Campaign - H1N1 (For fans of Hot Water Music, Friends of Friends, Over Stars and Gutters)

Hey there! You, yeah I'm talking to you buddy. Do you just so happen to have a scruffy beard (or like scruffy beards if you're a girl)? Often find yourself on punknews? Say to yourself "Boy oh boy! I sure do wish I was in Gainesville right now, drinking some PBR at The Fest!" You're in luck my friend, do I have the EP for you.

Back when I first Campaign's latest EP "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", I was blown away and decided I needed to check out their back catalog some, so I picked up their 2009 release "H1N1". Compared to their latest, the songs on H1N1 are a lot more intricate and ambient, but no less catchy. The fact the band can write a 5 minute long song and keep this A.D.D guy who listens to EPs that are shorter interested and shouting along is nothing short of damn impressive, so there's that. (Also, at the risk of coming off as a nerd, one of their songs remind me of the moon level of Ducktales for NES, which is pretty awesome.)

While the EP is only 4 songs long, I am completely caught the H1N1 virus (oh yes, I did just make a pun that bad), and I recommend you check this shit out if you love bands like Hot Water Music or 1994!

MP3:
Campaign - Dead By Dawn

More:
Campaign - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Friends of Friends
Over Stars and Gutters
The Menzingers - Chamberlain Waits
Off With Their Heads - In Desolation

Buy:
Campaign Myspace

Handguns - Don't Bite Your Tongue (For fans of Saves The Day, Hold Tight, Blink 182)

I was a little bit skeptical when first listening to "Don't Bite Your Tongue", the latest release from Pennsylvania's Handguns. I usually despise pop-punk, especially when the guy's voice can come off as whiny (usually that's instant "shut this shit off" for me), but god damn, I'm fucking hooked like a junkie at a heroin convention.

Only 7 songs long, the album reminds me a bit of a 90s pop-punk orgy that included Saves The Day and the guiltier pleasures of Blink-182. Sure the songs are poppy (like...really damn poppy), but they keep the punk spirit in it with their faster driving rhythms.

I'll let you guess what the subject matter is about (*cough* girls *cough*). While the lyrics are often a bit cheesy "I love you, I hate you, or I wish that you were mine/I love you, I hate you, or I wish that you would die", I'll be damned if they aren't unapologetic. And that's exactly what "Don't Bite Your Tongue" is, unapologetic good fun perfect for the summer (I was listening to it on the way back home from the beach yesterday, after a little Saves The Day Can't Slow Down).

MP3:
Handguns -A Year In Review

More Pop Punk:
Summer Means Pop Punk Mix
Crucial Dudes - 61 Penn
Saves The Day - Can't Slow Down
Saves The Day - Through Being Cool
The Ataris - Look Forward To Failure

Buy:
Handguns Bandcamp

Less Than Jake - Greetings From... (For fans of Against All Authority, Reel Big Fish, Big D And The Kids Table)

Less Than Jake reminds me of the story of the prodigal son. The band had a big and loyal ska-punk fanbase, went out and squandered it to be able to get radio airplay (eliminating the horns for the most part), realizing that they weren't enjoying doing that even though they were making more money and returned to their fanbase who welcomed them with open arms back in 2008 with the release of GNVFLA.

Seemingly out of the blue, Less Than Jake recently released "Greetings From..." earlier this week, a 5 song EP that ends in about 15 minutes. The songs seem to span all of their catalog: from opener "Can't Yell Any Louder" is reminiscent of Hello Rockview era with it's aggressive ska punk, to the ska grooving "Goodbye Mr. Personality".

If you were a fan of Less Than Jake a while back, give "Greetings From..." a listen, it may just rekindle your love.

MP3:
Less Than Jake - Goodbye Mr. Personality

More:
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork
Less Than Jake - Pezcore
Less Than Jake - Live In Philly
GNVFLA

Buy:
Less Than Jake

Flatliners, Holy Mess Live In Philly (6/14/11)

Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, I've been busy! Car breakdowns, my birthday... it's been tough to post as of late. But I still <3 you all, and I also love the Holy Mess. Hence why I might be catching them tomorrow, and why I saw them last Tuesday at Philly's Fire.

Ah, Horse Hockey
I've never heard of these guys before, but I definitely was digging their set. They played that Philly style pop-punk that the Menzingers have made famous here. I think they've got their EP up for download on their bandcamp, check it. (I checked out some songs and their live show was much more energetic, so see them live). I skipped Daytrader to go get some foodage.

The Holy Mess

Taken by one of the best concert photographers I've ever seen: Blake

Motherfuck The Holy Mess! Philly's premier party band, these guys played an enjoyable set of their brand of D4 had sex with the Menzingers line of punk rock. The band seemed pretty sober (wait, what?) and yet, their set was plagued with technical issues. Figures.

Regardless, they played songs spanning off all 3 of their releases (although ignoring my Stroudsburg request... saying they'll play it on Sunday, we'll see).

Highlights:
I Think Corduroy Is Making A Comeback
Crazy Horny
Easy On The Pepsi Fuller
Downtown Will Brown
Goodbye 3713
A Soulful Punk Tune About A Working Class Dreamer

The Flatliners

Taken by one of the best concert photographers I've ever seen: Blake

I really don't know much of the Flatliners catalogue except the few spins I've given one of their albums, but I thought they were a ska band??? Apparently I was wrong. Sure, they had some upstrokes, but a lot of their songs were that melodic punk sound.

They played a really tight and enjoyable set that had people in the crowd opening a pit that didn't relent for the rest of the night. The only song I know that the band played was called Scumpunch, and at some points they definitely had a Suicide Machines vibe to them.

MP3:
The Holy Mess - Tonight! Stroudsburg! One Night Only!

