Box Car Racer

Playing punk pop for teenagers hooked on MTV may inflate your bank account, but it doesn't do much for your credibility. Fortunately, Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, two-thirds of the multiplatinum crew, found a way around this quandary. The pair formed Box Car Racer and recorded this album, which strips back the gloss and brings on the noise. Referencing explosive hardcore groups like Fugazi and Refused, who encase their euphoric melodies with barbwire riffs and earsplitting rhythms, may sound like an ominous route. But while Box Car Racer songs like "Maybe I Don't" and "I Feel So" take on weightier subject matter than Blink-182's typical slapstick fare, it's ultimately not that big of a departure. The record was produced by Jerry Finn, who helmed Blink-182's last three albums, and features singer-bassist Mark Hoppus as a guest vocalist. --Aidin Vaziri

Box Car Racer Album: