The Bouncing Souls

The storied New Jersey punk and hardcore scene owes a major debt to The Bouncing Souls. Formed in 1989 in New Brunswick, the band—including cofounding vocalist Greg Attonito, guitarist Pete Steinkopf, and bassist Bryan Kienlen—put the state’s music on the map by favoring melodic anthems with heart-on-sleeve lyrics, played at speedy tempos. After dabbling in irreverent New Wave homages on their 1994 full-length debut, The Good, The Bad, And the Argyle, The Bouncing Souls hit their creative stride after signing to Epitaph Records in 1997. Brawny, ripping anthems like “True Believers” and “Hopeless Romantic” soon followed, as did stints on the Vans Warped Tour and well-received albums such as 2006’s The Gold Record. The Bouncing Souls maintain a busy touring and recording schedule, including releases such as 2020’s Volume 2, which found the band reworking older material with fresh eyes.