PunchlineModern Short Stories

Pop-punk gets a bad rap from critics for being trite, uncreative, and a litany of other unmentionables. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania\'s Punchline shatter that mold and offer much more than the expected diet of pixie stick choruses and jawbreaking three-chord guitar riffs. Singer and guitarist Steve Soboslai, bassist Chris Fafalios, drummer P.J. Caruso, and second guitarist Jon Belan are four friends from high school; no major label or management company assembled this rock outfit. Since the band started in 1997, Punchline have sold over 100,000 albums worldwide and toured in six countries. Belan, the newest member of the band, doubles as the pianist for the band, adding a new dimension to Punchline\'s sound. He joined after the release of their last album, 37 Everywhere. \"Jon\'s piano skills have helped us be just what we want to be,\" Soboslai explains.

After three releases on Fueled by Ramen, Punchline was ready to try something new. Soboslai remarks, “We ran our course with Fueled By Ramen. As a band, we saw an opportunity to explore unmarked territory and we took it.” Punchline was able to self-finance their newest record, Just Say Yes, after winning a $25,000 grand prize from a video contest through Heavy.com. They won by a landslide. According to the press release announcing the winner, Punchline\'s band-posted videos were viewed over 1,100,000 times in four months. \"We owe it all to our hardcore fans - they will do anything for us, and it\'s incredible.\"

Channeling their fan support and anything-is-possible attitude, Punchline turned to Jamie Woolford (Hit the Lights, The Format) and Sean O\'Keefe (Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights, Plain White T\'s) to produce Just Say Yes. Woolford produced the more rock songs on the record while O\'Keefe handled what the band calls the more eclectic songs. O’Keefe’s excitement about Punchline’s new direction reaffirmed the band’s belief that this path was worth further exploring. They started their own label, Modern Short Stories, to release Just Say Yes. \"This album is better in every aspect and I credit that to it being on our own terms.\"
\"I believe that every song is a short story that varies in how well it is told,\" he remarks. “Just Say Yes is a story with a matching soundtrack.” The diverse brushstrokes on this album feature some sharp pop leanings that will initially throw longtime fans for a loop. With guest vocals from producer Jamie Woolford, \"Somewhere in the Dark\" is the result of a one-night stand between Ben Folds and Fountains of Wayne; meanwhile, the shamelessly-titled \"The Hit\" rocks as hard as anything the band has ever done. \"Maybe I\'m Wrong\" is \"gaining the power to bring things back from your dreams, like a pine cone or a person\" explains Soboslai. The laid-back tempo of the song helps paint a vivid soundscape. From the O\'Keefe-produced songs, the album closer, \"Castaway,\" is an ethereal ballad eloquently described as \"the best Punchline song ever written.\"

With the release of Punchline\'s fourth full-length album, Just Say Yes, the vocalist states, \"This is what we were meant to do. After being together for ten years, we’ve finally conquered the struggle between man and guitar. It feels exactly as it should – just perfect.” Just Say Yes is full of surprises that reveal Punchline\'s venture down a new path. They\'ve lost none of the pop-punk appeal their fans love but have gained a renewed sense of direction, refined their songwriting, and have put out easily the most eclectic and creative album of their career. At the end of the day, the past, present, and future of Punchline is certainly a story that needs to be told.

Links

• www.myspace.com/punchline