All Time Low

Drawing heavy influence from Green Day and blink-182 early on, pop-punk quartet All Time Low formed in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD, in 2003 around singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat. The two soon added bassist Zack Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson to round out their energetic pop-punk sound and rowdy live show, which often included silly string and beach balls. Honing their skills between homework and other teenage commitments, the guys managed to tour across the East Coast and South during school breaks. They released the four-song EP The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End through the local label Emerald Moon in 2004 and followed up with a full-length, The Party Scene, a year later. Touring nationwide that summer, the band found itself on bills with similar-minded acts like Motion City Soundtrack, the Early November, and Plain White T's. Along the way, All Time Low also bumped into fellow pop-punkers Amber Pacific, who brought the young band to the attention of their label, Hopeless Records. The label was immediately impressed, and All Time Low were officially part of the Hopeless family by March 2006, just a few months before they graduated from high school. Finally done with schoolwork to concentrate full-time on music, the group issued Put Up or Shut Up -- a seven-song EP that mostly featured new recordings of older material -- that July. Now able to tour freely, the band supported the release on a handful of summer Warped Tour dates before subsequently hitting the road nationwide with Amber Pacific. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

All That Remains

"I think it is safe to say that All That Remains is a metalcore band," says Philip Labonte, All That Remains' singer. "We try to cover lots of ground, but do stuff that is still true to ourselves: we do solos because we like them; we do breakdowns because we like them; we have clean singing because we like it. We please ourselves first."

All That Remains are lucky. Some bands please themselves at the expense of a potential audience, while others strive to please an audience first and end up lamenting their own sound. In the case of this Massachusetts-based quintet, writing and performing their own brand of heavy music has taken them far and won them widespread acclaim.

This Darkened Heart, All That Remains' second album, showcases a kinetic sound drifting seamlessly between melody and relentless aggression. The additions of Mike Martin on guitar and Matt Deis on bass have tightened the unit and pushed them into more technically challenging material - their melodies capture our minds while their rhythms smash our bodies as if they were porcelain.

Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage, From Autumn To Ashes, Norma Jean) at Zing Studios, This Darkened Heart is a dynamic testament to metal's ever-increasing diversity: acoustic passages and clean vocals intertwine with blast beats, screaming and all-out thrash assaults.

Labonte formed All That Remains in 1998 while still singing for Shadows Fall. After leaving Shadows Fall, he committed himself to All That Remains. The group played shows and recorded a demo, which landed them a deal with Prosthetic Records. The band's debut album, Behind Silence And Solitude, was released in March 2002, prompting DigitalMetal.com to hail the group as "one of the premier melodic death metal acts this side of the Atlantic."

Since the release of the first album, All That Remains have toured the United States three times, including tours with The Crown and Darkest Hour.

"We are pretty happy with what we have done so far, but we still have so far to go," says Labonte. "There are so many things that we all dreamed about when we were kids and started playing this music. The way heavy music is going now a lot of them can be achieved. So to get a record deal was a dream come true, to be able to put out more than one disc is a dream come true...We have gotten further than most bands who start out in the garage or the basement. But we haven't done anything close to what we believe we can achieve."

Alkaline Trio

Though the current world of Alkaline Trio is not nearly as fraught with and fueled by drink and drama as in the band's formative years, the making of the new Crimson (out May 24, 2005 on Vagrant), was not without its share of dark portents: Two bone-shattering skateboarding accidents, one PunkVoter tour that failed to block the reelection of George W. Bush... but oddly enough: No failed relationships!

As a result Crimson stands as the most mature and ambitious 13 songs Alkaline Trio has ever pushed itself to create-with able guidance from producer Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink-182, Jawbreaker). From the ominous piano and atmospherics opening of first single "Time To Waste" to closing ballad "Smoke," not a moment or note is wasted as the familiar Trio balance of darkness and melody on "Mercy Me," "Dethbed" and "The Poison" nestles up against increasingly progressive tempos and arrangements of "Burn" and "Satin," and the epic true-to-life tales of Manson family member Sadie Mae Glutz ("Sadie") and the West Memphis Three ("Prevent This Tragedy").

Alkaline Trio's legacy harkens back to 1997, when Matt Skiba, a bike messenger from working class Chicago 'burb McHenry, gave up the drums for the guitar and began his quest for the perfect balance of lyrical hell and pop heaven. He and fellow messenger / drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran would debut as Alkaline Trio for the Sundials 7". Dan Andriano replaced Doran prior to the For Your Lungs Only EP, adding a second voice and songwriting style that complemented and contrasted with Skiba's, and the signature Alkaline Trio sound was born.

Two albums on indie Asian Man Records, Goddamnit and Maybe I'll Catch Fire, followed in 1998 and 2000 respectively, punctuated by hard touring and yielding to-this-day live favorites "Radio," "Nose Over Tail" and the latter's title track. A self-titled compilation of early singles, EPs, compilation tracks and others odds 'n' ends followed later in 2000.

