The early to mid-2000s was an interesting time for rock and roll. During the ‘90s, which gave us grunge and alternative, it didn’t feel like many people wanted to be rock stars anymore. The new millennium saw a return to the larger-than-life ethos that embodied the classic rock star, plus the resurgence of classic rock, synth pop, new wave, and metal sounds with younger artists trying to refresh those genres. A lot of notable albums came out, but many of them got lost in the shuffle as major labels were also shoving teen pop and pop-punk in our faces.
But rock and roll always finds a way, and the following artists and albums certainly made an impact—some longer than others—even if they were not topping the charts. They also deserve renewed love or discovery by younger ears. Fun fact: It wasn’t until I finished this list that I remembered that all of these bands were at one point part of the WEA (Warner Elektra Atlantic) family.
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The Donnas, Spend The Night (2002)
Formed in 1993 under the name The Electrocutes, this hard-rocking female quartet from Palo Alto, California spun off into The Donnas when they chose to go in a heavier direction. They made a larger splash with their fifth album Spend The Night, which was their major label debut through Atlantic Records. From the first listen it’s clear that The Donnas love the old-school rock and roll vibes of bands like The Runaways, AC/DC, and Girlschool—it’s certainly bristling through Allison Robertson’s guitar amps—and they played with the kind of raw energy and sincerity that makes it feel fresh again. The punchy production from Jason Carmer and Robert Shrimp captured it perfectly on tracks like “Too Bad About Your Girl,” “Who Invited You,” and “Take It Off,” which flipped the script on objectification. This album features 13 cuts in 40 minutes and was a part of a larger trend in the early ’00s towards shorter and sweeter numbers after the CD revolution made bands feel like they had to give us 70 minutes of music every time. Brevity can be just as effective.
Kill Hannah, For Never and Ever (2003)
Like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, Chicago’s Kill Hannah were among a number of bands influenced by the new wave and post-punk sounds from 20 years earlier while bringing modern twists to them. Suddenly, millennials and Gen Xers were (re)discovering the kinds of funky, poppy, and also rocking songs that had made the early ’80s so much fun. Kill Hannah’s fourth album and major label debut was more about riff rock than dancefloor grooves, although the infectious “Boys & Girls” and “Kennedy” can get you moving. Interestingly enough, For Never And Ever is a mix of new tunes and re-recordings of older songs, and it’s a solid collection derived from post-punk and emo influences—the latter notable on a track like “Raining All The Time.” Their sound would continue to evolve with 2006’s Until There’s Nothing Left of Us. Pop Matters once described frontman Mat Devine as having “gender ambiguous vocals,” which is rather spot on. This album was mixed by Tim Palmer, who also worked with HIM. Kill Hannah and HIM played together in New York City for the latter’s North American debut, and both have covered Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell.”
HIM, Love Metal (2003)
Gothic hard rockers HIM have a cult following in America, but the Finnish quintet were always bigger worldwide (they disbanded in 2017, but never say never). The one album that really made a dent on the charts in America, the pop-tinged Dark Light, sold a half a million copies after it came out in 2005. But it’s predecessor Love Metal, their fourth studio album which became their own personal genre tag, is a superior collection. It combines metallic energy, dark brooding, and the tragic-romantic lyrics of crooning frontman/songwriter Ville Valo, who also belts out a good scream here and there. Intense rockers like “Buried Alive by Love” and “Soul on Fire” and more melodic mid-tempo numbers like “The Sacrament” and “The Funeral of Hearts” are loaded up with catchy, often crunchy riffs and elegant keyboards combined with an unusual emotional intensity. Valo reinvigorated classic ideas where other artists would simply wallow in cliches.
Porcupine Tree, Deadwing (2005)
Although he doesn’t use the term, Steven Wilson has been a leading light of modern progressive rock music, exploring a lot of different sonic terrain over the last 30-plus years beyond genre boundaries. It was pleasantly surprising that Lava/Atlantic signed Porcupine Tree back in 2001, and with Deadwing, the second of three releases for the label, it’s easy to see why they did. This album found the sweet spot between the complexity and epic scale of progressive music with the melody and accessibility of hard rock without sounding mainstream. That’s not an easy feat, but singer/guitarist Wilson and his bandmates – keyboardist Richard Barbieri, bassist Colin Edwin, and drummer Gavin Harrison – pulled it off. The mesmerizing opening 10-minute title track is rock solid, and it has no chorus. Porcupine Tree went on hiatus around 2010 and Wilson focused on his solo work, but they returned in 2022 with a new album, Closure/Continuation, and successful tour.
Head Automatica, Popaganda (2006)
Vocalist Daryl Palumbo originally started his career with post-hardcore outfit Glassjaw, and in the 2000s he released two albums with Head Automatica (with a third reportedly having been shelved) through Warner Bros. Records. The group’s sophomore album Popaganda has been described as power pop—it feels late ’70s British pub rock, mod revival, even a little doo-wop given a hard rock injection. From brash numbers like “Graduation Day” and “Lying Through The Teeth” to more contemplative tunes like “God” and “She’s Not It,” one can hear echoes of artists like Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and The Beatles in this propulsive album. Palumbo once stated that half of his record collection dated from 1978 to 1981, and he took those influences and others and put them to good use with Head Automatica. The band went MIA for a dozen years but returned to do live shows last year.
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