Ariana Leo

Whether due to personal reasons, creative differences or non-music-related conflicts, it’s pretty common for a band’s lineup to shift over time. And in that same vein, it’s noteworthy when a core group of original members are able to stick it out through all the ups and downs that the music industry brings. In a world wh...

From animated high-speed chases to fiery explosions on LED panels to straightforward clips of musicians pouring their hearts out, there are so many different directions a metalcore band can take when crafting the perfect music video. Artists are tasked with determining which visual effects will best enhance the story being told in the song...

The emo genre is cathartic by nature, but slow songs provide an opportunity for artists to reflect even more deeply on the feelings that make us human. And somehow, even when featured alongside angst-fueled, uptempo tracks, the ballads always end up being some of the most memorable songs on their respective albums...

Fact: Guitar solos are awesome. Plain and simple. They’re just as much fun to see live as they are to listen to, as they fully display the guitarist’s raw passion for the instrument. While solos are a staple of certain rock subgenres, they’re far less common in pop-punk songs. So, when we do c...

Today, there’s nothing more inspiring than seeing musicians and other public figures using their platforms to support great causes. In the alternative scene, it’s fairly common for song lyrics to offer commentary on social and political issues. Fortun...

For as long as music has existed, artists have been inspiring other artists. Right here within our own beloved scene, we’ve witnessed many examples of newer-era bands drawing inspiration from the OGs. What’s especially endearing is that not only have bands influenced each other in terms of musical style; they’ve also taken from the lyrics of their predecessors the most crucial aspect of their iden

If you’ve been a pop-punk fan for quite some time now, we’re willing to bet it was a fast, upbeat song that first made you fall in love with the genre. You probably still remember the jolt of energy you felt when your now-favorite songs blasted through your speakers for the first time, and you of course remember how fun it was to mosh and jump along to them at shows (yes, even after not having bee

Fearless Records’ famous Punk Goes… franchise has certainly come a long way since its first installment in 2000. Genre discrepancies aside, it’s impossible to deny the success of one particular subseries: the Punk Goes Pop albums. There are now sev...

One standout feature of the early 2000s emo music scene was song titles that could barely fit on the back covers of CDs. You probably have fond memories of typing the lyrics of your new jam into the Google search bar and discovering that the actual name of the song was nowhere within them...

Believe it or not, pop-punk powerhouse All Time Low released their eighth album, Wake Up, Sunshine, earlier this year. Over their 17-year career (feel old yet?), they’ve moved between labels, experimented with new sounds and flavor fusions to their pop-punk palette and continued to amass new fans from all areas of alternative music. ...