BRAND NEW Critical Release: Deja Entendu (2003)
Brand New always finds a way to swim against the current of their fellow musicians. Not only are they a rare band in their genre to avoid lineup changes and a breakup/hiatus, they remain exclusive in an industry that sees bands doing anything they can to stay relevant; perhaps that's why Deja Entendu is still regarded as one of the most important albums of the 2000s.
Even so, there's no denying that it's damn good. With singles "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" and "Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades," Brand New was able to gain notoriety from their music videos before the art of videos became extinct. Rumors are swirling that album number five is under way. Brand New is set to tour Europe later this summer, plus a few dates scheduled in the Midwest and New York around the time that they will play RiotFest.
THE USED Critical Album: The Used (2002) Somehow, The Used found a way to deliver screamo without asking for your attention. Instead, their self-titled debut demanded it, and it was almost impossible to deny their talent. Since that time, the group has faced hardships -- singer Bert McCracken's girlfriend died during the recording of their second album, while various tours have been cancelled due to McCracken needing surgery on his vocal cords, while one Canadian tour came to a halt due to McCracken's criminal record. (This is rock and roll we're talking about.) Even so, The Used have released four more studio albums, including Vulnerable (II), which was re-released earlier this year as a two-disc set.
MATCHBOOK ROMANCE Critical Album: Stories and Alibis (2003) It was hard to find a compilation in the early 2000s without finding at least one Matchbook Romance song on there. And really, it was for good reason. With singles such as "The Greatest Fall (of All Time)" and "Promise," it was hard to find an emo fan who didn't slap either of those tracks on a mix for a love interest.
Unfortunately, Matchbook Romance only released one other album before throwing in the towel. Though the members have since been working in other projects (most notably in You, Me, and Everyone We Know,) Matchbook Romance is still technically on "hiatus," despite a small number of live performances, including a recent holiday show for Glamour Kills in 2012.
