Read more: Fan poll: 5 best punk vocalists of all time

With 2024’s lineup featuring My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and dozens of iconic album play sets, all we have to say is: Until next year, Las Vegas.

Read more: 10 criminally underrated blink-182 songs

Naturally, we asked our readers what the best pop-punk albums are of all time, and the answers were overwhelming. Find the top fan picks ranked below.

5. blink-182 – Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Following up a blockbuster like Enema was no easy feat. On their fourth studio album, however, blink-182 accepted the challenge and focused on what worked. Their juvenile humor reigned — say the title out loud and then peek at the record’s joke tracks, like something about a dog — whereas the songs stayed fast and punchy. Think of all the classics (“First Date,” “The Rock Show”) that you still hear to this day, along with their more serious numbers like “Anthem Part Two” and “Stay Together for the Kids.”

4. New Found Glory – Sticks and Stones

New Found Glory’s 2002 breakthrough, Sticks and Stones, possessed an allure that made it ideal for summertime and shopping malls. Ever since its release, the record’s influence has run deep, from the Story So Far taking their name from one of the songs to massive anthems like “My Friends Over You” cracking the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, it’s hard to find a band who haven’t been touched by its chugging riffs and catchy choruses. Decades-old earworms like “Understatement” and “Head on Collision” even make their setlists to this day.

3. Avril Lavigne – The Best Damn Thing

Avril Lavigne’s third studio album, The Best Damn Thing, is one of her most beloved. Whereas her 2004 record, Under My Skin, sounded darker and heavier than her debut, this release embraced a more buoyant pop-rock slant that made it perfect for the radio. “Girlfriend” is a perennial anthem that was created on the fly, whereas belt-out-loud ballads like “Keep Holding On” highlighted her growth and songwriting chops. If you listen to her latest album, Love Sux, there’s definitely some shared DNA, but The Best Damn Thing will always come out on top.

2. Green Day – Dookie

Green Day recently caused mayhem when they played Dookie front to back at an intimate Vegas show ahead of their headlining slot at When We Were Young. Next year, they’ll celebrate 30 years of the beloved classic — the album that launched the Bay Area crew into the stratosphere and made them one of the biggest punk bands ever. It marked a divisive time, as purists called them “sellouts” and barred them from playing 924 Gilman St., while others saw their major-label debut as a sign of greater things to come. Whatever your stance, Dookie changed everything and helped to define the ’90s.

1. blink-182 – Enema of the State

Enema of the State is the album that flung many headlong into the world of pop punk. With producer Jerry Finn at the helm, blink-182 created a record that took them to great heights. New recruit Travis Barker added seriousness to their playing with his breakneck speed, which balanced out their crude humor and set them apart. The album also brimmed with tearjerkers (“Adam’s Song”), mega-hits (“All the Small Things”), and anxiety anthems (“Going Away to College”), which made Enema of the State the perfect brew of teenage angst. All these years later, it remains the gold standard of modern pop punk.

While blink-182 earn rightful praise as the genre’s defining band, New Found Glory have remained steadfast in its delivery of blistering riffs and heartfelt anthems of love, loss, and suburban fury. 

Read more: 10 criminally underrated blink-182 songs

Now, as the legendary South Florida four-piece return to the road fully formed, kicking off a March acoustic tour following guitarist Chad Gilbert’s cancer battle, it’s time we threw a little respect on their name, ranking all 11 of their studio albums (minus their 2021 Christmas album). Their From The Screen to Your Stereo cover albums are also not included. 

As the band’s devout and enduring fanbase will surely attest, New Found’s catalog is largely excellent, overflowing with staples to which many succeeding pop-punk bands are indebted. 

Without further ado, let’s cheers to all us fools that have no meaning and get into it! 

Every New Found Glory album ranked

Hopeless Records

11. Forever + Forever x Infinity (2020)

Until this album, New Found Glory had uniformly released defendable LPs. But this one is all retreads and cringe-worthy lyrics; it’s impossible to get past the lead single “Greatest of All Time” and its hokey basketball references. The whole thing felt deeply uninspired and was much too long. Any fan who survives the 21-track deluxe edition deserves free Little Caesar’s for life.

Revelation Records

10. Make the Most of It (2023)

The band’s newest record, released last month, is its first to commit entirely to an acoustic sound. While all fans should be thrilled to have Gilbert back after his health scares, stripped-down NFG is just a hard sell. “Watch the Lillies Grow” is a sweet tribute to Gilbert’s daughter, and there’s plenty of desperate humanity in “Get Me Home” and “Mouth to Mouth,” but Pundik’s vocal doesn’t lend well to such sparse arrangements, which all seem to exist in the same space. 

Hopeless Records

9. Resurrection (2014)

New Found Glory’s first record as a four-piece (following a split from co-founding rhythm guitarist Steve Klein) aimed to make a statement that the band was ready to hit harder than ever, with a more minimalist hardcore edge. The effect works to some degree, as “Selfless” and “One More Round” both boom in a way that harkens back to the band’s beginnings. But it’s largely a forgettable project otherwise; the best track associated with it is the “Vicious Love” re-release with Hayley Williams carrying the tune. 

Hopeless Records

8. Makes Me Sick (2017)

This record doesn’t get much love as it dropped when the band was plotting its anniversary tour, playing all its classic albums in entirety. But Makes Me Sick is an exciting and highly listenable summer album with fun synthy flourishes and the tones of “The Sound Of Two Voices” making for a punky luau. The single “Happy Being Miserable” lands a punch but “Call Me Anti-Social” is easily the best track here, with a shredding ‘80s-inspired guitar solo and bright hook. 

Epitaph

7. Radiosurgery (2011)

The freedom, fun, and simplicity of Radiosurgery belongs to another era — if this album were to have dropped in, say, 2004, it’d be considered a stone-cold pop-punk classic. There’s so much to like here, from the Green Day vibes of “Anthem for the Unwanted” to the hooky earworms “Drill it in My Brain” and “Summer Fling, Don’t Mean a Thing.” The rainbow-swirl album cover sets the mood for a project of little substance but textbook NFG joy and rapture. 

Epitaph

6. Not Without a Fight (2009)

In the time between Coming Home and this record, New Found slipped into the class of pop-punk elder statesmen; stewards of the bygone TRL era, while the new class (Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, The Wonder Years, and so on) raged with the kids. But Not Without a Fight is loaded with wholly redeemable tunes that are too easily overlooked. The one-two punch of strident “Don’t Let Her Pull You Down” into the more playful and narrative “Listen to your Friends,” stands up with anything the band has ever done, and album tracks “Tangled Up” and “47” are banner deep cuts for any fan looking to rediscover the depth of their catalog.  

Geffen Records

5. Coming Home (2006)

It took guts for the band to head in this direction of mid-tempo piano-rock, almost mirroring The Fray, after they’d built such a staunch reputation as a pop-punk powerhouse. While the timing wasn’t right — fan response on this album was, uh, unkind — if this exact record was released a decade or so later, to listeners with a little more pepper in their beards, it would’ve gotten plenty more respect. “Hold My Hand” remains addictive, the title track offers a killer riff that still rips live, and “On My Mind” is a pop-rock winner. Kudos to the band for taking a risk and putting heaps of effort into changing it up, which loyal fans have come to appreciate. 

