In a perfect world, this would be posted on my yet-to-be-launched music site. It has taken a little longer to launch than I would have liked. That said, I still really wanted to make this post.
If you are anything like me, you use heavy doses of music to get you through the mundane tedium of daily life. I get particular enjoyment out of “discovering” amazing bands that have slipped through the cracks or for one reason or another have not received the attention they deserve. Since my ear finds the pop punk genre to be most pleasing, my “discoveries” tend to contain many elements of the genre, but my interests are diversified. Without further ado, here are five bands worth getting excited about.
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
If you asked a fan of pop punk music to select one band that completely epitomizes the genre, some might say Blink-182. Others would say pre-American Idiot Green Day. Still others would say New Found Glory. None of those would be bad choices at all. They are the foundation on which the genre is built. If you would ask me that question, however, I would reply with Better Luck Next time. They are as pop punk as it comes, and they could not care less who knows it. For nearly a decade they have stayed true to themselves and true to the genre, putting out albums and songs that represent pop punk to its core. Their execution is top-notch, and they seem to have the perfect sense of timing in terms of incorporating their signature piano elements into a song. Put simply, BLNT is a champion of pop punk and should be celebrated as such. Their yet-to-be-named fourth full length album is set to drop at some point of this calendar year, so be watchful of that. In the meantime, check out each of their first three albums.
Listen to “Love Answers Everything” HERE
THE DEAD FAMOUS
I am far from an Anglophile, but I will certainly admit that our neighbors from across the pond have enriched the global culture immensely. We have the Brits to thank for everything from snarky humor to “Old Gregg” to thoroughly enjoyable music.
The Dead Famous is the latest in a long line of quality British bands (McFly, You Me At Six, etc.) that loosely fall under the all-encompassing alternative rock/pop punk/pop rock umbrella. In fact, this band contains elements from my two favorite British groups: Go: Audio and Elliot Minor. James Matthews is still the vocal master class that he was in Go: Audio (and is still one of only two people I would ever trade places with). Actually, Matthews’ voice possesses greater maturity and authority than it ever did with Go: Audio. These guys are on the fast track to big things. “I Can Stop the World” is one of the best tracks I have heard in a long time. If only they’d release an EP or full length sometime soon.
Listen to “I Can Stop the World” HERE
HEROES FOR HIRE
The Australian pop punk scene doesn’t get the same attention of their American, British, or even Canadian counterparts, but that doesn’t mean that they are bereft of talent. Heroes for Hire are the best and brightest in the scene, in my opinion. It is virtually impossible to listen to an entire Heroes for Hire song without smiling. They recently released a new single, “Heart Stops”. If this song is a harbinger of things to come (and I believe it is), then this band is certainly one to keep on your radar.
Listen to “Heart Stops” HERE
I CALL FIVES
I Call Fives has been teasing us for years. They have given us little tastes and glimpses of the greatness that they are waiting to release on the pop punk scene and the music world as a whole. They have supplied us with appetizers (in the form of singles or EPs) to get us excited for the entrée, but have never given us that entrée. Until this year, that is. On March 20, they are releasing one last appetizer, Someone That’s Not You, before finally giving us their first full length album. It is not unreasonable to believe that the release of this full length will finally launch these guys into the same echelon of a band like Mayday Parade… if not higher. They’re that good.
Listen to “Backup Plan” HERE
THE SUN AND THE SEA
My love for The Graduate is well documented. They are, were, and will always be a phenomenal band. I realize that I may never connect as deeply with a band as I did with The Graduate. However, if I were to find a band I loved as much as The Graduate, it would most likely be The Sun and the Sea. This band rose from The Grad’s ashes and has set out to make their own mark on the music world, retaining old fans and bringing in new fans. The Sun and the Sea is composed of four of the five members of The Graduate (Jared Wuestenberg, Matt Kennedy, Max Sauer, and Tim Moore) with new vocalist Chris Rhein. The band has released an instrumental EP on their Bandcamp page. I am extremely anxious to hear how the new vocalist is going to mesh with the rest of the band and if the band retains the elements that made them so great. By all indications, it is a match made in heaven. Be on the lookout for these guys in 2012 and beyond.
Listen to “Mad Max” HERE
