Punk Isn't Dead, You're Just Not Looking Hard Enough

We're in a much different world today than we were back in the early 2000's. Culture identities, social life, politics, brands, and music have all taken twists and turns in the past 20 years or so. Back in punk's glory days, bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, Sum-41, Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday, and many more were selling out arenas, getting air time on radio stations, and bringing out the inner emo in us every second they could.

Now, we don't see that. Rap, trap, and pop music have taken the center stage, consuming listeners and littering social media to cave into their music and purchase their records. You can't go anywhere without getting an update on Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, or Rihanna on any social media platform, radio station, or television network you may stumble upon.

It may seem like punk rock/pop punk has just disappeared with age. However, I'm here to tell you otherwise.

Punk is still here, believe it or not! It's just been lurking in the shadows. All of the aforementioned bands, are still kicking it right now! Let's list what all of our favorite punks have been up to:

Blink-182:

The pop punk phenomena such as Blink-182 has resurfaced with new lead guitarist and singer Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, after former guitarist Tom DeLonge left the band in early 2015. With such a bitter departure, the band made the most of it by releasing 2016's California, which debuted as number one in the United States with its hit single, "Bored To Death." The guys didn't want the fun to end, so they released a deluxe version of California in 2017, and are planning to release another album in either late 2018 or early 2019.

Alkaline Trio:

AK3 have been off the radar since their hit album My Shame Is True back in 2013, but they're getting back on the horse this year! Releasing August 31, the bands' ninth studio album, Is This Thing Cursed, is a fantastic piece of work for punk's past. With a gloomy, cynical, and devilish style of lyricism performed by Matt Skiba, we're all in for a treat. Even after 20 years of being pissed off, Skiba is still showing us what it means to be emo. They even released a single titled, "Blackbird", which you can listen to below.

"Blackbird"

Sum 41:

After falling off the radar after 2011's Screaming Bloody Murder, Sum 41 found a way to climb back to their roots and release a hit record in 2016 called 13 Voices, which didn't disappoint. Since the release, the boys have been touring almost nonstop, bringing fans, old and new, to venues all across the country. Rumor has it they're to work on another record soon, but it's all in speculation.

Green Day:

This band will never die. And I mean never. Green Day is one of the only punk rock bands that has kept it together conistently by, touring, releasing albums, and truly keeping the punk scene alive through their music. With 2016's Revolution Radio, which mixed a classic Green Day sound mixed in with a fresh art style, brought back what it meant to be apart of the scene again. It almost made you go back in time, some would say. Right now, you can still find their classics on the radio from time to time.

There may come a time where punk is going to find its end. However, after 20 years, we're still seeing bands formulating and taking the tiny spotlight punk has and making the most out of it. Right now, the pop punk heroes of younger generations are Real Friends, Neck Deep, Man Overboard, and a few underground bands making some noise here and there.

Don't always call something dead just because you don't see it right away. If you turn a corner, you might learn some new things and realize in a sense, not everything is as it seems.