alkaline trio

Top 15 punk albums of 1998? You’d be forgiven for thinking that there weren’t any in the year the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal dominated the news. A quick perusal of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles of the year sees domination by several R&B (Destiny’s Child, Janet Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey) or hip-hop (Puff Daddy, Master P, […]

We all know that no one is born “cool.” And Frank Iero—along with so many of the musicians and people he encountered, befriended and forged creative relationships with—followed his dreams, muses and instincts to create his musical worldview. Before he was part of the juggernaut that is My Chemical Romance and embarking on his solo […]

When blink-182 announced the collaborations for their upcoming album, the message-board grumblings were loud. The additions seemed too mainstream for a band who often mocked pop culture.  On the other hand, making a play at distant fanbases can only help the scene. If Pharrell fans turn back to blink-182, maybe they’ll get a taste for, […]

Record Store Day 2021 is quickly approaching, and the annual event has finally released its list of exclusive and limited vinyl. I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, From First To Last, K.Flay, twenty one pilots and Linkin Park are among the lengthy list of RSD selections that includes more than 400 releases for […]

In music, there are few universal truths. That said, the inherent ability for a well-crafted spoken-word part to send a shiver down the spine of anyone who hears it is definitely one. Of course, that goes double when such a moment is your first introduction to a song. There’s really no wrong way to incorporate […]

We recently took a look back at our favorite songs from 2001 and realized, to our utmost horror, that Alkaline Trio‘s From Here To Infirmary celebrates its 20th birthday April 3. They grow up so fast… That said, the devastating cliché of watching two decades go by in the blink of an eye still doesn’t hold a candle […]

It’s hard to believe that we’ve now spent more time beyond the 2000s than within them. What’s worse? That means we’re now coming up on 20 years spent with some of our favorite alternative hits. This year, it’s all the 2001 songs that are celebrating the milestone birthday. Even two decades out, though, many of […]

“Goth-punk,” eh? Not as far-fetched as you might believe. Goth was essentially an offshoot of punk, especially its darker early bands—the Damned or Siouxsie And The Banshees, anyone? But basically, anyone playing chainsaw punk rooted in the artsier end of glam a la Bowie and Roxy Music, a fondness for Hammer horror films, macabre literature […]

There’s no denying that pop punk owes much of what it has to Canada. With greats such as Avril Lavigne and Sum 41, the country has shaped the larger scene pretty significantly. We’ll let you in on a little secret, though… It’s still continuing to do so. In the midst of today’s pop-punk revival, scenes […]

The beauty of emo music is that it provides a canvas for our own emotional projections. The lyrical narratives, even when relatively specific, often have just enough ambiguity that we can relate them in some sense to our unique circumstances. With that said, knowing the backstories of our favorite songs can elevate them to a whole new […]

Band lineup changes are hardly a rarity in the music scene. Between creative differences, life events and personal fallouts, it’s pretty common for at least one member to go in a different direction over the course of an outfit’s tenure. And that, of course, leaves a significant void to be filled. How a band decide […]

There’s no shortage of perfect alternative songs from the 2000s. But can the same thing really be said about albums? You know what we’re talking about. It’s why we often opted to spend our $10 iTunes gift cards on assorted singles rather than full records. After all, why take up any fraction of that precious […]

1998 really wasn’t that long ago, but after saying the number 2021 out loud, it feels like it happened during another lifetime. To put things in perspective, Billie Eilish was born three years after 1998, and, hell, even FINNEAS was born the year before. Despite the fact that said year was toward the end of […]

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 […]

If the sonic leanings of new alternative bands are any indication, pop punk isn’t dead and neither is punk rock. Be it through the continued influence of traditional groups or experimental infusions by genre-bending outfits, the punk sound is still ever-prevalent in the modern scene. While not all of the emerging bands harness the sound from […]

What is pop punk without its guitarists? Really just some angsty spoken word over punchy drums and a bassline. Let’s be honest: We’d still probably listen to it, but it wouldn’t be nearly as good.  We may like to focus on vocals and lyrics when it comes to channeling our 2000s nostalgia. However, the guitarists […]

If you’ve ever been trolled online with hateful comments and reviews, chances are you didn’t handle it the same way Liquid Death Mountain Water did. Liquid Death is the most metal water brand you may ever come across. With branding featuring skull illustrations, death-metal script and taglines including “Death To Plastic” and “Murder Your Thirst,” […]

New York City pop-punk quartet Bayside are celebrating their 20-year-anniversary and showing love to their fans as they do it. Though they couldn’t go on their 20 Years Of Bad Luck tour with Senses Fail, Hawthorne Heights and Can’t Swim and share their two decades-worth of discography with listeners, they are offering their followers a […]

Is there any better surprise than listening to a song and getting hit by a cameo from a familiar vocalist? Aside from adding to the dynamics of the track, these uncredited guest vocals are great Easter eggs for any fan.  While it’s not uncommon for these collaborations to go unnoted on streaming platforms, Google will […]