SUGARCULT - Lights Out Review

For the past dozen or so years, pop punk has been mostly a series of one-night stands: cheap, meaningless singles with little to no substance. They're good for a quick thrill, but, after getting dressed the next morning and leaving cab fare on the nightstand, you're left just as lonely, as before....full text Sugarcult's third album Lights Out is diced up with strands of melodic pop chained to hammering hard rock; a thoroughly modern record, though it ropes in many of the classic rock giant sounds of the Pacific Northwest, such as those of Queensryche and Heart. However, the four members of Sugarcult are from southern California....full text Though these SoCal pop punks sneaked onto MTV with their 2004 single "Memory," the hard-partying reputation they earned after the song's success was far from teen-friendly. On Lights Out, frontman Tim Pagnotta keeps the party raging with lyrics about benders and one-night stands, while his bandmates deliver a likable mix of new-wave guitars and brawny hard-rock riffs that'll sound perfect if you ever find yourself stuck on Sunset Boulevard in Friday night traffic....full text