Out of all the post-Nirvana American alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day was second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day was simply punk revivalists, recharging the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs. Though their music wasn't particularly innovative, they brought the sound... [+] Read More

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Laidlaw was formed by Craig Defalco and Buzzy James in 1990 in Orange County, CA. They started their career doing the club circuit for year after year. Sending tapes to various record labels earned them plenty of rejections. The group went through several lineup changes resulting with the grouping of Defalco, James, Darrell Millar, Michael... [+] Read More

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The Mr. T Experience came out of the same Berkeley/East Bay Gilman Street punk rock scene that eventually spawned Green Day, but they are often left out of the history of this scene, or at least, they rarely fit prominently into the punk rock genealogy. The Mr. T Experience (or MTX for short) have been playing the same... [+] Read More

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Formed in Berkeley, CA, in 1983 and relocating to Los Angeles not long afterwards, NOFX steered clear of major labels and commercial exposure over the course of their career, recording an impressive number of full-lengths albums plus an assortment of EPs and singles. The band started out as a trio comprising vocalist/bassist Fat Mike (Mike... [+] Read More

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Hardcore punks No Use for a Name formed in Sunnydale, CA, in 1987, originally comprising singer/guitarist Tony Sly, guitarist Chris Dodge, bassist Steve Papoutsis, and drummer Rory Koff. Making their recorded debut later that year with "Turn It Around" -- their contribution to a double 7" released by Maximum Rock'n'Roll magazine -- NUFAN next... [+] Read More

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Pennywise was one of the key bands of the punk-revival of the '90s. Using Californian hardcore as a foundation, the group incorporated funk-metal and skate-punk into their sound, developing a sound that functioned as edgy, post-punk frat rock -- it was speedy and occasionally stupidly catchy, with heavy, propulsive rhythms and positive,... [+] Read More

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Part of the Bay Area punk revival of the late '80s and early '90s, Samiam specialized in the catchy, anthemic punk-pop typical of the Warped Tour crowd, but separated themselves with a greater debt to hardcore and a more introspective lyrical bent that won over emo audiences. Formed in 1988, most of the band's founding members had played in... [+] Read More

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Trashy garage punk band the Neckbones consists of vocalist/guitarist/bassist David Boyer, guitarist/bassist Robbie Alexander, guitarist Tyler Keith, and drummer Forrest Hewes. The Neckbones signed with Epitaph affiliate Fat Possum and issued their debut album, Souls on Fire, in 1997; the follow-up, The Lights are Getting Dim, appeared in 1999. ~... [+] Read More

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The Offspring's metal-inflected punk became a popular sensation in 1994, selling over four million albums on an independent record label. While the group's credentials and approach follow the indie rock tradition of the '80s, sonically they sound more like an edgy, hard-driving heavy metal band, with their precise, pulsing power chords and... [+] Read More

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Berkeley, CA-area punk band Tilt were formed in the early '90s, featuring vocalist/songwriter Cinder Block (a rare female performer in the male-dominated punk-pop field), guitarist Jeffrey Bischoff (also Cinder's husband), bassist Pete Rypins, and drummer J. Vincent Camacho. The high-energy and socially aware group first released a successful... [+] Read More

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