A collection of punk-pop savvy enough to hitch its wagon to teen pop punk wannabe Avril Lavigne's hit "Sk8er Boi," Sk8erboy Rock, Vol. 1 features some surprisingly decent music from bands that formed before Lavigne and her fans were even glimmers in their parents' eyes. The venerable Fleshtones contribute two of the album's best tracks, "One Less Step" and "God Damn It," both of which serve as reminders that they're easily the equals, if not superiors, of any of the bands in the garage rock revival of the '00s. Their ...
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A collection of punk-pop savvy enough to hitch its wagon to teen pop punk wannabe Avril Lavigne's hit "Sk8er Boi," Sk8erboy Rock, Vol. 1 features some surprisingly decent music from bands that formed before Lavigne and her fans were even glimmers in their parents' eyes. The venerable Fleshtones contribute two of the album's best tracks, "One Less Step" and "God Damn It," both of which serve as reminders that they're easily the equals, if not superiors, of any of the bands in the garage rock revival of the '00s. Their contemporaries, Drivin' N Cryin', provide another of the collection's standouts, "Nothin to Lose." Dash Rip Rock and Flat Duo Jets contribute some cowpunk fun with "Smoke Some Pot (Let's Go)" and "Rock House," respectively, while the pretty vocals and chugging guitars of Clouds' "Aquamarine" are as close as the collection gets to Avril Lavigne's signature single. Tracks from Five-Eight, Insane Jane, and Freemasonry round out the album, making it a solid collection of punk-pop; if Lavigne fans check it out and discover some worthy bands because of its name, then so much the better. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi
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