, Northern California pop-punk band, they released Black Sails in the Sunset in 1999, their fourth full-length and a substantial darkening of their sound. Later albums, like the platinum-selling Sing the Sorrow and 2006's Decemberunderground, are ambitious, Goth-punk tours de force, combining pummeling rhythms, jarring guitar and tortured vocals with defiantly complex arrangements. Part of a growing prog-punk movement that includes Coheed and Cambria, Angels and Airwaves and Avenged Sevenfold, AFI is worshipped by a black-clad fanbase known as the "the Despair Faction," which has crowned them kings of the Warped Tour nation. - Jonathan Zwickel

Simple Plan

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:58 -0800

This punk-pop quintet from Montreal has ridden its Cheap-Trick-on-steroids sound to prime slots on the Vans Warped Tour as well as the heavily celebrated Snow Jam in Toronto. Members of Good Charlotte and blink-182 helped record the band's debut album. Simple Plan left behind their quirky, Ritalin-deprived teenage sound for their sophomore effort, Still Not Getting Any... in lieu of a more formulaic approach to commercial alternative music, unsurprisingly similar to that of Good Charlotte's proven commercial success and chart-crossing marketability. - Eric Shea

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:11 -0800

Flaunting an intentionally obtuse moniker, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are another band further blurring the line between hardcore, screamo, punk and pop. The young act first came together in Middleburg, Fla., quickly gaining a grassroots following and major label interest. Rising through the ranks of their small local scene, RJA self-released a pair of EPs over 2003 and 2004, took up a big city residency in nearby Jacksonville and juggled their lineup to arrive at their current five-piece arrangement. The work paid off; in August 2006, RJA released their official debut, Don't You Fake It, on Virgin Records. The album blends Warped Tour-approved flavors of the moment into an aggressive, hook-heavy soundtrack to teenaged suburbia. - Jonathan Zwickel

NOFX

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:52 -0800

Combining large doses of cynicism, humor, political sarcasm with a bad attitude ("Don't Call Me White"), NOFX has been churning out records for well over a decade. With their fast tempos and barrage of distorted guitars, the band has inspired a great many of the power punk bands that are popular today. But perhaps most importantly, NOFX possess a near disdain for wide commercial acceptance ("Please Play this Song on the Radio") and have long adopted a hands-off stance for the fakers, scenesters and almost all press. This San Francisco-based band steers clear of the big promo blitz that major record labels seem so fond of, but in spite of all of this, the kids seem to find NOFX records anyway. Who can blame 'em? Since the self-release of 1991's Liberal Animation on bassist Fat Mike's Fat Wreck Chords record label (and their subsequent releases on well-respected punk indie label Epitaph), they see more of the dough and pay for less of the schmooze-hounds' steak dinners. And like many old school punk bands that lit the fire of their sound during the Ronald Reagan administration, NOFX have shunned the stereotypical punk rock anarchist's image, taking a much more leftist liberal stand against the George W. Bush administration with 2003's War On Errorism and 2006's Wolves In Wolves' Clothing. - Eric Shea

Good Charlotte

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:15 -0800

D.C.-based punk-poppers Good Charlotte made the Top 40 in 2002 with the snarly hit "Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous." Since then, they've become awefully rich and famous, appearing in episodes of MTV Cribs, wherein they show off their whips and dubs and what not. The band is fronted by twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden, devout fans of spiky hair and eyeliner both. Billy Martin, Dean Butterworth and Paul Thomas fill out the lineup. The band rode blink-182's coat tails in the early '00s, dropping "Rich And Famous," as well as MTV staple "The Anthem" and touring the world. 2004's Chronicles of Life and Death went platinum, but failed to match the sales of its predecessor. In 2007, the band dropped Good Morning Revival, featuring single "The River," a song that indicated it was just fine staying the pop-punk course it struck gold with five years prior. - Garrett Kamps

New Found Glory

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:42 -0800

New Found Glory's high-test punk-pop is typified by massive guitars and Green Day-inspired vocals that thankfully come minus the fake British accents. These Drive-Thru Records stable-dwellers formed in Coral Springs, Fla., in 1997 and promptly released an EP, It's All About the Girls, that same year. Their 2000 EP, From the Screen to Your Stereo, a collection of creative and uncharacteristic covers of songs from movies, was well received and gave the band something of a distinctive identity among the legions of like-minded punk-pop scrubs operating at the time. By 2004, their fourth proper record, Catalyst, was holding down the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Album charts. The band has steadily toured and released studio and live albums since. An expanded, full-album sequel to From the Screen, suitably titled Part II, appeared in 2007. - Mike McGuirk

Bad Religion

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:01 -0800

Bad Religion have the distinction of being the longest lasting Punk band from Los Angeles. For nearly twenty years now, they've upheld their tradition of thoughtful and intelligent lyrics (prompting some to call them "lexicon punks") and aggressive play. The chip on this band's shoulder might read "Perseverance Pays" -- despite self-releasing their debut How Could Hell be Any Worse? in 1980 on founding guitarist Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph label, it wasn't until 1988 when Suffer's (empowering anthem "You are (the Government)" taught more than a few young punks the meaning of "jurisprudence") that the band made a significant splash and settled in for the long haul with a somewhat steady lineup and musical vision. Since then, audiences have received a new earful of gruff-voiced singer Greg Graffin's rants set to frenetic power-chording on a yearly basis. A fine example of staying power gleaned from remaining true (with minor tweaks for maintenance) to an original sound and intent. - Doug Russell

