Rooney (Geffen/Interscope)
With Rooney's penchant for hook-infested melodies, witty lyrics and retro-'60s vocal harmonies—not to mention their mod haircuts—the quintet has been compared to Brit-pop deities the Beatles and the Kinks. This L.A. band may just have what it takes to live up to such hype. Formed four years ago in high school by guitarist-singer Robert Carmine, 20, whose brother is actor-musician Jason Schwartz-man and whose mother is actress Talia Shire, Rooney (the name is an homage to a Ferris Bueller's Day Off character) is far more than a showbiz kid's vanity project. With Carmine's infectious vocals festooned with Taylor Locke's lead-guitar glitter and Louie Stephens's keyboard embroideries, standout tunes like first single "Blueside" and "If It Were Up to Me," a suitor's plea for an answer to the big question, make this act a truly fab five.
BOTTOM LINE: Irresistible power pop
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