Drive Thru Records

4. Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999)

Remember when the band was still called A New Found Glory? I wonder where that "A" is now — probably floating off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, covered in seagull crap. Anyway, Nothing Gold is the album that launched it all for what was at the time a very young band (they were all still in high school). While the album’s studio recordings are decidedly rough — to hear Pundik so unpolished is jarring now — their original version of “Hit or Miss” still hits hard, as do diehard fan favorites “It Never Snows in Florida” and “2s and 3s.” When the band played this album in full during its 20th anniversary run in 2017, the record held up without issue. And the legacy cannot be denied; some teenagers pulled together a couple grand, recorded this rough cut, and got signed by Drive Thru. The rest is pop-punk history. 

UMG Recordings

3. Catalyst (2004)

After the sweeping success of its preceding album (mentioned below), Catalyst was a sort of Jekyll and Hyde follow-up for the band. On one hand, they returned with some of their best pure pop-punk jams ever in “All Downhill From Here,” “Failure’s Not Flattering,” and “Truth of My Youth” — all of which are likely top 15 New Found songs. But there’s an arrogance to this record, which Gilbert has admitted, regarding how the band didn’t want to be pegged as overly “poppy” so they doubled down on their hardcore upbringing. But it’s only heard in a smattering of places (the overblown riff on “At Least I’m Known For Something” is a good example). With that, Catalyst is disjointed and probably a couple songs too long — and “I Don’t Wanna Know” is a melodic mess. But still, this was a primetime release with some of the highest highs NFG has ever known. It earns its spot.  

UMG Recordings

2. New Found Glory (2000)

For the majority of pop-punk listeners, the band’s iconic self-titled record — and major label debut — was their formal introduction to New Found Glory. Talk about putting your best foot forward: “Better Off Dead,” “Dressed to Kill,” and the revamped “Hit or Miss” (ripped and polished from Nothing Gold) are all key pillars of the NFG canon. Catering to genre purists, there’s rarely a skip here as the band held fast on their early formula, to mix East Coast hardcore with California punk (basically The Descendants, much like Blink) and add some catchy hooks. Fans still covet “Boy Crazy” and “Ballad for the Lost Romantics,” though anything off New Found Glory can be played live two decades later and still earn a welcome response. 

UMG Recordings

1. Sticks and Stones (2002)

As if there was any doubt! More than two decades later, Sticks and Stones remains a touchstone of pop-punk’s defining era, teeming with much of the band’s best work and fans’ most beloved tunes. Of course, “My Friends Over You” is the song, which Gilbert has accurately described as being bigger than the band itself. But my god, this track list: “Understatement” is a hammerhead shark, and still opens most of the band’s shows. “Sonny” is a touching tribute to Pundik’s grandfather (with a great rock chug), “Something I Call Personality” is all party and petulance, “Head on Collision” is an anchoring jam (from which All Time Low got their name), and “The Story So Far” helped name another band … what are they called again? Sticks and Stones is the record that made New Found Glory a household name (for a little while, at least) and took them around the world. It’s the album against which just about every pop-punk release of the last 20 years should be measured. May these songs live on forever in easycore immortality!

Read more: 20 greatest Fueled By Ramen bands

In celebration of the philanthropic label’s 30th birthday this year, we’ve drawn together the 20 greatest Hopeless signings, both past and present. 

Avenged Sevenfold

Try to imagine Avenged Sevenfold without their debut Sounding the Seventh Trumpet or their seminal sophomore album, Waking the Fallen. Having trouble? That speaks for the impact of A7X’s Hopeless output all the way back in 2001, a much simpler time for the metalcore scene and owners of infinitely baggy jeans. Listeners were introduced to the talents of Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ to the tune of “Unholy Confessions” and “I Won’t See You Tonight,” bracing fans for their now-traditional screaming guitar solos to frame their lyrical bangers. Avenged Sevenfold’s stint under the Hopeless umbrella may have been criminally brief but ultimately gave the promising Cali outfit a chance to make a giant leap into their bright future.

NOAHFINNCE

No offense, but if you’ve not yet discovered the musical wisdom of influencer-turned-pop-punk-upstart NOAHFINNCE, you need to get out more. Multitalented, energetic and mob-handed with a sharp tongue and an ear for a catchy hook, the British rising talent signed to Hopeless Records in 2020 and has since released two EPs charged with quickfire jibes on modern life, love and everything in between. The future of pop punk is safe in the hands of NOAHFINNCE and Hopeless’ eye for the genre’s next landmark artists.

Zeph

Bedroom alt-pop fueled by young adult angst has never sounded quite as bittersweet as it does in the hands of one-woman powerhouse Zephani Jong, or Zeph for short. One of Hopeless’ freshest signings, the Korean-American sensation well known for her hard-hitting lyrics that give listeners pause for thought at every turn joined the label in March and promises a moving new era judging by her latest single “like everyone else.” Listeners can expect a wild ride of emotions that may be uncomfortable to hear but nevertheless deserve a platform, soundtracked by the dulcet tones of Zeph’s vocal range.

Waterparks

In 2019, pop-punk sensations Waterparks sought the perfect outlet for a change of tact, bringing painfully self-aware lyricism to the table amid saccharine, electro-pop-infused singalongs. A simultaneous bold shift from their signature pop-punk jams but also a perfect transition toward their musical maturity as an outfit, Hopeless Records gave their 2019 album, FANDOM, a soapbox to freely express itself. The success of the venture proved that their sound progression was not only predicted but welcomed by listeners who also needed self-critical anthems to belt out in the car on a hot summer’s day. Even though their partnership was short-lived, as they only stuck with Hopeless for one record, Waterparks made their ultimate mission statement loud and clear.

New Found Glory

New Found Glory’s shift to Hopeless in 2014 in time for their eighth studio album, Resurrection, gifted the outfit with a chance to start again. A member reshuffle placed Chad Gilbert on rhythm guitars as well as lead, allowing for a more consistent tone on songs like “Selfless” and “Ready & Willing,” establishing a new status quo that would survive until NFG’s final Hopeless album, December’s Here. The Hopeless era gave the genre mainstays a golden opportunity to prove themselves all over again, and it paid off spectacularly.

Scene Queen

The TikTok generation needed a rebellious icon to call out the scene around them with an acid tongue, but it could never fully prepare itself enough for the storming presence of Scene Queen, the brutally honest outlet for songwriter Hannah Collins. Creating her own genre of self-branded “bimbocore” to explain the juxtaposition between her ultra-feminine aesthetics and relentless metalcore instrumentals, Scene Queen delights in challenging the scene’s deep-rooted issues through contagious heavy singalongs that you’ll hear on your For You Page all day long.

Neck Deep

Some partnerships are meant to be, particularly if they come together to create four phenomenal pop-punk records within a decade and consequently fire a Welsh band from the obscurity of the nonexistent Wrexham punk scene right up into the stratosphere. Neck Deep have enjoyed a fairytale journey through the ranks as payback for their hard work in crafting endlessly contagious summer anthems, standing to this day as a testament to Hopeless Records’ talent-picking flair.

