The Ataris “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits” (1999) Review

Before the band hit the charts, got MTV airplay, and the rest of the things that come with a mainstream release, The Ataris were playing pop-punk tunes for anyone who would pay attention. With their 1999 release, the band hits its stride, putting on a classic showcase of pop sensibility and punk edge, without compromise. “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits” is 14 tracks and 35-some odd minutes of music that really focuses on the angst of teenage heartache, and everyday life. Take them to be much like Mxpx and “Life In General” in terms of content. The band’s smooth sound really worked well and just leaned more toward pop than punk at times.

The pop hooks start with “Losing Streak”, move into “San Dimas High School Football Rules”, and, of course, a variety of melodies that make up a solid release from the Indiana group. Production-wise, this isn’t half bad on Kung Fu Records, and I’m surprised by the sound overall, with a heavy bass section, good guitar work, and drums that flow quite nicely. Overall, the record sounds as good as it did when it first came out in 1999. It’s a classic example of pop punk and holds up well even in today’s crowded marketplace. The Ataris really did a good job in putting together tracks for “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits”, and they are still catchy as hell today.

Mxpx “Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo” (1998) Review

The boys in Mxpx signed a major-label record contract while still under the Tooth & Nail Records banner. The two record labels would push the next record, and the band continued to put together punk rock songs that remained positive, without straying too far from their roots. That being said, “Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo” hits differently than the other records by the band. Up to this point in their career, the band had a polished sound with their “Life In General” fame, but would shift gears a little on this record.

“Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo” has less polish than their other records; you hear a lot more tone, without compromise. You don’t really get that over-polished bass and guitar tone; instead, it’s left with a little more treble, if you will. That makes for a clearer bass sound at times, and a distorted guitar that works well to complement it. Drums, of course, are pronounced, and good overall on this record, but you’re going to find that the fidelity is different.

According to their official Wiki page, Mike Herrera went on record saying the album wasn’t produced in a lab when discussing the production value of the band’s end result. Released in 1998, the band was heavily pushed with tours, including slots alongside Blink-182 and Bad Religion, to name a few. Overall, there are a lot of good songs on “Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo”, and it stays steady with Mike Herrera on vocals. It’s got a mix of melody, punk, and downright solid songwriting that will have you coming back to it for years and years.

The Backrooms (2026) Review

There are a variety of internet ideas floating around today that should not work as movies, and that is exactly what I thought going into “The Backrooms” 2026. At first glance, I wasn’t sure what to think, but I settled into my seat this weekend and went for it.

The story of “The Backrooms” focuses on a doorway inside a furniture store. From there, the movie moves into a strange world behind the wall. Inside the wall is a backroom with furniture, then more hallways, all with yellow walls and buzzing lights. This is out of place, but unsettling at the same time. You are not lost in the woods, you are not in a haunted house, but there is a nightmare landscape that comes through, not knowing how far something goes, and just keeps morphing into another place where you get lost and panic.

Atmosphere is the name of the game with “The Backrooms”. You are going to find yourself immersed in uncomfortable silence, buzzing, and other visually enticing elements. You eat your popcorn, you don’t think much at first, then a dread from the unknown and something that cannot be explained emerges. The rooms are designed to make you dizzy, with an ominous feel and a length that seems to go on forever.

The movie has some slow parts. Some viewers will give up on it, especially if you’re looking for cliché horror movie tropes. There aren’t many jump scares; no monsters are flying across the screen all the time, and the dread comes from mood and unexplained moments. The strength of the movie truly relies on whether or not you’re patient enough to make it through to the end.

I gotta give it to Chiwetel Ejiofor, his performance is great. Mark Duplass adds a bit of a human element, too, and Renate Reinsve gives a good performance as well. There is a nightmare within a nightmare, and an explanation that leaves you a little unnerved. That notion of “what if”? Comes to mind, and doesn’t leave you without forcing you to reflect on what you just saw.

Overall, “The Backrooms” is an interesting horror movie. It is not a scare fest in the traditional sense, but it is slow-moving with purpose. It unravels slowly, but it comes at you full force in the final acts. The final act will grab you, and while it’s not a gorefest, it has atmosphere like “The Shining” and is truly unnerving in its quiet, alluring moments of exploration. I recommend it greatly; it gets 4 out of 5 stars easily.

AFI “Bodies” (2021) Review

AFI “Bodies” Review: A Brooding, Synth-Driven Turn from Their Punk Roots

In this AFI Bodies review, I look at how the 2021 album moves away from the band’s hardcore punk roots and into a darker, synth-heavy alternative rock sound. AFI is not the band that you remember from their hardcore punk days. If “Bodies” is your first introduction to their current body of work, you’ll be sour fast. This record is nothing like the fast-paced, frenetic punk rockers that broke the mold previously. What you are left with now is a more brooding, Cure meets Adam Ant meets Misfits with a little polish. The themes are ever there, loss, life, love, death, and the like, but you’ll find the music to be a little less hardcore than previous releases.

That is not to say that “Bodies” is a bad record. On the contrary, it’s an eclectic record that mixes rock and much more. This is especially heard on tracks with heavy synth elements, like “Escape From Los Angeles”, and on bass lines that come through nicely, like those of “Dulceria” and “Begging For Trouble”. There’s not a lot of screaming, there’s not a lot of gusto on this record, but it’s not bad by any means.

AFI manages to create a record that bridges the gap between their previous recordings and offers an interesting mix of sounds. It’s not hardcore, it’s not too heavy, it’s as though the Cure had a brother that got into keyboards. That’s about as good as I can describe the music. It’s not quite punk, it’s not quite alternative, it’s not goth, it’s just AFI. It has some great notes, catchy rhythms, and, well, it works. “Bodies” works on a level that I didn’t think it would, and has me hooked. It’ll catch you off guard, and will no doubt be a record you spin many times over.