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Let's see...
Not released in 2003 but surprised me this year anyways:
Maroon 5--Songs about Jane
Ra-From One
Both are incredibly good, despite both having a kinda mainstream style that generally leads to bland, boringness.
From this year--
The Stone Coyotes--Rise from the ashes:
Why would I be surprised by an act I already love and pimp out like mad? Because listening to the samples on their website, I didn't think I was gonna enjoy the record at all.
Jesse Malin--The Fine Art of Self Destruction:
Well, apparently, some people would already know the guy from his days as part of D Generation, but since I had no fucking clue who he was, he came out of the blue as far as I was concerned. I didn't even really like his stuff at first, but it grew on me with the incredible radio play The River (WRSI) and a couple of friends who were fans, I got hugely into it. He's even got props from Bruce Springsteen on this one.
I don't know how much it sounds like D Generation, because I've never heard it, but some of these songs were written around the writing of their last album.
Nuno--Population 1:
well Hell, it's Nuno F'ing Bettencourt. Still, I didn't expect this after two albums with Mourning Widows. P1 is closer to Schizophonic in all its brilliance. Pop 1 is probably my #1 choice foir this year. Nuno is excellent at creating a sound that is both poppy and catchy, but at the same time, interesting, fun, and worth paying outrageous import tarriffs.
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