Mosh to the melodies

By Lina Lecaro

July 1, 2004 12 AM PT

Special to The Times

With sugary harmonies, wistful lyrics and just enough jagged riffs and furious bounce to rev up a mosh pit, New Found Glory epitomizes today’s kinder, gentler -- but no less vivacious -- punk attitude.

Cute and sensitive enough to turn the mall babes in pink-studded belts all dreamy-eyed (though lacking the pseudo-bad-boy appeal of, say, Good Charlotte), the Coral Springs, Fla., quintet exudes an average-dude vibe that attracts leaping lads in mohawks as well as the more easygoing emo set.

It’s a sound and style that’s helped NFG’s last two records -- 2002’s “Sticks and Stones,” now nearing platinum, and the follow-up “Catalyst,” which has sold 353,000 copies in six weeks on the charts -- soar from bubble-gum punk faves to radio and MTV mainstays. And though entering the pop stratosphere can often lead to a backlash for bands of this ilk, nobody seems to begrudge NFG its success.

“I swear, all we ever wanted to do was tour outside of Florida,” guitarist Chad Gilbert says on the phone from the East Coast as the band prepares to embark on the Vans Warped Tour, which hits the Southland this week. “When we started, our style of music wasn’t on MTV. It wasn’t cool, and it wasn’t popular. The only bands who were even kind of similar were Blink-182 and Green Day. But we don’t sound like those bands, even if people throw us in that category now.”

Gilbert comes from a hard-core background. He was the lead “screamer” of the heavy-hitting underground Florida combo Shai Hulud when in 1997 singer Jordan Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka and guitarist Steve Klein asked him to form a more melodic group (drummer Cyrus Bolooki joined soon after). Because of Gilbert’s background, they often played with much heavier bands, a situation that could have been daunting but, as Gilbert tells it, was surprisingly trouble-free: “The hard-core kids totally accepted us.”

After signing with underground label Eulogy Recordings in ‘98, NFG began to realize its dream of touring throughout the country, and though it once again found itself playing with a more thrash-style contingent (Eulogy was known for its hard-core roster), it continued to garner fans. Drive-Thru Records signed the band in ‘99, re-releasing its Eulogy discs, the EP “It’s All About the Girls” and the full-length “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which got exposure through a distribution deal with MCA Records.

“The first time we saw NFG was at a backyard pool party in Florida. From that moment, the band’s appeal was obvious to us,” says Stefanie Reines, co-owner of Drive-Thru. “It reaches far beyond pop-punk kids because of their insanely catchy choruses, melodic hooks and amazing, energetic and fun live shows.”

Eventually, MCA saw potential as well and picked up the group as one of its own full-fledged artists.

New Found Glory’s self-titled MCA release in 2000 did modestly well, and two years later “Sticks and Stones” spawned the group’s first real mega-hit, “My Friends Over You,” a tune for boys about choosing buddies over girls, featuring the video treatment that would become pop punk’s most recognizable setup, the “us and our crowd” clip.

“Catalyst” seeks to expand upon the band’s enthusiastic formula. It opens with a chaotic intro and features more metallic licks, some boppy ‘80s influences (the almost Cars-like “Failure’s Not Flattering”) and even string arrangements (the ballad “I Don’t Wanna Know”). Even their videos are more sophisticated, evidenced by the colorfully animated clip for their current single “All Downhill From Here.”

Still, the individual members, whose ages range from 23 to 26, aren’t trying to change too much. The lyrics are still emotive and straightforward in an adolescent way, and the onstage chemistry remains childlike and carefree.

Gilbert says playing live has always been what drives them, whether it be to 15 people in a Florida basement or to thousands at the Warped Tour, which they’ll play for the fifth time.

“They were one of the baby bands in the van,” recalls Warped founder Kevin Lyman, who’s kept in touch with the band ever since its first Warped gig in 1999. “Now they’re the big guys in buses. But they haven’t changed. They still put on a great show, and they’re still just really nice people.”

Catch ‘em

Sorting out some of the 60-plus bands on the Vans Warped Tour:

Hear them roar

Go Betty Go: The tour is no longer segregating female rockers, so you can check out these L.A. punk chicas and their lacerating guitar licks alongside the lads.

Not to mention: Juliette & the Licks, the Sounds, the Eyeliners and Die Hunns.

Dense and dynamic

Coheed & Cambria: Drenched in guitar and dripping with emotion, this quartet packs a powerful punch.

Not to mention: Thursday, Story of the

Year, 18 Visions.

They were punk when

you were on the playground

The Vandals: Bringing “oi to the world” for more than two decades, the SoCal quartet still keeps up with the kiddies in the hard-driving high jinks.

Not to mention: Bad Religion, NOFX, Bouncing Souls, Anti-Flag.

Bands you could take home

to meet Mom & Dad

Yellowcard: Unfailingly catchy songs