Thrice

The tricky relationship between artist and sophomore record held true for Thrice, having received numerous rejections to release 2002’s The Illusion of Safety due to its unpredictable sound, varying from frenetic melodic hardcore to self-reflective post-hardcore. Luckily for the band, Hopeless imprint Sub City Records took a chance and consequently enabled the now-legendary emo trendsetters to unleash songs like “Deadbolt” upon an unsuspecting world grabbing its skinny jeans and studded belts in preparation for a breakthrough.

Pinkshift

Visceral punk instrumentals and gloriously slick, grunge-esque vocals meet in No Man’s Land at the hands of Pinkshift, Baltimore’s answer to No Doubt with a refreshing 2023 tinge. Scooped up by Hopeless just in time to drop their debut full-length, Love Me Forever, this trio of friends are looking to shake up the scene with teeth-baring, confrontational jams that sound as much fun to create as they are to hear. Pinkshift have their brightest days ahead of them with the continued support of a label synonymous with punk discoveries that push the boundaries of a genre designed for reinvention.

The Used

With their fifth record, Vulnerable, in 2012, emo mainstays the Used began fusing experimental electronic elements into their signature venomous and gloriously heavy anthems as if they always belonged there. Leaving the safety of Reprise Records for a new start with Hopeless, the transition into their newfound approach appeared pretty seamless. For the next three earworm-inducing eras, the band called Hopeless Records their home and produced some of the most emotionally stirring, evocative albums of their long career, from the confrontational Vulnerable and the politically enraged Imaginary Enemy to the grieving The Canyon.

illuminati hotties

illuminati hotties is newer to the Hopeless Records roster. The first release through the label was second studio album, Let Me Do One More, in 2021 which allowed the LA indie set to announce themselves to the mainstream. What started as an outlet for former production-engineer-turned-vocalist Sarah Tudzin’s talents soon became a completely unpredictable combination of punk, indie and whatever Tudzin feels like on any given day. illuminati hotties are a true aural experience that defies a large label name to encapsulate their success, and are still with Hopeless Records now.

DE’WAYNE

In a badass world, alternative music needs an equally badass representative for 2023. Case in point: DE’WAYNE. His slick combination of organized hip-hop chaos and reckless punk abandon has crafted relentlessly contagious singalongs that have earned the Hopeless seal of approval and consequently garnered the hype he fully deserves. Living his best life under the Hopeless umbrella since his debut album, STAINS, DE’WAYNE’s genre-fluid approach brings back echoes of nü metal’s glory days when the two genres coexisted harmoniously across the mainstream market. There is hope that the scene can rejuvenate its relationship with the polar opposite genre, and that hope falls into the hands of one Texas-born future icon.

Stand Atlantic

When you find a label that understands your goals, your journey toward them and how you plan on getting there, hold onto them. Stand Atlantic have settled neatly into the Hopeless family as if they always belonged there, signing for their debut full-length, Skinny Dipping, in 2018 and staying out well into their third album, F.E.A.R., last year. Distributing their own flavor of pop punk with blends of electronic twinkles, their tracks are worthy of endless replays, led by the versatile tones of vocalist Bonnie Fraser. The only way is up for the Sydney crew. 

Sum 41

Sum 41’s back catalog may well be the definition of All Killer No Filler, but the latest piece in the Ontario band’s jigsaw was a signing to Hopeless just in time for their 2016 album, 13 Voices. Introducing what was once a daunting step into the unknown for the noughties trendsetters, the crowd-funded effort 13 Voices also paved the way for a subtle fragility in Deryck Whibley’s lyricism to reflect his own health revelations while taking a bold step away from their pop-punk roots toward a heavier metal sound. Ever since, Sum 41 have consistently followed their musical instincts to the bitter end.

Taking Back Sunday

Taking Back Sunday’s innate reliability to produce an album chock-full of belters, earworms and tracks that arrogantly refuse to age has carried them long into their 25-year career. It comes as no surprise that their debut appearance in the Hopeless family was no different, bringing 2011’s Happiness Is as an opportunity to remind the world around them just why TBS are the alternative household name you can trust. Their second Hopeless outing, 2016’s Tidal Wave, would be founding guitarist Eddie Reyes’ last with the Long Island outfit and subsequently made a fitting end of an era.

PVRIS

PVRIS have shifted to the Cali label in time for their fourth album, EVERGREEN, to be released this July. Dominating the alternative scene since their 2014 debut album, White Noise, demonstrated their heavy chops, their sound has comfortably evolved into a theatrical form of electro-pop rock that fully showcases the complexity and versatility of frontwoman Lynn Gunn as a performer, songwriter and vocalist. The latest singles from EVERGREEN, “ANIMAL” and “GODDESS,” suggest that listeners are in for a wild ride with PVRIS this year. 

The Wonder Years

If you thought your favorite pop-punk bands would eventually outgrow their adolescent anxieties and youthful despairs, the Wonder Years have matured and grown into their own sound while still retaining the fist-clenching angst from their debut. Over a decade under the Hopeless umbrella since their third studio album has enabled the Wonder Years to truly explore their own identities both as a group and as individual artists. Signing with the label for 2011’s Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing and remaining with Hopeless ever since, the band have found the perfect outlet for their emotional grievances across five gut-wrenching albums.

Tonight Alive

Despite the musical future of Tonight Alive remaining largely uncertain, their signing to Hopeless for their latest album, Underworld, in 2018 supplied the world with their newfound artistic approach to their traditional alternative-rock sound. Never taking the most obvious path through the industry, the Sydney outfit branched into an empowering new era with the help of Hopeless. Although Underworld would prove to close a chapter of their history with the departure of founding lead guitarist Whak Taahi, and it may seem like this fourth album may be their last, the Australian rockers produced a fittingly beautiful end to a band that brought familial togetherness to every stage they have graced.

Silverstein

Victory Records’ loss is inevitably Hopeless’ gain, and the same goes for Silverstein back in 2011 on the cusp of releasing their fifth post-hardcore triumph, Rescue. It’s impossible to imagine this emo-forging outfit without songs like “Massachusetts” and “Burning Hearts.” Not to mention, the unexpected hit of the entire Short Songs album changed the way we consume the genre’s output altogether. For their dedication to their stylistic endeavors, Silverstein will always deserve to be up there with the emo trinity, as they’re masters of creating devastatingly catchy scream-alongs and heartbreak anthems that hit your feelings like no other.

We Are The In Crowd 

Without the resounding success of their partnership with Hopeless Records, it’s hard to imagine if We Are The In Crowd would ever have emerged from their local Poughkeepsie, New York scene, let alone become a huge name in their brief time together. What began as a MySpace post declaring that a former band member had hacked and deleted their page’s contacts and content later forged a bond with the minds behind Hopeless and would lead to releasing both of the outfit’s albums under the label. Although their last release dropped back in 2014 and their 2016 hiatus broke in 2019, the chance of new WATIC music is low but never zero.

Even through the darkness, uncertainty and understandable fear, Gilbert knew that he needed to overcome the disease and wasn’t going to let it define him or take away his joy. Of course, Gilbert’s greatest joys lie within his family, including his loving wife and daughter, who was born just months before his cancer diagnosis. However, he also knew that he needed to turn to his greatest passion: music. With stunning bravery, Gilbert carried on with business as usual, albeit in a slightly different capacity, to begin the writing process for New Found Glory’s largely acoustic and most mature, vulnerable album yet, Make The Most Of it.

