It is no secret that I love the summer. But what’s lesser know is one of the main reasons. Yes, the nice weather and scantily clad women are lovely, but what’s really great about the summer is that it’s Punk Rock Sampler Season!
Yep, it’s around the beginning of the summer that some of the biggest labels in the (punk? Alternative? Post-hardcore? I never know what to call it) music business put out compilation CDs that showcase some of their best bands through album tracks, or unreleased gems. The best part of these samplers? They are usually free or around $5.
The granddaddy of these samplers that always signals the start of summer for me is the Warped Tour Compilation that is released just as the annual festival tour starts up every year. This year’s comp has just hit the shelves, and it’s a great mix tape for the start of the season.
What I like best about the Warped Tour comps is you get a wide variety of different bands (over 50 tracks!). There are some old favourites like Dropkick Murphys and Blink 182, but there are also a slew of bands I’ve never heard of like The Menzingers and Alesana. I have no idea what these guys sound like, but I’m stoked to find out. Toss in a few tracks by bands I know like Versa Emerge and Bring Me The Horizon, and you’ve got a pretty solid package.
This year it seems that times were a bit tough, so the comp is priced at $10.99. This is a bit more than it usually is, but it’s still over 50 bands, so it’s not that much of a price to ask.
All right, I’m off for round two at the Gym. Let’s see if I can get through all of disc one before I pass out.
