It’s the end of the weekend again, so PropertyOfZack is back with a brand new Team Recommendations Playlist! Each weekend, different members of our team recommend both old and new songs for our viewers to listen to and enjoy. Check out our Team Playlist and listen to the songs on Spotify while reading everyone’s thoughts! 

Set Your Goals - Only Right Now
After a lackluster third full-length, this band released a pair of digital singles last year to nearly unanimous applause. Since then, I feel like people have forgotten about all those two songs, and in some cases, this band altogether. “Only Right Now” is a fun, upbeat pop-punk jam that should find its way on to any summer mixtape. Consider this a reminder to revisit it. - Brandon Allin (@allinbr)
All Teeth – California Sons
Real on that North Bay stuff. - Ali Carcache (@alicarcache)
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Nothing says “summer” like Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue,” so it only makes sense that as the weather gets nicer this album goes into permanent rotation on my iPod. - Becky Kovach (@beckystrz)
Fireworks - You Weren’t Born With A Bag Of Sand In Your Hands
One of my first shows was Fireworks and The Wonder Years in 2009. This band is one of the main reasons I’m in love with our scene. This song’s fantastic and I can’t wait to see how their upcoming album turns out! - Mike Sheffey (@SheffeyzTweetz)
Northstar - The Pornographer’s Daughter
When you need toshow everyone in traffic just how emo you are by singing along to some early 2000s anthem penned by dudes from Alabama. You know, for those times. - Marc Gray (@marcgarygray)
Sum 41 - In Too Deep
I was listening to Sum 41 the other day, while deeply saddened about the band all but falling apart, and it was magnificent. Whether it’s “In Too Deep,” “Over My Head,” or “Pieces,” Sum 41 had the ability to write great and catchy songs. “In Too Deep” was the first pop-punk song I ever heard, so lets jam that today. – Zack Zarrillo (@zzarrillo) 

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Fireworks have teamed up with Cold Cuts Merch and Live Shot Charity Tees for a special collab shirt that will be limited until the end of April. Funds from the shirt will be donated to Variety-Detroit. Check out a message from the band below by clicking “Read More.” 

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As most people have read by now, a situation erupted last night at a venue called Empire in Virginia when the promoter of The Wonder Years’ show, Tyler Greene, called Misser’s merch man a “faggot.” The situation was resolved by The Wonder Years’ merch and crew member, Floyd James. PropertyOfZack is happy to be bringing you a short interview with Floyd on what exactly occurred last night and his thoughts on our scene taking a stance against homophobia. You can read the interview and additional commentary on the night as a whole from Floyd below by clicking “Read More.” 

Related Stories:
Promoter Addresses Members Of TWY Tour Package As “Faggots” 

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A promoter named Tyler Green in Virginia at Empire apparently called multiple members of The Wonder Years bill tonight, including support, “faggots” and possibly other homophobic words. Check out tweets from multiple members on the tour below by clicking “Read More.”

Update: Details Of Last Night’s Run In With Homophobia At TWY Tour

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*This review was composed by Adrienne Fisher and edited by Erik van Rheenen

Pop-punk kids of this day and age have got themselves a mammoth tour this spring. Stalwart captains of the genre The Wonder Years have collected their friends in Fireworks, Hostage Calm, and Misser for a three-week run throughout middle markets on the East Coast and the Midwest, sizing down the venues and giving kids the chance to see their favorite acts in rooms they will surely brag about in the future. The tour kicked off in Asbury Park, New Jersey, selling out the 800-capacity Stone Pony on a snowy Friday in March.

Breaking the ice that night was Rise Records’ Misser, working to prove that they have every intention on being taken more seriously than just a “members of” side project. Their contemporary gritty pop punk was fleshed out and fun, and seemed to be tailor-made for finger pointing with hooky, sing-along moments galore, eliciting a stronger crowd reaction than anticipated and cementing their claim on such a high-profile pop-punk tour.

