Power Pop's 200 Greatest Albums are explored in author John M. Borack's 'Shake Some Action 2.0'

John M. Borack is widely acknowledged as being one of the world's experts on power pop music. A talented author, drummer and bona fide fan of the genre, today comes exciting news that his long-awaited Shake Some Action 2.0 is due in September.

Here is the media release...


Power Pop's 200 Greatest Albums are explored in author John M. Borack's latest book, Shake Some Action 2.0

The best of the long-lasting musical sub-genre known as "power pop" – short, snappy tunes that owe a debt to artists such as the Beatles and the Who and are fed by ringing guitars, vocal harmonies and memorable melodies - is examined in author John M. Borack's upcoming book, Shake Some Action 2.0: An Updated Guide to the 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums, 1970-2017.

The new book, due in September 2018 from Not Lame Media, is an update of sorts of Borack's now out-of-print 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. Here is what to expect from SSA 2.0:

• 414 pages of pure pop-inspired passion that even the most casual power pop fan will appreciate but a serious one will get totally geeked about.
• Newly written and/or expanded reviews of the outstanding power pop releases that Borack lauded in his first book.
• All new quotes from nearly every artist featured in the new, updated Top 200, speaking about their respective albums.
• Nearly 60 new entries included in the Top 200.
• A collection of various record reviews that Borack has penned over the past several years which feature many over-looked, high-quality albums you'll want to make sure to add to your collection.
• Borack's year-end 'Best Of' lists from 1996-2017 – unearth and discover what you might have missed.

In addition, the book comes bundled with a 24-track audio CD collection from Borack's power pop band Popdudes, titled Maximum Rock Stupidity. The CD contains several rare and/or previously-unreleased tracks.


In describing his book – his third music-related title – Borack says "Shake Some Action 2.0 will be laid out in similar fashion to a Billboard chart; albums have climbed up or slid down the chart, with new efforts from 2008-2017 replacing those that have fallen out of the Top 200. Among those making their 'chart debut' in the new book will be acts such as Van Duren, Sorrows, Silver Sun, The Exploding Hearts, Starbelly, The Jags, and the Len Price 3."

You can get more information on the upcoming book and pre-order it here.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John M. Borack is a music journalist and musician from Southern California. 

Borack's music reviews, columns and feature articles have appeared in periodicals such as Goldmine, Amplifier, The Garden Grove Journal, Audities and Popsided. He has also contributed to the book and website The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock, and has written liner notes for CDs by such diverse artists as The Windbreakers, DM3, Tommy Keene, Raspberries, The Rooks, Starbuck ("Moonlight Feels Right"), The Rembrandts, The Lolas, The Toms, sparkle*jets uk and The Scruffs, among others. He is currently a contributing editor for Goldmine, and writes a monthly column titled Power Pop Plus for the magazine's website.

Borack also penned the extensive notes for Rhino Records' Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '80's and has served as executive producer for the CD compilations Beyond Belief: A Tribute to Elvis Costello (SpyderPop Records, 2015), Right to Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited (Not Lame Recordings, 2002) and Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes (Parasol Records, 2001), a tribute disc spotlighting the work of the DIY power pop pioneers.

In 2008, Not Lame Recordings published Borack's first book, Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, which quickly sold out four small pressings.^[1][2] 

In 2010, his second book, John Lennon: Life Is What Happens was published; subtitled 'Music, Memories and Memorabilia,' it served as a biography of the late Beatle as well as a memorabilia guide, with many rare photos included. September, 2018 will see the release of Borack's third book, titled Shake Some Action 2.0: A Guide to the 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums, 1970 - 2017. Borack's next book, The Beatles: 100 Pivotal Moments that Shaped a Band and its Music, is scheduled for publication in 2019.