All-American Rejects

Drummers: Who needs 'em? The All-American Rejects' members refused to twiddle their thumbs during their search for the perfect percussionist. Instead, they wrote songs to the beat of a drum machine, which ended up filling in for the flesh-and-blood variety on the duo's self-titled debut. The guys know how to take starry-eyed adolescent angst and wrap it in crazy pop hooks played on big guitars, as evidenced by the single "Swing Swing," an excellent indicator of their earworm potential. On disc, the drum machines suck the spontaneity out of some songs, but on the road with both a drummer and an additional guitarist, the Rejects should pump up the volume. And the louder these tunes are played, the better they sound.