From Here To Infirmary was released in 2001, marking both the Trio's Vagrant Records debut and the addition of ex-Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee to the fold. Singles "Private Eye" and "Stupid Kid" and staples "Crawl" and "Another Innocent Girl" became instant classics to the exponentially growing Alkaline Trio fan base that buoyed the record into the top 200 and packed clubs and theaters, transforming the band into a formidable worldwide draw.

The current Alkaline Trio line-up finally solidified with 2003's Good Mourning, as Derek Grant came aboard for the perfection of the Trio sonic identity that had been evolving since '97. On the strength of anti-mainstream anthem "We've Had Enough," the cloyingly bittersweet "All On Black," a yearning "100 Stories" and cautionary love and death serials "Emma" and "This Could Be Love," Good Mourning crashed into the Top 40, saw the band's debuts on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Show With David Letterman", and received raves from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Entertainment Weekly and the cover of Alternative Press.

Crimson delivers on this promise in spades. As "Time To Waste" builds from mounting menace to a majestic and traumatic chorus and segues directly into "The Poison," an Andriano barnburner reminiscent in spirit of those I Lied My Face Off era sides, though played with a fierce precision to which the early Trio could only aspire. "Burn" updates Skiba's songwriting acumen with twists and touches worthy of vintage Sisters of Mercy and Depeche Mode, while "Dethbed," "Mercy Me" and "Fall Victim" find an ever maturing but still familiar Alkaline Trio sound resurfacing like a long lost friend.

Just as Alkaline Trio were about to start recording

Crimson

, Matt Skiba fractured his wrist skateboarding. Though it was a minor break, and he was only in a cast for three weeks, the break pushed back the Trio's recording schedule and the pending album's release. After Skiba healed, the band jumped into recording and, with the help of producer Finn, finished in January '05. Skiba was anxious to get back on his board (though an avid skater since the age of ten, he had abandoned it for three months in fear of injuring himself again and further delaying the album's May 24th release). But, after 15 minutes, Skiba dropped into a pool and broke his left arm.

Now finally healed, Skiba is anxious to get Alkaline Trio back on the road. After all, the collective misfortunes that may have hobbled lesser acts have only provided Alkaline Trio with five studio albums worth of increasingly stronger material. As Skiba sings on the new record, "God bless catastrophe..."

Alice in Chains

In many ways, Alice in Chains was the definitive heavy metal band of the early '90s. Drawing equally from the heavy riffing of post-Van Halen metal and the gloomy strains of post-punk, the band developed a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers. They were hard enough for metal fans, yet their dark subject matter and punky attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands. While this dichotomy helped the group soar to multi-platinum status with their second album, 1992's Dirt, it also divided them. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell always leaned toward the mainstream, while vocalist Layne Staley was fascinated with the seamy underground. Such tension drove the band toward stardom in their early years, but following Dirt, Alice in Chains suffered from near-crippling internal tensions that kept the band off the road for the remainder of the '90s and, consequently, the group never quite fulfilled their potential.

Staley formed the initial incarnation of the band while in high school in the mid-'80s, naming the group Alice N Chains. Staley met Cantrell in 1987 at the Seattle rehearsal warehouse the Music Bank and the two began working together, changing the group's name to Alice in Chains. Cantrell's friends Mike Starr (bass) and Sean Kinney (drums) rounded out the lineup,and the band began playing local Seattle clubs. Columbia Records signed the group in 1989 and the label quickly made the band a priority, targeting heavy metal audiences. Early in 1990, the label released the We Die Young EP as a promotional device and the song became a hit on metal radio, setting the stage for the summer release of the group's debut, Facelift. Alice in Chains supported the album by opening for Van Halen, Poison, and Iggy Pop, and it became a hit, going gold by the end of the year. As the band prepared their second album, they released the largely acoustic EP Sap in 1991 to strong reviews.

Prior to the release of Alice in Chains' second album, Seattle became a media sensation thanks to the surprise success of Nirvana. As a result, Alice was now marketed as an alternative band, not as a metal outfit, and the group landed a song, the menacing "Would?," on the Singles soundtrack during the summer of 1992. "Would?" helped build anticipation for Dirt, the group's relentlessly bleak second album that was released in the fall of 1992 to very good reviews. Following its release, Starr left and was replaced by Mike Inez. Dirt went platinum by the end of 1992, but its gloomy lyrics launched many rumors that Staley was addicted to heroin. Alice in Chains soldiered on in the face of such criticism, performing successfully on the third Lollapalooza tour in 1993, which helped Dirt reach sales of three million.

The band released the low-key EP Jar of Flies in early 1994. It debuted at number one upon its release, becoming the first EP to top the album charts. Despite the band's continued success, they stayed off the road, which fueled speculation that Staley was mired in heroin addiction. Later that year, Staley did give a few concerts as part of the Gacy Bunch, a Seattle supergroup also featuring Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, the Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, and John Saunders. The group subsequently renamed itself Mad Season and released Above in early 1995. Later that year, Alice in Chains re-emerged with an eponymous third album, which debuted at number one on the American charts. Again, the band chose not to tour, which launched yet another round of speculation that band was suffering from various addictions and were on the verge of disbanding. The group did give one concert -- their first in three years -- in 1996, performing for an episode of MTV Unplugged, which was released as an album that summer. Despite its success, the album did nothing to dispel doubts about the group's future and neither did Cantrell's solo album, Boggy Depot, in 1998.

