The 88 - Over and Over (2005)

01. Hide Another Mistake
02. All 'Cause of You
03. Nobody Cares
04. Bowls
05. Head Cut Off
06. Battle Scar
07. Coming Home
08. You Belong to Me
09. Haunt You
10. Jesus Is Good
11. Everybody Loves Me
12. Not Enough

Bands with numbers as their name are generally annoying, but I'll look past this one mistake. Their songs are used for a bunch of tv/ads (The O.C., Grey's Anatomy, Target, etc.) but are still unknown to the general public. It's pretty gay to admit that most of the songs used on the O.C. are really enjoyable, but it's true, and we all know it.

"The 88 have a lot of believers on its side, causing a big enough stir in the local LA scene to attract the attention of TV shows like The O.C. and Jimmy Kimmel as well as KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Singing with a sensual Marc Bolan-like set of pipes, singer Keith Slettedahl has a long list of ex-lovers who fuel his caustic muse. Doing the majority of the songwriting as well, Slettedahl's music leans toward mid-'60s power pop filled with hooky choruses and taunt riffs that recall early Kinks. "Hide Another Mistake" is a prime example of this aesthetic, and it's already been picked as a single, yet "All 'Cause Of You" has an emotional vulnerability to the vocals and a jaunty riff that rams the equally strong song home. Well-balanced with a few quieter acoustic songs, this sophomore effort is an assured and altogether catchy work from a band that deserves all the attention it gets." -Tad Hendrickson review

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