From October 26th to November 2nd WUSC will be having it’s biannual fundraiser week. This week listeners can call in and donate, mail in a check, or submit an online donation. WUSC is entirely listener-supported and fundraiser week is the only time we ask for support. All donations go towards the operations of the student run college station, from equipment costs to executive staff paychecks to printing fees. Each time fundraiser week rolls around we are given the opportunity to spruce up our shows and do things a little bit out of the box. In the several semesters I have done a pop punk specialty show it has become tradition to feature a mixture of all of the Fearless Records “Punk Goes..” collections. This year a brand new Punk Goes Pop album was released, which only seems fitting to dive head first into fundraiser week.
In 2002 the highly recognized independent label Fearless Records released the very first Punk Goes Pop album. These albums consist of a range of smaller named all covering top 40 radio hits. These bands range from pop punk, to alternative emo, to post hardcore. This idea allowed for fans to hear their favorite indie band covering their favorite radio hit. The first album had bands such as Yellowcard, The Starting Line and Further Seems Forever covering songs such as “Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync. I have always loved this concept and it was widely accepted by fans in both scenes. It also allowed for bands to gain more recognition due to the popularity of the songs they were covering.
Shortly after the release of Punk Goes Pop Fearless Records took the idea and ran with it. Punk Goes Acoustic came out next, featuring an album full of acoustic versions from the bands in the scene. Crowd pleasers such as “Jasey Rae” by All Time Low, “Cute without the E” by Taking Back Sunday and “Three Cheers for Five Years” by Mayday Parade became very popular in their acoustic form. It wasn’t long before Fearless was spitting out album after album including ones such as Punk Goes Classic, Punk Goes 90’s, Punk Goes Christmas and many more. Fearless Records has put out sixteen albums in the “Punk Goes…” collection and has worked with over 100 bands in the process.
This week I will be playing a mix of all of the “Punk Goes…” collection from hits from 2015 to hits of the 80’s all covered by your favorite underground bands. Look out for covers such as Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”, to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” to Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” with just a little extra guitar, more whiny vocals, and perhaps a scream or two. Tune into 90.5 or wusc.sc.edu Wednesday’s from 2-4pm for “It’s All Happening!”
DIGGING THIS.