Mind Equals Blown

3 Of The Week: (6/14/11)

This week we have decided to honor our featured band of the month even further than they already have been honored with a special 3 Of The Week marking the official release of their third full-length record Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing. It’s no mistake that this band has risen to maximum popularity amongst angsty teens as well as fed up twenty-somethings across the nation. With their incredible ability to write fresh, entertaining songs with hooky guitars, advanced drums and above all, perfectly real lyrics, June’s featured band is one that has cemented their place in the scene as well as their place in my (and many others’) stereos. So without further adieu it’s time to introduce to you the three essential songs for people to listen to from our current band of the month, The Wonder Years.

1. “You’re Not Salinger. Get Over It.”

From a very important EP in The Wonder Years’ careers that bridged the gap between the mindless song-writings that the band used to produce to the amazing product that we are witnessing now, “Salinger” proves to be a classic Wonder Years track. Full of near-frighteningly perfect one-liners such as “Chin up, and we’ll drown a little slower” and “My friends and I, we’re all fucked on the inside, but we don’t let it ruin our lives,” “Salinger” is a great example of a song that is as kick-ass as ever when played at home but thrives immensely when delivered live; a perfect example of the beginning of The Wonder Years’ attack on the pop-punk community.

2. “My Last Semester”

The song that started it all. The Wonder Years’ trademark phrase “I’m not sad anymore” was first introduced in this very song. Being the first track off of their breakout album The Upsides, the aforementioned phrase is the very first line of the song and introduces the most positive pop-punk album in decades in a near-perfect way. Telling the story of how pathetic and fake a lot of the people will be in college, vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell belts aloud lines like “I don’t make sense to anyone but my best friends.” The song is an instant hit as it drags the listener in to the uplifting journey that is The Upsides.

3. “And Now I’m Nothing”

When I first heard The Wonder Years’ new album, I was shocked. I knew that they would be able to top what they had accomplished on The Upsides but I had no idea that they could take their established sound to whole new heights, and the final track from that album, titled “And Now I’m Nothing,” makes this band’s mark in the pop-punk history books permanent. This song will presently be one to answer the question “So how far exactly have The Wonder Years come?” Included in this song is everything anyone could possibly love about a song. From the delightful riff to introduce the song to the enormous heartfelt outro, this song is huge and I’m just not going to waste any more of your time and allow you to listen to the beauty of this song undisturbed.

Be sure to check out The Wonder Years’ new album Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing. In stores now!