San Sebastian

In 2001, the Strokes changed popular rock; their influence has become the stepping-stone from which most modern rock groups jump. San Sebastian don't really jump as much as slip off said stone on their debut LP, Relations. Having built a strong following through early singles like "Young Youth" and their appearance on MuchMusic's DisBand, they're already destined for predictable levels of success. But no amount of media attention can subtract from the fact that Relations is a largely redundant and derivative album. "Hot Cop" is nearly ripped right from the wax of Room on Fire and album opener "Baby" can't decide if it's a Kings of Leon song or not. The obligatory ballad, "In or Out," is essentially filler, and the rest of the tracks don't stray very far from the cut-and-paste formula. When a band like San Sebastian already have fans, there's no point in doing anything new.