The Mopes are a fine pop-punk offering from Berkeley's great Lookout! Records. Though the band members have mentioned that they don't want The Mopes to be considered in the light of their previous accomplishments, it's impossible to ignore their impressive lineage, including The Queers, Screeching Weasel, and The Riverdales. Yep, The Mopes are a veritable all-star band. Their songs are tuneful and tough, sometimes lovelorn and sometimes goofy, always very, very catchy. Interestingly, there's a bit more of a '60s R&B/garage feel to The Mopes' sound than your average pop-punk fare, which nicely complements the hard-driving backbeat and fat, chugging guitars.

The Mopes got started when singer/guitarist Dan Vapid (Screeching Weasel, Riverdales) and bassist B-Face (Queers) wrote some silly songs together to pass time on the road. Little did they know that those songs were the makings of a band. But a few years later they recruited drummer Dan Lumley (Squirtgun, Screeching Weasel) and guitarist Jughead Pierson (Screeching Weasel). The quartet rendezvoused in Lafayette, Indiana in 1999 to record their first album, Accident Waiting to Happen, which features "Baby Doll."

Jesse Ashlock

last updated: 08/29/01

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