The Far Away Boys - Kyleigh's Flaw

The Far Away Boys are a pop-punk band from Central Jersey with a very 90s sound. It kind of sounds like 10th grade to me, but not mainstream. It's good standard pop-punk that sounds like New Jersey complete with sing-alongs and "na na na na nas". This is their debut EP Kyleigh's Flaw. I like the name because, being from New Jersey, I know Kyleigh's Law was dumb.

Free download!

The Far Away Boys - Kyleigh's Flaw

Barrett Records Summer Sampler 2010

Check out Barrett Records, an independent label from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here's their Summer Sampler featuring Transit, Caleb Lionheart, In Bear Country, Defeo, Sakes Alive!!, The Sister Lovers, Bike Tuff, Lights at Sea, Merrimac, and The Bravest Kids. They have ridiculously good pop-punk including just signed Crucial Dudes which I am very excited about.

Download it here!
Check out more from Barrett Records.

Barrett Records Summer Sampler 2010

The Summer Obsession - Believe Nothing Explore Everything

The Summer Obsession is a pop-punk band from Jacksonville Beach, FL. They have a drummer from Good Charlotte, and a singer/guitarist from Against All Authority. Their other dude is Luke Walker(Sorry but I don't know what band you're from).

This album sounds like a mix of Yellowcard, Blink-182, (+44), The Offspring's Rise and Fall Rage and Grace, and it even manages to sound like Sublime at some points. So if you like any of these bands then go ahead and give this a listen. I can try think of an indie band they sound like, maybe October Fall?

The first two tracks of Believe Nothing Explore Everything seem to lead us up to something, but then the rest of the album sort of lets us down. It made me feel like The Summer Obsession is still trying to figure out what they are. That's cool, and its not like the album sucks or anything. Its just not the kind of thing I can chill with.

Oh, and the lyrics were pretty fun. Think about how Blink-182 used sex in "Dude Ranch". Replace sex with weed and you can get an idea of how the songs go. Kind of playfully innocent, but in an awkward way. According to a close friend it felt "weird as shit to hear someone sing about getting high and naked when paired with that rhythm". Your mileage may vary.

In it's entirety, it's a decent album from a good pop-punk band. Its not the best, and not the worst. If you want something to put on in the background while you play video games with friends then this is what you're looking for. If you want something deep that you can spend hours listening to over and over, move on.

The band is cool enough to let you download this legally for free especially the members being from major label bands. They are DIY promoting and self-released on their own record label. Grab it here.

http://www.mediafire.com/?dkzyz0b3jkq

The Summer Obsession - Believe Nothing Explore Everything

Candy Hearts - Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams

Hey guys, I'm back! And I'm back with a really, super awesome band. Candy Hearts is an indie/punk band with songs mostly about friends and life... and its awesome. Think P.S. Eliot, but a tad poppier. Or Lemuria, but there's no male vocals. There is a song for every mood on the album and that, at least to me, just helps to make a really good album. They've got the sad times songs, the good times songs, the just friends songs, and then there's the song with the lyrics, "We go to together like the alphabet and letters that spell out our names, so perfectly together." This record is just super rad, especially if you like pop-punk, indie, or catchy music at all.

Download Courtesy of If You Make It!
Myspace!

Candy Hearts - Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams

Spraynard - Copy Paste

Alright, this album is titled Copy & Paste and its by Spraynard.They are a small band from Pennsylvania that sings pop-punk. Their music is catchy as all get out, and the way the guitars and drums work together is wow. Seriously, just listen to the album and you'll understand. It kinda reminds me of Latterman's "No Matter Where We Go..!".Anyway,this is an awesome band and thanks go to Andy for suggesting it.

As an added bonus you can Legally download it from ifyoumakeit.com by clicking here. You can also buy the LP at runner up records.

