Alternative/Punk/Pop Rock Sound

I've had my mac for a few months and have played around with Garageband since that time. I've been able to hook up my electric guitar and play around with some different sounds as I've been looking to record some music. I was wondering what are some good settings/effects that I should look at to get a good alternative and punk/pop rock sound (i.e. bands like Yellowcard, Sum 41, The Dangerous Summer, The Forecast)? I've tried playing around with the punk rock amps and different distortion effects, but they all seem to me to be very 80's metal. I'm also an inexperienced guitarist as I'm self-taught and have only been playing for a few years, so I am probably just missing something. Thanks in advance.