Some bands are formed through a labor of love for the genre. James Hall has taken his love and turned it into a damn good pop band in Seattle. Rich jangley guitars and melodic chorus, with a bit more muscle than your average pop band. But trying to catagorize Shake Some Action is not so easy. They have a great Byrdsian guitar sound with a bit of ’90s styled song structure. Kinda like Midnight Oil meets The Byrds. “Damaged” and “Couldn’t Help Yourself” are great examples of this. Even better is the track “Without You” – a really catchy tune with a little beatle-y background chorus. It reminds me alot of Kenny Howes approach to power pop. So you see these guys are special. The track “Someone else’s friend” pulls out all the jangle stops and almost sounds like a Jason Falkner track! The album really delivers the goods. It’s worth adding to your listening list — just visit the band’s site to get the CD and go here to listen to some sound samples. You can also buy this album at CD Baby

This was a great album that came out a month or two ago, and I felt it deserved a review. The Honeydogs are lead by the amazing Adam Levy, who is crafting better songs everyday. One of the first reviews here at Powerpopaholic was “10,000 Years” – the last Honeydogs album. Overall the tone of the new album is a little less thematic than the last, but they haven’t lost any of the craft and skill that made it successful. On “Amygdala” we are treated to smart lyrics, and wonderful melodies. “Rattling My Tin Cup” is a great tune that has a hook that won’t let go of you. “Devil’s Advocate” is another keeper here, with those great ringing guitars. There are more introspective tunes on this one, “Heads or Tails” being a good example. The XTC and Beatles refererences are gone. I saw this album on a few “best of” year end lists. I feel The Honeydogs have completely matured here, and I expect continued greatness from them. Pick this album up from Not Lame or Amazon.com. if you never heard the last album, you can hear it streaming on their site! This an excellent example of the Honeydogs power pop style.

Happy New Year! Here is a new indie pop group that you may like. Plunkett is Ian and Lara Plunkett. Most of the album is a very calm, Cat Stevens-like group of ballads. If you like Matt Pond or Midlake, with a bit of Turin Brakes, this album will fit you like a glove. Ian’s voice is very reminicent to early Peter Gabriel although much stronger. Things pick up with the power-poppy “Give in Give Out” and also the song “Even if I want to,” excellent single that I recommend you listen to first. The excellent guitar work is evident and the song “Breathe” deserves repeat listens. They also have a great site with the tracks streaming. These guys are unsigned and truly talented. Pick up their album on their site here. and enjoy!

I am hearing much about this great Melbourne band — with it’s clean production and cheerful sound. Lots of great horn flourishes and Beatlesque moments. So far, all the samples I have heard, including this video are excellent. If you can’t wait for the band to reach the USA, spend the bucks and get it at NotLame.com

Sometimes the lines between indie pop and power pop are blurred. Here is an excellent example. Kelley Stoltz, a indie pop favorite has moved into melodic pastures that Beck could only dream of. “Below the Branches” is a great mix of both the modern indie milieu and power pop roots. The entire album has a a Brian Wilson meets The Flaming Lips vibe and it is glorious. The song ” Ever thought of coming back” is heavy on the Beach Boys piano with a great hook. A bit of Kelley’s vocal approach is similar to Ray Davies earnest wail, but with a bit more muscle and less snarl. The album then settles in a mellow groove, with “Summer’s Easy Feeling,” but comes right back to life with a very Kinks-like “Memory Collector.” In fact, the second half of the album lingers in Kinks territory. This is a great CD – not to be missed, by you Power Pop fans out there. Get it at amazon.com