More:
Holy Mess - Benefit Sesh
Holy Mess - Briefcase Full Of Bruise

Buy:
Holy Mess

Kill Your Idols - No Gimmicks Needed (For fans of Good Riddance, Negative Approach, Gorilla Biscuits)

Long Island hardcore band Kill Your Idols put the "punk" back in hardcore punk on their debut LP album "No Gimmicks Needed". Released back in 2000, (when screamo and emo were reaching their prime), "No Gimmicks Needed" describes what the band and album are all about.

The music is tight, aggressive, and intense with the crunching guitars and the barked lyrics. The band often flirts with melody without ever becoming too melodic, and the music always stays aggressive. They remind me a bit of Good Riddance, but while Good Riddance leaned more on the punk side, KYL tend to go more towards hardcore.

Pretty straight forward hardcore punk, any fan of punk music should pick this up.

MP3:
Kill Your Idols - Right Now

More:
Kill Your Idols - This Is Just The Beginning
Lighten Up - Absolutely Not
Gorilla Biscuits
Ten Yard Fight

Buy:
Interpunk

Kids Like Us, The Greenery (Live in NJ 6/11/11)

After a two hour ride to visit the grandparents (up the good grandson punx), I then headed two hours south to Vineland NJ to catch Florida hardcore band Kids Like Us. The show was at the Hangar 84, which was a huge warehouse that can hold a few hundred (maybe a thousand) kids, but there were approximately 50 people there for the show.

I skipped all the local metal-core acts (I really, really hate metal-core) and wound up walking around the town for a bit (there was some car show, and while I don't care about cars, it was beautiful outside).

The Greenery:

I caught most of The Greenery's set, and holy shit did they tear it up. It seemed like nobody really knew who they were (including my self) but that didn't stop the vocalists explosive stage presence, or should I say floor presence as he completely abandoned the stage to play directly in the crowd.

The Long Beach California played hardcore that reminded me of the Hope Conspiracy (always a good thing). Definitely need to check out their recorded stuff.

I skipped the majority of the Mongloids set since I don't really dig them, but caught the reason I came out, Kids Like Us.

Kids Like Us:

I was pretty stoked by this point, and the band immediately opened with "You Know Your Life Sucks". After that, I was sort of blue balled by the rest of the set. The band played a solid show, but to nobody's fault but my own, I didn't realize the band had anything else out besides "The 80s are Dead", and since that is their oldest, they only played one more song off of it "Skate and Annoy".

I didn't know anything else that they played, but it seemed like most people knew their newer stuff, while I was that guy in the crowd who went nuts for their old songs. My bad.

MP3:
Kids Like Us - You Know Your Life Sucks

More:
Kids Like Us - The 80s Are Dead
Go Rydell - Golden Age
Punch

Buy:
Interpunk

Lighten Up - Where Fun Goes To Die (For fans of Paint it Black, Kid Dynamite, The Steal)

Philly's own (and one of my favorite bands) Lighten Up released their "Where Fun Goes To Die" EP a few months back, and holy fuck does it rule.

The EP is a whirlwind of furious punk rock and hardcore that ends almost as soon as it started, but the band has also expanded their sound on their latest effort. The band has managed to incorporate some straight rock and roll influences as well, making the songs sound fuller than earlier releases.
Highly recommended, and if you never heard these guys before this EP is a great place to start.

MP3:
Lighten Up - Same Shirt, Different Day

More:
Lighten Up - I'd Rather Be Snoring
Lighten Up - Absolutely Not

Buy:
Runner Up Records

Summer Means Pop Punk Mix

Ahh June! My favorite month of the year. I don't know where you live (although google probably does), but up here in Philly things have finally gotten pretty summer-esque, which means I'm stoked. For some reason, some light hearted pop-punk (and a little Bouncing Souls) always seems perfect for this type of weather. So here's a little mix for you homies. What songs do you include on your summer mix?

MP3:
Hold Tight! - Virginia Is Beautiful, Wish You Were Here
Saves The Day - Banned From The Back Porch
The Menzingers - Home Outgrown
The Ataris - San Dimas High School Football Rules
The Haverchucks - Allison Don't Love Me Anymore
Blink 182 - Zulu
Blink-182 – Sometimes
Teenage Bottlerocket - Be Stag
Dry Feet - Pray For Surf
Bouncing Souls - The Freaks, The Nerds, And The Romantics

More:
A Ramones Core Mix For The Shorties
Songs to Piss Off The Personal Fitness Trainer Below Me Mix
Drunken Yuppies Breaking Into My House Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Screeching Weasel - First World Manifesto (For fans of Ramones, NOFX, The Queers)

Yada yada yada, mandatory introduction about Ben Weasel being a huge asshole and punching a girl who was throwing bottles at him, clocked someone else, etc. We get it, the dude is a complete douche. However, before all of that drama, Screeching Weasel dropped one last album before all of the other members resigned due to Ben's antics.

Released in March, Screeching Weasel's "First World Manifesto" is the 12 album by the band, and the first album in over 11 years from them. With even more line-up changes, of course it has a bit of a different sound than their earlier stuff. First World Manifesto is incredibly catchy, and a good listen. It's a lot poppier and sugary than their earlier stuff (aka don't expect BoogadaBoogadaBoogada), but the veterans are able to pull it off.

With simple melodies and unfortunately often juvenile lyrics (I'm embarrassed that I like the song "Little Big Man", which is essentially an attack on an unnamed certain someone in the punk community), don't expect anything more than a fun album that is perfect for the summer. They've never made hating everyone so damn catchy.

MP3:
Screeching Weasel - Little Big Man

More:
Screeching Weasel - Television City Dream Redux
The Haverchucks - Demo (you need to check this out)
Hold Tight! - Can't Take This Away

Buy:
Fat Wreck