These Oklahoma hitmakers are in their 14th year together as a band, but they’re still mining teenage dramatics for buoyant, chant-along tunes. From confronting a cheating girlfriend at a party to sighing about feeling claustrophobic in a small hometown over gyrating New Wave synth, pinup singer Tyson Ritter is a hook wielding bard of frustrated young suburbanites. Thankfully, his band shows signs of cracking through its own arrested development, especially in the sinuous groove of "Bleed Into Your Mind" and the sweetly vulnerable orchestral ballad "Affection."

Listen to The All-American Rejects' "Kids in the Street":

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• Photos: Random Notes

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.