Matthew Sweet, "Divine Intervention"
When someone says "power pop", this is the song that pops into my head. I know that there are plenty of other bands that really defined the genre, and that I should be thinking of them. But I don't. It's this song.
Juggaknots, "Liar, Liar"
I found the Juggaknots after falling in love with Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves, where Breezly Brewin just kills it. So I went to track down more of his stuff, and sure enough, the Juggaknots also rule.
Fluf, "If I Could Feel Good"
San Diego's Fluf kicked out massive pop-rock songs in the mid to late-90s, cranking out four quality albums of super catchy stuff. I know I've made this comparison before, but I really feel like they kind of presaged Torche in a lot of ways. They never made much of a dent in the popular consciousness, for reasons I'm unclear on, but this stuff is timeless, so check it out.
Boris, "Electric"
Pink is the accessible one, the album where Boris are at their most approachable. It's mostly garage rock, and actual tunes, instead of head-crushing explorations of guitar noise. It's a charming record, if possibly a little deceptive if it is what gets you into Boris.
Del tha Funky Homosapien, "Mistadobalina"
Del's debut record, on a record deal he swung by being Ice Cube's cousin, is chock full of Parliament samples and features Del kicking out agile and breezy rhymes. In a lot of ways, his work here reminds me of C.L. Smooth, where the rhymes just wash over you and you're left wondering at his skill at keeping things connected.
And here is where I realize that this record actually predates Mecca and the Soul Brother. Time is strange!