Shazzam!
author: Scottyboy777
SHAZAM! Awesome CD - first heard it on KEXP and just got my copy last week... nobody in Toronto has ever heard of this band... a tour is in order!
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rock 'n' roll at its least affected -- and most affecting
author: Sam Gnerre - the Daily Breeze
The year has just begun, and already the first knockout by an unknown band from out of left field has arrived.
Taking their name from the wonderful Flamin' Groovies song of the same name, Seattle's Shake Some Action! has created something wonderful all its own.
The quintet has pulled its influences from all over the map. One can detect echoes of 1980s Australian band the Hoodoo Gurus, Oasis at its least pompous and most invigorating, the jangling rush of Teenage Fanclub, and yes, the Flamin' Groovies during that band's mid-1970s British Invasion fixation.
It sounds derivative on paper, but it all flows fluently through the band's capable hands into an effortless, cohesive whole right from the start. The opening "Sound of Your Mind" showcases everything SSA does well -- a killer tune, dynamic guitars, James Hall's powerful Robyn Hitchcock-on-steroids vocals, a brief, blazing solo -- and brings it all together in just over two minutes.
The La's would have loved to have had "Without You" as the follow up to "There She Goes"; it has a similar soaring quality. Lyrics lamenting lost innocence and the pitfalls of growing older are nothing new, but "Complicated" shows that they can still have poignancy when served up with ringing guitars and a melody you'll have trouble getting out of your head.
Add stinging rockers such as "Damaged" and "What You Want Me to Do," and the result is an album alive with the simple joys of guitar-based, hook-filled rock 'n' roll at its least affected -- and most affecting.
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Power pop-tastic!
author: Blues Bunny
All solid drum beats, jangling guitars and tight melodies this is a fine piece of brisk power pop. At times coming across as a combination of the Velvet Underground meeting the Small Faces, with just a hint of Manchester’s late 80’s and early 90’s sound thrown in, we have an intriguing combination. And it has to be said a very satisfying one as well. “Damaged” really stands out as the hook loaded highlight of the album; although “Couldn’t Help Yourself” is another winner.
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"these guys are special"
author: Powerpopaholic
"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."
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