30 Years Ago Green Day’s ‘Kerplunk!’ Showed Where They Were Headed
Thirty years on Green Day’s Kerplunk! stands shoulder to shoulder with anything else the band created in the future and showed where they were headed.
pop punk
Less Than Jake’s Ska-Punk Classic ‘Losing Streak’ Still Has a Kick 25 Years Later
Losing Streak is the best recording of Less Than Jake’s full-on ska-punk days. It has the feel of a time capsule from that brief mid-’90s period.
Sarah Tudzin Unleashes Energy, Tenderness, and Wit on Illuminati Hotties’ ‘Let Me Do One More’
The Illuminati Hotties album we’ve been waiting for is anchored in glibly gregarious power-pop, but it’s the more earnest moments that reward repeat listening.
Fountains of Wayne’s Power Poptastic Debut Turns 25
Fountains of Wayne’s debut LP reasserts how sturdy the formula of a catchy chorus and distorted guitars can be when a group has the songwriting to back it up.
The Lasting Legacy of Weezer’s Now-Beloved Commercial Flop ‘Pinkerton’
Weezer’s Pinkerton was released 25 years ago today and it was a critical and commercial flop. But in the intervening years, it’s become a beloved emo rock classic.
Are Weezer’s Songs from the Black Hole the True ‘Pinkerton’?
Why won’t Weezer admit that the “embarrassing” unfinished Songs from the Black Hole rock opera are the rudiments of 1996’s (eventually) critically acclaimed ‘Pinkerton’?
‘Hella Mega’ Good Time with Green Day and Weezer
Green Day’s fan-favorite set at NYC’s Hella Mega Tour offered a grand-standing reminder that we’re still breathing.
Punk Rock’s Descendents Share Their Earliest Music on ‘9th and Walnut’
The songs from Descendents’ 9th & Walnut were written more than 40 years ago, mostly recorded two decades ago, and released 13 years after Frank Navetta’s death.
40 Years of the Ramones’ ‘Pleasant Dreams’
The making the Ramones’ Pleasant Dreams was tainted by personal conflicts and industry interference. Joey wanted pop and Johnny wanted punk rock.
CHAI Embrace Full-body Synthpop Bliss on ‘Wink’
Japan’s CHAI tend toward high energy and irrepressible positivity, all with a satisfying rock edge. Wink opens not with a bang but with full-body synthpop bliss.
20 Years On, Sum 41’s ‘All Killer No Filler’ Is a Classic Pop-Punk Party
Despite an initially lukewarm critical reception, Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler enjoys a place in the pop-punk pantheon as it hits its 20th birthday.
Canadian Pop-Punkers PONY Wrap ’90s Sounds Into Their Debut ‘TV Baby’
Canadian pop-punkers PONY release a debut, TV Baby, that hits close to home for millennials, and anyone who is a fan of 1990s alt-rock, pop-punk bands.