10 Bands to see at Warped 2009

The Bouncing Souls have been celebrating 2009, their 20th year as a band, by releasing a new song every month. That simply means that the Souls will be following up what was one of the best sets at last year’s Warped Tour with a set that offers up the opportunity for even more music. Hopefully, that won’t preclude the appearance of another acoustic Misfits cover this year.

A relative newcomer to the hardcore scene, the UK-based band has wasted no time punching their own solid position in the scene with their tight heavy music and raw explosive live acts. Last year, they blew the crowds away on the Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos, earning themselves a headlining set on the full run of the Warped Tour this year. If previous experiences hold any sway, expect to see frontman Frank Carter in the crowd as often as he’s onstage.

They’re crude, sarcastic and sometimes outright mean, but that’s the entire reason that NOFX is so entertaining. A long-standing tradition on many a Warped Tour, you can pretty much guarantee that whichever particular antic Fat Mike decides to pull during his set in your town, it’s one you’ll want to see. The fact that their music is also great is simply gravy.

A Boston-based ska band, Westbound Train is seriously old school. Rather than the third wave ska that’s become the norm in the states, Westbound Train reaches back to its rocksteady roots, evoking memories of reggae-heavy ska pioneers like the Specials.

P.O.S. (Stefon Alexander) is a rapper for the punks. His early musical roots lie in punk rock, and his punk influences are heavy throughout his music, from his samples to his bass beats and guitars that underlie his tight rhyming. Even punks who don’t like hip hop will get into P.O.S. genre-defying sound.

Fronted by Tatiana DeMaria, London’s TAT plays simple no-nonsense punk rock with a raw, honest sound and big piles of pleasant guitar hooks. DeMaria also boasts a charisma that, combined with the true credibility of her music, will elevate her to a status above the Hayleys, Katys and Avrils that seem to become the girl flavor of the year on the Warped Tour stage.

Another band of longtime Warped Tour veterans, Less Than Jake is one more sure thing for the Warped Tour this year. Addictive, danceable ska punk underneath some of the best punk songwriting ever makes it that way. Add in the point that their live shows are never typical and always one-of-a-kind, and the LTJ set is one that you won’t want to miss, now or ever.

A testimony to the DIY mentality of the interwebs, I Set My Friends on Fire saw a fast rise in popularity when the two friends did a screamo cover of Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat" and posted it to MySpace. Not too long later, they have a slot on the Warped Tour. This set will either be one of the most funny, most inspirational or most painful to see. Odds are, there will be no middle ground.

Blue-collar punk rock is more often an East Coast sound than a West Coast, but Longway pay that point no mind. The guys are just a bunch of tattooed California punks who play passionate street punk with a hint of rockabilly. This summer marks their second full run on Warped (they were the Warped Tour BBQ Band last year, so if you missed them last year, you probably won’t want to repeat it this time around.

If your idea of emotional hardcore involves a lot of sniveling youngsters screaming about relationships gone bad, you’ll want to avoid Bayside’s set. But if you’re looking for often melancholy themes that are well-written, well-sung, and delivered with brooding intensity that still allows room for guitar hooks, you’ll want to see these guys. In a similar vein as Alkaline Trio, Bayside plays what can be described as emo for the thinking man.