Cantrell basically released Boggy Depot because he couldn't get Staley to work, but its very existence -- and the presence of Inez and Kinney on the record, not to mention Alice producer Toby Wright -- seemed to confirm that the group was on moratorium at best, defunct at worst. Staley, for his part, stayed quiet, conceding his spot on Mad Season's second album to Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan. In 1999, Sony put together a three-disc Alice in Chains box set, Music Bank, divided between the group's best work and assorted rarities. At the turn of the new millennium, Columbia Records issued Live, which plucked material from bootlegs, demos, and festival shows covering the years 1990, 1993, and 1996.

As if the group hadn't been repackaged as many times as possible with its limited repertoire, a ten-track best-of set, Greatest Hits, appeared in July 2001. With no sign of the group reclaiming their spot atop the alt-metal heap (and such copycat acts as Godsmack, Days of the New, Puddle of Mudd, and Creed taking the Alice in Chains formula to the top of the charts), Cantrell completed his sophomore solo effort, Degradation Trip, in 2002. But just two months before the album's release, in April 2002, the news that every Alice in Chains fan had been fearing for years had finally come to pass: Layne Staley was found dead due to a lethal overdose of cocaine and heroin. Although understandably grief-stricken, Cantrell launched his solo album's supporting tour according to schedule, opting to open shows in the summer for another Alice in Chains-influenced band, Nickelback. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Alissa Moreno

Alice Donut

Alice Donut formed in the punk underground of New York City's Lower East Side in 1987, eventually releasing six studio albums and one live LP (recorded at CBGB's) before breaking up eight years later. Jello Biafra initially encouraged the group and signed them to his Alternative Tentacles label, where Alice Donut released all of their albums. The band's punk style was occasionally leavened with elements of oddball country and funk, but by 1993's Pure Acid Park the sound was commercialized a bit, much like fellow psychedelic punks the Butthole Surfers. Alice Donut couldn't cash in, however, and broke up in 1995.

Each member went their separate ways; drummer and trombonist Stephen Moses played for a short while with Rasputina while vocalist Tomas Antona and bassist Sissi Schulmeister started a family together. Schulmeister, Moses, and guitarist Michael Jung began playing together again for fun in the late '90s and after a couple of years of basement practices, the three convinced Antona to join in as well. An unpublicized reunion show took place in August of 2003, which served as a CD release party for the equally unpublicized reunion album, Three Sisters. The live DVD London, There's a Curious Lump in My Sack appeared in 2004, and another studio album, Fuzz, followed in 2006. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Aidan Hawken

As the frontman for San Francisco-based rock outfit Highwater Rising, singer/songwriter Aidan Hawken found many of his band's songs appearing on various hit TV shows over the years, including The OC, Sex and the City, Boston Public, and One Tree Hill. A Bay Area native, Hawken relocated to Los Angeles in spring 2005. That same year, he issued his first solo effort, Pillows & Records, on Box 29 Records. Comparable to Elliott Smith, Hawken enlisted various musician friends to help with the album, including guitarist Chuck Prophet. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

A.C. Newman

You might know AC Newman as Carl Newman, the spry redheaded leader of the New Pornographers. That band put Newman's brilliant songs in the hands of a varied crew of insanely talented pals; however, with his breaking out solo record The Slow Wonder, Newman's own talents take center stage, showcasing him as a classic, yet eccentric and witty songwriter. AC Newman had a thrilling and prosperous life prior to 1992, but felt he needed more when he joined the Vancouver BC pop/rock act Zumpano. They recorded two low profile albums for Sub Pop Records in 1995 and 1996 before essentially dropping out of music circles. Newman resurfaced in 2000 with the New Pornographers, placing two highly regarded albums in the indie scene. Now, for the first time, Newman's out on his own, and the results are predictably awesome. His debut, The Slow Wonder, has a beautifully open and uplifting feel, even as its lyrics often subvert the sunny vibe. Musically, the melodies and arrangements take unexpected detours which give the songs more depth with each listen. In contrast to the nonstop steamroll of the New Pornographers anthems, The Slow Wonder is full of space and surprise: both sentimental and quirky. The Slow Wonder promises to be 34 minutes of the best power pop you've heard, an incredible breath of fresh air in a hostile era for genuine hand-crafted music.

The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere)

Based out of New York City, the energetic and danceable punk of the A.K.A.s materialized around vocalist Mike Ski, the former frontman for influential Pennsylvania hardcore outfit Brother's Keeper. He relocated from Erie to N.Y.C. while BK were still active, and though the band managed to release one more album and tour worldwide, the distance ultimately proved too much and they eventually fizzled. Ski (who also does graphic design work on the side) moved on and got together with some guys he'd met in the city, guitarist Lukas Previn and bassist Chad Bowser (ex-the Heartdrops), to begin anew. Going through some drummers, the band settled down when Ski's former Brother's Keeper bandmate Bob Williams relocated to come on board behind the drum kit. The A.K.A.s wrote early material as a four-piece, but when their friend Nina Aron came to the studio one day to just hang out, her half-serious performance on some tracks quickly resulted in her (and her Farfisa organ) becoming a permanent addition.

