Monday, June 22, 2009

Teen Idols - "Old Days, Old Ways" 7"


Teen Idols are easily one of Nashville's most successful punk bands, and maybe one of the only to actually outgrow this town. Of course, being a successful punk rock band really only amounts to so much, and pretty much no one I know around these parts now has no idea who they are/were. Still, this success is pretty well documented online. Much unlike 99% of the bands I feature on here, there’s no shortage of info on the Teen Idols. They even have their on Wikipedia page.

Musically, they played speedy, poppy punk rock that was heavy on harmonies and took strong influence the 1950’s both sonically and aesthetically, sporting leather jackets, pompadours, and vintage microphones during their shows.

The band had a ton of lineup changes in their time with the only constant being the group's mastermind, Phillip Hill. Hill is an extremely talented guy with a background in the technical side of things. He eventually found himself more useful and successful behind the scenes producing and playing with the likes of Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Screeching Weasel, The Independents, Common Rider, Even in Blackouts and The Queers.

Teen Idols went on to release stuff on Honest Don's and Fueled by Ramen (where fellow Nashvillian's Paramore would find success many years later), but this record here is their very first, released on Nashville's own House O'Pain Records.

According to their Wiki page, the band has gotten back together and signed with Fat Wreck Chords. Their Myspace page confirms at least a bit of this with quite a few shows booked around the Midwest and Northeast.

5 comments:

Fat Jay Kaos said...

Wow... It's like you stole into the dark recesses of my brain and found all the great music I forgot I used to love. Wait a minute, aren't you the one I sold all my records to in the first place? Dammit!

Anyway I remember seeing the Teen Idols, the Peeps and some other bands in Huntsville at the Grapefruit Ball way back in 1995 - I still have pictures somewhere.

And places like Tip Top, Gorin's, the Cheese Factory, 19th Hole, Bandito, J Gregory's and Big Ed's were still around.

Plus cheap booze, hot chicks, sharpies, spraypaint, zines, boots, lots of metal and setting things on fire... ah, good times.


And then I grew up.

What a bunch of suck.


I guess I don't reminisce enough though 'cause the 90s kind of rocked!

The Fall Of Mr. Fifths said...

This is a great post. Any chance you would have any more 7'' by the Teen Idols you could post?

Seth Graves said...

i have the split with Mulligan Stu i'm ws planning to post soon, but that's about it.

unfortunately, i haven't been able to track down the Nightmares 7" as of yet, but i'm keeping an eye out.

there are two comps posted below with Teen Idols tracks on them as well.

wesrob said...

I'm pretty sure I have the Nightmares and Let's Make Noise 7"s somewhere. Let me see if I can dig them up.

Ducky said...

Wes White used to be my roommate in Hermitage, TN. I always meant to swipe this record from him.