These guys are a great power pop band and now they have a full live album coming out on June 26th. Recorded live at Seattle’s legendary Crocodile Cafe on December 23, 2006 – just their third show – this live performance shows why Shake Some Action! has been steadily building a loyal fan base throughout 2007. Catchy pop songs with gorgeous harmonies and instantly hummable melodies, all performed with tremendous energy and enthusiasm. As a special preview, the band is making the tracks available streaming from their site.

Streaming Live Tracks! | Shake Some Action Review

Here is a real “Hollywood-styled” success story. Josh (piano and vocals) and Dan (guitar) Ballard played music together growing up in Arizona before taking a leap of faith and moving to California. They both agreed that if they didn’t “make it big” in the music business by June 2006, they would move back home. Working at Starbucks, Josh met producer Brian Garcia and the rest is music history.

Inspired and lush, this album is a tapestry of falsetto and piano. The album is essential listening for any one who likes melodic “heartbreak” themed songs. Josh and Dan Ballard really put joy and pain into each song, not unlike Coldplay or Keane. “Unnoticed” is a good Ben Folds-type of tune. “All I Have” is a good mid-tempo song that borrows a bit from U2 and “What I’ve done” has a sweeping majestic chorus. Unfortunately, because the mood of each song is downbeat, it tends to weigh the album down. You almost forget this is a Christian pop band until “You Do” at the end of the album. Geared toward moody young people, it should do very well. The website is also beautifully done with streaming songs to listen to. Enjoy!

The Until June Website | My Space | Amazon

The Grey Race, a new power pop group from Brooklyn does a great job of setting up a cool soundscape. The songs are best described as “sweet and sour” and reminds me a bit of 10cc and late-era Badfinger with multiple listens. “On the Chin” and “Bottom” are emotionally dark and amazingly cool. The one sunny spot on the CD is a cover of The Zombies “Care of Cell 44” – this is very nicely done, although it isn’t going to make me forget about Susanna Hoffs’ version last year. I feel The Grey Race does have some greatness potential in the brilliant song “Screamings not an Option” and vocalist Jon Darling’s scathing comment on a break up that is an effective mix of Pink Floyd’s desparation and The Beatles melodicism, and my favorite track here. I look forward to a full length release in September.

The Grey Race Website | My Space

Also new on e-music is a worthy download. This is a classic of the genre: Any Trouble “Where are all the nice girls?” This 1980 gem mines the Elvis Costello/Joe Jackson era sound perfectly. Essential listening.

Cross Elvis Costello and Tom Petty with some Neil Young and you get Carlos Oliver from The Pauls, a pop group from Madrid, Spain. As a band, The Pauls compare with The Wallflowers or The Black Crows a bit and play with a gritty American 70’s type of sound. On some songs the melodies are great, like “Fingers through your hair and rock and roll” or “Can’t Shine Tonight.” Other songs it sounds like Oliver is channeling a stoned Bob Dylan playing with Steely Dan in songs like “The Princess of the Moon.” Lots of nice guitar work with organ, horn and harmonica flourishes on plenty of songs that make for an enjoyable album. Having heard earlier albums, this one is a bit more rock and less pop, but it suits the band better. Once in a while, the songs drift into lyrical incoherent sounds like in “Too hot for spring” but at other times it all falls in place, like on “Wicked Man Blues.” “Some like of love” has a little bit of a Lenny Kravitz feel and that’s good too. The album has a spontaneous “live” feeling, complete with occassional feedback and studio noises and this gives the album some of it’s charm. Check it out.

The Pauls Website | Not Lame | Kool Kat | My Space

Listen to “Wicked Man Blues”

Listen to “Miss Tokyo”