Channeling the trashy vigor of bands like the New York Dolls and MC5, the A.K.A.s started a buzz in 2002 with their self-released three-song EP, The A.K.A.s Are Everywhere. This eventually led them to perform at 2003's SXSW festival, where the gang impressed Fueled by Ramen so much that they were quickly signed and thrown in the studio with producer Tim O'Heir to record their debut album. The resulting White Doves and Smoking Guns was released in September 2003 to positive response. In early 2004, Aron parted ways with the group and another Brother's Keeper alum, Chris Bazan, joined on. They continued touring over the next few years, including a stint on the 2004 Rock Against Bush tour (alongside Anti-Flag, Midtown, and more), and played shows with Lost City Angels, T.S.O.L., and the Kinison. More lineup reshuffling occurred over time and by late 2006, the A.K.A.s featured vocalist Ski, guitarist Bazan, keyboardist Josie Outlaw, bassist Justin Perry, and drummer Chachi Darin. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad first came to prominence as the "sound provider" and conspicuously silent member of the renowned hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest (ATCQ). Formed in 1988, when high school friends Q-Tip (Kamal Fareed) and Muhammad joined forces with Tip's neighborhood friend Phife (Malik Taylor), the jazzy, afrocentric trio would go on to be one the most popular and critically-acclaimed rap groups in music history. The Brooklyn-bred Muhammad played a major role in shaping their genre-defining sound and ATCQ recorded 5 well-received albums for Jive Records before disbanding in 1998. Both during and after ATCQ, Ali lent his production talents to artists like Mos Def, Angie Stone, Faith Evans, Shaquille O'Neal and remixed material for Janet Jackson, Maxwell, Meshell N'Degeocello and KRS-ONE. In 1999 Muhammad formed Lucy Pearl, an R&B group infused with elements of hip-hop, funk and rock with former En Vogue member Dawn Robinson and ex-Tony Toni Tone member Raphael Saadiq. The group would earn Muhammad his fourth Grammy nomination (two for ATCQ, one for his work with D'Angelo and for Lucy Pearl) before they went their separate ways. In 2004 the somewhat reclusive Ali Shaheed Muhammad reemerged with a solo effort entitled Shaheedulah and Stereotypes which not only featured his production talents but also saw him stepping to the mic to rap for the first time.

Ali & Gipp

Bringing the sounds and spirit of two crews along with two cities together, Ali & Gipp came on the scene in 2005 when they collaborated on Nelly's track "Grillz," which also featured Paul Wall. Gipp from the Atlanta crew Goodie Mob and Ali of St. Louis' St. Lunatics decided to turn this collaboration into something more, but held out for the right song. It was Ali who found "Go 'Head," a hard club track that introduced Ali & Gipp as an official project in 2006. A year later their Kinfolk album arrived, with numerous special guests including David Banner, Three 6 Mafia, and Juvenile. The album was released by Nelly's label, Derrty Entertainment. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Add N To (X)

Name-checking a diverse cast of progenitors including Varése, Xenakis, and Robert Moog, as well as Can and Stereolab, Add N to X are electro-historians of a sort, collectors of vintage synthesizer technology, and fierce propagators of the man-machine aesthetic (the cover of their second album features member Ann Shenton on the operating table with a synthesizer either being inserted or taken out of her organ cavity). The trio formed when Shenton met Barry Smith in 1993; both were fans of vintage synth and the proto-electronica crafted in the 1960s and '70s by such luminaries as Wendy Carlos, Pierre Henry and even Roxy Music. After becoming Add N to X one year later, Shenton and Smith recruited theremin expert Steven Claydon plus an organic rhythm section for their live show, consisting of Stereolab's Andy Ramsay on drums and Rob Hallam from the High Llamas. After the debut Add N to X album Vero Electronics was released in 1996 on Blow Up, the group toured America, where their propulsive live show earned more comparisons to Suicide than an ostensibly sympathetic group like Tortoise. On the Wires of Our Nerves appeared in 1998 and Avant Hard followed in April of 1999. The following year they released Add Insult to Injury, which saw the group move in a more accessible, pop direction. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

ali

Über-ABBA tribute the A-Teens assembled Stockholm, Sweden-based adolescents Marie Serneholt, Sara Lumholdt, Dhani Lennevald, and Amit Paul. Beginning work on their debut album The ABBA Generation in 1998, two years later the group topped the European charts with their cover of "Mamma Mia," achieving the feat exactly a quarter of a century after the original ABBA hit number one with their own rendition of the song. The aforementioned LP contains similarly modernized renditions of ABBA classics like "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "S.O.S.," and "Take a Chance on Me." After tours with like-minded acts such as *N Sync and Britney Spears and an appearance on Nickolodeon's All That tour in summer 2000, the group delivered their follow-up album, Teen Spirit, which featured original material. In spring 2002, they covered the Elvis Presley classic "Can't Help Falling in Love," later performing the single on Nickelodeon's popular Slime Time Live in late May. The song was also included on the A-Teens' third album, Pop 'Til You Drop, which appeared on Universal in June. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

algorithm

Algorithm is as complex as the human experience. They compose songs about anything and everything under the sun. Many say they're ultra-political or radical, when, in fact, they're just telling the truth as they see it. Probing the heart, mind and soul of humanity looking for any common ground which may exist. Unapologetic whistle-blowing, finger pointing and all out rabble-rousing to disturb the constant downward spiral of the status quo. All backed by the undeniable BOOM BAP of anger, revolution and change with a side of melodies and a healthy, heaping helping of insightful lyrics.