Following Misser was Hostage Calm, who helped themselves to the stage and kicked the collective ass of absolutely everyone in the room. Structuring their set around up-tempo Please Remain Calm bangers along with some Self-Titled set staples, Hostage Calm made sure to dip their performance choices in all their Run For Cover releases to the delight of the Stone Pony attendees. This band is constantly pushing its live performance boundaries beyond what they’ve done in the studio; show-stopping moments came in the form of exciting instrumental introductions to “On Both Eyes” and “The M Word,” as well as the most memorable song of the set, ambitious closer “Patriot.” A song that exists in a cappella form on Please Remain Calm found a new interpretation on stage, flourished with acoustic guitars, a folky-esque drum rhythm, and crystal-clear vocals from vocalist Chris Martin. The band closed out the song with a frenzied and wild electric jam-out to the conclusion of the set and the happy exhilaration of fans.

Fireworks played third and, to put it simply, blew the roof off the venue. Purposely stuffing their set with fan-favorite after fan-favorite, the impassioned craze that resulted among the sold-out crowd was nothing short of a pleasure to observe. Moreover, the band members themselves boast a fantastic stage dynamic. The fun that they’re having is contagious, the musicianship is unyieldingly strong and the band-to-crowd interactions create a live experience that is pretty unmatched, especially in such declarative friendship anthems as “When We Stand On Each Other….” and “The Wild Bunch.” 

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Let’s be honest: when Take This To Your Grave or Ocean Avenue got released a decade ago, did anyone expect to still be talking about them in 2013? But here we are, reminiscing on the good ole’ days like the hopelessly nostalgic music fans we are. But what albums will hit classic status in the 2020s? We dusted off the old POZ crystal ball to make some predictions about what albums we might still be discussing a decade from now. Feel free to reblog with albums that will still be on your mind come 2020!

The Menzingers - On the Impossible Past
This is the punk-infused heartland rock ‘n’ roll sound The Gaslight Anthem has tried to bottle since The ’59 Sound but hasn’t. For hailing from Scranton, the Menzingers do a great impression of the blue collar Midwest. There are no flashy guitar chords or sweeping sentiments about the world in Greg Barnett and Tom May’s lyricism. Heck, it’s mostly an album about being young, fucking up, getting drunk, and learning from it. But its simple poetry — about American muscle cars, shitty opening bands, and bad graffiti — gives the record its charm. Thomas Nassiff said it best: “I’ll be damned if I won’t still appreciate a line like ‘…when you get old enough to know that happiness is just a moment’ in another 15 years when I’ve stopped caring about the things I care about right now.”

The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
Remember what I said about The Gaslight Anthem post-59 Sound being predictable and formulaic? The Horrible Crowes, Brian Fallon’s “night music” side project, is anything but. Some songs sound pretty Gaslight-esque (here’s looking at you, “Behold the Hurricane) but for the most part, Fallon channels his Tom Waits-ish spirit and really tests his range as a performer. He goes from love-struck schoolboy on “Crush” to vaguely threatening on “I Witnessed a Crime” and batshit insane on “Mary Ann” seamlessly, and it’s an album that demands repeated listens. To say all the songs aren’t Springsteen clones like The Gaslight Anthem’s are isn’t entirely fair. But on Fallon’s best work as a songwriter, he challenges the Boss in terms of emotional depth and vocal fervor.

The Wonder Years - The Upsides
“I’m not sad anymore” just about says it all. When “head above water this year, boys,” stopped cutting it as a battle cry, Dan “Soupy” Campbell spilled his heart into The Upsides, a twelve-track confessional about standing your ground and not backing down when the world tells you to put your head down. Short on ballads and long on energy, The Upsides sprints from one anthem to the next, from breakneck fuck-you’s (“Dynamite Shovel”) to tour diaries put to a soundtrack of crisp guitar riffs and gang vocals (“Hostels & Brothels). The record hit shelves in January 2010, when none of us had any idea what to do with ourselves in the new decade. Campbell and company reminded us to stay defiant and keep smiling, and that message won’t fade any time soon.

fun. – Some Nights
Aim and Ignite is heads and shoulders above Some Nights, but the latter sent fun. catapulting headfirst into stardom. With mainstream radio still a pretty soulless, vacuous black hole of mediocrity and thumping dubstep grooves, fun. achieved the almost impossible by keeping their flair for the theatric and not fitting the role of Top 40’s one-hit-wonder-indie-band. Instead of playing it safe and churning out bland, but radio friendly hits, fun. went for broke, pumping the ambitious “Some Nights” and bombastic “We Are Young” to their mainstream pipelines and catching fire overnight. But careful listeners might be more likely to recall 80s-vibing “Out On the Town” and soulful “All Alone” in ten years than the surefire hits.

