Soundtrack solid, but not stellar

This is the story of 21 bands thrown onto a CD to create a soundtrack for a series that just won't go away. Don't try to fight it -- no matter what happens in this shaky world filled with a lousy economy and war-torn countries, there will always be a new season of MTV's "Road Rules." \nI don't know who watches "Road Rules." I know I haven't since that one season in Latin America where that chick beat up that guy with the chihuahua. The show does have a big following, and I guess executives at MTV believe that the majority of that audience likes pop punk and hard rock from bands that have little exposure on the channel. This is not a bad thing, and in fact most of the music on this album is pretty good. It just doesn't seem to fit like another genre might. \nRight off the bat we get a song from up-and-coming "TRL" favorites Jimmy Eat World that starts the album off rocking. The album does do a good job of lumping good songs together and keeping the crappy ones side-by-side as well.\nNow, just like any soundtrack, there are really good songs, mediocre ones and just plain terrible ones. The better songs on the album are performed by the bands Unwritten Law, New Found Glory and Dashboard Confessional, all with upbeat poppy tunes. The best song, and the most fun and creative song I have heard in a while, is "Jude Law and the Semester Abroad" performed by Brand New. It's all about an ex-girlfriend who goes to England to meet young men with British accents. \nThe worst thing about the CD is that it has 21 different bands on it. Now, usually this would be a good thing, but many of the bands sound so alike that it is hard to tell which is which. As long as you're the type of person who just likes good music without caring who's playing it, then this will not be a problem. But for the people who have to know which song is which, carrying around the track listing is a pain. So even if you don't like "Road Rules," but you like the pop-punkish rock genre, then this would be a good buy.