Mixology

We have now completed principle recording on three songs with a fourth nearly finished. I have tried and tried to mix them in a way that sounds good and professional. I put together what sounds like a great mix, then put it into my iTunes (we are running an Apple based recording process) next to a real song in a similar vein and it sounds like total crap. I like to think that on a good day, we sound similar to Weezer, but you wouldn't know it by listening to our most finished product. I am starting to get really frustrated and I don't know how to fix it. I have tried EQ, compression, ducking, etc. I am hoping that we can get together as a band and come up with something. I refuse to believe that I am asking too much of my software (GarageBand). 

I guess it doesn't help that I have a full-time job as well as a full-time school schedule. I can see how being a recording artist can be a full-time job. Spending months in the studio for hours on end crafting an album, followed by months of mixing, fixing and producing, followed by live shows and tours. It is looking less and less like an easy life. I don't mean to sound discouraged. In fact I feel like this would be a great job to have. I really hope that this works out for us!