Read more: 10 incredible alternative albums that turn 10 in 2023

Gilbert had more than enough serious subject matter to pull from but was admittedly unsure if he wanted his cancer story to be front and center on the release. “There’s a thing that happens sometimes with charities and promotions that feel self-serving or cheap marketing, and I have always been delicate with other people’s emotions and not wanting to cross any boundaries,” Gilbert reflects over a Zoom call from his home in Tennessee. “A lot of good acts can be done for selfish reasons, and I [didn’t know] if I wanted to be the face of it.”

While Gilbert weighed opening up about his story, he went on tour shortly after, and it was on that same trek that he began to feel a shift in perspective. He realized that being a member of a beloved band could help raise awareness for this extremely rare cancer that’s often “misdiagnosed or undetected” long before it is too late for many patients. “What I have isn’t a normal cancer, and a lot of the deaths are [because] doctors don’t know what it is — I would [even] end up educating the nurses,” Gilbert explains. As he too nearly lost his life due to a series of misdiagnoses, sharing his experience was of the utmost importance, not only for himself but many others. “I would think about how rare this cancer is and how the odds of my wife getting in a car wreck visiting me are greater than catching this cancer I have. So, whenever I started thinking [writing] might be a waste of time or energy, I [soon] realized, ‘Why am I going to punish myself?’ and take away the joy I have writing songs and doing music?”

From there, the diagnosis of cancer “did the opposite” of slowing things down and instead pushed him to carry on with his life with an unstoppable fighting spirit. “Even in the hospital, the day after my second spinal surgery, I walked around,” Gilbert says with pride. His constant “drive to do whatever he can, even if it hurts,” amazed everyone around him, including his surgeons, and this energy has since remained his guiding principle throughout his journey to recovery. “We all truly don’t know how precious our time is, and we take advantage of that, so I want to enjoy everything at all times, as much as I can,” he says. Gilbert assures that even when he does eventually beat cancer, he will “feel the same way,” especially now with what he has gone through. “I’ve been given the gift to make it through, and [those] who were misdiagnosed never had that gift, so that’s why I want to do [this].”

When it came time for Gilbert to deliver the new songs to his longtime bandmates, they chose to put them together collaboratively in the same room. The four members sat in a circle with nothing more than their voices and a few acoustic guitars to capture the intimate nature of the tracks and reflect on their deeply personal subject matter. “When you’re sitting in a chair with an acoustic guitar, you’re talking and really connecting. Everyone’s ideas and opinions are able to be heard easier and quicker — it [also] made it easier since everyone had the lyrics in front of them to connect on it on a different level.”

With the seven new tracks that are featured on Make The Most Of It, Gilbert doesn’t shy away from revealing his most personal fears and resists sugarcoating the severity of his situation, offering a truly candid look into a person’s unique struggle with the disease. Among the many heartwrenching moments on the record, “Watch The Lillies Grow” is by far one of the most intense songs, with Gilbert making peace with his own mortality while reflecting on his life’s greatest accomplishments and the legacy he would leave behind if he did pass from the cancer. “I don’t listen [to the song],” Gilbert admits, “I had to listen to the mix to approve it, but could barely get through that.”

During his various stays in the hospital, Gilbert had to “sign things about his death,” meaning that if something were to go wrong, he would need to be prepared in many aspects. “Being hooked to machines” for weeks on end lead him to have a lot of time to process, which included his “biggest dream” of having a daughter. “There’s never really been a Gilbert girl in my family, so thinking that God forbid I didn’t make it through those surgeries, [at least] I could go away with my dreams coming to true — that’s the positive thing to look at.” Gilbert references heaven and his own personal faith on the track and shares how proud he is of his daughter and the “friendship” that they have formed already, all while remaining aware that for some people, they don’t always get to experience that feeling of pride in the first place.

Another moment of lyrical bravery and inspirational optimism is “Kiss The Floor,” a track where Gilbert says that cancer “brought out the best in him” and even taught him a few important lessons along the way that he now actively applies to his life. Gilbert realized that “knowing his fears” helped him use the situation for good. “It made me want to try to be more loving, patient and slower to anger,” Gilbert says with confidence. “A lot of the things that we stress about in life, and the time we spend fearful of our future is not even reality — it’s just what ifs.” Gilbert instead chooses to take advantage of what makes “life worth living” because even with challenges, Gilbert firmly believes “life can be better than you expect.”

Now, with Make The Most Of It on the horizon, Gilbert and New Found Glory have many reasons to celebrate, as the new record will officially come out on the legendary hardcore label Revelation Records. Gilbert says New Found Glory, who have always had strong ties to the hardcore community, actually sent their 1999 debut album, Nothing Gold Can Stay, to Revelation Records to put out. However, they passed, with Gilbert joking that even years later they still joke about not signing the band back in the day. “With this record, the content and where we are at, it seemed like [Revelation] was the right place to do this one-off album with.” With Make The Most Of It, Gilbert is hopeful that it will help expose the next generation to the bands they used to listen to on Revelation Records. “Hopefully [fans] will go back and buy a Texas Is The Reason, Youth Of Today or Gorilla Biscuits record — it’s a cool tradeoff,” he adds.

Following the release of the new record, New Found Glory will also hit the road this winter for a special run of intimate and unplugged shows surrounding the release — as well as dusting off select cuts from their vast discography in reimagined ways. “We always love promoting our new songs in the set, but we always [make sure] to play our classic songs to make the fans psyched,” Gilbert says. “With this tour, you are going to get a lot of the songs you have [always] wanted to hear that you don’t get at our normal shows.” He’s excited to report that the band’s dynamic will not simply be chairs on the stage, pledging that there will be “other instruments and growth” throughout the set. “We’re going to try to make this [tour] our own little musical — it’s going to be a completely different show,” he says.

While New Found Glory’s dedicated fanbase will surely be on the front lines to purchase the new record when it drops, they will also be happy to know that they aren’t only supporting a group of hardworking artists, but their very purchase will go a long way in the fight against the rare cancer that Gilbert has. Proceeds from the record will go to Pheoepara Alliance, an initiative that aims to provide support for clinical research, awareness and the continued well-being of patients battling the disease — the latter of which has been a major help in Gilbert’s personal experience.

“I’ve been gifted this career, and I feel so lucky. Now that we still have those same fans after 25 years, I need to give back as much as I can,” Gilbert adds. Make The Most Of It is arguably the most important record of New Found Glory’s career thus far, and while it’s an acoustic album, it is most certainly their heaviest album to date emotionally. Even in the absence of crushing guitars and pounding drums, Gilbert and co. sound as raw as ever and have redefined the meaning of artistic transparency and vulnerability.

For internet personality, musician, and entrepreneur Matt Cutshall, being emo was never a phase. In fact, it was his destiny all along. As a teenager in the early ‘00s, Cutshall, like many others, gravitated towards the vulnerability and intensity of emo music and took great inspiration from the genre. Eventually, he formed his own group IT BOYS! in the late aughts, which performed on the infamous Vans Warped Tour a whopping four times during their run as a band — making Cutshall a certified, seasoned scene veteran. 

