Front Bottoms, The - The Front Bottoms - Vinyl Record

The 10's may be long gone, but The Front Bottoms are keeping the spirit of punk alive with their unique blend of acoustic guitar and indie-rock dance grooves. With hints of Springsteen-like keyboard lines (although they may deny it), The Front Bottoms' music is filled with hooks and anthemic lyrics that are both confessional and inspiring. Their sound is reminiscent of Neil Young through the lens of Green Day, with a touch of Replacements thrown in for good measure. Like Boston suburb natives Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Front Bottoms are representing their home county of Bergen, NJ with their richly melodic songs and effortless riffs. For example, in the catchy "Maps", the song starts with a Sex Pistols-inspired riff, then transitions into a dramatic keyboard flourish before continuing into a verse with a surprise hillbilly hiccup in the vocals. All of this leads up to a synth-heavy chorus that will leave you pondering the lyrics for days.