The Year in Review
2002 has been an incredible year,
 join us as we recap a year of incredible music.

2002, like any other year, had its impact on the music community. Artists grew, some fell, and others just kept on going at a great pace, as always. Triumph was not without tragedy though. Who can forget the scares that bands have had, such as Drowning Pool's front man dying, or the near fatal bus accident of Alien Ant Farm. The great Buckcherry split, and the endings of Familiar 48 also dampened the mood of rock music fans in this year.

But with all of the negative notes that happened, the good will always shine through. Nickelback, a band that has been around for the ages, reached super-stardom with their first hit "how you remind me" in late 2001, but the song "Hero" from the Spiderman movie soundtrack is what will put Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, and Josey Scott of saliva on the maps forever. Another song of that album was from a band out of central Missouri, named "Shelter". This song, performed by the prodigious Greenwheel, was their first shot at stardom. Possibly the best new band of 2002, their song "Breathe" continues to draw attention to their impressive debut release.  Jimmy Eat World also saw long awaited success this year as their album "Bleed American" spawned four hit singles, and made them possible the biggest breakout band of 2002.  The Goo Goo Dolls also returned after a three year hiatus, and didn't miss a beat scoring number one hits with their songs "Here Is Gone" and "Big Machine"



Single artists are rapidly hitting the scene as well. Although Dave Matthews has controlled the single-male artist performance crowds for years now, names like John Mayer and Jack Johnson are common among music lovers now. Predicted as the future of music, the stripped down singer/songwriter style is gaining alot of attention as this style has been dominating for years on Alternative Addiction, seen in such acts as Zac Maloy, Jay Quinn, Jason Mraz, and Graham Colton.  Many of these solo acts will most likely be picked up by major labels in 2003 as the popularity of this style grows.



This year may have been one of the best in recent memory for spectacular new albums from fan favorites.  Dishwalla returned from no where to release one of the strongest albums of the year, and by far their best effort so far.  Splender climbed back into the spotlight after signing a new deal with J Records, while Rubyhorse came back with an incredible release the was a breath of fresh air in the rock world today.  Our Lady Peace bounced back with an impressive release, and Stroke 9 blew us all away with an album that should be heard by everyone.  Later in the year, 3 Doors Down returned with a strong sophomore release, while Matchbox Twenty continues to amaze.  Both of these bands will see alot of success in 2003 from these impressive releases.  Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2002 came from the mid year release by Marvelous 3 frontman Butch Walker.  Perhaps one of the most talented men in music today, Walker continues to go unnoticed as his 2002 release "Left Of Self Centered" left us speechless.
 

The was not without its disappointments, and the Wallflowers can just about hang up their career and no one would even notice, while SR-71 uncreative excuse for an album would also come in near the bottom.  Although Lifehouse's "Stanley Climbfall" was a decent album, in comparison to the brilliance of the debut, this album left alot of fans disappointed.

With all the band breakups that we hear about in the news, its good to see bands that are coming back together. The Presidents of the United States of America have reunited, and are back in the studio as we speak. The modern-rockers of Bliss 66 have re-collaborated. Toad the Wet Sprocket are back, as well as the Gin Blossoms. Billy Corgan returned with his new project Zwan. We can't forget the return of Detroit rockers Sponge, as their impressive EP is only a sample of what they have in store for 2003. 
 

2002 was in interesting year for Black Lab, as the band was reformed and signed to Epic, only to be dropped months later.  Fans hatred for the record label grew as later that year, Epic dropped Nine Days, just weeks before the release of their incredible sophomore effort.  Joining the list of unsigned acts is Better Than Ezra as their label filled for bankruptcy in 2002, Familiar 48 and Stroke 9 are rumored to be joining that list of unsigned acts as well.  However, as record labels continue to lose money from file sharing and MP3 downloads, indie labels will see a huge increase in revenue and attention as bands begin to favor the indie route because of the poor promotion and funding from major labels.

Yes, 2002 was full of disappointments, surprises, and triumphs. All we can hope, is that 2003 will bring us the same excitement and emotion, as that of 2002.

Memorable
Lyrics of 2002:

"Sometimes what doesn't seem so fair, that's what makes us more aware"
-Zac Maloy

"And that REM song was playing in my mind, and three and a half minutes felt like a lifetime"
-Better Than Ezra

"I'm longing for home again, but home is feeling I buried in you"
-Greenwheel

"Get out, get dressed, you're just like the rest"
-Stroke 9

"I don't want to...be the one who...does everything just the way I'm told to"
-Butch Walker

"Give me one more try, before you hang me out to dry"
-Rubyhorse

"One lie could end it all, this breath could our last one"
-Familiar 48

"I'm so sorry that you're leaving but so happy that you're gone"
-Sponge

"And Everything you hoped would last, just always becomes your past"
-Remy Zero

"I wanna let you know I'm still learning, how to love again and stop hurting"
-Tonic

"I know you're out there, somewhere out there"
-Our Lady Peace

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