When the genre experienced a commercial decline in the early 2010s, Cutshall was left feeling a void that he was dying to fill. Thankfully, at the turn of the next decade, emo, once presumed dead, rose from the ashes and began to make a serious comeback. Not only were people leaning on nostalgia as a form of comfort during trying times, but younger generations began to discover the music and lifestyle, effectively breathing new life into the culture as a whole. Cutshall acted quickly and began posting hilarious, engaging YouTube videos as his emotionally over-the-top, aptly titled alter ego “Emo Matt,” paying tribute to his favorite emo songs and enlisting some of the scene’s most prominent figures in cameos. With the success of the Youtube channel, Cutshall eventually launched the lifestyle brand Emo’s Not Dead, which has since ventured into the style and live music spaces.  

Read more: Our favorite moments from When We Were Young Festival, the most emo event of the year

This past November, Cutshall and co. put on the first-ever Emo’s Not Dead Cruise, which featured an iconic lineup of classic scene bands including Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, Thursday, Underoath, and others, and set sail from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. The cruise was such an overwhelming success that the team behind Emo’s Not Dead are already putting together the next excursion, scheduled for spring 2024. 

Even beyond Emo’s Not Dead, Cutshall’s also been returning to his songwriting and performing roots with a new musical project, Your Broken Hero, which plans to release new “scene” music soon. In an exclusive interview with Alt Press, Matt Cutshall details the resurgence of emo culture, the genesis of the Emo’s Not Dead brand, and the very exciting future that lies ahead.

Why do you think emo music and culture is having such a resurgence in popularity at the moment? 

I think everything eventually circles back, and everything becomes a classic at some point. Though emo music is not quite “oldies,” a lot of it is over 20 years old now, so younger people are just now finding it as music that their parents [maybe] listened to. 

In my opinion, there is no genre quite like emo — as in the feeling that you get watching these live bands, how emotional it is, and how aggressive it can be watching bands like Underoath and Silverstein. The overall energy is huge. With this comeback, this younger generation is seeing these bands live for the first time and they’re blown away because they have never seen anything like it [before]. 

What were those initial emo bands that specifically sparked your love for the genre? 

I went to high school with two of my best friends Judah and Duck Leary and they were in a [screamo] band called Reclaim the Fallen. It was probably 2003 when I went to their first show and it was also my first time ever experiencing and seeing screamo music, crowd surfing, and the overall energy. From there, I was hooked and asked them who I should listen to. They got me into Emery, Underoath, the Used, Taking Back Sunday, and the rest is history. 

How did you develop your alter ego “Emo Matt,” and do you ever feel like you have to method act to get into character, or is this just another extension of you? 

I have a lot of experience being that emo character. I started a band called IT BOYS!, and we played Warped Tour for four years, and I got my experience doing my [Taking Back Sunday frontman] Adam Lazzara moves on stage. That stage presence and performance has always been in me since then, so essentially I’m just getting back to my glory days and bringing it back to life with this character. 

I started releasing these videos in 2019, and it all started in a Snapchat story where my fiancé Arielle put her hair over my forehead to make it look like bangs and I sang Taking Back Sunday or the Used to the camera. That Snapchat story ended up getting so much engagement. I got so many messages like, “I haven’t heard that song in years,” or, “I miss Underoath,” and that really sparked the idea to do videos outside of Snapchat. I believe the first video we did was me singing Hawthorne Heights as my emo character and it blew up online. 

What was the process like putting together the Emo’s Not Dead cruise, and what would you say was the most fulfilling aspect of it when looking back? 

This was the most difficult task that I have ever done. When I first posted a survey on my Facebook to see if people would want to go on an Emo’s Not Dead cruise, I expected to have maybe 2,000 people fill out the seven-page survey –– but then 40,000 people ended up filling it out. I was completely shocked, so that was the first indicator that I had something. I’m so thankful that these bands trusted me to put this together. To show up to that sold-out cruise and see all of these legendary bands play a cruise that I curated was an absolute dream come true. I’ve been working in the entertainment business for 16 years now, and this was by far my biggest accomplishment. 

[Photo courtesy of Emo’s Not Dead]

With Emo’s Not Dead breaking into the apparel world as well, it seems like it has already become a key fixture in the style of the modern emo culture. How does that feel? 

I am so happy that so many fans are resonating with the merch. After my sixth or seventh video, I decided that I needed to find a way to fund the videos as they got bigger and bigger. We had to fly to different parts of the country to shoot with different band guys, so these videos were adding up to a few thousand dollars a pop that I was coming out of pocket to pay for. I can’t monetize on Facebook or YouTube because I don’t own the songs, so I literally make zero dollars [in that respect]. My first drop was a plain black T-shirt that said “Emo’s Not Dead” and it ended up selling out in the first couple of days. I scaled the brand from there and now we have a full-time designer and fulfill [orders] out of our own warehouse in central Oregon. The merch is honestly what’s fueling our brand and allows me to pay my employees, have a cruise, and create these music videos. 

Speaking of the music videos, you’ve already had so many iconic cameos and features from legendary scene figures including Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional and Simple Plan, but are there any dream guests you are still hoping to work with in the future? 

I would love to get My Chemical Romance in a video. I have DM-ed a bit with [MCR bassist] Mikey Way and he loves what we do, so fingers crossed that we get them one day because I know the fans would absolutely freak out. I really want to get blink-182 in a video [as well], and I actually chatted about it a little bit with Mark Hoppus. It was when he was going through his chemo, so I very respectfully left that alone and let him deal with what he was dealing with. Thank God that he’s out of it. I’m so stoked that he’s doing great and that blink-182 is back together. 

What’s next for the brand? 

Live events are huge and we love meeting and connecting with all of our fans and supporters, so aside from the cruise, we are entertaining [the idea] of putting together some sort of festival. It’s not a guarantee yet, but we’re at the beginning stages of what that might look like. What I’m most excited about is Your Broken Hero, which is Emo Matt’s band that was named by Chris Carrabba. My goal for 2023 is to create an entire album, feature some of the greatest emo legends on it, and drop an absolutely amazing, nostalgic-feeling album. My goal is to play the entire album on [the next] cruise in 2024 and then do an actual tour as Your Broken Hero. 

Today, Games We Play is sharing a new music video for the EP’s title track, “Get A Job,” which shows Calleiro performing his first-ever LA show inside an undisclosed Denny’s diner — and the result is truly glorious. The video, which references the now-viral “What The Fuck Is Up Denny’s” video, evokes the classic energy found in ‘90s and early 2000s punk videos with nonstop crowd surfing and mosh pits while encapsulating the infectious optimism of Games We Play’s artistic universe. 

Read more: Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz will co-write his first graphic novel, Dying Inside

Out of the many successes he has experienced over the last few months, signing to the influential record labels Fueled By Ramen and DCD2, as well as scoring a co-sign from friend and collaborator Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), are some of the most exciting new developments in his career. Wentz, who’s also the head of DCD2, exceeds what it means to be a supporter by crowdsurfing in the video for “Get A Job,” in a bittersweet moment that was not only surreal to Calleiro but also for Wentz. “Everything about this is insane. I can’t even imagine telling myself at any point I would be crowdsurfing to a punk band inside a Denny’s in 2022. But here we are,” Wentz shares. “Everything about this performance reminds me of Fall Out Boy’s video for ‘Dead on Arrival’ — the chaos, the way it captures the ‘had to be there’ feeling.”