Transit - Listen & Forgive
What happened to the Boston pop-punkers who put out the fast, furious, and thoroughly heartbreaking Keep This To Yourself? Well, they grew up, and fans should pray rosaries that they did. Listen & Forgive is a grown-up album with a young heart, layering songs about loss and love with richly textured guitarwork. There are no frenetic jams like “Please Head North” or “Footwork,” but Transit traded angst for subtlety, and the result is breathtaking. If you’re late on the Transit bandwagon, try taking the record for a spin and not shedding a tear over Tim Landers and Joe Boynton’s collective heartaches. Songs like the title track and “Skipping Stone” are as timeless as they are flawless. 

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It’s the weekend again, so PropertyOfZack is back with a brand new Team Recommendations Playlist! Each weekend, different members of our team recommend both old and new songs for our viewers to listen to and enjoy. Check out our Team Playlist and listen to the songs on Spotify while reading everyone’s thoughts! 

Andrew Bird - Plasticities
It’s been almost 6 years since this album came out, yet the sonic, tonal, and instrumental layers, particularly in “Plasticities,” feel new each time I listen. This track lends itself to a one-man, loop performance, but never feels repetitive because of the subtle way Andrew Bird swells in his arrangement. With clap tracks, violin pizzicato, beachy guitar leads, and Bird’s always-relevant vocal tone, “Plasticities” is a go-to for any emotion or mood. - Cydney Hedgpeth

Something Corporate - I Woke Up In A Car
All this Andrew McMahon news has got me listening to Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. I’ve always loved Something Corporate more though. I’d be stoked to see his solo tour. - Mike Sheffey (@SheffeyzTweetz)

Dessa - The Crow
Over the past couple of months I have become enthralled by R&B, so it comes as no surprise that my bi-monthly Dessa binge has turned into a monthly rage. The hip-hop/R&B artist has deliciously sophisticated rhymes, undeniable flow, and a gorgeous voice. Her revamped version of “The Crow” off of Castor, The Twin is pure brilliance. -Michael Meeze (@mikemeeze)

Fireworks - I Was Born In The Dark
No story, this song is just rad. It’s got a great chorus and I love the brief tempo change in the bridge. -Becky Kovach (@beckystrz)

Local Natives- Colombia
Hummingbird has been streaming on iTunes all week and my soul feels complete. I have been waiting for this album for so long and now that it’s here, I feel overcome with emotion. Every song moves me in its own original way, but this track in particular really gives me chills. The steady, pulsing beat of the drum, the beautiful piano medley, the three-part harmonies… “Am I giving enough? Am I loving enough?” My answer is no, but their music makes me want to. Local Natives has this way of making me appreciate the simplicity of life. I am so stoked for their performance at 9:30 club on April 5th- I already know that it is going to have a huge impact on my life. - Sydney Gore (@sydegee)

The Flatliners- Eulogy
My Grandpa passed away last weekend and it was really rough trying to get through the whole thing. This song sums up my feelings for the situation in full and I will always remember him. R.I.P. Hadley Horner you will not be forgotten. Also on a lighter note, The Flatliners are one of the best current punk bands and should be huge already. Hopefully they will release a new album this year and turn everyones heads. - Justin Graci (JustinHMGraci)

Icona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)
I finally caught my first episode of HBO’s Girls this week. When it debuted, the Twitteligentsia loudly declared Girls The Worst; a few weeks ago, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (via their Golden Globes awards) annointed it The Best; from the one episode I saw, it’s a mildly funny, cartoony sitcom that hardly seems worth the bytes sprayed by either side. In fact, the most memorable thing about the episode was the inclusion of Swedish duo Icona Pop’s woefully underappreciated middle-fingers-up joygasm “I Love It”. Dear Internet: for 2013, let’s resolve to spend less time writing about Girls and more time writing about these girls, shall we? - Jesse Richman (jrichmanesq)

