Special Coverage The Photo IssueThe Must List2008 Fall TV2008 Fall Movies2008 Fall Music

Where have all the pop-punks gone? With blink-182's demise and members of Good Charlotte and Sum 41 falling for Hilary and Avril, there's a Top 40 opening for the next hungry, hook-happy rock group. Enter Fall Out Boy, the Chicago four-piece who surprised everyone with a top 10 debut for their hummable From Under the Cork Tree. First single ''Sugar, We're Goin' Down'' just hit No. 1 on TRL, coinciding with a coheadlining stint on the Vans Warped Tour (through Aug. 15). Says singer-guitarist Patrick Stump, ''[We've never] been about goals, so this is a bit bizarre.''

Formed in 2001 from the remains of several Chi-town hardcore bands, the college dropouts exhibited their laissez-faire attitude when settling on a moniker — a character from The Simpsons — after a fan shouted it out at a gig. ''Maybe you shouldn't put that in there,'' says Stump. ''If Matt Groening's reading anything, [it's] EW.'' But more than their name, the band is infamous for their never-ending song titles. So what's the writer of tunes like ''I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)'' have to say for himself? Responds bassist-lyricist Pete Wentz: ''We write titles that fit the songs, whether it's one word or 87 words.'' Alert the Verbosity Police! We have another Fiona Apple on our hands.


Posted Jul 08, 2005 | Published in issue #829 Jul 15, 2005 | Order Article Reprints