With a headlining tour under his belt, an upcoming support slot for pop-punk mainstays State Champs this November and a highly anticipated album on the way, it’s clear that Games We Play is headed for the stars. 

How did you come up with the creative concept for the “Get A Job” music video? 

The creative process was really funny because it’s really just a show at Denny’s. I personally have always idolized videos that are DIY shows where everyone is going crazy in a place that shouldn’t hold that many people. There are H2O, New Found Glory and Fall Out Boy videos — just old punk-rock videos [that were definitely an influence]. 

Does it feel surreal to know that this song is now autobiographical, where you don’t have to follow the status quo and get a job but can instead live your dream? 

It’s amazing but also a little scary because people will come up to me at shows and say they quit their job because of that song. [Laughs.] This is literally what I’ve wanted my entire life. I am so blessed and have been doing this for seven years, and now it’s finally happening. I dropped out of school when I was 14 and have been grinding on Games We Play ever since. It was a lot of getting made fun of by my family and local bands who thought I was lame. It’s so crazy to think that the song is out now, the video is out and it’s all freaking true. I’m a little selfishly proud that it worked out like that.

How did you link up with Fueled By Ramen and DCD2 as well as working so closely with Pete Wentz? Not to mention, it must be pretty crazy to see Pete crowdsurfing to your song in the video. 

With Pete, it’s interesting. In January, I posted a video of my song “I Hope You’re Happy,” and it started to do really well. My friend Anthony [Raneri] from Bayside told me he wanted me to talk to one of his friends in the industry for advice. When I showed up, Pete Wentz was just there — I was not told who it was going to be. As I was walking up to meet with him, I sent a voicemail to my wife that said, “Holy shit, Pete Wentz is here.” To be honest, I had no idea this would happen — he just showed up and has never left since. Pete is one of the best friends I’ve made in music, and I talk to him almost every single day now. Pete’s just down to get stupid with me on any idea I come up with. He’s there to hang and support me, and it’s really just the biggest blessing. 

With the Get A Job EP, what did you want it to represent lyrically? 

Lyrically, the record expresses exactly where I am in my life. I wrote it a year-and-a-half ago, and for that record, I just wanted it to be fun. At the time, I was living in an apartment with my friends, and it was really crazy and hard, but it was also really fun. We would play video games every night, stay up super late, tell stories and make fun of each other. If you listen to all of the words on the record, it sounds like a conversation [between] two friends going back and forth trying to make each other laugh. 

You’re on your first-ever headlining tour and will soon be gearing up for a run with State Champs. What are you looking forward to the most about these shows, and what are you trying to pull off this time around? 

Headlining shows are definitely just more penis jokes, for sure. [Laughs.] I have a new song that I have just begun playing live for the first time, and it’s also one of my first sad songs. People were crying, and it was honestly a little weird for me — but it was also a really special moment. For the headline shows, it’s just gonna be new music, a lot of penis jokes and fucking around with my friends. Being able to sing my music to people and have them sing it back to me and know the words — I acknowledge it and am so thankful for it. With the State Champs tour, I just really like those guys, and I am really excited to meet new people. State Champs fans like to crowdsurf and push each other around, and I love when that happens. 

What’s next for Games We Play? Can we expect a debut album soon? 

When I get off this tour, I am going to be recording my first full-length record, and the writing process has been hard because I want it to be perfect. I’ve written 20 songs already, and only one has made the cut so far. Right now, I just want to write the best possible songs that I can that express who I am.

in loving memory is a perfect snapshot of where blackbear is at in his life. While the subject matter treads into darker territory with themes of loss, addiction and pain, blackbear provides a sense of hope and victory in the constant journey to overcome obstacles. Following its release, blackbear will embark on the Nothing Matters tour, his first headlining run since 2019. Joining him are special guests MOD SUN, State Champs, Waterparks and Heart Attack Man, making it the perfect tour where alternative worlds will collide.

Read more: 20 greatest punk-rock drummers of all time

We sat down with blackbear to discuss the full-circle moments in his life, collaborating with his heroes and where he’s heading next musically.

From a distance, it seems like everything is coming full circle for you. I understand you were raised in a strict Christian household and turned to punk rock as a form of rebellion. Now all of these years later, you seem so in touch with your spirituality and as a family man now that you’re a father to two children with your wife. Do you feel like you’re reshaping what it means to be a rock star?

For sure. There’s nothing rock star about me. When I think of a rock star, I think of a dickhead. I have a few close friends who I spend a lot of time with and make sure I send them flowers when I’m thinking of them. I’m all about keeping a small circle with friends, family and the people I work with.

Another full-circle moment is your return to your punk roots. How liberating did this feel, and was this the record that you always knew you wanted to make?

The best way to put it is that it’s an itch I have been wanting to scratch for 15 years. I finally scratched it, and oh God it feels good.

What were some of the influences that inspired this album?

On this album, there is a lot of Jimmy Eat World Bleed American influence, along with Terminal and Acceptance. I tried my hardest not to rhyme in every line, and with Acceptance, they didn’t rhyme at all. Third Eye Blind is another band I pulled from because I see this as an alternative album and not a pop-punk album. It’s also just my collaboration album with Travis Barker. It’s not a blackbear album — it’s a collab album.

[Photo by Daniel Rojas]

On this album, you have so many people that you looked up to growing up featured on your songs. Do you feel like you are finally becoming the person that you looked up to as a kid and in many ways a true leader in your field?

I think that’s what I strive to be. What’s the point of dreaming if you’re never going to be the person you dreamed of being? I strive to be the best person I can be every day, stay in gratitude and believe in myself. I want to become that person that helped me when I was a kid, and I want to help kids in this generation.

Did you ever think when you were a kid that you would have Jordan Pundik and Bert McCracken singing alongside you on a track? That must have been mind-blowing.

Not only that, but the fact that they were excited and more than willing to do it was just so amazing. I didn’t have to pitch them on why they should do this, and I’m super grateful for that.

What’s so remarkable about your career is that you can seamlessly work with everyone from the pop world, including Justin Bieber, but also work with veteran rock vocalists like Bert McCracken. Do you feel like you’re a bridge between cultures?

I want to be everywhere at once. Last year there was a point where I had a song on HOT AC adult contemporary, a song on country, alternative and pop radio. Now that we’re making new music, that situation is about to happen again.

Speaking of bringing different communities together, I feel like you’ve done this perfectly with the lineup for your upcoming Nothing Matters tour. The run features seasoned artists like MOD SUN and State Champs while also highlighting a fresh crop of artists ranging from Waterparks and Heart Attack Man. What inspired you to put together this lineup? 

I just wanted my fans to hear what I listen to in my car. Not so much Waterparks, fuck them. [Laughs.] No, I’m just kidding. We actually have an amazing single coming out together. 

I want to expand on the themes of sobriety with your new music. I think what sets you apart is that you show the positivity of making it out and that there can be hope. 

