Forever the Sickest Kids / The Rocket Summer

I have to admit, some of their songs are terribly silly and make me feel terribly old and out of touch with new music, but it’s really hard to not crack a smile while listening to Dallas dance-pop act Forever the Sickest Kids. Yes, teen girls love this band. Yes, they did just release a song about dancing with a “hip-hop chick.” No, I can’t relate. Regardless, there’s always room for fun music to balance the music tackling the heavy topics, so long as the band isn’t comprised of shitty dudes. As far as I know, these kids meet the criteria. More on the serious side, the Rocket Summer will still put a smile on your face with their brand of piano and guitar-driven melodic pop. Frontman Bryce Avary seems like a generally wholesome dude who is also generally unfazed by being in a scene dominated by egomaniacs and attention whores … meaning that bright and sunny exterior is likely a façade to hide the meat locker on his tour bus where he stores dead bodies. I swear, it’s the only way I can logically rationalize witnessing Avary still being all smiles during the Florida stretch of the 2007 Vans Warped Tour. - Brien Overly