It seems that Christmas came early for for pop punk fans this year with the recent news that old school favourites The Movielife reunited and announced a selection of tour dates in the U.S. This news came straight after The Early November announced that they too will be touring the UK in 2015, making our nostalgic spidey-sense tingle with the notion that perhaps the entire Drive-Thru rosta were secretly planning a huge reunion tour. Until that dream becomes a reality, this news reminded us about the glorious golden days of pop punk and the label that provided us the soundtrack.
In case you didn’t know, Drive-Thru Records were that small indie label that gave us some of the biggest names in pop punk, making growing up in the cold winters of suburban Birmingham feel like you were living through the long summers in California. Before today’s pop punk became synonymous with leaving town and pizza, here’s a few reminders of the bands and songs that saw us through hangouts, heartbreak and having the time of your life.
Allister
Album: Last Stop Suburbia
Track: Somewhere On Fullerton
“So please don’t go awaaaaay…” is ironically how we felt about most of the bands on the label.
Home Grown
Album: Kings of Pop
Track: You’re Not Alone
When pop punk wasn’t as mainstream as it is now, Home Grown let you know that you didn’t just have to listen to whatever the radio stations gave you in the early 2000’s
Something Corporate
Album: Leaving Through The Window
Track: Punk Rock Princess
This song has been the Romeo and Juliet anthem for pop punk kids for over 10 years
Fenix TX
Album: Lechuza
Track: Phoebe Cates
For some of you young’uns out there you may not know who Phoebe Cates is, but Fenix TX wrote a song about the actress we all want to….write a song about (Google her discretely)
Finch
Album: What It Is To Burn
Track: Letters To You
The early days of screamo made the future of Drive – Thru and Finch so promising…so very very promising
Senses Fail
Album: Let It Enfold You
Track: NJ Falls Into The Atlantic
Sometimes you didn’t want to think about the sunshine in California, so before we had the Parker Cannon’s stomping around, this is how Drive-Thru gave us an outlet.
The Starting Line
Album: Say It Like You Mean It
Track: Saddest Girl Story
There was a time when I believed this album was written by me in the future as there was no way it could so accurately portray the ‘struggles’ of being a teenager. Touché, Kenny Vasoli. Touché.
The Early November
Album: For All of This
Track: I Want To Hear You Sad
“Yea man, who needs to be loved anyway!” There are about 8 other tracks I could have chosen for this but none of them were quite so anthamic.
The Movielife
Album: …Has a Gambling Problem
Track: Hand Grenade
For that time when you’re friend was into a girl who was just a straight up b***h and you wanted to tactfully tell him, The Movielife has you covered.
New Found Glory
Album: Sticks And Stones
Track: My Friends Over You
I could have chosen any song off this album, or the previous self titled album, however I thought it’s best to highlight where the band came from and who gave them to us.
Richard and Stefanie Reines, we thank you!
You can follow our Drive-Thru Records playlist on Spotify for an instant nostalgia kick of the songs above plus many others!
Written By Matt Henson
The Pop Punk Days