And in my music, I’m still talking about struggling with it, too, and wanting to go back to drugs when things get hard. I dipped back into my experience of being chronically ill, so I actually have to still take pain meds, and when I’m done taking the pain meds, I go through withdrawals. A sober person going through withdrawals is an oxymoron, so I wrote about that too. 

Your single “the idea” is fascinating in how it touches on addiction. With the line “Three nights in a row doing blow, are you tired?,” can that be read as autobiographical or also external looking at the industry and your peers? 

For sure, that’s what a lot of my songs are about. It’s just what I see living in Hollywood and going out. That’s actually what “hot girl bummer” was all about completely. I don’t hang out with a lot of people who do blow, but some of them do, and I’m like, “Are you tired?” 

What’s your dynamic with Travis Barker like? What makes this partnership so special? 

He’s just the sweetest frickin’ dude in the world. I saw a TikTok where these girls were making fun of him for being so sweet, and I thought it was so mean. Anytime something happens that’s good in my life, him and Kourtney [Kardashian] will send flowers, and they are just so sweet. Our relationship is a brotherhood, and we really feel like we get each other. We feel like the same dude and have a lot of similar interests. Our chemistry is really good. 

I want to talk specifically about your voice. I think people really identify with the pain in your vocals and lyrics. While you can do these incredible R&B vocal runs, you also have the rawness of someone like Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday or Geoff Rickly of Thursday, where you’re not necessarily trying to get the perfect take but more so the “real” take. 

Oh wow, thank you. I am trying to translate and make every word that I say understood by the listener. I hate when I hear a song that has a good melody, but I don’t know one word they just fucking said. I just want to make sure that I’m understood. 

You’ve proven that you can do anything musically. That being said, do you ever think about flipping the switch and doing something entirely different? 

My wife wants me to do a country album so bad. She’s like, “Your songwriting would be perfect for country,” and maybe I will, but I don’t know. 

Alternative Press is pleased to announce Thrifted & Vintage, a curated collection of vintage, thrifted and rare reprints hunted and sourced personally by Josh Madden. This collection is available on our webstore and covers the last 20-plus years of alternative culture, guaranteeing that you will find an item that fits your distinct taste. Undoubtedly, the vintage T-shirt industry has seen a rise in demand and popularity, leading to surged prices and an oversaturated market. However, Thrifted & Vintage aims to keep items diverse and accessible for everyone. 

Read more: Mary Wyatt London is the alternative fashion brand hailed by Kittie and Courtney Love

Out of the 50-plus items currently available, there is a healthy mix of classic pieces, ranging from acts such as Nirvana, Good Charlotte, Pearl Jam, Oasis and Rancid, while also highlighting more niche artists such as Bane, Killing Joke, King Crimson and Hatebreed. The result is a collection that represents the diversity and beauty of an eclectic music taste. More importantly, each piece has a unique story to tell. 

If you have ever been interested in vintage and thrift culture but don’t know where to start, we invite you to browse this time capsule of music history. These are the 25 best Thrifted & Vintage items and the fascinating stories behind them.

Nirvana “Smiley Face” Fade Dye Crewneck

Perhaps one of the most iconic images in rock ‘n’ roll history is the smiley face logo of Seattle grunge icons Nirvana. First appearing on a modest album release party flyer in celebration of their breakthrough album Nevermind, the logo has gone on to be printed and licensed by countless garment companies, including Urban Outfitters and H&M. However, there has been confusion and debate on who to credit for the logo’s creation. Some have speculated that the drawing was Nirvana’s late vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain’s creation, while others have cited Sub Pop Records art designer Lisa Orth as the original creator. Additionally, the smiley face, which is intentionally messy and shows two crossed-out eyes and a tongue sticking out, is rumored to have been inspired by a similar emblem that appeared on the marquee of Seattle strip club The Lusty Lady.

Stone Temple Pilots Four Vintage Tee

When it came time to name the fourth record from Stone Temple Pilots, the group opted to keep it simple and call it No. 4. The 1999 record contained several notable singles, including “Down” and “Sour Girl,” and achieved platinum certification in just under a year after its release. The following T-shirt is from the famous 1999 tour in support of the album. The band would put out one more record before going on hiatus for several years until 2010 when they reunited the core lineup to record their self-titled album. Scott Weiland tragically passed away in late 2015 due to substance misuse but left behind a legacy of influential records that spanned over three decades.

Bloc Party Silent Alarm Tee

With their debut album Silent Alarm, English indie-rockers Bloc Party made a serious impact. Powered by their brand of energetic, rhythmic and sincere music, the record was met with universal acclaim from critics and fans alike. Silent Alarm also served as a turning point for indie rock and its place in the mainstream, inspiring many other artists in the process. The cover art for the album features a photograph taken by Ness Sherry, capturing a snowy and desolate landscape. The cover art has gone on to become one of the most recognizable album covers of the mid-2000s indie-rock era and has been printed on countless merchandise.

Hatebreed Struggles Tee

For a band as intense and heavy as Hatebreed, they have always had a knack for writing positive, motivational and uplifting lyrics that look especially badass in bold impact font on a T-shirt. The following lyrics “It’s our struggles that define us” come from the song “You’re Never Alone,” which is featured on the metallic-hardcore group’s 2002 record Perseverance. When rocking a classic Hatebreed T-shirt at a show, you’re guaranteed to look like you mean business in the pit.

Pleasures x Sublime Tee

When alternative streetwear brand Pleasures joined forces with Long Beach, California ska-punks Sublime to create a collaborative line of T-shirts, it was clearly a match made in heaven. The shirt pays homage to the famous album cover of the band’s 1992 classic 40oz. To Freedom, which was designed and painted by tattoo artist and muralist Opie Ortiz.

King Ad-Rock Tee

Adam Keefe Horovitz, better known as Ad-Rock, is a founding member of Beastie Boys and has made it his life mission to create compelling art. The King Ad-Rock shirt pays tribute to his contributions while also serving a greater cause. The following shirt is part of the Tees4Togo initiative co-founded by femme punk legend and Bikini Kill frontwoman Kathleen Hanna and Tina Kampor, who started the Peace Sisters nonprofit. All profits from these T-shirt sales go to Peace Sisters, which helps to provide educational opportunities for young women in the city of Dapaong, Togo. Additionally, Ad-Rock and Hanna are married, which is quite possibly one of the greatest unions in punk-rock history.

Ernie Ball Vintage Tee

While Ernie Ball may not be a band, they certainly have been a part of the everyday lives of countless artists through their quality products. Ernie Ball has always provided affordable gear made for musicians by musicians, which unsurprisingly has allowed them to become the industry standard for 60-plus years. This T-shirt in particular features the early art of Luke Chueh, who was hired by the company in the 1990s as their flagship designer and illustrator, creating countless award-winning designs and advertisements. Chueh would later go on to create album artwork for Fall Out Boy‘s Folie à Deux.

Killing Joke Tee

Listen to the song “Eighties’’ by Killing Joke. We promise it will all make sense…

Sid Vicious Tee

Sid Vicious is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable figures in early punk-rock history and fashion, who most notably played bass for acclaimed London punks the Sex Pistols. If for some reason you’ve never heard of the Sex Pistols, now’s your chance with the recent release of Hulu’s six-episode biopic series Pistol, directed by Academy Award-winning movie-maker Danny Boyle.

