4 Strings- Let It Rain (WWWW) Great, deep raver's trance music, though it sounds a little too much like Daniel Bedingfield's "James Dean (I Wanna Know)"
A.18- Broke The Blue (WW) It has a catchy pop/rock beat, but it can't decide if it's a horribly contrived death metal or nu-metal song. Very confusing.
Beyonce Knowles & Jay-Z- Crazy Love (W) Featuring a rather simple (and annoying) booming and powerful "club beat", and annoyingly lame "I love you Jay!" lyrics from Beyonce Knowles, this is just another misguided party track. Jay-Z's rap, though is impressive, making this the "Addictive" of 2003.
Big Dismal- Remember (WWWW) It's Nickelback with a little Metallica, but compelling and interesting all the same.
Black Eyed Peas- Where Is The Love (WWW) Re-hashed lyrics about the pain in the world, but a very strong beat.
Blindside- Sleep Walking (WWW) They sound like The Used meets Nine Inch Nails meets Chevelle. Strange mix, but it works.
Bowling For Soup- Punk Rock 101 (WWWW) Heehee...here's a fun little pop-rock ditty that blasts the Good Charlotte-type punk..."same name, different faces".
Chalee Tennison- Easy Lovin' You (W) It's no Celine Dion in comparison, but this "baby, you've saved my horrible life" country snoozer is too sappy for it's own good.
Cledus T. Judd- Where's Your Mommy (WWWWW) It's a parody of Toby Keith's "Who's Your Daddy", transforming the song into one of a clueless father with a newborn baby. "Where's your mommy/You've got a dummy for a dad" he closes. I laughed long and hard at this one, and I haven't stopped since.
Count The Stars- Taking It All Back (WWWW) They steal the intro to Good Charlotte's "The Anthem", but it's solid, catchy and driving emo.
Cradle Of Filth- Babalon A.D. (WWW) Dani Filth's voice is still an annoying yelp, but impressive use of classical orchestration and death-metal inspired guitarwork and drumming to create a very gloomy but interesting atmosphere.
Daniel Bedingfield- I Can't Read You (WWWW) A little whiny, but this cross between Bedingfield's garage roots and "If You're Not The One" really works.
Days Away- Knows My Name (WW) Yeah, the riffs are catchy to this kiddie rock song, but it's way too much like Simple Plan for me to really take seriously.
Disturbed- Liberate (WWWWW) It sounds a little like KoRn in the verses, but it's still pretty anthemic and powerful song pledging open-mindedness.
Dream f/Loon- Crazy (WW) It's okay (if a little dated) pop music with a terribly redundant "baby you need me" rap from Loon, but I prefer to think of them in their only gem, "This Is Me".
FlamBey- Destiny (WWW) Talib Kweli did the "keep your head up" street anthem better with "Get By", but these guys still provide some solid stuff.
Foggy- In Your Eyes (WWW) Great use of the bassline and tension-release in this simple, mid-tempo dance song.
Grade 8- Brick By Brick (W) This puerile, messy and plain-old annoying rock junk by supposedly fully-grown adults sounds as if it should have stayed in Grade 8.
Ian McCulloch- Sliding (WWW) Sounds way too much like The Beatles, but it's still a good, heartfelt piano ballad nonetheless.
Jennifer Hanson- This Far Gone (WWW) It's simple and a little whiny, but this love-lost country ballad has some bite.
Jet- Take It Or Leave It (WWW) The catchy, driving rock beat saves this song from it's simplicity, whininess and annoying yelling from the lead singer.
Junior Senior- Move Your Feet (WWW) It's really, really stupid disco, but it's still a lot of fun anyway.
Kenny Chesney- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (WWWW) With a light, breezy country tune about getting away, he writes the perfect ditty for the Mexican tourism industry- and just about every other vacationer.
Linkin Park- Faint (WWWW) Chester Bennington's yells are annoying, but the up-tempo, DJ Krush meets Rammstein effects are still very cool.
Madonna- Hollywood (WWW) Simple and re-done lyrically (about dreams of fame), but the sped-up "Don't Tell Me" beat make it work.
Manowar- Call To Arms (WWWWW) Just in time for the summer, there's an energetic, up-tempo "battle cry" power metal song from these Americans to really lift one's energy level. Great guitarwork to boot.
