pennywise
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, optimisitic lyrics that stood in pointed contrast to their grunge-addled peers. Through constant touring and recording, as well as appearences on surfing and snowboarding concerts and videos, Pennywise developed a dedicated following among post-hardcore punk audiences. learn more

green day
Green Day, Childhood friends Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong, playing their instruments since they were 11 at the local Gilman Street Project club, stated a band called Sweet Children in 1987 with a drummer named Al Sobrante(John Kiffmeyer). They changed their name to Green Day (their lingo for hanging out and smoking marijuana). Their drummer was eventually replaced by Tre Cool. Throughout the early '90s, Green Day became very popular with the album "Kerplunk" in 1992. After the success of "Kerplunk", Green Day was signed by Reprise Records. Their first major album release was "Dookie". The success of "Dookie" won them a Grammy in 1994. learn more

afi
On September 26th, the band released their fifth full-length album, entitled The Art of Drowning, which showcases exactly what it is AFI has evolved into-- a band with a sound unlike any other, a sound where chilling melodies collide alternately with furious aggression and somber melancholy. While their music is firmly rooted in both punk rock and hardcore, they have effectively blasted away any distinction between the two and can claim an army of fans from both subcultures as well as virtually every other underground or extreme music genre from goth to metal. learn more

nofx
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 Burkett), guitarist Eric Melvin, and drummer Erik Sandin (aka Erik Ghint/Erik Shun). Sandin quit in 1985, and his place was taken by Scott Sellers; that same year, NOFX also recorded two 7" EPs for the Mystic label, No F-X and So What If We're on Mystic? learn more

the offspring
Almost two decades, six albums and 32 million records sold, those two pals, vocalist/guitarist Dexter Holland and bassist Greg K, along with fellow classmate (and school custodian) guitarist Noodles, are still delivering on their seventh and latest effort, Splinter. The album was recorded in L.A. and Atlanta, produced once again by Brendan O'Brien (who was behind the boards for 2001's Conspiracy Of One), with The Vandals' Josh Freese sitting in after the departure of drummer Ron Welty, who'd been with the band since 1986. Completing the old-school punk reunion are Pennywise's Jim Lindberg and former California gubernatorial candidate Jack Grisham of TSOL (who are signed to Dexter's Nitro Records) doing backing vocals on "The Noose" and "Da Hui." learn more

rancid
Rancid was undoubtedly a front band in the early 1990s punk revival. Stemming from Albany, California (San Francisco Bay area), the band consists of Lars Frederiksen (guitar), Brett Reed (drums), Matt Freeman (bass), and Tim Armstrong (vocals / guitar). The band, whose members are from blue-collared homes, sing about traditionally punk ideas concerning life and politics. The roots of the band begin in 1987 when Armstrong and Freeman (sometimes goes by the alias of Matt McCall) were in a band called Operation Ivy. The band also was composed of Dave Mello on drums and Jesse Michaels on vocals. In 1989, after the band split up, Freeman, Armstrong and Reed formed Rancid. learn more

the ramones
The Ramones are the first punk rock band. Other bands, such as the Stooges and the New York Dolls, came before them and set the stage and aesthetic for punk, and bands that immediately followed, such as the Sex Pistols, made the latent violence of the music more explicit, but the Ramones crystallized the musical ideals of the genre. By cutting rock & roll down to its bare essentials -- four chords; a simple, catchy melody; and irresistibly inane lyrics -- and speeding up the tempo considerably, the Ramones created something that was rooted in early '60s, pre-Beatles rock & roll and pop but sounded revolutionary. learn more

goldfinger
Along with No Doubt, Sublime, and Rancid, the Los Angeles quartet Goldfinger helped contribute to a mini-U.S. ska-punk movement in the mid- to late '90s. The group was originally formed in 1994 by ex-Electric Love Hogs guitarist/singer John Feldmann and bassist/singer Simon Williams (who were both working at the same shoe store at the time), in addition to drummer Darrin Pfeiffer and an unnamed second guitarist (who would leave the group before any recordings could be issued and later become a pro surfer in Costa Rica). A friend of Feldmann's, Charlie Paulson, signed on shortly thereafter, playing his first show with the group just a day after being given a tape of their songs to learn. learn more

the vandals
Orange County punk veterans the Vandals traced their roots back to the earliest days of their local scene, but didn't really make much of an impact as recording artists until the '90s. By that time, their snide, terminally juvenile humor and catchy punk-pop had done a great deal to set the tone of Orange County's thriving punk and ska scene. Clear spiritual forefathers of bands like the Offspring, blink-182, and Less Than Jake, the Vandals took their cues from early punk comedians like the Dickies and the Descendents, ratcheting up the wiseass factor and delighting in dumb, lowbrow jokes. learn more

bad religion
Out of all of the Southern Californian hardcore punk bands of the early '80s, Bad Religion stayed around the longest. For over a decade, they retained their underground credibility without turning out a series of indistinguishable records that all sound the same. Instead, the band refined its attack, adding inflections of psychedelia, heavy metal, and hard rock along the way, as well as a considerable dose of melody. Between their 1982 debut and their first major-label record, 1993's Recipe for Hate, Bad Religion stayed vital in the hardcore community by tightening their musical execution and keeping their lyrics complex and righteously angry. learn more