Crunchy guitar popsters the Chevelles formed in Perth, Australia in the early 1990s; comprising singers/guitarists Duane Smith and Adrian Allen, bassist Jeff Halley and drummer Julian Buckland. They continue to be one of pop’s best secrets that carries the beat energy of The Jam and Love and Rockets with the guitar energy of The Velvet Crush. Fans of retro surf guitar will love this style as well. Tracks like “Get it On” and “Take A Chance” are a guitar driven gems that get the party started. “Wake Up Suzy” is a sure fire pop classic all about a girl told with guitar riffs and harmonies. Like fellow Aussie bands, The Stems and You Am I, it has simple sunny choruses, like “Summer Fun” and jangle filled ballads, like “Goodbye.” There is not a single bad track here and the best lyrical story is about a girl with a fix called “Stacey Loves Cocaine” with the strains of “Stacy loves cocaine/And she’s got a gun” And then a guitar fueled space epic about the heroine “Barbarella” and space madness. This is one of those bands that started out rough around the edges and has just coagulated over the years into a stellar band that cannot be ignored. Pop fans, don’t let this one blast by you.

My Space | Lala | Emusic

Before James Hall formed the power pop group Shake Some Action!, he worked in his native Australian band, The Jeunes. This collection of songs covers the critically acclaimed band from 2002 to 2005. The Jeunes only released a four song EP, and they left behind a pile of unreleased material. In my interview with Hall, he mentioned this project. Obviously with some ideas coming from different time periods and varied musical styles this is a mixed bag for the average music fan. Fans of Shake Some Action will appreciate some standouts like the spacey opener “High 5.” The garage influenced gems “Obvious” and “Time Is On My Side” are timeless punk/pop in the vein of The Hoodoo Gurus and Redd Kross. The slower mid tempo songs “See You Again” and “Never Be The Same” recall Midnight Oil’s late 80’s heyday, and are a bit dated here, even though they are good songs. The other material is pretty good here too, like the REM-like “It’s Alright.” The Stooges-styled punk songs like “What You Do To Me” and “Missing Person” are fun, but ultimately forgettable. Fans of above bands, The Stone Roses and Material Issue may also find this album enjoyable. 

My Space | CD Baby

So here is another band with a Canadian sounding name, but they’re from New York. Lead by Sam Weisberg on guitars and vocals, Worst Case Ontario plays a grungy kind of alt. power pop that will appeal to fans of Miracle Legion and Bob Mould. The high energy jangle rock of “You’re Glib” opens the album up about a certain couch-hopping celebrity. “Purge” almost becomes a full jam, before it gets to the melody and some great lyrics about a crazed girlfriend with bullimia. Then the album heads into full Pixies/Husker Du mode and doesn’t look back with “Go Deaf or Get Married.” John MacDonald and Weisbergs guitars dominate the sound, and they get rather heavy on “Red Light District” with a Chili Peppers meets Pavement vibe. Unlike other bands of this style, these guys use every toy on the guitar amp and we even get a Echo and The Bunnymen reverb on “Quit Your Stumbling” so every song isn’t a carbon copy of the same punk pop sound. Sometimes you wonder if these guys aren’t metal heads in disguise too, with the screaming vocals of “Flake.” Well, my Nirvana fanboy self enjoyed it. If you like any of the bands I mentioned, this band is worth checking out.

My Space | CD Baby