Michelle Branch- Are You Happy Now? (WWWWW) She's done it again. Just splendid work on this driving alt/pop/rock song, where an angry Branch asks her departing boyfriend if he's really happy in leaving. "You can have everything you want but can you run away from yourself?" she asks. Regardless, she tops her own hit, "All You Wanted", and shows herself to be the strong player many thought she'd be.
Motograter- Down (WWW) Sounds like the Black Label Society's "Stillborn" (without the solo) crossed with tiny bits Chevelle, but all parts interesting (though really watered down) metal.
Nada Surf- Inside Of Love (WWW) From the band that brought you the high school spoof "Popular", here they write an adult song about not being in love. The mellow, heartfelt and personal pop rock song ends up winning in the end.
O.A.R.- Hey Girl (WWW) Parts remind me of the Spin Doctors' "Two Princes", but regardless, this blustery, summery light acoustic rock/pop works well on it's own.
Pink- Feel Good Time (W) This "whoop-it-up" disco tune's so bad, not even "That 70's Show" would take it.
Radiohead- There There (WWW) Great, entrancing but completely rockin' song that's reminiscent of Dredg. Solid stuff.
Renee Zellweger f/Ewan McGregor- Here's To Love (W) Where to begin? It's a cheesy, overdone and very stupid lounge song that packs zero originality. Oh, and don't even get me started on the lyrics...I'd be here all day telling you all the bad ones.
Rhonda Vincent- You Can't Take It With You When You Go (W) This country snoozer has Vincent pleading to her departing lover to stay, but if I was that lover, I'd say "I'm still not buying it".
Rooney- Blueside (WWW) They sound way too much like Sloan, but it's catchy, upbeat and the closing guitar solo's enjoyable. So, it works.
S.T.U.N.- Movement (W) They want to be profound punks, but they're really just stupid, incoherent and messy punks. In other words, not good.
Somehow Hollow- Kamloops (WWW) It would have been nice if the hook's grip was better, but the riffs are catchy and it's upbeat rock, so it's enjoyable.
The Crush- Here Is Where I Cross My Fingers (WWW) Solid, upbeat, driving punk-ish rock.
The Exploited- Never Sell Out Dreamcatcher (WW) Well, uhh...it's up-tempo and energetic...but this punk song and uses the "we'll never sell out" cliche past it's expiry date.
The Flaming Sideburns- Street Survivor (WWW) They're like The Hives...only that THEY'RE NOT ANNOYING. Plus, anyone that can make a "read the Bible" quote fun gets my props.
The Reunion Show- Television (W) Note to the band: if you're going to create a catchy hook, please do not use a vocalist who thinks wailing is a good idea. Thank you, DG.
The Rocket Summer- Skies So Blue (WWW) Infectious and catchy guitar riffs and honest emotions save this kiddie rock song from being an embarrassment.
Therapy?- If It Kills Me (WWWW) A metal act that has Nickelback-like tendencies? Really. Only here, the biting but catchy lyrics and in-your-face style of the really impressive drumwork and the heavy guitars make it all the more haunting- and alluring.
Threat f/Hip Joint- Dirty Girl (W) This sounds like a sexed-up 5ive reject...so stupid.
Tipper- Over The Coals (WWWW) It's not DJ Krush by any stretch of the imagination, but the gloomy stop-go effects of this electronica song are still very interesting.
Tipper- The Glasshouse (WWW) This sounds like it has a pig grunting over some light xylophone beats...not phenomenal, but interesting.
Trace Adkins- Then They Do (W) To reference the really, really lame chorus: "you hear a sappy, overwrought song about your kids growing up and everyone wants to turn it off/Then they do."
Trent Summar & The New Row Mob- I'm Country (WWW) The lyrics are stupid "I'm the realest country person around", but it's still solid, driving raw country-rock.
Weird Al Yanokovic- Couch Potato (WW) It's good for the odd laugh, but this parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" becomes a rudimentary cliched attack on T.V.'s "mind-rotting" effects.
Ziggy Marley- True To Myself (WWW) It reminds me of Bob Marley's uplifting, lighter tracks, though it's nowhere near Bob's work. Works though.