Bowling for Soup, with American Hi-Fi and the Riddlin Kids

Here's a band that's a cluster of contradictions. It's called Bowling for Soup, but the members are admittedly terrible bowlers and not big fans of soup. It's a punk band, but it was nominated for the "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group" Grammy in 2003. It's made up of musicians who've also appeared in two movies (one of which was the Britney Spears vehicle Crossroads). And it hails from (of all places) Wichita Falls but sounds straight out of Orange County. Despite their inconsistencies, Bowling for Soup's Christopher Van Malmsteen, Erik Rodham Clinton, Gary Wiseass and Jaret Von Erich know how to craft cartoon punk in the vein of the Dickies and the Vandals. Their Grammy-nominated song, "Girl All the Bad Guys Want," may be the catchiest pop-punk tune ever penned, and their new album, A Hangover You Don't Deserve, shows a leap of growth (but not necessarily maturity) for the band, thanks in part to members of Fastball, Nerf Herder, Sugar Ray and the Nixons, all of whom contributed to the songwriting and production. "If you want to smile and have a good time and think about chicks and beer, this is your album," says Von Erich. Sounds like a sweet hangover to us.