So You've Ruined Your Life

Get Set Go specialize in a style that is equal parts Weezer (their love of snappy guitar-driven pop) and the Violent Femmes (their quirky lyrics), as evidenced by their 2003 full-length debut, So You've Ruined Your Life. The group is essentially singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mike TV, who is joined by a revolving cast on-stage and in the studio — usually musicians who are part of their local Highland Park, CA, scene. While they've been known to also play largely acoustic-based tunes, So You've Ruined Your Life focuses on primarily melodic rock. Some may be quick to lump Get Set Go in with influx of pop-punk bands of the late '90s/early 21st century, there's certainly something more "left of center" about this lot, as evidenced by such song titles as "Jesus Christ Wore Leather," as well as such up-tempo standouts as "Twenty One," "One with the Numbers," and "VKFD (The Fire Truck Song)." While the majority of the album is an adrenaline rush, the group surprisingly opts to close the album on a mellow note, with "What I Love About You" (which includes some very interesting lyrics) and "Wait" (no, not a cover of the White Lion song of the same name). Get Set Go prove that not all pop-punk has to sound like Good Charlotte.