The Fray aren't exactly brand new, either. And I enjoy their album quite a bit, but their singles are definitely their strong points. The second half of the album wasn't as strong as the first.

If you're talking about 2006, there's far too many bands for me to list. With regards to this year, though, the bands I've recently been getting into include Poets of the Fall, Something Corporate, and Venice is Sinking, which is a really good local alt rock band, none of which are exactly "new."