Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s the bouncy, spazzy skater punk vibe of pop punk really began to bloom.

Pop punk bands weren’t getting cranky and political (for the most part) and making songs about being a slacker loser coping with love, loss, and life…in the most fun way imaginable. We had our skateboards out at beer bust block parties. Today’s Dad Bods in their 40s and 50s are still sporting the big khakis and geeky tees of the Bowling for Soup and Good Charlotte eras.

There are still some bands that give a nod to that sound, but nothing that really screamed Old School, until these dudes who call themselves The Paradox started recently popping up all over the streaming services and radio:

Yup. I’m instantly hooked. This song was originally called “Suburu” but the car company had to get all squirrelly about the name use.

These guys haven’t even been around for a full year, and are already going viral with their sound! Some folks say it’s because they got attention from bands like Green Day playing the Warp Fest and others says it’s because they are an all-Black line up breaking stereotypes, but really none of that matters if they don’t have the sound..and oh, they have the sound. They have the energy, and they have the sheer love of the music that gives them the edge.

I mean, take a listen to the other song getting attention, “Kaitlyn”.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a full album by these guys, and please let them release a vinyl!

On the other side of the globe, it has been happening, too. I do tend to overexpose my readers to the music exploding out of South Korea, but not the grass roots bands that play in smaller venues. For more than 10 years, a band called Riot Kidz has been steadily focusing on no frills, western influenced English language pop punk, like one of their bigger hits, 2016’s “Stereotypes”

Unlike big company K-Pop and rock groups who get tons of attention and marketing, from what I’ve read about these guys is they worked their butts off to build an audience.The guitarist G studied in Seattle, and a couple of the others have been buds since high school. They officially formed in 2011, but many listeners in this part of the world had no clue who they were until only two months ago with their contribution to soundtrack for the hit K-Drama, My Dearest Nemesis, “Connect”.

This is not the type of hit usually featured on this rom-coms:

They have not strayed from their pop punk love or tried to become “pretty boys” that get American and European attention. These guys were holding even down day jobs and performing at night.

In the case of both Riot Kidz and The Paradox, they just create great raw energetic music and that’s what the essence of the pop punk sound is all about for us “old folks” dusting off our Vans and Enjoi skateboards.

I hope to see both these bands get bigger and better with headlining tours and shots at even more music fests like Coachella. I am thrilled they are keeping pop punk going for new generations.

But, don’t be surprised if you see a ton of us Gen Xers and older Millennial moms and dads at their shows.