[Mark Hoppus] Hopp On Popp: Rogue Wave

When he's not commandeering the stage as the boisterous bassist for SoCal punks Blink-182, Tweeting wisdom to more than 1.6 million followers, or handling album production duties for bands like Motion City Soundtrack and New Found Glory, you'd think Mark Hoppus would turn down the music.

Not. Possible.

In our continuing series, Hopp on Pop, Hoppus shares his favorite acts, culled from his incessant pursuit of all that rocks -- and now he's picking bands slated to play next week's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. (Click here to discover Mark's previous picks, including SXSW performer Neon Trees, pop punkers We the Kings, British buzz band Two Door Cinema Club, and many more.) Check out his new entry below, and come back to SPIN.com every Wednesday for Mark's latest discovery.

Be sure to follow more of Mark's opinions and exploits via Twitter and on his blog! And check out Mark's 8 Favorite Albums of 2009!



ROGUE WAVE


HOMETOWN:
Oakland, CA

THE BASICS:
Frontman Zach Rogue's 2003 solo effort earned him a record deal with venerable indie label Sub Pop. Later joined by core member Pat Spurgeon (drums, guitar, vocals), the quintet -- whose music you've heard in movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Just Friends, and Spider-Man 3 -- has just released their fourth album, Permalight, a sprightly departure from their brooding earlier work. That should translate to good times for partygoers at SPIN's annual SXSW bash March 19, where the band is set to perform. They're also one of SPIN's 50 Must-Hear Bands for SXSW 2010. Read more about them here, and check out the full list of 50 bands.

WHERE HOPP HEARD THEM FIRST:
"I've seen the name Rogue Wave quite a bit over the past couple of years, but never took the time to listen to their music. Last weekend, while searching for new records for my newly-installed turntable, I saw their new album on the shelf and picked it up. Best decision I made at the record store in a while."

WHY THEY ROCK:
"Indie rock in the vein of Death Cab for Cutie (although I can already guess they're tired of the comparison). From mellow low-fi to upbeat pop to electronic to acoustic. Great lyrics and melodies. I really dig the way they'll break from a 4/4 structure into a few bars of 3/4 time then back into 4/4. Hopefully I'll get a chance to watch them live sometime soon."

HOPP'S TOP TRACK:
"Solitary Gun."

WATCH: Rogue Wave, "Solitary Gun"


FIND OUT MORE:
roguewavemusic.com