"The godfather of Nashville power pop,..." more

"The godfather of Nashville power pop, Lloyd's latest ranks right up there with his previous classics. The title track was one of my favorite tracks of 2004." less

"This one's a jangle fest, right up yo..." more

"This one's a jangle fest, right up your alley if you like Tom Petty, Matthew Sweet, The Gin Blossoms, etc." less

"Great power pop out of Detroit. If yo..." more

"Great power pop out of Detroit. If you like Matthew Sweet, Velvet Crush or Jason Falkner, you'll love this one." less

"More classic power pop along the line..." more

"More classic power pop along the lines of Michael Carpenter, and the closing track "Ribbons and Rain" is a personal favorite." less

"David Mead is a genius, and Indiana p..." more

"David Mead is a genius, and Indiana proves it. Although more laidback than his previous discs, the highlights here abound, including "Oneplusone" (possibly the catchiest song I've ever heard), "Bucket of Girls", and an incredible cover of "Human Nature", salvaging the song from our memories of Michael Jackson." less

"Unless he reconsiders his decision to..." more

"Unless he reconsiders his decision to retire from the music business, Day for Night will turn out to be the final proper studio album from pop genius Doug Powell. If so, it's quite a sendoff for this artist most often compared to Todd Rundgren. Standout track: "Stanislaw Smith"." less

"Simply put, one of the better power p..." more

"Simply put, one of the better power pop records of the decade.

Based out of LA, Edwards can best be described as the love child of Elvis Costello and Marshall Crenshaw. He has the driving power pop sound of EC circa his late 70s classics, and Crenshaw's gift for melody and traditional pop song structures. There are highlights aplenty on this album, but several stand out in particular. Opener "Your Own Nightmare" might be the best of the lot, with a melody straight out of Crenshaw's first album and the lyrical bite of EC. Edwards tells the past-her-prime subject of the song that "I'm keeping track/of all the things you said you'd never do" and observes that "between silence and a drink/well you just take the fifth". "Congratulations My Darling" is another that's reminiscent of the Crenshaw debut, mixed with an early Beatles sound; "All About You" would make Nick Lowe smile, and "Telling That Lie Again" has a chorus you won't be able to get out of your head." less

"Nobody does it better than Neil Finn,..." more

"Nobody does it better than Neil Finn, and here together with brother Tim, it's pop nirvana. "Won't Give In" is a Finn classic, as are "Nothing Wrong With You" and "Luckiest Man Alive"." less

"Hotel Lights is the project of ex-Ben..." more

"Hotel Lights is the project of ex-Ben Folds Five sideman Darren Jessee, but this is more the lush pop sound of the Pernice Brothers or Elliott Smith than what you remember from the Five, and the first two tracks tell you that you're not in Kansas (or at least North Carolina) any more. "You Come and I Go" is a beautiful mellow 70s AM-type track, almost reminiscent of how Bread might have sounded had they come up in today's indie scene. And just in case such a comparison didn't leap to your mind, the next song, "AM Slow Golden Hit" will make it for you. A great track, Jessee namedrops songs like "Rocket Man" and "Walking on Sunshine" while crooning "soft rock on the radio/everything comes 'round again", essentially describing his own sound. He summons up some of the old BFF attitude in "Small Town Shit", while cranking things up a bit on the organ-driven "Marvelous Truth".

Note: This album actually was released independently in 2004 before being re-released on a small label in 2006." less

"MC is one of the leading lights in po..." more

"MC is one of the leading lights in power pop today, a triple threat (great songwriter, artist and producer). This is his latest proper solo album, and no self-respecting power popper should be without it." less

"Another 04 disc eMu has down as 05, t..." more

"Another 04 disc eMu has down as 05, this one is right up the alley of anyone who loved Jeff Lynne's collaborations with George Harrison." less

"I'll let Not Lame take it away here: ..." more

"I'll let Not Lame take it away here: "2004 release and it kicks major butt, folks! Fans of The Tories, Fountains Of Wayne, Jellyfish, very poppy Weezer, Ben Folds, listen up! Where rock, pop and alternative meet stands The Argument, a high-energy quarter that churns out infectious, radio-friendly rock songs with strong melodic hooks, tight vocal harmonies and thoughtful, engaging lyrics. This is a powerful hook-laden affair that brings to mind bands such as all the previously mentioned bands."" less

"This vintage Rainbow Quartz band out ..." more

"This vintage Rainbow Quartz band out of Montreal came through big with their sophomore release, a mix of The Kinks, Beatles and late 60s psych-pop. "Bonhomie" is a must-download." less

"Great atmospheric pop that's "indie" ..." more

"Great atmospheric pop that's "indie" but not inaccessible. "In Between" is one of my absolute favorite tracks - its piano hook is indelible." less