I'm always amazed not only at the quantity of music in the marketplace but also at the gems one can discover in the independent marketplace, that is, band-distributed records. Lately I've been listening to two releases that I think are refreshing, both of the power-pop genre:

Junebug -- Fourth: This North Wales-based band is delightful, and unknown. This simple, no-frills band produced CD-R contains some older material (released in anticipation of their official new release in 2008.) Influences include 60's bands (The Beatles, The Beach Boys), new wave (Split Enz, XTC) and indie (The Stone Roses, Teenage Fanclub). I'm a sucker for jangly guitars and Beach Boys stle harmonies, so this one was a no-brainer for me!

Seaside Stars --- The Magic of Stereo: A Berlin band with a Beach Boys/Teenage Fanclub sound, I love the beautful guitar pop and lush vocals on this record. I'm so attracted to this music that I have a difficult tiem making it to the lyrics to find out what they are singing about!

Check out these recordings at the best distributor of power-pop: Not Lame Records.