Sweet Sounds

This year, the music world witnessed not-so-successful follow-ups from once-successful artists and surprisingly catchy debuts from previously unknown talents. While Limp Bizkit demonstrated that the late '90s rap-rock sound was officially dead with the dismal results of their third album, the Strokes further cemented their status as the kings of stripped-down New York rock. More than merely reflecting the unpredictability of the musical climate, though, this year artists' willingness to change their sound led to some disappointingly derivative discs and surprisingly successful smashes. While OutKast proved that as two separate artists their mix of funked-out pop and inventive hip-hop enabled them to achieve their greatest success as a group, other artists had slightly less-successful forays into pop.

  Despite the hype that accompanied both of their follow-up albums, Michelle Branch and Dashboard Confessional both failed to integrate conventional pop and introspective lyrics. Even conventional pop stars such as Britney Spears and Janet Jackson relied heavily on production and produced albums of stale beats and transparent vocals. Over the course of the past school year, Recess also witnessed the emergence of suburban punk rock and Latin-influenced hip-hop, the increasingly popularity of British urban music and two invasions of Scandinavian and Australian artists.

Still, it's not just about covering the music coming out of your stereo; it's about the events and issues that drive the evolution of contemporary recording. This year Recess went to CMJ and SXSW, and previewed a number of other notable concerts. We explored the willingness of artists to sell their name via assorted products and lend their support to political endeavors. This was also the year that the record industry attempted to make music available through cheaper and legal means in the form of legal downloading services and the much-hyped Universal price cut. While a corporate version of Napster offered an adequate collection of songs, the price cut's delayed introduction contributed to its still dubious effect. Throughout, Recess has investigated the ideas and issues behind the music people either already listen to or should.