Most people have a handful of bands and records that they keep in regular rotation; some might call them “favorites”. But there is a world of possibilities out there, my friends! Sure, it’s convenient to stick with what you know and not venture too far off the beaten path, but let’s be honest, that shit gets boring! To me punk rock has always been about discovering exciting new bands. Variety is the spice of life! Anyway, enough chit chat, these are some really good bands that deserve your attention. Give them a shot – I think you’ll like what you hear.
THE LEMONAIDS
God damn, these guys were so good! Scotland’s Lemonaids put out a few excellent pop-punk albums then seemingly disappeared into the ether. Their sophomore release Back to the Beach was one of my favorites in 2014. The songs are fast, fun, catchy 90’s pop-punk. If the Lemonaids came back and announced a new album tomorrow, I’d be the first in line to buy it!
WINNING STREAK
Winning Streak deserves credit for putting out one of the best skate punk records of 2020. The band’s sophomore effort We Need a Plan introduced Much The Same frontman Chris McGrath as their new backup vocalist/guitarist, and he fit in very nicely. The record marches along at breakneck speed with a healthy dose of the metallic guitar riffing popularized in melodic punk by bands like Strung Out and Mute. They’re supposedly working on a new album right now, too, so be on the look out for that!
THE HUMAN PROJECT
Leeds, UK’s The Human Project plays hard hitting melodic punk band in the vein of bands like A Wilhelm Scream and This Is A Standoff. Their latest album Clarion Call gets my heart racing like an audio energy drink every time I listen to it. Seriously, this shit is intense! Check it out.
MEGA
If you haven’t heard of Mega before, I don’t blame you. The band’s name makes it nearly impossible to find them on Spotify or any social media platform. I was introduced to these Italians by the Dummy Room podcast a few years ago. These guys are incredible! Some of the best (and most unique) pop-punk I’ve heard in a long time. They don’t sound like anything else out there – honestly I’m not sure I’d even call them pop-punk. Every time I put on 2019’s Narcissistic Punk Rock Disorder it’s like I get lost in a trance.
UP FOR NOTHING
Brooklyn’s Up For Nothing has been around for a while, but they seem to have flown under a lot of people’s radars. That’s quite the injustice, because these guys are a solid pop-punk band! They went MIA for a bit, but have returned with a new record called Escape Route. UFN draws a lot of influence from the Bouncing Souls, so it’s fitting that Souls guitarist Pete Steinkopf had a hand in the recording of this album.
BLOWFUSE
I fell in love with Blowfuse the first time I heard them almost a decade ago, watching the “Basket Case”-esque music video for their song “Ripping Out”. This band is from Barcelona, but their extremely frantic brand of punk rock draws a lot of influence from west coast punk and the 90’s Epi/Fat sound. Their whole catalog is fantastic, but the Couch EP is my favorite.
THE KIMBERLY STEAKS
Here’s another great band from Scotland! Those Scots sure do churn out some quality punk rock. The Kimberly Steaks sound kinda like Insomniac era Green Day, but snottier, faster, and… more Scottish. I’d suggest starting with their 2014 album To Live and Die in West Central Scotland. This record is the definition of all killer, no filler. It hits you like a freight train and just doesn’t let up. Great band, great album.
THE REAL DANGER
Face to Face fans will love The Real Danger. It’s been almost a decade since these Dutch punks put out a new record, but 2013’s Down and Out has aged quite gracefully. This album as a good starting point for new listeners. Fast, melodic punk brimming with hooks and vocal harmonies. Speaking of underrated bands, these guys kinda remind me of One Man Army, too.
THE HEXTALLS
Do you like pop-punk? Do you like hockey? How about pop-punk songs about hockey? Well, then I’ve got just the right band for you – The Hextalls! To be fair, not all their songs are hockey themed… they cover a myriad of topics such as catching your dad masturbating to Shania Twain, buying a singing toilet for your newborn child, and begging your parents to let you sleep in the treehouse… as a 33 year old man. Very serious shit! Anyway, all the Hextalls’ records are great, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Get Smashed. “I Don’t Wanna Be a New York Ranger” is a Top 10 song of all time for me. Fuck the Rangers!
REHASHER
People who know me know my all-time favorite band is Less Than Jake. I’m also a super fan of Roger Lima’s other band Rehaser. A passion project that occupies Lima’s time when he’s not touring the world with LTJ, Rehasher has released three blazing fast melodic punk albums (and recently a fun covers record) over the last 20 years. I love everything this band has put out, but my personal favorite is High Speed Access to My Brain. This is some of Roger’s best songwriting, in my opinion. If you like Belvedere, Rehasher is right up your alley.
