Action Action

The Faint were only the first to tap nascent New Wave nostalgia. Action Action is another that's wandered away from the whole emo/screamo/punk-pop thing, harking back twenty years for its sound. Of course, it's not exactly a new phenomenon for singer/guitarist Mark Kluepfel. A couple years ago, he headed the Reunion Show, who, while hailing from Long Island's emo hotbed (Taking Back Sunday, Brand New), featured a sound more reminiscent of The Cars or early Elvis Costello. When that fell apart, he hooked up with Count the Stars' former guitarist and bassist to form Action Action. The band's debut, Don't Cut Your Fabric to This Year's Fashion, delivers a bit of spiky guitar, but even more suggestive is the variety of keyboards that key the band's unmistakable love of The Cure, Depeche Mode and Psychedelic Furs. Kluepfel even captures the music's insistent gloom, without losing sight of a winning hook.