La Dispute - Sunday Morning, at a Funeral
I don’t know why I never listened to La Dispute until recently. But seeing them play before Hot Water Music the other week was great. The next day, I looked up this EP with Koji and instantly fell in love with the whole thing. These guys know how to have some great lyrics. Might not be everyone’s thing, but I am definitely diggin’ these guys. - Deanna Chapman (@deechapman21)

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Yellowcard have been forced to cancel their show tonight in Edmonton due to frontman Ryan Key coming down with a severe sore throat. All Time Low and Fireworks will however be playing the show without Yellowcard. Check out tweets from Key below by clicking “Read More.”

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The Monthly Summary
Week I  
Week II 
Week III

Albums Out This Month
Week I   
Week II 
Week III 

The Weekly Tour Round-Up
Fall-Winter

Interviews
Hot Water Music

Reviews
Touché Amoré, Pianos Become The Teeth - Split 
City And Colour - Covers Pt. 2
City Lights - Acoustic EP
Matt & Toby - Matt & Toby

Discussions
Albums That Get Me Through

QCA Sessions
The Traditional

Playlists
Team Recommendations

BandsOnBands
Artist Vs Poet on The Rocket Summer

Road Blogs
You Blew It!

Contributor Blogs
Thomas Gutches 

Contributor Blogs
The Industry With Jesse Cannon 

Streams
The Weeds - “Sunset Eyes”  
Fourth Quarter Comeback - The Only Way We Know
By Surprise - Criteria 

Video Premieres
Lions Lions - “Grounded” 
The Last Ten Seconds Of Life - “Numbskull” 

Contests
The Acoustic Basement Tour [Ends on January 23rd]

Podcasts
100 Words Or Less: Jay Weinberg

Showcase
Audiostrobelight 
Dads 
Stellar Young 

Gallery
Fireworks, Heartwell, Reward

Exclusives
AltarTV AP Tour Footage 

POZ Sponsored Tours  
The Acoustic Basement Tour [02/01-02/23]    
Forever Came Calling, Heart To Heart, Last Call [03/20-04/21]

It’s the weekend again, so PropertyOfZack is back with a brand new Team Recommendations Playlist! Each weekend, different members of our team recommend both old and new songs for our viewers to listen to and enjoy. Check out our Team Playlist and listen to the songs on Spotify while reading everyone’s thoughts! 

Fireworks - I Support Same Sex Marriage
Because fuck For Today. - Michael Meeze (@mikemeeze)

Fall Out Boy - Saturday
Because I could argue that everything on this album is pure gold. Also, hardcore dancing in a FOB music video. - Mike Sheffey (@SheffeyzTweetz) 

The Boils - The Orange And The Black
Between Gary Bettman’s incompetence and the owners’ intransigence, I had pretty much given up hope that there would be an NHL season this year, so you better believe I’m stoked that hockey is coming back! 2007’s The Orange And The Black EP, from rough-and-tumble Philly punks The Boils, features six scuzzy shoutalong anthems that would be the perfect soundtrack to a YouTube clip reel of Broad Street Bullies crosschecks and high-stickings. LET’S GO FLY-ERS! - Jesse Richman (@jrichmanesq)

Basement - Wish
Who else has already started their “Records I’m Fucking Kicking Myself For Missing in 2012” list? This particular Basement track from last year’s Colourmeinkindness is sounding to me like a nice blend of Core-era Stone Temple Pilots and our beloved Balance and Composure, and the melody on that chorus is so simply lofty and 90s and awesome. Recommended for anyone craving a true-blue headbang, or is seeking temporary reprieve from bands singing about their hometowns (I currently fall into both those categories). - Adrienne Fisher (@adriennerayfish)

The Front Bottoms- Legit Tattoo Gun
This band has been seriously blowing up since the release of their Self Titled full length in 2011. It took me a little while to really get into the record but once I saw them open for Motion City Soundtrack last year I was hooked. With plans to see them open up for Bad Books in February and recent news of them recording a new record, I don’t think I’m going to be able to listen to any other album for at least a week. This is my favorite song on the album. - Justin Graci (JustinHMGraci)

