While most people would consider it an EP, Hard Luck by Austin-based pop-punk standouts Hoaxxers could easily qualify as an album. Out on Mom's Basement Records, it backs six new songs with the three tracks the band previously released as singles and comes on nifty 12" vinyl. Call it what you want, but I'm just going to call it first class pop-punk.
It blows my mind when I note that my history of writing about Charlie, Kye, and Tron as a musical trio dates back more than 20 years to the first Joe Jitsu EP. Yes, that was before YouTube and smartphones existed. Only the most cutting edge of folks had ventured into this new thing called social media. Now it's 2026, and these guys are still doing their thing — and unlike me, they've only improved with age. Hard Luck delivers six (or nine) tracks of tight, melody-driven pop-punk that perfectly balances smooth vocals with punchy guitars. Hoaxxers are part of this whole wave of Xennial pop-punk bands (and most of them are on the Mom's Basement roster!) that have managed to transform the genre into proper music for grown-ups. The songs on this record are largely reflections on living life and navigating the complicated world we live in. The cited influences (Dan Vapid, Smoking Popes, Green Day, Big In Japan) certainly give you an idea where Hoaxxers are coming from. But after all these years, Charlie has carved himself his own niche as a vocalist and a songwriter. You pretty much know what to expect, but all these guys are older and wiser now. They haven't reinvented the formula; however, they've certainly refined and perfected it.
Hard Luck is noteworthy because it includes a couple of very political songs. "Straight Down the Shitter" and "Make Your Bed" both explore similar themes about how to cope with day-to-day life when the world is burning, and they both opine on the folly of being apathetic or in denial that anything is wrong. "Sidetracked" is officially/unofficially the first "slow song" Hoaxxers have done, and it's quite a successful change of pace (literally). "Against the Odds" is the first Hoaxxers song to feature Tron on lead vocals, and it really fits his vocal tone and style.
There are countless bands out there emulating the "snottier" side of '90s pop-punk, so it's nice to have bands like Hoaxxers working in very different territory. Produced by Matt Morris with some assistance from Steven Jolly, Deedle Lacour, and Zephyr Huffman and mixed and mastered by Davi Pacote, this is an incredible-sounding recording that really accentuates the quality of the songwriting, vocals, and musicianship. This is pop-punk of the highest quality, and little else needs to be said. For decades, I've pushed back on the notion that pop-punk as a musical genre has to live in a world of eternal adolescence. And bands like Hoaxxers are either proving me right or serving as exceptions to the rule. For me, listening to Hard Luck is like reconnecting with old friends and appreciating that they haven't turned into assholes. Get your copy on colored vinyl while supplies last!
https://hoaxxers.bandcamp.com/album/hard-luck
https://momsbasementrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hoaxxers-hard-luck-ep
https://momsbasementrecords.bigcartel.com/product/hoaxxers-hard-luck-12-ep
https://hoaxxers-shop.fourthwall.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hoaxxers/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Hoaxxers-100072073354583/
https://www.facebook.com/MomsBasementRecords
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