hit the lights

10 scene album covers you won’t believe were designed by the same artist

The scene era taught us just how important album covers are. Seriously, we can’t even start to fathom the collective hours we spent uploading art for records we’d pulled from totally legal sources. Did you know, though, that many of the most iconic cover designs of the era came from the same creative mind? Kyle Crawford […]

QUIZ: Can you tell which hometown these pop-punk artists are singing about?

Hometown pride runs deep, especially when it comes to pop punk. Whether our favorite artists sing with fond remembrance or a deep-rooted desire to get the hell out, it’s clear that their origins have shaped them pretty profoundly. While it’s easy to assume that every outfit have roots in Chicago, Los Angeles or New York […]

QUIZ: Can you match these emo lyrics to the bands who sang them?

Any former emo kid remembers singing along to their favorite songs with eyeliner running in sheets down their cheeks. Honestly, were we really that sad, or did our iPods just suck us into a black hole of raw emotion? Regardless of what came first, the sad or the band, the lyrics of the 2000s hit […]

These 20 songs from the '80s left a lasting mark in the underground

The ’80s are usually looked upon in two different mindsets. The first is usually through the prism of mass-culture nostalgia from those who were there. The other school of thought was that the ’80s were a hotbed for creativity. Forget the songs that you were playing when your mom met your dad. How about the […]

19 scene albums from 2008 you’re probably still blasting in your car

As legendary bands in the scene continued to mature musically and grow away from the genres that they became known for, newly established musicians were creating blends that sparked new categories for scene music. In 2008, Fall Out Boy released their last album before their hiatus, and I Set My Friends On Fire popularized crunkcore. […]

16 scene albums from 2006 you built most of your iPod playlists from

History doesn’t lie. Consult sales charts. Ask Kevin Lyman what Warped Tour‘s box office receipts were like. For all intents and purposes, 2006 could be best described as “peak scene.” Careers were built. Fandoms became strong. The pool of Dudes Playing Guitars Quickly And Loudly grew exponentially. These are the scene albums from 2006 that […]

Hear Goalkeeper make a sad pop-punk song funny in “Happy”

We’re convinced that our lives would be so much better if Goalkeeper would just sing about them. The trio of frontman/bassist Ryan Beebe, guitarist Marc Juliano and drummer Cody Ritchie have an amazing ability to make the saddest things OK. On “Happy,” the boys reenact a first band practice scenario for laughs. The video (produced […]

17 scene albums from 2006 you probably still listen to daily

By 2006, scene culture had grown roots in every mainstream area possible. Myspace took over as the primary mode of social media communication, and bands spread like wildfire once they uploaded music. It was a whirlwind year, as music became more accessible to a larger group of people, Hot Topic brightened its lights and studded […]

10 songs you forgot you had on your Myspace player

We spend a lot of time regularly thinking back to the good old days when we’d devote hours to working on our Myspace pages and searching for new music to impress our friends. The social media website was instrumental in developing our music taste and connecting us with bands we still love today, such as Paramore, […]

40 pop-punk albums from the 2000s that’ll make you grab your old Chucks

Pop punk began to rapidly gain traction in the early 2000s, landing impressive spots on mainstream charts that propelled the success of the genre today. This transformative period uncovered legendary bands who produced albums that have stood the test of time. While it’s apparent that pop punk began a definitive era 20 years ago, it’s […]

blink-182, the Used among Four Chord Music Festival 2020 lineup

Four Chord Music Festival is returning for its seventh year this summer with an even more stacked lineup than last year. With the first wave of announcements, the annual Pittsburgh event has revealed blink-182 and the Used will appear as headliners at the July 11 gig. The sixth installment was held at the city’s Highmark […]

Oliver Tree says what he memes and memes what he says

Without a doubt, Oliver Tree is the pop star America (and possibly the world) needs. From wearing clothes in which we wouldn’t get caught dead (those rockin’ socks ‘n’ sandals, represent!) to a casual disregard of sticking to one genre on his impending album Ugly Is Beautiful, Tree is changing the game. And you know […]

15 forgotten neon pop-punk classics you need to know

If you ever wore a leopard print bikini top under a band t-shirt with the sleeves cut off to Warped Tour, you probably remember the era of neon pop-punk—the era that original emos will claim killed the scene as they knew it. The late 2000s and early 2010s brought in glowing synths and poppy melodies […]

Lil Aaron's high school band sounded like "Hit The Lights meets Metro Station"

[Photo by: Lil Aaron/Twitter] Lil Aaron is sharing he was in a pop punk band during middle and high school, and now we really need to see some videos. Read more: 10 celebrities who are scene kids at heart The rapper took to Twitter to reveal the information, adding his band used to sound like Metro Station and Hit The Lights. […]

Hit The Lights continue reign of singles with "Siberian Itch"—listen

Ohio pop-punks Hit The Lights have released a lyric video for their new single, “Siberian Itch.” Currently wrapping up tour dates supporting Simple Plan, the band's latest track follows past singles “Believe In Me” and “Anthem.” Their online store has been updated with merch and music. Get some here. Be sure to show them some […]

Hit The Lights rip circle pits and heavy riffs on "Believe In Me"—listen

Hit The Lights have released a new single, “Believe In Me,” with promises of another to follow next month. They'll also be joining Simple Plan for more No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls 15th anniversary tour dates in late November/early December. “We hope you guys like the track, we can't wait to play it live and in […]

Alta View release new EP, produced by Hit The Lights' Nick Thompson—listen

Los Angeles, California's Alta View are streaming their new release, Out Of Place, three songs of summertime pop-punk produced by Hit The Lights frontman Nick Thompson, who also guests on track two, “Pressure.” Thompson, along with Rick King at King Sound Studios, produced the effort, which is also available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Amazon Music and Bandcamp. HEAR MORE: Hit […]

Hit The Lights go big on new single, "Anthem"—listen

Hit The Lights have released a new single for the summer titled “Anthem,” streaming down below. You can pick up the track on iTunes now or free with a shirt purchase. “Anthem” was produced, mixed and mastered by Rick King at King Sound Studio, where HTL frontman Nick Thompson and King recently worked with pop-punk […]

Alta View make pop-punk break out with "Pressure" (ft. Hit The Lights' Nick Thompson)—exclusive

Los Angeles, California's Alta View are making their AltPress debut today with “Pressure,” a pop-punk standout featuring none other than Hit The Lights' Nick Thompson. Thompson, along with Rick King at King Sound Studios, produced the band's Out Of Place EP, which will be released digitally on June 9, 2017. If you're feeling this track, we […]

The 10 best pop-punk songs about getting out of this town, ranked

Let’s face it: We’ve all had at least one moment in our lives where we’ve questioned if we actually want to stay in our town (and for a lot of us, maybe now more than ever after this shocking election). And we have some of our favorite bands to thank for those ever-so-curious thoughts! Many […]
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