What is Mod? Mr. Suave's Mod, Mod World is one of the web's original modcasts celebrating mod music, and mod-influenced music from past eras including soul, ska, garage, sixties R&B power pop, punk, britpop, acid jazz, lounge, easy listening and more.
Welcome to where the action truly is. Another great episode of Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World is on the launching pad ready to send you to new heights of musical ecstasy. Among other things I've got a review of the latest release from garage rockers The Greenhornes (also known on occassion as The Raconteurs), as well as the usual mod friendly tracks from past and present.
Moondogs -- She's Nineteen (1979)
The News -- The Kids Are Dancing (1978)
Twist -- This Your Life (1979) The Moderns -- Tell Me Where The Action Is (1980) The Movements -- Vicious And Vast (2011) Laura Vane & The Vipertones -- Stone Me (2011) The Ace -- Hard Graft (2010) Beatrevolver -- Understanding (2009)
The Accidents -- Calendar Girl (1980) Earth Quake -- Lovin' Cup (1977)
Mr. Suave's Reviews You Can Use -- The Greenhornes The Greenhornes -- Need Your Love (2010) The Love Language -- Heart To Tell (2010) Tiger Trap --Words And Smiles (1992) Kristallin -- Mirror Man (1999) The Selecter -- The Tide Is High (2002)
The Moondogs television show had seven episodes in 1981, and featured teh band playing live mixed with pop videos of the day. The theme tune to the show was their song, "Powerpop".
It's the beginning of summer and that means it's Tiki time in Mr. Suave's mod world, and it also means it time for Ken's annual summer modcast. Nothing could be cooler for summer than swingin' loungalicious, go-go, exotica music chosen by the one and only Ken from The Shingles.
That's right Ken is mixing music and drinks this week in live show (recorded much earlier) from Trader Sams the new tiki bar at Disneyland. Are you jealous yet? I am. Last time I go on vacation.
No matter, this is a great summer kick off show. Got a few classics from the Beach Boys, Big Star and Paul Weller, and a few acts that are making their debut on the modcast like XTC and ... wait for it ... ELO. Trust me, you're going to love this one.
1. Wipeouters - P' Twaang! (P' Twaaang!!!, 2009)
2. Jan & Dean - Surf Route (Drag City, 1964)
3. Beach Boys - Girls On The Beach (All Summer Long, 1964)
4. Toons - Looking At Girls (Looking At Girls, 1982)
5. Big Star - Hung Up with Summer (In Space, 2005)
6. xTc - Summer's Cauldron (Skylarking, 1986)
7. Electric Light Orchestra - Summer And Lightning (Out of the Blue, 1977)
8. Seth Swirsky - Summer In Her Hair (Watercolor Day, 2010)
9. Champagne - Waiting For The Summer (Ready, Steady, Go!, 2004)
10. Galaxies - On the Beach (Single, 1965)
11. Mark Eric - Where Do The Girls Of The Summer Go (A Midsummer's Day Dream, 1969)
12. Paul Weller - Long Hot Summer (Live at the BBC, 2003)
13. Johnny Spencer & The Kona Koasters - Drifting Sand (s' Pacifica, 1965)
Modcast #17: 3 Chords, 3 Minutes, & Skinny Ties It's Power Pop Time.
This episode is the second I've done featuring power pop songs, and this time around I've got some classics, as well as some more obscure tracks and some harder edged songs.
Once more into the vault my friends, once more into the vault. Step back in time, to a time when the modcast was young and fresh. Step back to 2007. I've opened up the vaults and dusted off not one, but two classic modcasts that I think you'll enjoy. Again.
Modcast #74: Girls, Girls Girls Welcome to Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World all girl special. I started putting this modcast together and realized that purely by accident I'd picked out mostly songs about girls. So I finished up the set keeping that with that unconcsious theme and now you're going to be treated to girls, girls, girls. Hopefully I won't get tagged as a perv for searching out songs about little girls, tricky girls, school girls, naked girls, and other girls. All from bands like The Creation, The Thanes, The Scooters and The Headboys. Get youself settled and turn up your speakers, it's time for the show.
Welcome to Mr Suave's Mod Mod World. First, all apologies for missing last week's modcast. It's inexcusable, but by way of an explanation I will tell you that losing electricity to half your half house is a mind boggling experience. Mostly because you're trying to figure out what the hell happened between one electical outlet and another to make half the house light up like a Christmas tree and the rest of the house to play dead like a possum. Regardless, I am now able to get the latest modcast broadcasting far and wide. So, here you go with this week's goddam good set.
The Spazzys wouldn't seem to be a sixties cover band at first glance, They're not. Yet their biggest hit to date was a pretty spot on bubblgeumpunk rendition of The Angels' 1963 chart topper "My Boyfriend's Back" -- a song that also vaulted to fame The Chiffons and was a hit for Martha and the Vandellas.
Still it's been over five years since the Aussie rocking trio made the song a hit. No matter where their boyfriends are these days, The Spazzys are back. And they're toting an album that's been yearning for release for a number of years. Dumb is Forever has just been publicly unleashed, after apparently languishing in a record producer's vault somewhere for the past half decade or so while the band fought it out with their record label. A couple of songs were released as singles over the years, which probably didn't make the label wanna make nice.
No matter, Dumb is Forever hardly sounds nearly a decade distant. It's not all that far removed from The Spazzys first album Aloha Go Bannanas which was released in 2004. Back then the girls weren't shy about their infatuation with The Ramones, ripping through two minute, three chord tunes with a just barely controlled restraint. Take "Paco Doesn't Love Me" for example.
Where Aloha Go Bananas really was an old school bubblegum punk rock album ala The Ramones, The Go-Gos or Nikki Corvette, Dumb Is Forever shows more hints of The Spazzys love of sixties music, and opens with a bit of sixties styled pop reminiscent of The Crystals "Da Doo Ron Ron" called "Understand".
The release has a maturity and smoothness that keeps the band relevant, and keeps them from simply treading water in the Ramones' pool forever. At the same time, it is still sort of a bubblegum power pop album, but one that delightfully never throws itself completely into the pop punk sound that it flirts with throughout. There are some nods to Green Day in songs with driving guitars and clever lyrics like "Creep" and "Love=Pain". "The Best Waves" ever is another bit of power pop that puts the emphasis on the pop, with a chorus that sits on the song like a float of bacardi waiting for a match. The song is probably one of the band's stand out originals. They haven't completely lost their edge though: "Makin' Trash" is by far the punkiest bit of pop on the album.
There's no denying The Spazzys still have a bit of a crush on The Ramones. Their songs just sound like leather jackets feel. It's old school punk rock, the kind that's really just power pop amped up on guitars and drums in a way that probably makes The Donnas pretty damn jealous. Just check out what I think is probably the best track on the album and in their whole catalog. This is definitely where The Spazzys' power pop tide crests: "Dissolution (Is The Only Solution)".
