Hoobastank
You've gotta like a band with an unfathomable name and an indie debut called They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To. These little boys from Agoura Hills, Calif., however, are made from equal parts Faith No More and Tool. After cutting their live teeth rocking the hood's backyard, they graduated to genuine radio play with the single "Crawling in the Dark."

Course of Nature
Just as Alabama's Cog were about to release their debut album in 2001, singer Mark Wilkerson and guitarist John "Fish" Mildrum decided to chase the muse as Course of Nature. They got people whispering they were the next big Lifehouse with the help of a major label deal, strings arranged by Bon Jovi's orchestrator and the sweet tune "Caught in the Sun."

Tantric
Tantric are something of a Days of the New survivors support group, boasting three veterans of the aspirant grungers in their line-up. Guitarist Todd Whitener, bassist Jesse Vast, and drummer Matt Taul hired Jim Morrison fanatic Hugo Ferreira as a vocalist and have since regained the rock high ground with 2001's self-titled album.

The Calling
California's The Calling survived being put on hold by their record company for a few years to woo radio with "Wherever You Will Go," a ballad soaring on the wings of their irrepressible spirituality and the updraft of singer Alex Band. The recent electrocution of guitarist Aaron Kamin may not have been the evolution they hoped for, but things can only get more interesting from here.