Orba Squara, A Faulty Chromosome and Tessa

Orba Squara (or Mitch Davis) is a one man band whose song, "Perfect Timing (this morning)", was on the iPhone commercial. I made a jolly reference to it here. His debut album"Sunshyness" isn't power pop, but full of ambient organic sounds and gentle guitar. After a few listens, the sweet guitar sounds of "So Comfortable" and toy instruments of "Sunshine" are lots of fun. A good single here is "My Favorite Song" which goes perfectly as a B side to "Perfect Timing (this morning)." The vocals are understated and slightly warbley, kind of like a Tiny Tim for the 21st century. This is good easy going music and deserves a second listen.
My Space | Orba Squara.com | Itunes

A Faulty Chromosome is quirky enough to get you to pay attention to. They like to list New Order and My Bloody Valentine as influences, but I hear a distinct link to The Beta Band and Guided By Voices. This is not for everybody, but if you want to take a detour from your normal stuff, this is a rabbit hole you could fall into. Listen to the entire album streaming over here. Listen to "Anomie's the enemy" and "Eyes Foreign eyes" - the rest of the it is for the fearless only.
My Space

Tessa Rae Newman "Spellbound" is something I don't usually listen to, as it is contemporary pop. But Tessa has a great message, about all the pop star superficiality on "Barbie Doll Syndrome" and a pleasant voice. The studio craft is high here, and a highlights are "Spellbound" and "Don't Rain On My Parade" with a good hook and the multi-tracking chorus fits just right. Sometimes it gets a bit too overproduced, but I'm not expecting the next LeAnn Rimes here. This is a good start for Tessa and if you're looking for an alternative to Hilary Duff, give it a go.
Tessa's Site | CD Baby