Yellowcard - Here I Am Alive
Just because they’re my favorite band and I couldn’t be more excited to see them on this upcoming tour. “Here I Am Alive” is one of my favorites on the new album and the title has become a sort of mantra for me. I also love Tay’s vocals and I think they work perfectly with Ryan’s. - Becky Kovach (@beckystrz)

Pianos Become The Teeth - Hiding 
Pianos Become The Teeth easily get grouped together with bands like La Dispute and Touché Amoré, but as time goes on I can’t help but feel that those bands will one day get grouped together with Pianos. The Lack Long After is still an incredibly powerful album, but I was curious about what we would hear from the band after it. “Hiding” is a taste of new material from their split with Touché Amoré, and it’s a song that instantly grabbed their entire fanbase and more by the heart and successfully created a whole new wave (pun not intended) of excitement for the band. “Hiding” is a heart-wrenching song, and I can’t wait for more from the band. - Zack Zarrillo (@zzarrillo)

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It’s time for The Weekly Tour Round-Up! There are a ton of great tours going on this fall and winter and more are getting announced each week. Below you’ll find all the tours going on over the next few months, with newly announced tours listed above previously announced tours. So check out all the tours if you’ve missed any of them and make sure to mark them down on your calendars!

New Tours:

POZ Sponsored Shows 
TeamPagano New Years Eve Show

North America  
forgetters (Jawbreaker, AM!) [01/02-01/12]
JT Woodruff, Mark Rose [01/02-01/27]  
Cute Is What We Aim, Allstar Weekend [01/19-02/22]
Broadway Calls, Red City Radio [01/24-02/07] 
For Today, Memphis May Fire, The Word Alive [01/25-02/16] 
Silverstein GC, Issues, Secrets, Like Moths To Flames [01/25-03/02]
Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain [02/06-03/16] 
Further Seems Forever [02/07-02/10]
The Wonder Years, Fireworks, Hostage Calm, Misser [03/08-03/29]

United Kingdom|Mainland Europe
Light Years, Lower Lands [01/24-02/10]
Pure Love [02/01-02/23] 
The Bouncing Souls, Cheap Girls, Luther [03/08-03/23] 

Asia
This Is Hell [03/08-03/12]

Previously Announced Tours:

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The Wonder Years have announced a headlining tour this spring with Fireworks, Hostage Calm, and Misser. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More!”

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It’s time for The Weekly Tour Round-Up! There are a ton of great tours going on this fall and winter and more are getting announced each week. Below you’ll find all the tours going on over the next few months, with newly announced tours listed above previously announced tours. So check out all the tours if you’ve missed any of them and make sure to mark them down on your calendars!

New Tours:

POZ Sponsored Shows 
TeamPagano New Years Eve Show

North America  
Fireworks [12/20-12/22] 
Pity Sex, Waxahatchee [12/29-01/12]
Quicksand, Title Fight [01/07-01/30]  
The World Is A Beautiful Place [12/31-01/12]
Fireworks [01/10-01/15]
The Color Morale, Our Last Night [01/11-01/25]  
Matt Pryor, Into It. Over It. [01/16-01/20]
Silverstein, Glass Cloud [01/25-03/02] 
Desaparecidos, Joyce Manor [02/15-02/26]  

United Kingdom|Mainland Europe
Make Do And Mend [03/01-03/19]  
Sum 41, Billy Talent [03/14-04/13]
For The Fallen Dreams, Abandon All Ships [03/22-04/13]  
Lower Than Atlantis [04/16-04/25] 
Pierce The Veil, Woe Is Me [05/15-06/05] 
Senses Fail, Handguns [05/18-06/01]

Asia
Comeback Kid [01/24-02/12] 
Paramore, mewithoutYou [02/12-02/17] 
Departures, Stick To Your Guns [04/22-04/25] 
All Time Low [03/11-03/13] 

Previously Announced Tours:

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Fireworks have added Safe to their holiday shows. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More.”

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