Billboard Magazine Great Ideas in Action, the third album by Chicago-based rock act Archie Powell & the Exports, brims with power-pop hooks at every turn-most of them arriving courtesy of Powell's own ultra-melodic guitar work. The surging, post-garage-rock organ riffs of keyboard man Ryan Export (who shares a surname with the rhythm section) add a touch of early Elvis Costello to the proceedings, while an ever-escalating energy level makes the whole thing feel as urgent as a real-time news crawl. Powell's arch, brainy lyrical style adds extra bite, as he grapples with the twists and turns that life can hold for a young man, employing black humor as a key weapon in his attitudinal arsenal. (Not at all insignificantly, the record's title is derived from a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon.) On the title track, Powell sings, "It's not conducive to much joy and jubilee," and while that might be true of the thematic content, there's visceral pleasure aplenty to be found in the band's pedal-to-the-metal dynamics and Powell's seemingly endless supply of earworm melodies. The Onion AV Club Great Ideas sounds powerful, with cranked-up electric guitars and heftier production courtesy of Milwaukee-based producer Justin Perkins. “I Need Supervision” starts quietly before a swirling organ and shimmering guitars send the song soaring into a classic pop “na na na” refrain. “Job Fair” begins life as a stomper, channeling the angst of a 20-something drifting through life with gallows humor—“Keep your head above or be subdued / You know you’re halfway dead no matter which you choose”—before the anxiety explodes into a chorus driven by buzzsaw guitar. The title track pays homage to the Pixies courtesy of Powell’s opening howl of “Where is my mind” and a gigantic hook that rides that song’s coattails. The band clearly isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve but when the results are this good, it hardly matters. Chicago RedEye (4 out of 4 stars) Catchy songs don’t just materialize out of thin air. Yet local rockers Archie Powell and the Exports crank out clever, crazily infectious songs like it’s no big deal. Following the great “Skip Work” with another terrific chronicle of everyday problems, APATE gives voice to frustration with remarkable precision. Whether it’s others’ lousy work ethic (“Shooting Spree”), a competitive job market (“Job Fair”) or simply the grind of a schedule that becomes a routine (first single “Metronome”), the record dares you to tap your feet as you shake your head with just how right on Powell’s observations are. Don’t listen to “Great Ideas in Action” unless you can handle having most of the songs stuck in your head, with the rare double-threat of singable lyrics that actually mean something to you. In “I Need Supervision,” childish competiveness suggests an inability to grow up, while closer “Only So Much You Can Do” provides a levelheaded wake-up call to frantic, unsatisfied youth, courtesy of Chicago’s smartest, most likable cynic. Chicagoist Now, Bruce Springsteen is frequently touted as writing the blue collar rock of the working man, and that may be so, but Springsteen was never quite the "average working man." He's been in bands since he was a teen and had a record deal in his early twenties. If anything the man is the epitome of the artist who can make poetry out of every day travails he might not have necessarily suffered through himself. Well, so can Archie Powell & The Exports. Only they turn the whole thing on its head to create a big ol' party out of it. Powell likes slinging out huge strings of lyrics and barely a syllable stays in a single melodic plane before sliding up or down in a manner that makes him feel like confidant and ringmaster. It's a neat little trick. And behind him The Exports—who indeed have separate last names but have adopted the uniform Export surname when banded together—create a rollicking racket that sounds like they're crashing into each other but is in fact a racket constructed with great care and forethought, impacting upon one's ears with maximum effect. The band's sophomore effort Great Ideas In Action takes the promise of their debut, douses it in gasoline and bourbon and then gleefully lights a match to ignite pandemonium. This is party music. This is the cry of the oppressed sluiced by equal parts of despair, infectious humor and a triumphant cry of "whatever!" This is the kind of album where keyboards aren't synths but great tumbling rolls of pipe organs played in the cathedral of the stained sleeve. There's dirt crumbling out from fingernails and it's interfering with the pick-ups on the guitars and the basses and while Powell's tongue is at times so firmly in cheek it might pop out the other side you still get the feeling that his molars are grinding said tongue to bits at the same time. This is the album that will hold the door politely for you and then boot you in the ass as you pass through ... and then buy you a beer to make up for it. Glide Magazine You may not have heard of Archie Powell & The Exports before, but this Chicago group has just put out one of the catchiest rock and roll albums of 2012 with their second release Great Ideas In Action.  Building on an infectious run of upbeat drums and guitars that call to mind The Replacements and early Elvis Costello the band exudes in tales that flirt with the equal dangers of “Crazy Pills” and “Shooting Sprees”.  Impressively the band manages to consistently produce upbeat danceable rock numbers behind any trial and tribulation.  Ryan Export on keys adds to this bouncy feel as does Adam and RJ on the low end; keeping things bubbling positive while making being left behind on “All The Same” and giving up the dream on “Only So Much You Can Do” not sound all that bad.      Innocent Words If Cheap Trick ever think of calling it a day  - and after 40 years it doesn’t look like that will be happening any time soon – Archie Powell & the Exports are perfectly suited to take their place on the power pop throne. On Great Ideas in Action, the group’s third record and best release, they have perfected the three-minute pop song, with sardonic wit and hooks sharp enough to snag anyone. Along with Cheap Trick, Archie and the boys tend to draw inspiration from folks like Elvis Costello, Material Issue, The Replacements and plenty of cheap beer. The influences aside, the band is far more than simply a glorified cover band, carving out their own deep, niche in the genre thanks to thoughtfully smartly funny lyrics (“Shooting Spree” being one of their best) Hell even the album title is a reference to Calvin & Hobbes.

