Blind Iced Eyes: Pop-Punk

I'm not a huge pop-punk fan, but it will always hold a soft spot in my heart thanks to a mixtape that was given to me by a friend's older brother. The year was 1996, I was a confused high-school freshman, sporting both Operation Ivy and Korn patches on my backpack. I saw an older kid around school wearing an Elvis Costello shirt. I knew of Elvis Costello – he was that guy that my parents both listened to. I knew that EC was considered punk, but it didn't quite add up to me. I mean, where was the desperate, throat shredding vocals and heavily distorted guitars that marked all the punk that I knew about? Even still, I could tell that this anonymous dude in the Elvis shirt knew something that I didn't.

At some point before the end of that year, I became friends with a girl in my P.E. class, and eventually met her brother. It turns out that he was the guy I'd seen around campus in the Elvis Costello shirt. He must have seen me as a kid teetering on the edge of being just another suburban dork who'd either dig a few inches into the underground, or possibly a kid with the smarts to get into some really good music. He made a great mix for me, and I listened to it constantly for years. I didn't really have much money as a teenager, and without a car, or a good record store in town, this tape was my only link to the stuff that I could find at The Wherehouse (the now defunct, major music retailer).

To this day, I still listen to a lot of the bands that appeared on this tape, and they set the standard for my interest in pop-punk. The bands on my tape were genuine, and reflected the true spirit of punk. Perhaps not all of the bands had "serious" lyrics. Most certainly didn't spit their rage at sociopolitical ills, but what they did do was capture the sound and feeling of being an outsider. These were the bands that wondered if maybe it wasn't the world that was fucked up, but perhaps it was them personally. The songs weren't just about not being able to get girls, the songs were about disconnection.

When I listen to a band like Weston, Jawbreaker, Knapsack, or Dillinger 4, I can relate. When I hear a band like Fight Fair, it comes off as frat boys posing as sensitive losers. The bands of yore sung songs about having nobody to talk to, nobody to love. Today's bands seem to be aimed at connecting with the Prom King and Queen. Go to Fight Fair's MySpace page, scroll down to the section that has their music lawyer's contact info, and I think you'll get the gist. It's about selling an image, and finding the most effective vehicle to do so. 15 years ago it was edgier bands like Rancid, and today it's bands with vaguely pop-punk stylings. The cycle goes on and on.

IN OUR MINDS AND IN OUR HEARTS, WE FEEL THAT POP-PUNK MUSIC SHOULD STAY OUT OF BIG BUSINESS AND STAY IN THE LONELY BEDROOMS WHERE IT BELONGS. ALL YOU KIDS OUT THERE, ALWAYS KEEP THE FAITH!