Alfie

The Manchester quintet Alfie (singer Lee Gorton, guitarist Ian Smith, cellist Matt McGeever, bassist Sam Morris, and drummer Sean Kelly), came about in the late '90s after Gorton became increasingly fed up with the local music scene -- when most bands at the time were merely rehashing Oasis songs. The band caught a break with their very first show when the U.K. publication NME was doing an article on several different British music scenes, and happened to come upon the new group, reviewing the show and printing a picture of the band. The band soon befriended Damon Gough (better-known as Badly Drawn Boy), who promptly signed the group to his newly founded Twisted Nerve label. Shortly after, Alfie issued several singles/EPs -- The Alfie EP, Bookends, and Montevideo, while their full-length debut, If You Happy With You Need Do Nothing, saw the light of day in 2001. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Alien Ant Farm

The SoCal alt-metal foursome Alien Ant Farm formed in 1996 with the raging singer/songwriter Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora, and drummer Mike Cosgrove. All were bored with their day jobs and sought something else to break them from corporate norms. Music allowed them to freely express themselves, and a friendship was born. They independently released their quirky debut, Greatest Hits, toward the end of the '90s and soon enough noise surrounded the band. It won the award for Best Independent Album at the 1999 L.A. Music Awards and Alien Ant Farm found themselves striking a deal with Papa Roach's New Noize, which is partners with DreamWorks.

Two years later they made their major-label introduction with ANThology, issued in March 2001. Debut single "Smooth Criminal" was a funky metal mix of Michael Jackson's original song, and pop kids of the TRL generation loved it. The song hit number one on the modern rock charts, and the album eventually went platinum. A year later, between tours of Europe, the band was back in the studio recording new music. Their new song "Bug Bites" was featured in the Tobey Maguire flick Spiderman in May 2002. But while traveling in Spain to a gig in Portugal that same month, the band's bus collided with a truck, killing their driver, Christopher Holland. The band and crew members suffered various injuries as well, most seriously Mitchell, who fractured his C2 vertebra. Thankfully, he came out of surgery able to walk, though suffered some nerve damage and a slight loss of motion.

Committed to getting back to work and pushing the incident aside, Alien Ant Farm hit the studio to record their follow-up record. truANT was issued in May 2003, right as Dreamworks was dissolving as a label. As a result, the album barely made a splash on the U.S. charts, though the single "These Days" managed to crack the Top 30. Guitarist Corso subsequently exited the group and was replaced by Joe Hill. Zamora next left for college after recording of the band's fourth effort wrapped. Up in the Attic appeared in July 2006 on New Door Records, as hardcore vet Alex Barreto (Chain of Strength, Inside Out) entered on bass. Alien Ant Farm simultaneously released the DVD BUSted, which included music videos, live footage, and a candid documentary. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

A Wilhelm Scream

Post-hardcore quintet A Wilhelm Scream formed in New Bedford, MA, in the mid-'90s. Playing gritty punk rock in the same vein as Hot Water Music and Propagandhi, the group has since toured all over the country with the likes of Rise Against, Pennywise, the Lawrence Arms, Less Than Jake, and Strung Out. Originally called Smackin' Isaiah, the group released The Way to a Girl's Heart Is Through Her Boyfriend's Stomach on All About Records in 2001 and The Champagne of Bands...We Know Sexy EP on Fork in Hand in 2002. They changed their name to A Wilhelm Scream in December 2002. The Benefits of Thinking Out Loud, originally issued by Tank Records in 2002, was re-released by Jump Start two years later. Finally settling down with one label, 2004 saw their debut Nitro release, Mute Print, surface. The guys -- guitarist/vocalist Trevor Reilly, vocalist Nuno Pereira, bassist/vocalist Jonathan Teves, drummer Nicholas Pasquale Angelini, and guitarist Chris Levesque -- then played shows with Near Miss and Much the Same before hitting the studio in March 2005. Ruiner, produced by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, was issued that August. Following its recording, Curtiss Lopez joined in on bass, but his stay was a short one, as he abruptly left the band while on tour in February 2006. A temporary bassist (Nick Diener of Michigan's the Swellers) was quickly found to finish out dates before the guys later began their search for a permanent replacement. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

A Tribe Called Quest

Without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap. In essence, they abandoned the macho posturing rap music had been constructed upon, and focused instead on abstract philosophy and message tracks. The "sucka MC" theme had never been completely ignored in hip-hop, but Tribe confronted numerous black issues -- date rape, use of the word nigger, the trials and tribulations of the rap industry -- all of which overpowered the occasional game of the dozens. Just as powerful musically, Quest built upon De La Soul's jazz-rap revolution, basing tracks around laid-back samples instead of the played-out James Brown-fests which many rappers had made a cottage industry by the late '80s. Comprised of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Phife, A Tribe Called Quest debuted in 1989 and released their debut album one year later. Second album The Low End Theory was, quite simply, the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded, though the trio moved closer to their harder contemporaries on 1993's Midnight Marauders. A spot on the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour showed their influence with the alternative crowd -- always a bedrock of A Tribe Called Quest's support -- but the group kept it real on 1996's Beats, Rhymes and Life, a dedication to the streets and the hip-hop underground.

