BEST OF THE DECADE

3. 3 Prong Outlet-Now...or Never (2003)

It saddens me to know I can't find any traces of this band through a Google search anymore. If you never heard of them, I'm not surprised. I think only people who are pretty close to me have any idea who they are. 3 Prong Outlet was a small band from Catonsville, Maryland that no one really got a chance to discover. They were around from about 1998 till 2003 or 2004. They released three full lengths and an EP/Demo before breaking up. This was their last record and I bought it as soon as it came out. I was so excited in high school, I felt like that cool kid who knew about a band no one else knew about. The music itself is pop punk in it's purest form. I didn't have much to compare it to back then, because all I knew was Blink-182, but they sound very similar to Screeching Weasel and other Ramonescore bands. The lyrics are snotty, but at times actually rather thoughtful. Matt Pless, the song writer/guitar player/vocalist is still one of my all time favorite artists. Whether he's singing about blowing up his school or just being plain depressed he is amazing. I think I can blame this record for how I am now. It made me realize that there is more to music then major labels and indie rock cred.