Element 101
Also credited as Element
Verona, New Jersey15 reviews across 4 releases
Element 101 was a New Jersey band formed in the late 1990s, rooted in melodic pop punk but distinguished by Crissie Verhagen's soft, fragile vocals. The early songs paired tight playing with fast drumming, interlocking guitars, intricate bass lines, and hooks that several reviewers found catchy even when Verhagen's delivery seemed too quiet for the music. The 1999 Future Plans Undecided still drew on traditional punk and the sound of bands such as MxPx, Lagwagon, All, and the Descendents, though it already included slower pop songs and an instrumental. By 2001, Stereo Girl had shifted toward guitar-driven pop shaped by 1980s pop and indie rock, with stronger vocals and more mid-paced writing. More Than Motion continued toward melodic rock, adding mellower passages and occasional male vocals.
Element 101 broke up in 2003 after its Tooth & Nail period. Crissie Verhagen and Sal Ciaravino later joined Jason Gleason in ActionReaction, a new band that signed to Equal Vision's Hope Division imprint in 2006 and released 3 Is the Magic Number that year. Chris Mizzone formed Evelyn Hope after Element 101 ended. During its active years, Element 101 had moved from New Jersey's pop-punk circuit onto national tours with bands including Slick Shoes, Further Seems Forever, Coheed and Cambria, and The Juliana Theory. Its three reviewed albums trace a clear change in emphasis: the punk foundation remained audible, but the later records favored crafted pop structures over speed.
4 releases reviewed
Kids These Days
