Over the years, Pop Punk has taken a sharp decline as a genre. And by sharp decline, I mean it has essentially plummeted straight into the toilet. For a genre formerly characterized by bands like the Descendents and the Dead Milkmen, it sure did get a little ahead of itself wanting to be taken seriously, which is why you now have legions of tank top/snapback-core bro down pop punk bands wandering aimlessly through local music pages trying desperately to promote their "new single!" and prove how "talented" they are at writing lyrics (and making pizza jokes). If that wasn't enough, pop punk kids are also just about the worst people ever (maybe not worst, but unarguably extremely annoying/unfunny). In spite of all of these negative factors of the modern pop punk scene, it is hard to deny that there are some bands powering through who still bring some total jams, and even some that retain the stupid humor of pop punk past. Here are 5 New Pop Punk bands that will remind you that all pop punk, is not, in fact, god awful.
1.) Grizzly
The fact that I like this band surprised me as much as anybody else. The fact that I don't just like them, but really, really dig them, is a total shocker for me. I'm honestly not a fan of the more radio pop rock/pop punk sound of many of the modern "pop punk" bands such as Fall Out Boy (Bring back Race Traitor and Arma Angelus!) and Good Charlotte, who, on some level, Grizzly seems to emulate. However these guys really bring something else to the table that makes the music extremely appealing to me. They keep those pop hooks without the grating never ending repetition of the choruses. I can also definitely pick up on some 90's alt rock influence, perhaps some Oasis, that also contributes to setting them apart from all the other millions of bands trying to pull off the pop rock/pop punk sound. I highly recommend checking these guys out.
For fans of: Fall Out Boy, Oasis
Tunes:
http://grizzlypdx.bandcamp.com/album/small-things
2.) Dizzy Bats
Oddly enough, I found this band on a shoegaze compilation someone put together on the internet, and while they were not really shoegaze band, I immediately dug what I heard. This band plays pop punk heavily influenced by the "post grunge" power pop bands like Weezer and the President of the United States of America, but with slabs of fuzzy guitars that causes the listener to be reminded overwhelmingly of bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Yuck. They meld these two sounds together into a perfect blend of 90's throwback music. I seriously just can't get enough of these guys and would highly recommend checking out their song "Please Stall", as I usually listen to it at least 2 or 3 times a day and just jam out.
For Fans Of: Weezer, Yuck, The Thermals
Free Tunes: http://dizzybats.bandcamp.com/album/sundial
3.) Bad Year
Again, not usually a huge fan of this style of pop punk, but Bad Year does it right. It's also nice to see a band that isn't just hopping on the insanely annoying trend of tr00, tank top/snapback-core pop punk, and instead throwback to a sound that is much more appealing, that of New Found Glory. This means catchy choruses, a nice little breakdown in the middle, and some truly sadboi group vocals. Hopefully they won't be alone forever, but instead find a wider audience who can appreciate their lack of annoying tr00-ness and actually good brand of pop punk.
For Fans Of: New Found Glory, All for One
Free Tunes:
http://badyearfl.bandcamp.com/releases
4.) The Oddities
Before I moved, these guys used to be locals, and while I never got a chance to see them, I did/do listen to their stuff on a pretty regular basis. Their brand of pop punk is one that takes from a couple of recent trend bands, such as the Menzingers, and the more "melodic hardcore" stuff such as Title Fight, and blends it into a totally unique sound all their own. They aren't too "rough around the edges", and show an amazing amount of melody. but also keep enough of the punk edge that they don't fall to the general bane of a lot of "pop punk" bands, in that they pretty much completely forget that there is supposed to be actual punk influence. The lyrics are also to be commended, as, unlike a lot of modern pop punk bands, they don't make me cringe to the point where I have to turn off the music. In fact, I'd say these lyrics are actually pretty damn good, which only helps to compliment the total banger of tunes these guys have.
For Fans Of: Title Fight, The Menzingers, Spraynard
Free Tunes:
http://odditiesdc.bandcamp.com/album/nomads
5.) Pompo & The Community College Rejects
Ah, Pompo & The Community College Rejects. Pop punk band, or internet meme, forged in the deepest, darkest places of the internet? I like to think that they are a little bit of both, and all the better for it. If I had to choose my absolute favorite thing about this band, it's most likely their sense of humor. It's refreshing to see a pop punk band that can still tap into it's genres roots of stupid jokes and actually be funny, vs. just repeating the same stupid modern pop punk kid jokes over and over (xD who likes pizza?!?!!! xD!). As well as their stupid jokes that remind me of pop punk's beautiful past, they also bring a sound that is reminiscent of old pop punk bands, who remembered that "punk" was a pretty integral part to pop PUNK. My final thing on this band, is my extreme admiration for them for actually addressing current issues as well as actually being offensive. All in all, this band seriously just slays it all and reminds me of why pop punk was not only once bearable, but also good.
For Fans Of: The Bouncing Souls, The Dead Milkmen, Direct Hit!
Free Tunes:
http://pompoandtccr.bandcamp.com/releases
