The thin line between pop and punk just got thinner. Green Day, Blink-182 and Sum41 have long charmed the “TRL” audience with their pop hooks and eye candy videos, but now there’s a new crop of punk bands going after pop fans a little more directly. OK, a lot more. On Punk Goes Pop, released last month on Fearless Records, several up-and-coming punk bands cover hits from the cream of the pop star crop. Further Seems Forever speeds up ‘NSYNC’s “Bye, Bye, Bye,” Stretch Arm Strong gives Pink’s “Get the Party Started” a hardcore makeover, and the Starting Line turn… Read more »
Swedish punk export The Hives, who have stormed the British singles chart this year, are spreading their infectious thrashy sound to the United States, their label, Burningheart Records, said Friday. Along with retro-punk contemporaries The Strokes and the White Stripes, the Swedish rebels have swept onto the British alternative scene this spring with their apoplectic stage show and shiny white dancing shoes. “An offer came from Warner Brothers and Sire, which we’ve accepted,” Mudda of Burningheart told Reuters. “It’s a distribution, promotion and marketing agreement and they’ll start touring the States in May.” The Hives emerged from the small industrial… Read more »
Punk rock will get its proper place in music history as pioneers the Ramones and Talking Heads are among the inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2002, it was announced Thursday. Memphis icon and “Shaft” composer Isaac Hayes, rockers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and 1960s stars Brenda Lee and Gene Pitney where also voted in. Stax Records co-founder Jim Stewart was named the “nonperformer” inductee, and guitar legend Chet Atkins will be inducted in the “sidemen” category. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Eligible artists who did… Read more »
Another punk band bursting out of Orange County, Thrice segregate themselves from the monotonous throng of pop lightweights overwhelming the SoCal scene by delivering some much needed meaty hardcore musicianship and potent lyrics. Bringing that furious sound of their debut Identity Crisis to the stage of Anaheim’s House of Blues recently (8/9), the foursome performed before a sold out hometown crowd with metal-crushing vigor. “It was really, really fun,” said breathless frontman and songwriter Dustin Kensrue backstage after the gig in an exclusive interview with Virginmega.com. “The kids were going crazy and we played almost all of our first record… Read more »
Punk as an aid for getting in touch with one’s feelings has superseded the other modes evident at this year’s Warped Tour. As in their ordinary lives, these fans had too many options. Thirty bands played on eight stages, and the event also included professional skateboarding and mountain- biking displays, a wrestling ring, a Playstation tent, numerous ways to spend money or learn about political causes and of course the chance to peruse one another’s concertgoing finery. So most fans locked into a perambulatory pattern, meandering around the festival’s circular layout as the fairground grew dusty, then muddy, from the… Read more »
Iggy Pop, the undisputed godfather of punk, is slated to release another blistering sonic assault in July. Entitled “Beat ‘Em Up,” the album is a return to form for the astonishingly ageless Pop, whose last release was 1999’s “Avenue B.” “Beat ‘Em Up,” to be released from Virgin Records America, was produced by Iggy, and engineered by Danny Kader. Joining Iggy are Whitey Kirst (guitar), Alex Kirst (drums), Pete Marshall (guitar) and Lloyd “Mooseman” Roberts (bass). Sadly, Mooseman, formerly of Body Count, was murdered in a drive-by shooting this past winter. Pete Marshall will take over bass duties for Iggy’s… Read more »
Joey Ramone, lead singer of legendary punk band the Ramones, passed away at 2:40 p.m. Sunday at the age of 49. The towering front man, born Jeffrey Hyman, did not respond to treatment for lymphatic cancer, a disease that attacks the body’s ability to fight infection. Along with his cohorts Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee – all of whom adopted Ramone as a surname – Joey was credited with helping found the modern punk movement. In mixing the griminess of the New York streets with a love of bubblegum pop, ’60s girl groups and the Stooges, the Ramones inspired everyone… Read more »
This week I have a Pop Punk staple on the show, a guy who I will see on the road for three weeks coming up in Europe as they open for our band Sum 41 and my first Welsh artist on my show! This week I have Ben Barlow, singer and frontman of Neck Deep on Cone’s Cave! Neck Deep released a new album this year and we’ve also already spent some time on the road together in Japan earlier this year. A lot to talk about with Ben, don’t miss this Pop Punk Fans!
LA-based pop punk band In Her Own Words has released another single off their forthcoming EP Left In The Dark titled “96 Hours.”
This week I have a guest whose band came up around the same time as our band Sum 41. We’ve done a lot of touring together over the past few years as well. This week I have Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan on my show. We dig into the journey of Simple Plan coming up in the 90’s and a whole lot more. Pop Punk fans this one is for you!
