The All-American Rejects

Co-founders Tyson Ritter (vocals/bass) and Nick Wheeler (guitar/programming) hail from Stillwater, OK, where the pair first embraced music as an appealing diversion from the ho-hum life of small-town America. Citing such influences as AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi, they formed The All-American Rejects in 2000, while both members were still in high school. Originally released on Doghouse in October 2002, the S/T record was later reissued by DreamWorks. The band scored a hit with the effervescent "Swing, Swing," which attracted attention from Interscope Records and ultimately landed the All-American Rejects on the label's roster. Move Along, the band's sophomore album and first for Interscope, was released in July 2005; it also marked the official debut of Mike Kennerty (guitar) and Chris Gaylor (drums), both of whom had joined the band in 2002 after the completion of the Rejects' eponymous debut. Like its predecessor, Move Along was a huge success and went platinum, with three singles ("Dirty Little Secret," "Move Along," and "It Ends Tonight") enjoying chart success in the U.S. and abroad. This is a color 12-in LP on ORANGE Vinyl.

While comparisons to nerd-rock dandies Weezer are probably inevitable for the fabulously named All-American Rejects, discerning listeners will note that where the cheeky lyrics about painfully awkward love end, the group's rhythmic force picks up, positioning the Oklahoma crew more as a geeky Green Day than the above-named preppy pop dabblers. No shame in that--on their major label debut, the All-American Rejects marry punk and pop with a clear sense of purpose and no particular loyalty to either form, cherry-picking the best of each and arriving at a spiky, effervescent middle ground. Singer Tyson Ritter is especially convincing in his role as hapless lover. But on tracks like the muscular "Too Far Gone" and the vaguely orchestral "The Last Song," Ritter's comrades drive the whole shebang home with instrumental freight. And you'd have to be pretty hard-hearted not to find yourself echoing the sing-singy strains of "Swing Swing" and "My Paper Heart." Fans of ironic pop--Box Car Racer, Fountains of Wayne, and their ilk--get crackin'. --Kim Hughes