Sum 41 hit worldwide radar in 1996 after tiny Ajax, Ontario, proved unable to fully contain the foursome's blathering mixture of punk-pop riffing, hip-hop poses, and toilet-bowl humor. Led by guitarist/vocalist Deryck Whibley, who looked like a mash-up of the Prodigy's Keith Flint and cartoon land's Calvin, the band also included... [+] Read More

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Wild child Avril Lavigne hit big in summer 2002 with her spiky-fun debut song, "Complicated," shifting pop music into a different direction. Lavigne, who was 17 at the time, didn't seem concerned with the glamour of the TRL-dominated pop world and such confidence allowed her star power to soar. The middle of three children in small-town Napanee,... [+] Read More

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Forming in Los Angeles circa 2001, Big City Rock take their name to heart with dancey, keyboard-littered rock numbers that exhibit unabashed '80s pop influences alongside an arena rock attitude to make U2 proud. Working their way through the crowded L.A. scene, the members of Big City Rock found themselves opening sold-out shows for bands like... [+] Read More

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Emo-pop outfit Cute Is What We Aim For emerged from Buffalo, NY, in January 2005. Originally a quintet, the band ultimately stripped down to four members: vocalist Shaant Hacikyan, guitarist/pianist Jeff Czum, drummer Tom Falcone, and bassist/guitarist Fred Cimato. Wasting little time, they recorded some demos that landed them on Fueled by Ramen... [+] Read More

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Christian punk-pop quartet Hawk Nelson formed in Peterborough, Ontario, in 2003. Originally comprising frontman Jason Dunn, guitarist Davin Clark, bassist Daniel Biro, and drummer Matt Paige, the group's self-released debut EP, Saturday Rock Action, earned the attention of fellow Peterborough native Trevor McNevan, vocalist of Tooth and Nail... [+] Read More

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The Los Angeles-based indie rock band Phantom Planet came together during early adolescence at a local Pizza Hut in 1994. The band, which is comprised of Jacques Brauther (guitar), Sam Farrar (bass), Alex Greenwald (vocals/guitar), Darren Robinson (guitar), and Jason Schwartzman (drums), played around with post-grunge stylings while taking their... [+] Read More

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The '80s-pop inspired group Rooney is comprised of Robert Carmine (vocals/guitar), Taylor Locke (guitar), Matt Winter (bass), Louie Stephens (keyboards), and Ned Brower (drums). They began honing their own indie rock appeal in 2000 and cite the Beach Boys and ELO as major influences. Trickles of Blur, Superdrag, and the Cars echo throughout... [+] Read More

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Drummer Ryan O'Connor and bassist Joe Lussa formed the core of punk-pop/emo hybridists the Audition in their hometown of Chicago in 2003, working with a revolving cast of early members to hone the band's sound and play shows. After recording a demo and playing some gigs with locals like the Academy Is..., the Audition caught the ear of Victory... [+] Read More

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Jacksonville's the Summer Obsession were pumped to have nabbed a side stage spot for various dates on the 2004 Warped Tour, so they packed up the van and drove from Florida to Indianapolis, only to arrive and find that their particular stage had been canceled. With their summer touring plans abruptly altered, the guys did the next logical thing... [+] Read More

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