From the legendary live music capital of Austin, Texas, rises a gritty duo. Art Pop is the bold and brash project of brothers Max and Miles Grossenbacher—two musical minds shaped by the chaos of youth and the magic of homegrown grit. Pulling influence from icons like LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, Lou Reed, and Car Seat Headrest, Art Pop doesn’t just create music—they exorcise feeling. Their single “Teenage Scum” (out May 30, 2025) is a gut-punch anthem for the disillusioned youth, a fiery opening to their LP “This Is Art Pop”. If this track is any indication, the album will be a manifesto; part confessional, part catharsis and all heart.
Opening with lines that bleed truth; “hey, i was teenage scum, beat down, broke, crooked numb and dumb. It is very nice to meet you.” “Teenage Scum” kicks the door down. It’s unapologetic. It’s chaotic. It’s you, if you’ve ever felt like the system chewed you up and spit you out. The delivery is snarled, half-sung, and half-spoken like a voice note from someone who’s two hours into an existential spiral and one minute from dancing in the wreckage.
The vocals on this track feel urgent, unfiltered, and fearless. Max channels frustration, humor, and vulnerability with an effortless cool. His performance swings from ironic sneers to shouted confessions with punk-rock nonchalance. It’s the sound of someone standing in the center of a mess and proudly claiming it, singing “i got mad, but he said relax, i’m fucking relaxing.” It’s one part coming-of-age, one part breakdown, all held together by sheer willpower.
Thematically, “Teenage Scum” is the unofficial anthem of the kid who shows up late, still laughs loud, and feels everything too deeply. It tackles the loneliness of digital friendship (“i’ve got a thousand friends, but they don’t know who i really am”), the weight of debt and dead-end jobs, and the aching contradiction of wanting to be known while being invisible. It’s not trying to offer answers. It’s just letting you know you’re not the only one lost in it.
Self-produced, “Teenage Scum” wears its DIY badge like armor. Gritty guitar riffs crash into lo-fi drum patterns that never try to be perfect, and that’s the point. There’s a delightful chaos in the mix, like the band is one second from falling apart and one breath from breaking through. It’s raw but calculated, distorted but strangely catchy.
In the end, Art Pop is not here to fix the world. They’re here to scream at it, laugh with it, and write one hell of a soundtrack while it burns. “Teenage Scum” is the kind of song that makes you want to text your oldest friend at 2 a.m., smash your phone, and then dance about it. With this song, Art Pop brings back something we forgot we needed; messy, magnetic, and beautifully honest rock. Let’s welcome them with open ears and a clenched heart. Max and Miles Grossenbacher are they’re making meaning. And “Teenage Scum” is just the beginning.
Listen to “Teenage Scum” on Spotify or SoundCloud
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