Keepin' Time: The fallout from Fall Out Boy

Last year one of my favorite bands, pop punk mega-stars Fall Out Boy, decided it was time for them to step back and take a break from the band that had made them all so famous. The question still remains if and when Joe Trohman, Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump and Andy Hurley will ever again join forces as Fall Out Boy, but the four gentlemen who formed the most successful pop punk juggernaut since the dissolution of Blink-182 have been far from lazy since the announcement of the hiatus.

Stump is currently in the process of writing a solo record that will be released this summer under his own name. Stump is playing all the instruments and producing the entire album himself and debuted a few songs that will presumably be included on the album at this year's South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Former Taking Back Sunday bassist Matt Rubano will be playing in Stump's live band. Don't expect a pop punk record though; the songs Stump has been playing are more funk and R&B oriented than anything he has been a part of in the past.

Wentz, the band's main mouthpiece and lyricist, has surfaced in a reggae infused pop band called Black Cards. He has enlisted former Saves the Day and Hidden In Plain View drummer Spencer Peterson, former Receiving End of Sirens guitarist Nate Pattersen and no name, former waitress Bebe Rexha for the project. This is going to take a lot of people by surprise. Rexha has an absolutely amazing voice and judging from the few songs that have been leaked so far, this record is going to sound like if Rihanna had a band behind her instead of beats. Look for Black Cards songs to be playing in a dancehall near you soon.

Drummer Andy Hurley has been the busiest Fall Out Boy, playing in both the metallic hardcore band Burning Empires with members of Misery Signals and the borderline hair metal band The Damned Things, which Trohman is also in. I am personally most excited for this particular post FOB project. Trohman really gets to spread his wings in The Damned Things, and he truly is an amazing guitarist. Interestingly enough, the band also includes Anthrax guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano. Even more interestingly, the band is rounded out by Every Time I Die members Josh Newton on bass and Keith Buckley on lead vocals. Buckley's trademark howl fits right in with the cheesy 80's riffs, and Newton and Hurley work brilliantly together as the rhythm unit, driving lead single "We've Got A Situation Here" into a borderline danceable hook fest. This band is really something special, and as both an Every Time I Die and Fall Out Boy fanatic, I can't wait for this record to drop in December.

I will definitely be purchasing Stump's solo effort, the Black Cards record and The Damned Things self titled album when they hit stores. It's really cool to see the members of a band that had such a formulaic (if not awesome) definitive sound branch into so many different genres after the demise of their main group.  Stump, Wentz, Hurley and Trohman are all letting their different musical tastes and influences shine through on their post-FOB projects and if anything, it goes to show that the hiatus definitely needed to happen. Of course, as a fan I wanted another Fall Out Boy album and tour, but in my heart of hearts I know the boys from Chicago had been Fall Out Boy nonstop, 24 hours a day for eight years and they just needed a break to try a few new things. Hopefully, these awesome side projects get all the curiosity out of their systems and someday one of my favorite bands will return to reclaim their pop punk throne. Until then, I'll just have to enjoy these three awesome bands. I guess that doesn't sound so bad.