Sum 41

On the surface, this sophomore release from this Ajax, ON, quartet has all the ingredients to make it the scourge of punk fans everywhere. Sum 41 is essentially a bunch of suburban dweebs that were weaned on a steady diet of mall punk, playing in a band with major label distribution and the benefit of copious amounts of radio and video airplay without having paid their dues. Yet, despite this, there's no denying the quality of the songs on the record. Their ironic mock-metal posing and obvious affinity for the Offspring and the Vandals are not original, but damn if they don't know how to rock. The Beastie Boys meets Blink 182 styling of the summer anthem "Fat Lip" is easily the record's showcase piece, but it's not the only good song. In a world of mainstream one-hit pop-punk posers, Sum 41 is that rare band that just may have some staying power.