MUSIC HISTORY CLASS: Sticks and Stones

History Lesson

On this day in 2002, pop-punk institution, New Found Glory, released their third album, Sticks and Stones. Described by Rolling Stone magazine as “just generic kiddie fodder,” Sticks and Stones broke the Coral Springs, Florida quintet into the mainstream. Featuring such abiding Scene hits as “My Friends Over You” and “Head on Collision,” Sticks and Stones was “upstreamed,” or transition from a smaller label to a major label, due to its commercial success. The record was released via Drive-Thru Records and MCA Records and was produced by famed boardman, Neal Avron (Disturbed, Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy). ​Sticks and Stones helped to legitimize New Found Glory in the eyes of both the Warped Tour crowd and the larger pop-punk scene in general (a guest appearance by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus on “Something I Call Personality” helps too).

Many consider New Found Glory’s Sticks and Stones one of the greatest pop-punk releases of all time. Although when it was originally released, many mainstream critics (such as the aforementioned Rolling Stone) lambasted the record, particularly for its formulaic writing approach and singer Jordan Pundik’s nasally vocal delivery. Never the less, Sticks and Stones was certified Gold and is still a Scene favorite. Many of the song’s lyrics and song-titles have been the inspiration for numerous pop-punk band names since. And is there a greater honor for a band than that?

Written by Michael Meeze (follow him on Twitter)

Michael McCarron
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