Death Cab for Cutie, Nirvana, The Jam, and … Atom and His Package? These artists appeared in poster form on the bedroom walls of Seth Cohen, a bumbling-yet-beloved fictional character from the 2000s teen series The O.C. The set dressers had incredible (albeit confusing) taste. Beyond its distinct strangeness, Atom and His Package is the only solo act on the list—with the “package” in question being Adam Goren’s collection of electronic instruments. His life looks a bit different now than it did in 1997 upon the release of “Punk Rock Academy,” a song that conjures a Dewey Finn-like utopia where all the students have ADD and 90s DIY labelhead Chris Jensen teaches science. Funnily enough, Jensen really is a science teacher, and so is Goren, who can be found lecturing Philly area high schoolers on physics and chemistry. Not a terribly far cry from his artistic endeavor, which fits in the geek rock box.

“Punk Rock Academy” is whiny and playful, with circus-like sequencers and an offbeat interpolation of Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight.” Through all the cartoonish antics, Goren comes off lovable. When dreaming about the fictitious learning center, he notes “No one made fun of me.” It’s peak losercore. We always want the underdog to win.