Top Three: No Bueno! (the no-good punk edition)

Punk rock is a genre built on confrontation and conflict, so it’s no surprise that punks are more than ready to talk smack on one another to stir up some controversy and/or to start a subcultural dialogue. Taking potshots at obvious targets can be fairly amusing, too—just ask Matt Whitesides. The singer-guitarist for Denver band No Bueno! is a no-good punk himself, and in advance of his band’s CD-release show tomorrow night at the Toad Tavern, Whitesides gave The A.V. Club his top three of bands he’d, well, rather not call “punk.”

The All-American Rejects
Matt Whitesides: I saw them on the MTV Video Music Awards and [singer-bassist Tyson Ritter] was singing that one hit they have now. He was wearing a glitter half-shirt. I don’t know what that’s called, but it’s just… ugh. I saw a special with the lead singer, and he was at a bar. He was just walking around all arrogant. He was coming up to all these chicks, just belligerent drunk going, “Do you know I’m in a band called All-American Rejects?” He was the biggest asshole to everybody. He thought his shit didn’t stink. [Moans.] It was disgusting. We have a saying for guys like that: We call him a chad. 

Fall Out Boy
MW: It’s just too gimmicky and too bubbly. I love Blink-182. They’re one of my favorite bands. Fall Out Boy, though, they’re way too bubblegum for me. Although they’re really big and are selling a bunch of records, I don’t think people are paying much attention to what direction the band is going on. They’re pretty much a scenester group. 

Good Charlotte
MW: If you just look at them, you’d think they’d be in a gutter-punk band, then they come out playing cheesy music—I don’t think it’s even punk rock. I was like, “God, these guys look like they could be touring with the Clusterfux.” It’s just not good. I just don’t think they’re true to what they present themselves to be. The bands on this list don’t even write their own songs, that would be my guess. They have someone come in and produce them. I don’t think they’re really involved with their music like they should be. It doesn’t sound raw like Strung Out or Lagwagon. A lot of these bands are overproduced, so it doesn’t even sound like them live. That kind of kills it, too.