The Fake Boys- “Pop Punk Is Dead”
The Fake Boys- “Pop Punk Is Dead” – I wish I could tell you that “Pop Punk Is Dead” was just a sarcastic tag line. This album however The Fake Boys really did kill any bit of Pop Punk that they once possessed. It seems that The Fake Boys have moved more in the direction of College Radio Indie Rock, “Pop Punk Is Dead” seems to have morphed the once poppy sound of The Fake Boys into the confluence of new wave, post-punk, and early alternative rock. Although it could be arty, it isn't quite as experimental or detached as much post-punk; and where much early alternative/American underground rock is rooted in punk. I can’t say that The Fake Boys are bad, just not something I can wrap my arms around and embrace. They combine jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, turning convention inside out, melding punk and indie guitar rock, classic pop, surf rock, and stadium-sized riffs with fragmented lyrics. The more I listen I realize that the thing that really makes The Fake Boys sound Indie Rock is the elongated syllables of the words as they are sung, giving them an almost whiney pitch. So to sum it up The Fake Boys aren’t a band I can listen to, but fans of bands such as; Husker Du, Sonic Youth, and XTC would eat this album up like a fat man in a candy factory. www.myspace.com/thefakeboys