Bane Tee

New England hardcore staples Bane were a force to be reckoned with for 20-plus years before they called it a day in 2016. The group are best known for delivering powerful and passionate songs about perseverance, treading your own path and straight-edge morals. Bane, while one of the most beloved hardcore bands to come up in the mid-1990s, are also known for their distinct and minimalistic logo. The logo features a black-and-white tree with a swing set hanging from its branches, with the band’s name below in bold font. The design has been printed on countless pieces of merchandise, making it one of the most recognizable logos in hardcore history.

Outkast LaFace Records Tee

LaFace Records was an influential record label founded in the 1990s by music executive L.A. Reid and singer-songwriter Babyface. The label put out records and jump-started the careers of iconic acts such as TLC, Usher and Pink but struck gold when they signed their first hip-hop group, Outkast, in 1992. The Atlanta duo were instrumental in mixin genres within hip-hop and created wildly successful records that have influenced countless artists over the years. 

Rancid 2001 Sleeveless Tee

Blending everything from skate-punk, hardcore and ska, Rancid have always been able to create a diverse range of material and well-received albums. The following T-shirt was printed just after the release of their self-titled fifth studio album and features a skull and cross bones, not unlike the one displayed on the album’s front cover. Though the design is rather minimalistic, it has become synonymous with the band’s aesthetic and is still featured on several of their merch items to this day. 

Bad Religion “End Of History” Tee

Bad Religion have been putting out political and genre-defining albums for over 40 years. This T-shirt in particular highlights the group’s 2019 song “End Of History,” taken from their 17th studio album Age Of Unreason. “End Of History” is a critique of the modern political landscape and the need for change within humanity. With the artwork portraying a mushroom cloud of smoke, most likely from a nuclear bomb, one could interpret that it represents the consequences the world may face if we don’t start making changes. 

Beastie Boys ABA (Atwater Basketball Association) Tee

Beastie Boys are undoubtedly musical trailblazers who were early pioneers in the fusion of hip-hop, rock and punk, creating a diverse catalog of music in the process. This T-shirt in particular references the neighborhood of Atwater Village in Los Angeles where their famous G-Son Studios was based, a legendary studio where the band recorded their 1992 album Check Your Head. 

Social Distortion Mainliner 1995 Tee

It’s always a treat when fans get the opportunity to hear early material from their favorite bands long before stardom. In 1995, Southern California punk legends Social Distortion did just that with the release of their compilation album Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past. The record featured material dating back to 1981, as well as various B-sides, and this T-shirt was created in promotion of its release. 

Slipknot .5: The Gray Chapter Red Tee

If you’ve ever been to a heavy-metal show, chances are you have seen your fair share of Slipknot T-shirts. In fact, the genre-defining group have had one of the most powerful and visceral aesthetics in modern mainstream music for decades, furthered by their die-hard fanbase. While the majority of Slipknot T-shirt designs are usually printed on black garments, it’s quite rare and exciting to find an officially licensed piece of merchandise in alternate colors. With this piece in particular, the striking cover art for the band’s fifth studio album, .5 The Gray Chapter, is on full display, with a sinister-looking figure adorned with skeleton makeup across a pentagram-like symbol. The record is significant in that it was their first following the tragic death of their bassist Paul Gray, containing evocative songs that tackle a wide range of subject matter birthed from tragedy and loss. 

Depeche Mode 2018 Tour Tee

In 2017, Depeche Mode embarked on the Global Spirits tour in support of their 14th studio album Spirit. The British group hit several major cities around the world. The tour was said to be their biggest and most successful to date, culminating with a theatrical release of their documentary and concert film Spirits In The Forest. Tragically, Spirit would mark the final time that founding member and keyboardist Andy Fletcher would appear on a studio album as he passed away in May 2022.

Rex Orange County Tee

If you haven’t heard of English indie artist Rex Orange County, drop everything you’re doing and watch the incredible new video for his latest single “ONE IN A MILLION.”

The Killers Hot Fuss Tee

Hot Fuss, the debut studio album from the Killers, is a modern rock classic. By incorporating synth-pop, new wave and post-punk seamlessly, the Killers not only became household names overnight but cemented themselves as major figures in rock music. Powered by hit singles such as “Somebody Told Me” and “Smile Like You Mean It,” it’s impossible to deny the group’s skill at writing catchy and infectious music. However, their single “Mr. Brightside” has reached near cultural phenomenon status as the anthem of the millennial generation. This T-shirt features the classic retro-inspired logo that has become synonymous with the group ever since it first appeared on the cover of their debut album.

Shadows Fall Tee

In the early to mid-2000s, there was a major resurgence of heavy-metal music taking the mainstream by storm in the U.S. This era has been commonly dubbed the “The new wave of American heavy metal,” spearheaded by groups such as Lamb Of God and Unearth. However, one of the scene’s heaviest hitters at the time was Shadows Fall, who put out several groundbreaking releases that not only scored the attention of major labels but experienced regular airplay on MTV’s Headbangers Ball program. The following T-shirt dates back to 2007, and its artwork ties into the original cover design of their fifth studio album Threads Of Life. 

Oasis Classic Tee

The kings of Britpop, Oasis have proven time and again that they can do whatever they want and still manage to be one of the most beloved bands of all time. This is exemplified by their classic logo that simply features their name in a white box. The logo was designed by Brian Cannon, who was the lead designer for the group throughout the 1990s. To date, this classic logo has been printed on countless T-shirts and can be purchased at just about any retailer imaginable. While Oasis aren’t reuniting anytime soon, we can always look back and appreciate the band’s lasting impact on rock ‘n’ roll culture. 

Good Charlotte “Money” Tee

When considering the most influential and successful pop-punk bands of the early 2000s, Good Charlotte are always at the top of the list. This shirt in particular was inspired by a piece that the Madden brothers (Benji, Joel and Josh) created for their early streetwear brand MADE. On their wildly successful sophomore record, The Young And The Hopeless, you can see several members of the band rocking T-shirts and hoodies with the iconic MADE label, making these items a hot commodity back in the day. The symbol of money on the shirt could be seen as a callback to the group’s 2002 hit single “Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous.” 

NOFX Hoodie

For 30-plus years, NOFX have been charging forward with political anthems, unfiltered critiques of modern society and witty humor. Their signature logo has been printed on countless pieces of clothing. While it may look simple, it’s clearly been effective as the group have continued to use a similar iteration of it for all of their 14 album covers. 

Atticus Tee

Atticus was the brainchild of blink-182 co-vocalists Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. Founded in 2001, this iconic clothing brand was worn by just about every major artist in punk rock. Additionally, Atticus as a brand was instrumental in breaking new music with their iconic Dragging The Lake compilation albums, which were curated by Hoppus and DeLonge and featured bands such as New Found Glory, Rival Schools and the Starting Line, among many others. 

Black Flag “My Rules” Tee

Taken from their classic 1982 EP TV Party, “My Rules” is a song that shows the Black Flag we all know and love. The track, which clocks in at just over one minute, features beloved vocalist Henry Rollins spitting venom over a chaotic punk arrangement that captures the group’s raw and authentic sound. By rocking this T-shirt, chances are you’ll get plenty of nods of approval from your fellow punks.