Punchline – So Nice To Meet You

Release Date – January 3, 2012

Record Label – Modern Short Stories

Formed back in 1998, Punchline has been creating a following of very devoted fans for 14 whole years. After 4 full length releases, it was time for some new music from the Pittsburgh quartet. Punchline began recording their album with the idea for it to be a full length, but last minute they cut it short and decided to release it as an EP, thus came So Nice to Meet You; written, produced, and released through their self-ran record label, Modern Short Stories.

Let’s flip back a few weeks and go from there. Punchline had announced that they would be releasing an EP titled So Nice To Meet You on Tuesday January 3, 2012 at midnight on iTunes. Bassist, Chris Fafalios announced that if as a band Punchline did not hit number 1 overall on the iTunes chart that he would be putting his bass down forever. This YouTube video of his announcement got so much feedback, both positive and negative. Think what you want, but he was taking a stand for what he believed in, his band. Finally, midnight on January 3 rolled around with hundreds of people waiting by their computer for So Nice To Meet You to pop up, but an unfortunate circumstance pushed back their plans. There were some problems with iTunes, and the EP did not pop up until over 15 hours after expected. Once it appeared, of course all the diehard fans went hog wild not only purchasing So Nice To Meet You for themselves, but also gifting it to anyone who would listen. Hitting number one is a very huge goal to set for such a small town band, but even if they hit it for just a minute it would have meant that Punchline hit their goal. It was extremely moving seeing  PUNCHLINE pop up on the top charts and seeing all the tweets counting down every time they hit a different slot closer to number one. They ended up moving up to number 7 overall and NUMBER ONE on the rock charts passing bands and artists like Metallica, Nickelback, and Adele.

The following night on Fox, lead singer Steve Soboslai was on the season premiere of Mobbed exposing his love life for all of America to see. It was a very emotional and nerve wrecking episode, but in the end he got his girl and made millions of views cry their little hearts out; happy tears of course!

Now let’s move on to the EP So Nice To Meet You. This five song EP is clearly devoted to the love of his life, Dana. There is nothing better than a good love song, let alone five. “Universe” is not only the first song, but also their first single off of the new release. This song is lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally beautiful. Their lyrics are always witty, funny, and meaningful and of course So Nice To Meet You displays these three attributes wonderfully. “Everything I Wanted” is quirky and definitely a song that I can see people rocking out into their cars, no matter what their age may be. “I Swear I’ve Been Here Before” is easily my favorite song off of So Nice To Meet You, especially when the chorus kicks in. The different instrumental sounds found throughout the song with a mix of duel vocals take the song to the next level. “Very Nervous System” has the most pop influence on the EP and is such a fun and upbeat song. I’m not sure how someone could not like this song. Remaking a classic song like “I Want You To Want Me” is a great way to get a diverse group of listeners. This was the song that was played on Mobbed, so there were millions of viewers that were exposed to this song from the show. Punchline’s version of “I Want You To Want Me” really turned out amazing; they kept a Cheap Trick feel, but put their Punchline twist on it and the outcome was nothing short of perfect.  I love that there is a story from the beginning to the end of the EP that viewers can follow. These guys put out flawless album after album, and they don’t get nearly enough credit for their extreme level of talent.

Punchline is moving up in the world of music, and that is clear from their presence as number 1 on the iTunes rock charts. I have never seen such a devoted group of guys who love what they do, and their fans, as much as Punchline. After 14 years, most bands throw in the towel and give up on their music for many different reasons, but this is one band that stays true to who they are and just keep making bigger goals to hit. It truly is small town bands like Punchline that deserve so much more recognition for their music then they actually get.