Idolator

Alkaline Trio stuck out amongst their peers on Asian Man and Vagrant in the early '00s, and I had some friends who were really into the Chicago band back in college. They had big hooks, a speedy punk sound, and Matt Skiba screaming like Ian MacKaye if he wasn't above presenting himself as a broke, miserable drunk with girlfriend issues. I tuned out after Goddamnit and Maybe I'll Catch Fire, but it seemed like the band was continuing to entertain their cult and I was happy for everybody. Recent events, though, have been less than encouraging. To promote their upcoming major-label debut Agony And Irony, the band has appeared on The Hills, released a shoe with Nike named "Heart And Sole," and dropped "Help Me," the worst single I've heard from them yet. More »

One would think that RS' head honchos would have held the $25k-a-throw hooker story for pairing with the inevitable Ashley Alexandra Dupre cover, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.