Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Surprisingly, Thornley was led by vocalist/guitarist Ian Thornley, he of the mildly successful Boston alternative outfit Big Wreck. After the Wreck's 2002 retirement, Thornley returned to his native Toronto and began writing solo material. Nickelback's Chad Kroeger -- a pal from the late '90s modern rock trenches -- had just started a vanity imprint through Universal, and he promptly tapped Thornley as a signee. So, by late 2003 the singer was back in the studio, working with producer Gavin Brown (Three Days Grace), drummer Sekou Lumumba, bassist Ken Tizzard, and guitarist Tavis Stanley. When the resulting Come Again LP appeared in May 2004, it featured a melodic post-grunge sound tinged with psychedelia and guided by the big vocals of -- wait for it -- Thornley. ~ Johnny Loftus