The Front Bottoms are an eclectic indie rock duo from New jersey blending punk, pop and rock with witty lyrics. They consist of vocalist Brian Sella on guitars and vocals and Mathew Uychich on drums and bullhorn. They are from my hometown and I’ve seen them about six times in concert so I am probably one of their biggest fans.
The Front Bottoms have always been a huge name in the pop-punk subculture. Pop punk was really big around 2014-2016 with the constant releases of albums from these artists. The topics of these songs centered around heartbreak, growing up and hating the stupid town you lived in. The main reason why this genre died because the artists didn’t get as much support because their fans grew up, and outgrew the music. I really thought punk-pop was truly dead when The Front Bottoms, one of the leading names in pop-punk released their album, Back on Top in 2015. It was a dramatic shift between their old stuff and their new stuff. The reason Back on Top was different was that it had a more pop sound which showed the fans that they had to change the sound to stay relevant but it wasn’t well received.
Check out their old stuff:
Now listen to Back on Top:
The 2015 release was not well received and got a lot of backlash. The Front Bottoms actually took that criticism to heart and went back to their more punk sound. They wanted to produce music that the fans would like without straying away too much from their brand. Do you know how rare that is? So instead of releasing a pop album, in 2017 they released Going Grey that sounded more like their 2013 release, Talon of The Hawk. I had really low hopes for this album but I was surprised with how truly good it was. It really seemed like The Front Bottoms are taking back their name in a genre that is kind of dead right now. Someone has to do it right?
Listen to “Tie Dye Dragon” here:
I can’t believe The Front Bottoms are releasing an album and an EP in little less than a few months apart. They are truly dedicated to their craft. The part that shocks me the most is just how good “Tie Dye Dragon” is. It really reminds me of what it was like to be a huge fan of them back in high school.
Overall, The Front Bottoms took their criticism from their album Back on Top and actually gave the fans what they wanted. Could you imagine if Blink 182 thought like this? They have been nothing but persistent this year to revive pop punk and I think they are onto something. Keep pushing yourselves guys, you’re definitely making a statement.