Photo: Sacha Lecca

Sam Hollander has trouble explaining to grown-ups what he does for a living. "If you're over 24, you're not going to hear anything I do," he says. But the little girls understand: Hollander and partner Dave "Sluggo" Katz have become go-to producers for teen-centric pop-punk hits (Metro Station's "Shake It," Cobra Starship's "Snakes on a Plane"). Says emo kingpin Pete Wentz, "We bring them cupcakes, they deliver the frosting." It all happens in a Manhattan room that Katz describes as "some guitars, a bong and a vocal booth." Fortunately, these bands prefer Pro Tools to vintage amps. "Organic is not embraced," says Hollander. BRIAN HIATT

Watch S*A*M and Sluggo on the records that influenced them

• View List: The 2008 Hot List