The Power-Chords

The Power-Chords were born out of Chula Vista, a small suburban city within San Diego County, California. The songwriter, Jon Hammer, was tired of seeing the same radio-formatted pop-punk and hardcore bands attempt the music scene with boring, monotonous, redundant riffs and gimmicks. He wondered what had happened to good 'punk.'

So, he started a band, having never sung before, with Austin Ballow, who had never drummed before. Being punks themselves, they were musically influenced by the punk rock beat. They worked hard to develop a seemingly new sound in San Diego.

The band is influenced by British bands like the Buzzcocks, the Clash, and the Boys, as well as American groups like the Ramones or the Dickies. However, the band is dynamic, and bases their songwriting on classic 1960's pop, similar to the styles of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, just 'up a few notches.' The band creates music with continuity, catchiness, and most of all, conciseness.

Current members also include Eliseo Parra, a classically trained guitarist, and Craig Barclift, a diligent bassist. Both sing back up harmonies, creating a traditional pop voicing while striving for originality in terms of harmonic preference and chord progression.

Power-chords are the simplest of guitar chords, and the band name represents their appreciation for minimalist pop music, and the powerful energy exerted by the use of power chords in the punk revolution of the late 1970's.

The Power-Chords are four early-twenty-year-olds playing high-energy punk rock.