Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4 is out now, and with it comes a wave of early 2000s nostalgia. Developer Iron Galaxy’s pseudo-remake completely recaptures the fun of grinding round airports whereas peppering in some new skateparks of its personal. Extra crucially, it brings again a number of the biggest punk rock bangers to ever grace a online game soundtrack. Traditional songs from Adolescents and CKY return for the remake, however the soundtrack is far more sturdy than that. The truth is, the majority of the songs featured are solely new additions, bringing in the whole lot from fashionable hip-hop artists to gloriously sloppy punk bands.
Whereas that will disappoint some purists, the brand new music is the spotlight of the package deal. It accommodates a bounty of killer tracks that match proper in alongside Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” From my early hours spent skating round looking for secret tapes, I’ve discovered a music discovery device that’s far simpler than Spotify. There’s worth in a closely curated playlist constructed round a selected vibe fairly than the unfastened suggestions of an algorithm. It looks like listening to a mixtape hand-made by Tony Hawk himself.
With so many new artists featured, the thought of discovering your new favourite musician in that playlist might really feel slightly daunting. So, within the spirit of curation, enable me to type via the report crate and hand you a couple of gems. These are a few of my very own favourite artists featured within the sport who actually seize the spirit of Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater and the skate tradition that birthed it. If you happen to dig the songs included within the soundtrack, contemplate testing their albums — and ideally in a approach that can really pay out for them.
Advisable album: Hellmode
Even earlier than the remake was introduced, I dreamed of the day when Jeff Rosenstock could be featured in a Tony Hawk sport. The cult icon has been a staple of the New York punk scene ever since his days in The Boastful Sons of Bitches and Bomb the Music Trade. He’s since spun that right into a profitable solo profession that’s earned him a loyal fanbase. I noticed him carry out at a residency in Brooklyn a couple of months again and the man ripped via a 36-song setlist the place he performed via a whole album, entrance to again, and stopped to cowl a bunch of Neil Younger songs with Laura Stevenson (who simply launched her terrific new album, Late Nice). Rosenstock’s glorious “Head,” a blitz of a punk music, is featured in THPS 3 + 4. If you happen to dig it, there’s a lot extra the place that got here from.
Advisable album: Summertime ‘06
The Tony Hawk video games aren’t nearly celebrating skate tradition, but in addition California, the place Tony Hawk made a reputation for himself. The Professional Skater’s sequence’ soundtracks have lengthy paid tributed to bands from cities like Los Angeles, and THPS 3 + 4 very a lot continues that run. Not solely that, nevertheless it makes an lively effort to signify extra genres of music, together with hip-hop. In consequence, Lengthy Seaside rapper Vince Staples will get a well-earned spot on the soundtrack along with his 2015 single Norf Norf. It’s an amazing selection too, because it’s the breakout music that helped springboard the rapper to what’s since been a constant profession. Whereas he’s put out a number of albums since then, his debut Summertime ‘06 stays a incredible start line for those who’re trying to dig in.
Few musicians are as unmistakable as Danny Brown. Even for those who don’t know his identify, you’ll immediately be capable to determine him by his untraditional voice. Even earlier than discovering mainstream success with albums like XXX and Previous, the Detroit rapper was making a reputation for himself as a gust on tracks by the likes of El-P, and Ab-Soul. He’s since gone from a prolific function artist to the primary attraction, getting extra experimental with every new launch. That got here to a head in 2023 with Scaring the Hoes, his glorious collaboration with JPEGMafia. You would possibly need to work your approach as much as that one, so I’d suggest getting your toes moist with the critically acclaimed Previous first.
Advisable album: Romance
There are many rising artists on the soundtrack, however Fontaines D.C. are presently on probably the most meteoric run of the bunch. The Irish rock outfit has been impressing critics since 2019 with albums like Dogrel, the place THPS 3 + 4 spotlight Boys within the Higher Land comes from. They took off like a rocket final yr with the discharge of Romance, their largest business success thus far. You could, actually, already be accustomed to their music. Their hit “Starburster” soundtracked Borderlands 4’s debut trailer finally yr’s Recreation Awards, and can be the title credit score music for Paramount Plus present Mobland. Don’t be stunned for those who see them popping up in additional video video games quickly.
Advisable album: King of the Seaside
THPS 3 + 4 is a superb early 2000s time capsule, nevertheless it additionally takes me again to 2008. That was proper smack dab within the period of “weblog rock” bands, as music shops like Pitchfork have been creating careers for acts like Tapes ‘n Tapes and Vampire Weekend. One in every of my favourite bands to come back out of that period was Wavves, a San Diego challenge from songwriter Nathan Williams. The band’s debut, King of the Seaside, is peak weblog rock. It’s an brisk little debut headlined by the killer surf title monitor now featured in THPS 3 + 4. Whereas that album continues to be arguably their greatest, Wavves has saved kicking since. Their newest album, Spun, simply launched in late June and it’s nonetheless as peppy as ever.
Advisable album: Germfree Adolescents
Whereas I really like that THPS 3 + 4 contains so many more moderen artists, it’s necessary to pay respects to the classics too. That’s why I’m so completely satisfied to see X-Ray Spex within the combine with the livid “Id.” The short-lived British punk band was the brainchild of singer Poly Styrene, an artist who went on to affect the ‘90s riot grrrl motion in America. If you happen to’ve by no means heard them earlier than, you owe it to your self to take a look at Germfree Adolescents, the band’s solely album throughout its authentic run (they’d briefly reunite in 1995 for a closing album). It’s a foundational punk report filled with shrieking guitar riffs that paved the best way for loads of bands that may go on to turn into Professional Skater staples.
