29 Pop Punk Bands You Wish You Had In 2007
Photo Credit: Lindsey Byrnes / Fueled By Ramen
When pop punk trio Meet Me @ The Altar signed to Fueled by Ramen in October of 2020, Edith Johnson became the first Black woman to front a band signed to the nostalgic American label, which started in 1996 in Gainesville, Florida. Let that sink in a moment.
Every ‘00s emo aficionado knows that this is a really big deal. Fueled by Ramen has been home to some of the most influential pop punk bands over the last two decades, including Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore, and All Time Low among many others. Legacy of renowned artists aside, it’s undoubtedly a major step toward inclusion that has been missing from a genre often riddled with mediocre boyfriend-hates-girlfriend scripts and a few morsels of meaningful material in-between.
Not always, but often.
In March, Meet Me @ The Altar played a sold out show with Knuckle Puck at Concord Music Hall in Chicago, and they slayed every second of their set. Energetic with calculated precision, Johnson performed with bandmates Téa Campbell and Ada Juarez in a fury of power chords and heavy breakdowns. It felt like misogyny bleeding down the sewer drain that night. It felt like one of those shows you never forget.
A number of other pop punk newcomers have been carving out their own space on stage the last few years. Baltimore’s Cherie Amour signed to Equal Vision Records in 2021 and has worked with Alan Day of Four Year Strong, creating infectious songs that blend elements of pop punk, R&B, and metal. Taking an anecdotal path to indie pop punk, Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer started her DIY band in 2015 and signed to Hopeless Records, home to Bayside, Neck Deep, Stand Atlantic, and The Used, in 2020. Later this fall she is slated to support The Menzingers in the U.K., hopefully playing the relatable “Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7” and fan favorite “Shattering” at some point in her setlist.
Midwest pop punk acts have been flourishing as of late, with increasing activity from bands like Fluorescents, Cleveland Avenue, and Action Adventure to name a few. In the U.K., Manchester vocalist Han Mee fronts the emo power-pop band Hot Milk, which started performing in 2018, with her bandmate Jim Shaw. Pulling their influences from Green Day and My Chemical Romance, they are currently working on an upcoming EP, The King And Queen Of Gasoline, due out on August 5th via Music For Nations.
Check out some of our favorite rising pop punk artists below, including Magnolia Park, House Parties, Pinkshift, and more. Prepare to listen to “Morris Farm Drive” fifteen times in a row.
