In the late '90s and early '00s, Long Island act the Movielife seemed to be the official band for tough, tattooed dudes in the mood for a little melody.
The group borrowed from melodic hardcore while weaving that style into melodic, sing-along pop-punk. And for several years, the band played notoriously participatory shows before finally breaking up in 2003. Then after a brief stint in Head Automatica, a dance-rock outfit made up mostly of hardcore alumni, former Movielife singer Vinnie Caruana started another project, I Am the Avalanche.
Though he's now based in Brooklyn, Caruana hasn't gotten all artsy. Instead, his new five-piece continues to do what he always did best: punk-fueled power rock with big pop hooks.