Fastball

Fastball used to be called Magneto, then Magneto USA, plus various other names, before finally settling on Fastball as a moniker (no, they don't sing baseball songs). Whatever name they go by, this Austin-based trio of Miles Zuniga, Tony Scalzo, and Joey Shuffield always deliver an easy-to-digest brand of melodic pop rock. After their 1996 debut release on Hollywood Records, "Make Your Mama Proud," Fastball tied for Best Pop Band at the Austin Music Awards and came in second for Best Alternative Band. Their newest album "All The Pain Money Can Buy" comes across as a little more introspective than their previous attempts, but it still packs a one-two melodic punch. They've also got a song on the soundtrack of "American Werewolf in Paris," and they steal the show with their rendition of a Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic on the "Lounge-A-Palooza" compilation CD.