Pump Up The Valuum

If you trace the kind of bratty punk-rock that made Green Day and Blink-182 rich back to its roots, you’ll find ageless California punks NOFX standing there, probably giving you the finger. Armed with dirty minds, anti-establishment attitudes, great ears for melody, and seemingly inexhaustible energy, the band established their blistering formula more than 15 years ago, and their latest opus doesn’t find them straying too far from it. Displaying little of the ska, reggae, and dub they’ve touched on in the past, Pump Up The Valuum focuses on the house specialty: high-velocity, slash-and-burn guitar blitzkriegs, seasoned with a snide sense of humor. “What’s The Matter With Parents Today” is a hilarious rant about lead singer Fat Mike’s parents being cooler than he is, while the relatively self-explanatory “My Vagina” is proof positive that NOFX haven’t grown up much over the past decade and a half. Thank God for that.