Best Avatars

[Bobby Bear]

Rob, yours made me laugh!

People love to slag off Blink-182, but that's a funny video. The bit with the water slide. The horse. "Boomer is in jail for undisclosed reasons."

[Ed Hocken]

You know you're getting older when bands cite Blink-182 as an influence

And if they do, pretty sure that's not a good band to listen to.

[Abraham Smashington]

I still like their first 3 albums. Once "Enema of the State" came out I started to lose interest. Some fun pop-punk stuff.

[Ed Hocken]

Ehhh, fair enough

Better of listening to Blink than some Nu-Metal nonsense

[Bobby Bear]

You know you're getting older when bands cite Blink-182 as an influence

And if they do, pretty sure that's not a good band to listen to.

If a band's ambitions are similar, Blink-182 are far from the worst pop-punk offenders, sir. They made two really fun albums (Enema of the State and Take off Your Pants and Jacket.) Their earlier and later work has a handful of solid singles mixed in there, but they're really just like the little brother band of Lagwagon, NOFX, and The Descendents all rolled into one (not bad company to keep.) Blink were probably part of the last wave of "proper" successful pop-punk bands, before Sum 41, New Found Glory and co gave way to more emo-leaning stuff.

(Can you tell they were one of the first bands I got into?)

[Abraham Smashington]

It was the switch between Tom and Mark singing that killed stuff for me. I always preferred Mark.

[Ed Hocken]

Tom has a really whiny voice...which is perfect for "emo" bands and also explains the hilarity that is Angels & Airwaves

Would we consider Blink-182 to be a precursor to Fall Out Boy or is that a whole different deal?

[Abraham Smashington]

I like how you prefer their later stuff and I like the earlier stuff.

Also, I always preferred Blink to Lagwagon. Not quite sure why.

[Ed Hocken]

Commonality found!

SUCCESS!

[Bobby Bear]

It was the switch between Tom and Mark singing that killed stuff for me. I always preferred Mark.

Me, too! In a big, big way. Mark was actually a big reason for me first picking up a bass at 16. Technically snobbier guitar players usually balk at that kind of thing (because he's not known for flashy, show-off bass-lines) but he always injects a lot of feel into his playing. Even if he's just laying down a whole slew of root notes (like the start of "Online Songs" from Take Off...) there's a swing in the rhythm that elevates it. It doesn't just sound as boring and ignorable as a million other one-note pop-punk bass players.

Thus ends Bobby's "Hoppus In 2012" draft campaign speech.

[Bobby Bear]

Tom has a really whiny voice...which is perfect for "emo" bands and also explains the hilarity that is Angels & Airwaves

Would we consider Blink-182 to be a precursor to Fall Out Boy or is that a whole different deal?

Tom's voice was/is perfect for that very 90's SoCal pop-punk sound, too. It's the vocal approach used by countless Drive Thru, Fat Wreck Chords, and Epitaph bands.

Blink definitely informed Fall Out Boy, like a lot of the other bands mentioned above, but they also had other, indie influences. And pre "emo" emo bands like Saves The Day, The Get Up Kids and others were also in the mix there.

I like how you prefer their later stuff and I like the earlier stuff.

Also, I always preferred Blink to Lagwagon. Not quite sure why.

I still have a lot of time for some of Dude Ranch and stuff like "Carousel" and "M + M's" is still fun, but I just never loved that stuff the same as Enema and Pants. Those are the quintessential late 90's/early 00's Pro Tools pop-punk albums. Jerry Finn produced those albums so beautifully.

As for Lagwagon, I always liked them fine. They just never had the tunes to compete with NOFX and what have you.

[V]

Nice avatars, gang!

*vain attempt to steer back on topic*

[Ed Hocken]

I'll give it to Hoppus for not being tatted up like his band mates. I don't know why I applaud him for that.

*gets nudged in the ribs by Vin with the butt of a rifle*

Uh...yes, great avatars all around.

[Bobby Bear]

If anybody wants to hear more on the evolution of pop-punk, I'll be in my room...

[Lisa]

I liked "Enema of the State" back when it came out.