June 8th, 2007
Pop Punk’s Not Dead
I had to borrow the title from the recent compilation that Go Kart released, but I could not think of a better title for this post. I was inspired by Jordan Baker’s Pastepunk post, Somebody Get Jason Tate A Copy of SCREECHING WEASEL’s My Brain Hurts in response to Jason’s review of the new Yellowcard album.
I was further inspired by posts on Punknews regarding new songs by Sloppy Seconds and Ben Weasel. Make sure you check out the Sloppy Seconds’ song, “Lesbians” which is about as amazing as a Sloppy Seconds song gets.
I started Suburban Home after being blown away by the Pop-punk/Punk Rock explosion of the early 90’s. As with all popular sounds in music, the genre was nearly destroyed by a gluttony of pop-punk bands emulating the Green Day’s and Screeching Weasel’s of the world.
I think that now though in 2007 when a band starts a three chord pop-punk band, you have to give them credit. There is nothing popular about this kind of music and more times than not, bands are playing this kind of music again out of a love for the genre. There is almost a pop-punk guilt with music critics and that is too bad. If the music is good, it should not matter what style of music they play, unless they play Screamo.
I don’t know what it is, but I have been dusting off all of my old punk records and recently even put together a mix for the Suburban Home listening station showcasing many of my favorite Punk tracks next to my favorite Country tracks. It helps that I saw Propagandhi last week which just blew my mind.
It should be required listening that all music critics and fans for that matter listen to Screeching Weasel “My Brain Hurts” and “Anthem for a New Tomorrow”; The Queers “Love Songs for the Retarded”, Sloppy Seconds “Destroyed”, Riverdales “Storm the Streets”, Lillingtons “Death By Television”, and Teenage Bottlerocket “Total”.
Written by Virgil Dickerson
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On June 8th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Chris Vandeviver said:
It really bums me out that “screamo” has turned into this four letter word, because the current sound that is associated with it are the farthest thing they could ever be. From First to Last and My Chemical Romance couldn’t touch any record from Level-Plane’s back catalog. I suggest checking out You and I’s “The Curtain Falls”, Circle Takes the Square “As the Roots Undo”, and City of Caterpillar’s self-titled. These are some seriously epic sounds.
On June 8th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Chris Vandeviver said:
p.s.
Digger “Monte Carlo” is THE pop-punk record in my heart. The catchiest, most heartfelt music.
On June 9th, 2007 at 8:05 am
briansk said:
i second the digger comment. they put out so many great records. it’s a shame they never seemed to get their dues.
On June 11th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Adam said:
I figure being a Level Plane screamo fan today is sort of like being a Ramones-style pop-punk fan in 1999, or maybe a Jamaican ska fan in 1997. You just can’t win the genre argument, the numbers aren’t on your side.
On June 11th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Tim said:
I never thought pop punk was dead, at all. Then again, I listen to 100s of unsigned bands every week. Seems thats the main style most bands start in.
On June 11th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Chris Vandeviver said:
That is true about the whole screamo thing. It’s that sort of thing where you have fond memories, and you don’t want them to be sullied by this new wave of homogenized arena rock. However, it is just a term– they can have it.