Fountains of Wayne

Most suburban teens today worry about love while listening to abrasive rock or rap about poverty and revolution -- presumably to put a little drama into their lives. Fountains of Wayne, on the other hand, make ultra catchy pop music about guys who live in the suburbs and worry about love. Their self-titled debut was a breath of fresh air, sounding completely contemporary while making classically structured pop rock -- think of a sunnier Matthew Sweet. Their 1999 album Utopia Parkway takes you on a tunnel-of-love tour through strip malls and highway off-ramps with songs that manage to fall somewhere between vitriol and sweetness. In fact, Fountains of Wayne pour a lot of smarts into their dumb pop songs. Key member Adam Schlesinger is also a member of the equally poppy but more melancholy Ivy.