This week, we celebrate the beginning of the '90s (Or was it the end of the '80s? You be the judge.) When MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and Wilson Phillips ruled the airwaves. When Uncle Gregg found some direction and joined the Navy. When teenage Brett co-founded his first band, Empty Glass. And when our special guest, power pop legend Jamie Hoover was caught in a flurry of activity, releasing his debut solo album Coupons, Questions And Comments and prepping for The Spongetones' 1991 third full length, Oh Yeah!

Formed in 1979 and very much influenced by the British Invasion, Charlotte, North Carolina's The Spongetones carried on the musical genre through acclaimed original songwriting, jangle pop riffs, and lilting, Beatlesque vocals. In his 2007 authoritative book Shake Some Action, John M. Borack rated The Spongetones' Beat And Torn (a CD containing 1982's Beat Music LP - one of Brett's all time favorites - and 1984's Torn Apart mini-LP) at #24 of his Top 200 Power Pop Albums of all time. The band features the triple threat of talented singers and songwriters: Jamie Hoover, Pat Walters and Steve Stoeckel.

In addition to The Spongetones, Jamie has shared the stage and recorded with Don Dixon and Marti Jones, The Smithereens, Graham Parker, Hootie & The Blowfish, Bill Lloyd, Emitt Rhodes, and Ray Paul, among others. Hoover either produced or co-produced all the Spongetones' albums, and continues to produce a wide variety of other musicians, recently including '60s singer/songwriter Bob Lind ('Elusive Butterfly') and young prodigy Elena Rogers.

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E192 - Top 5 Songs of 1990 (with JAMIE HOOVER from The Spongetones!)