Pepper

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:04 -0800

Mayday Parade

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:55:08 -0700

The living embodiment of a work hard/play hard mentality, Mayday Parade is the product of the fusion of two popular bands from Tallahassee, Florida: Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment. Their lively pop-punk style defined by gritty guitar riffs and booming drum tones is sure to hook any fan of bands like Fall Out Boy and The Starting Line. Mayday Parade signed to Fearless Records during the summer of 2006 and released their debut LP, A Lesson in Romantics during the summer of 2007. - Richard Iwanik-Marques

Atreyu

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -0800

Formed in the burgeoning O.C. metalcore scene in 1998, Atreyu plays fast and furious hardcore with occasional stinging leads, gurgling vocals and extremely melodic choruses. Releasing the bulk of their content on local indie Victory Records, the band caught breaks in the early 2000s with slots on the Vans Warped Tour and getting a song featured on the soundtrack to the vampire-babe vehicle Underworld Evolution. With a dark, practically goth aesthetic, the band seemed poised for an eventual major label signing like other SoCal kids Avenged Sevenfold and Halifax and were snatched up by Hollywood Records in 2007. Atreyu took their moniker from the protagonist of the film "Neverending Story." - Mike McGuirk

Bowling For Soup

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:39 -0800

While their teenage movie soundtrack-friendly version of Brian Adams' "Summer Of '69" may make Bowling for Soup an easy target for novelty dismissing, further listening will lead you to understand that this band plays contagiously hyper punk-pop with a heavy leaning on third-wave ska influences. Their uncanny talent for writing infectious power pop with soaring harmonies and diamond-edged melodies was honed three years after the band formed, the fruits of seemingly endless touring schedules. The bright parts of Bowling For Soup's songs shine when the band exercise their vacuum-tight playing and flawlessly interlocked vocal harmonies. - Eric Shea

Yellowcard

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:30 -0800

Yellowcard's fortunes took a turn for the better when the Jacksonville, Fla., band headed off to Southern California in 2000. With their lineup solidified, Yellowcard released two independent EPs that richly captured their catchy emo-meets-punk-pop sound. Sharp songwriting and their idiosyncratic use of a violin helped set them apart from other similar-sounding bands. Capitol Records was intrigued enough by the offbeat combination to sign them in 2003. Their success continued with the release of Ocean Avenue in 2004, which spawned a series of hit singles and went double platinum. As their fortunes rose, internal tensions erupted, with original guitarist Ben Harper departing the band to focus on his indie label, Takeover Records. He was replaced by Ryan Mendez, previously in the punk band Staring Back. - Michele K-Tel

Brand New

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:21 -0800

You don't need to hear the song "Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die" to know that at the very least, Brand New have some emo elements floating around in their post-grunge broth. Formed in 2000 in New York, the band took their pop-punk roots and shot them through with a Radiohead-like propensity for total despair. Thankfully they held on to the raggedy guitars. - Mike McGuirk

Lou Reed

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:17 -0800

The Velvet Underground may have influenced hundreds of bands since the late 1960s, but it was Lou Reed's second solo album Transformer (1972) that contained "Walk on the Wild Side," a surprise hit single that introduced the iconoclastic New Yorker to the general public. That uneven album set the stage for much of his career -- Reed's personal, commercial and artistic interests change faster than the times. His despairing Berlin (1973) is a key "darkside of the counterculture" album, while the live Rock N' Roll Animal introduced millions to revved-up versions of such classic VU songs as "Sweet Jane." Even as he started working with top session players and recording warm, evocative songs like "Coney Island Baby," the fledgling art rock and punk scenes embraced Reed with the same enthusiasm that their London counterparts had for his friend David Bowie. With this strong cult following, Reed entered the '80s as a respected and vital elder statesman and continued to change stylistic hats. Praise for his often hyperrealistic and brutal lyrics obscures the fact that Reed has written some of the best songs of the last three decades, many as sweet as the family dedication "Little Sister." - Nick Dedina

Thrice

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:48 -0800

Formed in Irvine, California, by fellow skate kids, Thrice are a post-hardcore emo band interested in pushing the boundaries of the genre; a fact they have made evident through five releases since coming together in 1999. Signed to Island Records in 2003, the band had a strong following in place after a number of tours and indie releases. The records they've put out on Island found them playing with regular emo expectations by adding electronic elements and even more ambitious song structures and subject matter. Their 2005 album, Vheissu, is like a sci-fi record with sensitivity, with a title based on a book by Thomas Pynchon and featuring some pretty fancy cover art. Not your run-of-the-mill emo here. - Mike McGuirk

