The Spongetones, formed in 1979, are an American power pop band from Charlotte, North Carolina. They formed from a desire to play Beatles and other 1960s music they grew up with. Very much influenced by the British Invasion, the Spongetones carried on the musical genre through acclaimed original songwriting, jangle pop riffs, and lilting vocals of Beatlesque quality. In his 2007 book, Shake Some Action, John M. Borack rated the Beat and Torn album (a re-release of Beat Music with Torn Apart on DVD) at number 25 of his Top 200 Power Pop Albums of all time, comparing the album to early Beatles and Searchers, calling the album "simply wonderful." Rolling Stone gave Beat Music a 3-1/2 star review and Torn Apart a 3-star review. In 2023, The Spongetones signed with power pop label Big Stir Records, and are planning a live album from their 40th anniversary show along with some new material.

Band members

The current members of The Spongetones are: Past band members:

Influences

The band cites the following influences: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark 5, The Animals, The Zombies, The Hollies, Manfred Mann, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Searchers, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Yardbirds, The Byrds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, and Spirit.

Performance highlights

In addition to hundreds of performances in and around Charlotte, NC, the Spongetones played for audiences in other cities.

Reviews

Discography

See the complete Spongetones discography, including foreign releases

Albums

Compilations

Jamie Hoover Solo Efforts

===Jamie Hoover and Steve Stoeckel ("Jamie and Steve") === Jamie Hoover and Steve Stoeckel continue to work together, writing and recording new music.

Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd

Pop Co-Op (Steve Stoeckel)

Footnotes