The Bouncing Souls

The Bouncing Souls

The Bouncing Souls are an American punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, active since 1988. The group’s line-up includes Greg Attonito, Bryan Kienlen, Pete Steinkopf, Michael McDermott, George Rebelo and Shal Khichi. They are associated with pop punk and punk, and their early work also draws on hardcore and a wider range of punk-related styles.

Career

The band forms in New Brunswick in the late 1980s and helps revive a fast, light-hearted “pogo” style within the New Jersey punk scene. Their early material mixes punk with funk, metal and other influences, while their live performances gain a reputation for energy. In contrast, their early recordings have a more rough-edged, amateur feel. Over time, they narrow their sound into a more defined version of punk and become one of the better-known bands in the scene.

They build their following through regular touring across the United States and become one of the longest-running and best-selling punk bands from New Jersey. Their career also connects them to earlier New Jersey punk acts such as Adrenalin OD and the Misfits.

Record labels and releases

The band first establishes its own label, Chunksaah Records, named after their long-time friend Timmy Chunks, rather than signing immediately to a major independent label. Their later releases appear on Epitaph Records.

Their studio albums include The Good, The Bad & The Argyle, Maniacal Laughter, Bouncing Souls, Hopeless Romantic, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Anchors Aweigh, The Gold Record, Ghosts on the Boardwalk and Comet. They also release the compilation The Bad the Worse and the Out of Print, the live album Live, the split BYO Split Series, Vol. 4 with Anti-Flag, and EPs including The Greenball Crew, Tie One On, Fight to Live and Gone. Their video releases include Do You Remember? 15 Years of the Bouncing Souls and Live at the Glasshouse.