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:25 -0800

Joan Jett was the musical muscle in the short-lived Runaways, an all-female glam/bubblegum band put together by notorious Hollywood scenester Kim Fowley at the tail end of the mid-1970s glam rock craze. The band imploded before it had any real success and it wasn't long before the charismatic and talented Jett was fronting a hard-rocking combo. The leather-clad, Gibson-wielding singer-songwriter and her three-man backing group known as the Blackhearts toured incessantly before putting out the sublimely rocking "I Love Rock n' Roll." It became a monster hit -- and one of Jett's signature songs. Jett and the Blackhearts were an on-again/off-again chart presence until the late '80s, and in the late '90s Jett went solo and became the spiritual godmother of the riot grrrl movement, producing seminal acts like Bikinikill and Bratmobile. Into the millennium, she continued her aggressive stance on stage and off, hefting an M16 at Fort Bragg to show support for US troops and appearing in the Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Her 25-year-old record label, Blackheart Records, continues to release albums by young punk bands. Jett released her 20-somethingth album, Sinner, in 2006. She still loves rock 'n' roll. - Will Lerner

Misfits

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:25 -0800

The Misfits stormed New York City clubs in the late '70s straight out of a horror movie, taking over where KISS left off. Originally fronted by strongman Glenn Danzig, the Misfits played fast and severe Punk anthems that were unique, in part due to Danzig's melodic singing. Their appearance was crude and campy, with fully made-up stage theatrics that helped to create a cult following that has followed them through their recent incarnations. - Jessy Terry

Hellogoodbye

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:04 -0800

The first thing you'll notice about this poppy-punk quartet from Huntington Beach, Calif., is how much fun they have. Hellogoodbye doodle silly characters on CD covers, sing of crushes on ice cream scooper girls and bounce around to catchy guitars mixed with 80's era video game SFX. Yet, they aren't total goofs, jabbing high school dance themes with an anti-consumerist bent ("Jesse Buy Nothing...Go to Prom Anyways") and oozing sincerity-via-vocoder on the single "Here In Your Arms." They are also serious enough to operate under a DIY aesthetic, handling everything from artwork to recording and merchandising. In 2005, after only one self-titled EP, they had already put together the (text-message titled) DVD OMG HGB DVD ROTFL, exposing footage of their wildly enthusiastic stage show. Next up, their 2006 playfully titled full-length Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!, which contained re-tweaked versions of songs written and recorded (yet never released) four years earlier. 2006 saw the release of an EP of album re-mixes and the announcement of another DVD that documents their 2006 Warped Tour antics. - Michele K-Tel

The Velvet Underground

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:21:19 -0800

The Velvet Underground were easily one of the greatest rock bands of the 1960s, though unlike the Beatles or the Stones they labored in relative obscurity. They weren't just ahead of the times, they helped create the future of rock music with their mix of primitive rock 'n' roll, complex avant-garde leanings, downtown narratives, and pure pop songcraft. They even wanted to top the charts, but they wanted to do it their way. Lou Reed may have been a Brill Building-esque tunesmith, but he was also interested in the tough hyper-realism of the New York literary underground and the wild sounds of Free Jazz. Conversely, John Cale may have been a classically trained Welshman who worked with John Cage, but he wanted to be in a rock 'n' roll band. Unfortunately, not even a high profile push from Andy Warhol nor the au courant ice queen whispers of Nico could break the band to the general public. Loaded (1970), their final album, features two great should've-been radio hits in "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll." After the band called it quits the public slowly started catching on, and Lou Reed's solo work brought many of their songs to FM radio. VU's sound, style, and Reed's sometimes perverse lyrics and deadpan delivery became a major influence on the New York punk scene of the 1970s and the alternative and Indie Rock scenes of the '80s and '90s. Their influence is acknowledged by everyone from David Bowie and Roxy Music to R.E.M. and U2. Influences aside, their body of work only gets better with each passing year. - Charles Hodgkins

Chiodos

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:57:06 -0700

Not content to simply play run-of-the-mill post-hardcore emo pop, Chiodos pack their songs with jittery punk riffs, metallic crunch, piano runs and occasional electro-pop touches. A six-piece from Davidson, Mich., the band has been together since 2001, when the members were still in high school. Despite self-releasing their records and a 2005 move to indie label Equal Vision, Chiodos have made multiple chart appearances and toured with the likes of Matchbook Romance and Atreyu, in addition to playing in the Warped Tour and several other traveling festivals. Their music is exuberant and meticulously constructed, shot through with a spirited sense of humor (they once appeared at a festival under the fake name "Fluff My Boner"). - Mike McGuirk

Eve 6

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:59 -0800

The first thing you think is, "Hey, this is tight, spry and fun. Sure, they mope a bit, but the hooks are so lip-smackin' yummy that they won't make me blue." Then you learn a little bit about the band, so you think, "My God, they're young!!" And then it all starts making sense. Alternating between mid-tempo post-grunge (e.g., their 1998 mega-hit "Inside Out") and punk-pop that rushes at you like a pack of mad dogs, this is so-catchy-it-hurts music for the kid in all of us that won't embarrass you or your loved ones. - Eric Shea