It’s been a good year for power pop. It’s been a shit year for… uh… everything else, but, from Montreal newcomers Prism Shores shimmering their way through sophomore album Out From Underneath to heavy space-rockers Cloakroom channeling a bit of a dystopian Gin Blossoms on their new Last Leg Of The Human Table, at least we’ve had a bright, jangly soundtrack to accompany the end of democracy as we know it (and I don’t feel fine). Speaking of which, R.E.M. — the godfathers of jangle rock themselves — reunited last week for a second time(!) at the 40 Watt in Athens, GA.