A Tribe Called Quest was formed in 1988, though both Q-Tip (b. Jonathan Davis) and Phife (b. Malik Taylor) had grown up together in Queens. Q-Tip met DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad while at high school and, after being named by the Jungle Brothers (who attended the same school), the trio began performing. A Tribe Called Quest's recording debut came in August 1989, when their single, "Description of a Fool," appeared on a tiny area label (though Q-Tip had previously guested on several tracks from De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising and later appeared on Deee-Lite's "Groove Is in the Heart").

Signed to Jive Records by 1989, A Tribe Called Quest released their first album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, one year later. Much like De La Soul, Tribe looked more to jazz as well as '70s rock for their sample base -- "Can I Kick It?" plundered Lou Reed's classic "Walk on the Wild Side" and made it viable in a hip-hop context. No matter how solid their debut was, second album The Low End Theory outdid all expectations and has held up as perhaps the best hip-hop LP of all time.

The Low End Theory had included several tracks with props to hip-hop friends, and A Tribe Called Quest cemented their support of the rap community with 1993's Midnight Marauders. The album cover and booklet insert included the faces of more than 50 rappers -- including obvious choices such as De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers -- as well as mild surprises like the Beastie Boys, Ice-T, and Heavy D. Though impossible to trump Low End's brilliance, the LP offered several classics (including Tribe's most infectious single to date, "Award Tour") and a harder sound than the first two albums. During the summer of 1994, A Tribe Called Quest toured as the obligatory rap act on the Lollapalooza Festival lineup, and spent a quiet 1995, marked only by several production jobs for Q-Tip. Returning in 1996 with their fourth LP, Beats, Rhymes and Life, Tribe showed signs of wear; it was a good album, but proved less striking than The Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders. While touring in support of 1998's The Love Movement, the group announced their impending breakup. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

A Static Lullaby

Post-hardcore/alternative rock outfit A Static Lullaby came together after a casual high school jam session led its members to quit their existing bands and come together as one. Formed in 2001 in Orange County, CA, the group began with singer Joe Brown, bassist Phil Pirrone, drummer Brett Dinovo, and guitarists Dan Arnold and Nathan Lindeman. Their first show was a mere two weeks after forming, and it started a buzz about the guys that they continued to build upon throughout the local circuit. They soon recorded and self-released the Withered EP, and in the summer of 2002 were signed to Ferret Records.

After recording with Steve Evetts (Snapcase, Hatebreed) in the producer's chair, A Static Lullaby released ...And Don't Forget to Breathe in March 2003. The album laid the foundation for the band's music, yet hinted at a creativity not yet completely tapped. Over a year of straight touring followed, which led to strained relations within the band, eventually causing Dinovo to quit and return to school. A Static Lullaby soon signed to Columbia and began work on their follow-up album. Faso Latido appeared in April 2005 with Lou Giordano (Sunny Day Real Estate, Taking Back Sunday) producing and friend Sammy Siegler (Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits) filling in on drums.

With the album complete and the search about to begin for a permanent drummer, Dinovo approached his old bandmates at a show and wound up rejoining the group in mid-2005. That same year also found A Static Lullaby with a spot on the popular Taste of Chaos tour alongside the Used and Killswitch Engage. January 2006 left the band in an uncertain state after the departure of Pirrone, Dinovo, and Lindeman over musical differences and the band's own exit from Columbia. But they were soon embraced by California indie Fearless Records, and by March, Brown and Arnold were again part of a full band with the addition of guitarist John Death, bassist Dane Poppin, and drummer Jarrod Alexander to A Static Lullaby's lineup. Working again with producer Evetts, the refreshed quintet issued a self-titled album on Fearless that October and headed out on tour alongside I Am Ghost. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

A Perfect Murder

Emerging in 2000, the heavy-hitting sounds of Montreal's A Perfect Murder stem from a combination of classic heavy metal, thrash, and early hardcore punk influences blended into a brutal mixture of Hatebreed-like breakdowns, harsh vocals, dense rhythms, and searing guitar leads and solos. A year after forming, the group began making a name for itself with the release of the EP Blood Covered Words. Their first full-length, Cease to Suffer, appeared in 2003 on Ontario-based Goodfellow Records and proved to be a much more focused effort from a band still honing its craft. Supporting the release, A Perfect Murder jumped on the road with Premonitions of War and Bury Your Dead before inking a deal with Chicago's Victory Records that November. Unbroken, their label debut produced by Eric Rachel (Every Time I Die, God Forbid), appeared in July 2004. Late that same year, three founding members left the band to pursue full-time jobs and families, leaving guitarist Carl Bouchard and drummer Yan Chaussé to find replacements. By December, A Perfect Murder was whole again with the addition of vocalist Kevin Randel (ex-Skard), bassist Dave Bayreuther, and guitarist/producer Pierre Rémillard (ex-Obliveon). Lineup changes ensued, however, as the band recorded 2005's Strength Through Vengeance. In 2007 A Perfect Murder released War of Aggression, shortly before they decided to call it quits for good. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

