Native to Canada, OLP has taken reign as my favorite band.  Fueled by powerful lyrics OLP has put together four amazing albums and one...well...not too shabby album.  "Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch", their third album, is hands down my favorite of the five, although Spiritual Machines is close behind.  Both are filled with lyrical content that I can relate to and live by.  I've been to five OLP concerts in the past year, and had the honor of meeting them multiple times, and I must say they are truly kind individuals who care about their fans.  They've introduced me to the joy of concert bootlegging.  Who knew how much of a rush can be obtained by smuggling a camera into a concert and taking illegal photos and video clips.  In fact, I've dedicated an entire website of my own to my craft.  Click on the photo of OLP to the right to check it out.  

Incubus provides a savvy blend of rock, jazz, and reggae to provide some of the most entertaining music I've ever been exposed to.  This band too has experienced the evolution of finding themselves through their music, as their is a definite difference between the tracks found on Fungus Amongus, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., Make Yourself, and Morning View.  My favorite Incubus album is S.C.I.E.N.C.E., just because I feel that one is most my style.

Coldplay first emerged a few years ago with their breakthrough hit, "Yellow", which garnered critical and consumer recognition.  I was one of those suckers who latched on to that song, bought the album, and was amazed and greatly impressed on what I found.  With lead singer, Chris Martin's, eerily smooth voice and powerful lyrically driven works, Coldplay's initial album, Parachutes, was solid from beginning to end.  Their sophomore effort, A Rush of Blood to the Head", was released after great anticipation in August of 2002.  Coldplay proved to have a level of maturity comparable with that of Radiohead.  Their sound on A Rush of Blood... belittles Parachutes in complexity and the band began to  incorporate political messages in their work.  Again, I was greatly impressed, and the result is a band that I sincerely enjoy and will continue to follow for years to come.  

One of my favorite bands, that I don't think has found enough recognition here in the states is Travis.  Native to Scotland, they have been putting out quality music since the release of their first album, Good Feeling, in 1997.  Travis has a bit of a 70's throwback vibe to their music, drawing a lot of influences from the Beatles.  They have the ability to sound just as good live as on the record, and I can say without shame that not only do I enjoy this band, but my PARENTS do as well, and that's saying a lot! 

Howie Day

Howie Day is a young 21 year old lad from Maine who has so much talent that it's almost painful to listen to, but in an entirely good way.   A friend told me to check out this guy and I'm so happy that I did.  His debut album, Australia, was independently released when Howie was still in his teens.  If you're looking for sheer talent, this guy's got it.  As of now, most of the work you'll find of his is concert bootlegs, which I highly recommend because this guy is seriously better live than on the album.  He does a lot of really great covers as well as powerful, inspired originals.  Click on Howie's picture to visit his official website.