Punk pop was popularized in the mid- to late 90s by chart-topping US bands such as Green Day, the Offspring, and Blink-182, as they mixed sophomoric humour with reckless yet anthemic rock. Other bands had been around for just as long mining the same territory, such as the Huntington Beach, California-based outfit, Guttermouth.
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NOFX was formed in Berkeley, California, USA, in 1983. Immediately, it was obvious that they were one of the few bands on the hardcore scene to embrace humorous lyrical fare to genuinely amusing effect. The original trio of Fat Mike (Mike Burkett; vocals/bass), Eric Melvin (guitar/ vocals) and Erik Ghint/Groggy Nodbeggar/Erik Shun/Smelly (b. Erik Sandin; drums), was joined b
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Of the multitude of pop punk bands that emerged during the 90s, the majority seemed to come from the west coast of the USA, but there was a number of east coast counterparts during this era, such as the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Bouncing Souls. The band has been going strong in one form or another since 1989, when Greg Attonitoi (vocals), Pete Steinkopf (guitar), Bryan Ki
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This ska/punk outfit was formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1990 by Jason Navarro (2 April 1973; vocals), Dan Lukacinsky (b. 26 April 1970, USA; guitar/vocals), Jason Brake (bass), and Stefan (drums). Originally called the Uglies, and then Jack Kevorkian And The Suicide Machines!, the band originally featured Navarro on bass, before Jason Brake was brought into the line-up.
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US ska/punk cultish legends Operation Ivy were formed in 1987 by Tim Armstrong (25 November 1966, Oakland, California, USA; guitar/vocals), Matt Freeman aka Matt McCall (bass), Dave Mello (drums) and Jesse Michaels (vocals). Inspired equally by Britains first wave of punk bands and the 2-Tone ska revivalists such as the Specials, they blended these two musics into a fr
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This southern California, USA-based trio specialized in the same tuneful punk pop as their better-known country men Green Day and Blink-182. Face To Face was formed by Trever Keith (26 May 1969, USA; vocals/guitar), Matt Riddle (bass/vocals), and Rob Kurth (drums/vocals). Shortly after their formation in 1991, the trio signed with the independent label Dr. Strange Records, w
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Lars Frederiksen (guitar), Brett Reed (drums), Matt Freeman (bass) and Tim Armstrong (25 November 1966, Oakland, California, USA; vocals/guitar) provide street-level punk with their ideas informed and inspired by a youth of blue-collar poverty in Albany, California, USA. Armstrong and Freeman (often under the alias Matt McCall) had formed their first band, Operation Ivy, in
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Los Angeles, California, USA punk band, formed in 1978, whose first stage of development was as a three-piece. Frank Navetta (vocals/guitar), Tony Lombardo (vocals/bass) and Bill Stevenson (drums) played power pop along the lines of the Buzzcocks. It was this line-up that recorded the debut Ride The Wild single, and they collaborated with singer Cecilia for some six
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This Hermosa Beach, California, USA-based band was fated to be the perpetual bridesmaid of the punk revival. While Green Day and Offspring were enjoying huge commercial success in the mid- to late 90s, Pennywise struggled to overcome well-publicised internal problems which ultimately led to the suicide of Jason Thirsk in 1996. The band was formed in 1988 by Thirsk (25 Decemb
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Goldfinger sprang from a new wave of ska punk bands formed in California, USA, in the wake of Green Day and the Offsprings international breakthrough. Based in Los Angeles, Goldfinger blend elements of ska and punk (à la Rancid and Reel Big Fish) with emocore (as pioneered by Guy Piccolotos pre- Fugazi group, Rites Of Spring). The band was formed in 1994 by J
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This Bremerton, Washington, USA-based punk pop band was formed as Magnified Plaid in 1992 by schoolfriends Mike Herrera (Michael Arthur Herrera, 6 November 1976, Bremerton, Washington, USA; vocals/bass), Andy Husted (guitar) and Yuri Ruley (b. 3 June 1976, Tacoma, Washington, USA; drums). The trio, who had quickly adopted their new shortened moniker, made a local impact in 1
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