My main influences are pop and folk music - Bob Lind, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, the Motown collection, The Zombies, Elliott Smith, and a ton of 70's AM radio hits. I love powerpop too.
You've always got to remember, rock and roll's never been about giving up. For me, for a lot of kids, it was a totally positive force. . . not optimistic all the time, but positive. It was never--never--a bout surrender.