An Experimental Rock band that is essentially Jamie Stewart and whoever is around him at the time, Xiu Xiu seemingly uses every instrument in the musical landscape while tackling dark topics.  Stewart can sound melancholy and angry all at the same time and exudes a poetic brilliance.  This is all fine and good but it is not a recipe for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

The early 2000’s saw a plethora of American female Singer/Songwriters emerge of which Vanessa Carlton was one of them.  She came out with a top five hit with “A Thousand Miles” in 2002 and looked to be poised for a major career.  It didn’t happen, and though she put out multiple albums after her breakthrough she did not come close to duplicating that success again.

Generally we don’t think to mention Christian bands, but Florida’s UnderOath did receive a bit of mainstream attention due to their Hard Rock/Post Punk musical style and have had two albums reach the Billboard Top Ten.  UndeOath may lyrically sing about Christian matters but they are a very accomplished group, which explains their crossover success.

 

Trapt is not one of those bands that you immediately think of when you discuss the post nu-metal bands of the 2000’s, but the California band sold more records than you probably think.  They also had a number one song (on the U.S. Alternative and U.S. Hard Rock), with their first single, Headstrong, though realistically, that could be pegged as their apex of their career as they haven’t gone to the top since.