Spraynard - Copy Paste

Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy

Good Luck is a punk/pop-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana comprised of past members of Matty Pop Chart, One Reason, K-10 Prospect, Abe Froman, Mt. Gigantic, Bodyhammer, and Los Gatos Negros. Basically the greatest bands ever formed into one massive pop-punk glory. I related Hello Hawk to them and never realized that I didn't post them. Oh my, this will make you happy no matter what so please please please give it a listen. I put "Public Radio" and "Man On Fire" on loop, they are my favorite tracks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mjmthzmmkdj

Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy

Psyched to Die - Year One

Mike Yannich has been in enough different bands that we could probably justify creating a new blog just to keep tabs on what he's up too. Currently at the vanguard of his post-Ergs! acts is Psyched to Die, a collaboration with former members of For Science and Fast Times, among others. Year One is a collection of the group's first three releases, comprising of a 2008 demo and a pair of 7 inches from '09. They plow through 15 tracks in a 30 minute thrash that draws heavily on the influence of '80s hardcore while maintaining the irrepressible catchiness that you'd come to expect from dudes with this kind of pop-punk pedigree. Lyrically, they are morbidly and delightfully over-the-top, with shared vocals by Yannich and bassist J Nixon raving about giving up and going out with a blast. I have no idea what the status of the group is now that Mike has left the Garden State for Minneapolis (they recently played a show at Jersey's Asbury Lanes without him), but they've made one hell of an early impression.

Download Year One
Visit their Myspace
Read an interview with Mike Yannich, published in May

Psyched to Die - Year One

Punkin Pie - Are We Still Friends?

This is a request made by a member of our last.fm group of a great pop-punk band from plan-it x similar to the likes of Abe Froman and such. Definitely their second best album to Broke Truck Good Luck Song. Good stuff that sadly recently broke up this summer I think.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ttmbjtmzkzr

Punkin Pie - Are We Still Friends?

Hello Hawk - Teaser Demo

Hello Hawk is a band from Harrisburg, PA that I was fortunate to see live on Halloween at the Lower Paxton Youth Center. I'm so glad I attended, because it was probably the most fun that I've had at a show in a while and not even because it was Halloween. They remind me a lot of Good Luck driven by synths in a pop-punk Zolof The Rock and Roll Destroyer-esque style. They have 2 girls on the roster one on synth and the other being the main vocalist. Enjoy this 3 song teaser demo because it's sadly all I have to listen to of theirs at the moment.

http://www.mediafire.com/?kwnwzmjmhwg

Hello Hawk - Teaser Demo

Abe Froman - Abe Froman

Abe Froman is one of my all-time favorite pop punk bands similar to Punkin Pie. Abe Froman is loud. Abe Froman is fast. Abe Froman is Erin and Matt Tobey and Ryan Batkie. Abe Froman is The Sausage King of Chicago?

Seriously, if you have any respect for yourself or your eardrums you'll get this album. It is simply astounding how much joy I get from it. I wish I had posted this earlier, but I thought I had already. In other news Ferris Bueller's Day Off was on tv today.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzjjzwzrm4y

Abe Froman - Abe Froman

The JV All-Stars - Take Me Back to Spectre [Extended]

The JV All-Stars (the real ones, not the millions of ones you might find on Myspace) are by far one of Nebraska's biggest bands at the moment (not up there with 311 quite yet, but getting close). Not only are they one of the tightest and most talented group of musicians, they're super cool guys. I spent a week living in their house with my band recording our album. This copy is the extended version, with bonus tracks [my favorite being "How's It Goin' Royal Ugly Dudes???"] and some acoustic stuff.

JVA, however, are much bigger in Japan than in America at the moment. They are 100% independent in the United States (most of their recordings are from their basement-seriously) yet signed to Trolley-Bus Records in Japan. They own a nice, small piece at our local record store and have an entire cardboard-cutout stand for their Japanese stores. It's crazy, but they've been to Japan many times and love their Asian fans.

JVA's sound is a mixture of pop, post-punk and on occasion some electrical elements. They put on a really fun show and have a great time whenever they get on stage. They're going on a super tour in November (but not coming anywhere near Chicago or Milwaukee, if that's what you're wondering). In 2007 they (as well as Go Crash Audio, another Nebraska band big in Japan) were name one of AbsolutePunk's 100 Up in Coming bands.

They're going somewhere and even if it's MTV they're good enough guys that they deserve it.

Clicky

The JV All-Stars - Take Me Back to Spectre [Extended]