Mo Troper Releases Another Album of Scuzzy Power Pop
Mo Troper collects what sounds like scraps from his previous album and forges a charming spread of 1960s-inspired lo-fi bedroom pop on MTV.
pop punk
So High School: Taking Back Sunday’s ‘Tell All Your Friends’ Is the Quintessential Emo Album
Taking Back Sunday’s Tell All Your Friends shows emo for what it is: a sonic representation of what it really feels like to be an American teenager.
Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’ Is an Angsty Classic 20 Years Later
In 2022, most fans seek from Avril Lavigne what they sought in 2002: a place to air their angst and grievances, no longer teenagers but likely now disillusioned millennials.
Alt Rockers Placebo Attempt a Comeback with ‘Never Let Me Go’
Don’t call it a comeback: Placebo’s first new album in a decade, Never Let Me Go, shows their finest years are still behind them.
Here’s to Never Letting Avril Lavigne Grow Up on ‘Love Sux’
Capitalizing on early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia, Love Sux is an algorithm-appeasing record that feels like the most impersonal Avril Lavigne has ever been.
Fefe Dobson Is Ready to Rock Again
Twelve years since her last album, Canadian pop-rock singer Fefe Dobson talks about her new music and speaks frankly about growing up in a music industry that wasn’t always on her side.
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.
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.
Chief State Address the Use of “Metaphors”
Vancouver pop-punk and Chief State address the use of “Metaphors” on their latest single from their debut full-length album due out in 2022.
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.