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Chicagoist Skip Work named Favorite Local Album of 2010 The album's twelve songs chug along cheerily along at a gratifying pace, and the Powell's delivery makes you want to sidle up and buy him a beer. The group's voice is clearly it's own, but there's a clear playfulness in the songs' delivery. Chicago Metromix/Red Eye Skip Work named a Top Album of 2010 on both Local and National lists AP&E one of 11 bands to watch for in 2011 Nodding to the likes of Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg, Chicago-based Powell and Co. sway between booze-fueled numbers like “Enough About Me” and breezier fare like “Loose Change.” The band particularly excels at capturing the unease of entering your 20s and struggling with a range of newfound problems...Lyrically astute and driven by a nervous energy, there's never any doubt that Powell will overcome these hurdles. Chart Attack "Enough About Me" - Song of the Day Weezer suck these days, so someone needs to come along and inherit their once great power pop mantle. The tune's got a hooky chorus, catchy guitar riff and a guitar solo Rivers Cuomo would probably dig. What's not to love? Dyson Sound What follows this opening track is nothing but pure pop perfection. A quick ending cut straight into the heavier ‘Enough About Me’ sets the tone for what you’ll experience over the next 35 minutes. Power Popoholic The songs are both cynical and optimistic...Kind of like Weezer meets America with a dash of Elvis Costello, the song "Skip Work" is a driving anthem that's perfect for these tough times. Examiner Archie Powell & The Exports continue to fight the good fight for all that is great in the world of rock and roll: clever, memorable tunes that dig deep in your brain and move in to stay. Radio Free Chicago "Skip Work" is a labor of love from the indie-pop quartet — a dozen energetic songs about making the move from Wisconsin to Chicago, life as a starving artist, and how exhausting relationships can be. Mixtape Muse Powell sings with a natural fervor and sounds like a less-nasally, more rock ‘n’ roll version of John Flansburgh – with witty, whimsical, and meaningful lyrics and themes to boot. Indie College Powell, as well as all the Exports don’t only command your attention but they deserve it. They wear their love of rock on their sleeve and their type of rock is the rock that just doesn’t really exist anymore, having been replaced in “hipster” culture with synth beats and music laden with irony and kitsch. Sure, Powell might be a snot on occasion but he’s never insincere and if there’s any justice in the world of rock and roll, Archie Powell & the Exports will be big time in no time. Mezzic I tried to not fall in love. It didn’t work... Don’t let this pop/garage/indie band fool you. Nothing you have in your record collection is like AP&E. There is no doubt about it these boys have talent and they are not afraid to show it. Static Multimedia Skip Work is a throwback to the straightforward, four-chord rock ‘n’ roll of yesteryear...Skip Work is a fun album. Windy City Rock It says something great that a four piece band can still make minimal rock and roll that sounds so full and catchy. And in case you didn’t get the word, these guys become even more raucous and relevant live. The Fire Note Ultimately should appeal to fans that range from Weezer to Elvis Costello. It is this widespread charm and memorable eager tracks that will have you returning to Skip Work for repeat listens and telling all you friends to check out your new favorite band - Archie Powell & The Exports! The Daily Cardinal Powell is what I expect most people assumed Rivers Cuomo would become. Powell's power-pop is more developed, more pronounced, yet his demeanor is less boyish. Instead of Kiss and Dungeons and Dragons, he writes about flaky friends and getting the heat shut off. He's an endearing character whose incisive lyrics turn many of the album's flatter moments into touchstones. Wenatchee World Archie Powell & the Exports are here to remind music fans that great music doesn't require fancy or unusual flourishes — it just needs one hell of a hook. While a lot of good modern artists innovate with different sounds and effects, the Chicago quartet skillfully puts its signature on a style that's stood the test of time. They don't just rock it out; they perfect it. Skope The appeal of genuine, high-quality American song craft has apparently fallen by the wayside in recent years, much to the chagrin of young midwestern songwriter, Archie Powell. An emphasis has instead been placed upon ironic chic, chintzy underground appeal or some forced desire to innovate upon an art form that may have reached its limits of expansion and deconstruction. He can’t help but feel a little out of sorts with the whole situation.