H2O makes music for people who like their punk rock smart and at lightening speed. On their recent release, F.T.T.W. (Epitaph), the band covers topics such as poverty ("Empty Pockets"), social injustice ("Guilty by Association") and cultural diversity ("Can I Overcome") – all delivered with manic energy, just short of chaos. Instead of using mere eighth notes, H2O seems to delve into smaller fractions, creating music that rolls along like a locomotive headed for a fatal crash.

Thought-provoking lyrics aren't the only signs of intelligent life within the band. H2O cleverly plays with word associations throughout the new release. For instance, the album title, "F.T.T.W.", doesn't merely stand for the first track, "Faster Than the World." The initials can also be interpreted as "Following Thicker Than Water" (the name of their sophomore release, "Thicker Than Water") or "Finally Taste the Water," just another twist on the band's name. Two other songs on the album, "Found the Truth Within" and "Follow the Three Way" also share the title's initials.

Associations appear to amuse the band, from the alphabet to arithmetic. For instance, the number "3" is quite symbolic to them – this being their third album. The connections the band comes up with are endless: The number of characters in the band's name is one. H2O's hyperactive, tattooed, straightedge vegan phone-aholic lead vocalist Toby Morse eagerly points out a few others. "My brother [guitarist Todd] and I are three years apart. H2O is the third band we've all been in except me. We even recorded our first album in three days." Can't forget to mention that they're releasing their third album in May, "the only month with three letters," Morse notes. Of course, it's only fitting that they kick off the album release with a triumvirate of shows, scheduled along the East Coast this May. The finale and hometown show takes place at Tramps in New York City on May 30th. Did I mention the limited edition three-song vinyl 7-inch available in three colors that will be given away at the show?

If you can't make it to the final release party, not to worry, the band will be featured in this summer's Warped Tour. Or you can always pick up the CD which boasts several star-studded guests including Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Agnostic Front's Roger Miret, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' Dicky Barrett, among others. The recording process even managed to get Epitaph's owner (producer and ex-Bad Religion guitarist) Brett Gurewitz back into the studio for the first time in a year.

The Bouncing Souls

Also out with a new release this month and taking the stage at the Van's Warped Tour this summer are the Bouncing Souls. It takes a brave punk band to name their CD "Hopeless Romantic" but that's just what the Bouncing Souls did, and with just enough energy and polish to pull it off. With omnipresent guitars turned high, a rock-steady bass cranking out against a wall of solid, well-executed drums, the Bouncing Souls deliver punk with panache.

On the CD, the Souls make a concerted effort to dispute the stereotypical image of punk. Their message: A punk is just your average "hopeless romantic," like the next guy. In other words, people with tattoos, piercings, spiked green hair and worn-out sneakers have feelings too. In this vein, the band breaks from their genre on occasion, slowing the beat down on a song here, adding a different tempo and some pleasant vocals there (the duet with Kara Weathington on "Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)" is a fine example). Ultimately making for a diverse and yet highly danceable mix of pop-flavored punk rock, whether it's pogoing or moshing.

The material centers more on spirit and youthful vitality than on topics of anger. Girls, jukeboxes, bars and booze factor prominently into the lyrics. Vocalist Greg Attonito and bassist Bryan Kienlen note, "People feel like there's a point where you have to become an adult – like in the Breakfast Club – when you get old your heart dies. That's what [the album is] all about – not letting your heart die. Kids today, they don't have John Hughes but they have the Bouncing Souls." Along these lines, much of the music has a light-hearted attitude. The band seems to be laughing at society – and themselves – quite a bit. "We have this way of writing songs where all four of us contribute a verse… Take your suffering, write it into a song and turn it into a joke – that's the Souls."

The band recently kicked off the CD with a sold-out record release party at Tramps in New York City and will be taking their new (and old) tunes on the road across the US for the rest of the year.

May 1999

Coverage of the Vans Warped Tour 1999