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Mark Hoppus’ Pick of the Week: We the Kings

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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. (Click here to discover Mark’s previous picks: British buzz bands Two Door Cinema Club and Mumford & Sons, folk couple the Weepies, globetrotting MC Uffie, and many more.) Check out his latest entry below, and come back to SPIN.com every Wednesday for Mark’s next 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!

WE THE KINGS

HOMETOWN:
Bradenton, Florida

THE BASICS:
It’s been a meteoric rise for these middle school pals, blasting from obscurity to Warped Tour headliners in just over three years. Aided by their catchy pop-punk sound and incessant social networking, the quartet built a legion of young fans — and hit their stride with their sophomore album, 2009’s Smile Kid. The band’s already confirmed for every date of Warped Tour 2010, and are currently headlining the Sub City Take Action Tour.

WHERE HOPP HEARD THEM FIRST:
“This week I’m going pop-rock.Heavy on the ‘pop.’A friend of mine sent me an advance copy of We the Kings’ Smile Kid, saying, ‘Check out this band, I think you’ll dig them.’ I never listened to it. Later, she sent me a full copy once it was released. ‘These guys are huge fans and have good songs. You should check them out.’ Still didn’t listen. Finally, she sent me a third copy and I put it in the player.”

WHY THEY ROCK:
“Somewhere between All-American Rejects and Panic! at the Disco. Breaking into Top 40 — gasp! Perfectly constructed nuggets of pop music with three-part harmonies, distorted guitars, tender breakdowns, songs about the boy not getting the girl. They’re probably a band you’ve heard before but didn’t realize. Surely not re-inventing the wheel, but I listen and think, ‘Damn, that is one shiny-ass wheel they made.’ The type of music indie rockers put on the stereo when their friends aren’t looking, in-between Kelly Clarkson record cycles.”

HOPP’S TOP TRACK:
“‘She Takes Me High.’ It’s a shiny, bouncy, synthetic, pop-rock anthem. ‘Nuf said.”

LISTEN: We The Kings, “She Takes Me High”

WATCH: We The Kings, “Heaven Can Wait”

FIND OUT MORE:
wethekingsmusic.com