aloha

Ohio's experimental rock quartet Aloha consists of guitarist/vocalist Tony Cavallario, bassist Matthew Gengler, multi-instrumentalist/percussionist Eric Koltnow, and drummer Cale Parks. On the group's two Polyvinyl Records releases, 1998's limited-edition 7" and the following year's The Great Communicators, the Interpreters, the Nonbelievers EP, Aloha incorporates jazz and post-rock elements with personal, emotional songwriting, which is mirrored in their intense, often improvised live performances. That's Your Fire marked the band's first full-length album. Released in 2000, That's Your Fire was welcomed by critics and indie cult favorites. Two years later, Aloha delved into a heavier soundscape for Sugar. Some Echoes followed in 2006. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

A Perfect Circle

Formed by Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan and former Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle is an extension of the alt-metal-fused-with-art rock style popularized by Tool in the early to mid-'90s. While similar to Tool in intensity and melancholy, A Perfect Circle is less dark and more melodic, with a theatrical, ambient quality that incorporates occasional strings and unusual instrumentation.

After the release of Ænima in 1996, Tool found themselves in the midst of an extended legal battle with former label Freeworld Entertainment. When the dust settled two years later, the band reached a 50/50 joint venture agreement for future recordings and, feeling a little burned out, decided to take some time off. It was at this point that Keenan joined up with Howerdel and Paz Lenchantin to form A Perfect Circle. Keenan had met Howerdel in 1992 when Tool opened for Fishbone. Howerdel had been Fishbone's tech at the time and had played Keenan a few of his songs. Keenan was impressed and the two talked of collaborating in the future. However, the opportunity didn't present itself until after the Freeworld settlement. With Keenan on vocals, Howerdel on guitar, and Lenchantin on bass, the trio recruited ex-Failure and Enemy member Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar and ex-Vandals and Guns N' Roses member Josh Freese on drums.

The quintet rehearsed together but didn't announce the formation of a new band until performing for the first time on August 15, 1999, at a benefit concert at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Howerdel, who had been composing songs for years, as well as working with bands such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, became the band's chief songwriter and producer. A Perfect Circle released their debut album, Mer de Noms, in 2000. Thirteenth Step followed in 2003, and the covers album Emotive appeared in 2004. ~ Tracy Frey, All Music Guide

A Life Once Lost

Originally formed in 1999, Philadelphia's A Life Once Lost joined a rapidly growing fraternity of metalcore bands (Converge, God Forbid, Killswitch Engage, to name but a few) spread across the U.S. Eastern Seaboard -- over the next few years, these groups helped define the so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Featuring vocalist Robert Meadows, guitarists Robert Carpenter and Douglas Sabolick, bassist Nick Frasca, and drummer Justin Graves, their releases include 2000's Open Your Mouth for the Speechless... LP, and 2003's A Great Artist LP and The Fourth Plague: Flies EP. Those last two albums not only snagged the guys tours with Throwdown, Breather Resist, Dead to Fall, and more, but also the attention of Nora's Carl Severson. He eventually signed the band to Ferret Music, which then released the LP Hunter in 2005. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

A Girl Called Eddy

Not playing into her androgynous-sounding performing name, A Girl Called Eddy matches the grace of Karen Carpenter and the brutal honesty of Aimee Mann and Beth Orton. She emerged in the thicket of pop radio queens (Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne) during summer 2004 and introduced a sophisticated reflection of songs on her self-titled debut. A Girl Called Eddy never really had a plan to do it this way, however. Having already gone through a divorce and worked various mediocre jobs, A Girl Called Eddy wasn't satisfied living the American life. Music had been a magical part of her life. A healthy dose of Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey from her parents provided A Girl Called Eddy, born Erin Moran, an escape from growing up on the Jersey shore. Once her mother had passed away in the late '90s, A Girl Called Eddy's adulthood came to a halt. Music was her therapy and again a positive outlet for her to be herself comfortably. She soon began singing backing vocals and playing keyboards for singer/songwriter Francis Dunnery and got the chance to tour Great Britain. It was right around this time that A Girl Called Eddy acquired her gender-bending nickname. In 2001, she issued her debut EP, Tears All Over Town on Le Grand Magistery. Several independent labels soon wooed her with record deals, but once more A Girl Called Eddy found herself in England. A chance meeting with Richard Hawley (Pulp, Longpigs) led her to set up shop in his Sheffield abode for what would become her proper first album. A Girl Called Eddy appeared on Anti in August 2004. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

A Flock of Seagulls

As well-known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as their hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," A Flock of Seagulls were one of the infamous one-hit wonders of the new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement, A Flock of Seagulls were a little too robotic and arrived a little too late to be true new romantics, but their sleek dance-pop was forever indebted to the short-lived movement. The group benefitted considerably from MTV's heavy rotation of the "I Ran" video in the summer of 1982, but they were unable to capitalize on their sudden success and disappeared nearly as quickly as they rocketed up the charts.

Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The group released its debut EP on Cocteau Records early in 1981, and while the record failed to chart, its lead track, "Telecommunication," became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the U.K., "I Ran" didn't make the Top 40, but "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after "Space Age Love Song" peaked at number 30. "Wishing" was taken from the group's second album, Listen (1983), which was moderately successful.

However, the band's fortunes crashed shortly after the release of Listen as 1984's The Story of a Young Heart failed to produce any hit singles. Reynolds left after the album and was replaced by Gary Steadnin; the band also added keyboardist Chris Chryssaphis. The new lineup was showcased on 1986's Dream Come True, which failed to chart. Shortly after its release, the band broke up. Mike Score assembled a new lineup of A Flock of Seagulls in 1989, releasing the single "Magic" and touring the U.S.A. The band failed to make any impact and most of the members left by the end of the year. The band continued to tour worldwide, although with major changes to its members, and in 1996 released a new album, The Light at the End of the World. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

A Fine Frenzy

Though she was born in Seattle, Alison Sudol spent most of her life in Los Angeles, moving there with her mother when she was five. Despite the fact she was always interested in music, it wasn't until she was in her late teens, inspired by bands like Coldplay and Keane, that she began playing an instrument, the piano being her weapon of choice. After she had composed a few pieces, she sent out a short demo, receiving immediate response from Capitol Record's Jason Flom, who came to Sudol's house to hear her play and soon signed the young singer/songwriter. After a SXSW appearance in March 2007 (opening for the Stooges, strangely enough), Sudol, who chose to go by the name A Fine Frenzy as an artist (taken from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), she released her full-length debut, One Cell in the Sea, in July, accompanied by an opening spot on Rufus Wainwright's tour that summer. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

A Cursive Memory

Southern California-based quartet A Cursive Memory is comprised of teenage rockers Mark Borston-Smith (bass, keyboards, vocals), Shaun Profeta (drums, percussion, vocals), Colin Baylen (guitar), and Brian Bolen (guitar and vocals). Their music combines subtle piano leads, churning guitars, twisting 80's-style keyboards and huge, anthemic choruses for a sound that recalls influences as varied as All-American Rejects, The Killers and The Beach Boys.

ACM's infectious sound caught the ears of M-Music, the new music management division of Bunim/Murray Productions (producers of such shows as MTV's The Real World, The Simple Life), and the group has become M-Music's very first signing. Since then, they've been heard on MTV's The Real World and The Challenge, as well as a TV ad campaign for Motorola's ROKR iTunes-equipped mobile phone. The schoolboy act recently recorded the theme song for "Jackass" alum Steve-O's new Bunim/Murray-produced MTV show.

Alexisonfire

When a band names themselves after the world's only lactating contortionist, you know you are in for something different; and as with the original act, you know that some people are going to be fascinated, some will be in awe, and some will consider the whole lot to be a complete and utter waste of time. This is a band of extremes: screaming and pleading, ugly and beautiful, poetic and obscene, obvious and sublime. You can think of them however you want. Alexisonfire rose up out of the Southern Ontario underground in late 2001 like some monstrous car-accident-in-progress. Hitting the ground with an immediate full head of steam, Dallas, Wade, George, Jesse and Chris have not only impressed the critics with their sour/sweet approach to performance and writing, but are recognized for their stellar musicianship, and the palpably pent-up tightness of the band live. Alexisonfire knows that their fans aren't stupid. The fans know the real deal when they see it, and in the case of AOF, they seem to have told 2 friends, who told 2 friends, and so on. During the year that followed the release of their self-titled 2002 debut album, the band has shot into the mainstream media like a streaker at an All-Star game: 3 videos reach the top 5 on MuchMusic (the first "hardcore" artist to ever chart at #1), a US deal with Equal Vision Records (cred-worthy home of Coheed & Cambria), a sponsorship with Blink-182's clothing startup Atticus, an MMVA nomination for the "Pulmonary Archery" video, a Best Video Award for "Pulmonary Archery" at The Indies (Canadian Independent Music Awards) , and the everlasting status as the posterboys for hardcore crossover appeal. This may all sound like SOP for an up-and-coming rock ensemble, but wait a minute; this is hardcore music -- often described by members of the band as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight". This hasn't happened before. Nobody is more aware of this fact than the boys in Alexisonfire. Taking it all in stride, they remain guileless, affable, and capable of equal amounts of sarcasm and self-deprecation. They rock the MuchOnDemand studios like it's a sweaty all-age venue in St. Catherines, which in turn is rocked like they did when AOF germinated in the basements and rec-rooms of their now-proud but baffled parents not so long ago. Their songs scream of intellectual fury basted with ladlefuls of vocal pop melody; it's a bipolar magnet, and if you stop and listen or see a live show, it'll all oddly start to make sense. Their long-awaited sophomore album, Watch Out!, is loaded with everything the kids love about them: power, emotion and humor. Resistance is futile.