Modcast #255: Mr. Suave's 2012 Christmas

Merry Christmas mods, it is indeed the season of jollyness. So get yourself a little Christmas cheer, a holiday libation, and get jolly while you listen to this year's show.

This year my gift to you dear listeners is less of my creaky voice and more cool music from the likes of Fitz and the Tantrums, The Dukes of Hamburg, HB Radke, the Eels, Joyride and more. As usual you can get a full track list at Mistersuave.com.

And if you missed last week's show featuring a special acoustic track from The Bang, and songs specially chosen by the proprietors of the Mod Soul Review podcast, We Are The Mods, the Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More blog, and lots of other goodies -- well you can check it out right here.

And I promise that I'll try harder next year and make the 2013 mod Christmas extravaganza something to really get excited about. Be sure and check back next week for my best of 2012. Until then, happy holidays and thanks for listening.

Listen Now

Joyride - The Little Drummer Boy
Redd Kross -- Super Sunny Christmas 1991
The Eels -- Everythings Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
The White Stripes -- Candy Cane Children
Canadian Dollars - Outsourcin' Christmas (The Unemployed Little Elf Song)
Harvey Danger - Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)
She & Him -- Little Saint Nick
Fitz & The Tantrums - Santa Stole My Lady
Dukes of Hamburg -- Greensleeves
Los Straitjackets with Kaiser George - Holiday Twist
Eux Autres-- Merry Xmas Everybody
HB Radke - Hipster Christmas
Sweet Daddy Lowe & The Blue Note Ad Hoc Orchestra - Be-Bop Santa Claus
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Is Coming (Track Meet)
Jigsaw Seen -- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Wednesday Week -- Christmas Here
Rather Good Stuff -- Communist Christmas
The Primitives -- You Trashed My Christmas
The Beatles 1964 Christmas Message
The Long Blondes -- Christmas is Cancelled

Richard Cheese -- Christmas in Las Vegas

Modcast #254: Mods' Christmas Faves

Merry Grimble, ho ho ho and all that stuff. This is the time of year that all over the planet people are striving to be of good cheer. And the mods on the internet are no different. I have invited a bunch of mod bloggers, mod podcasters, mod friendly bands to tell us about their favorite Christmas song. You'll hear from guests The Bang with a special brand new acoustic Christmas track; Warren Peace of the We Are The Mods podcast; Jonny from mod band The Ace; Wayne from The Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More blog; cocktail diva Mary Queen of Cosmos; Dean from the Mod Soul Review Podcast and more. Oh yeah, and a few tracks of my own that I think are right nice around this time of year.

Mark you calendars folks because next week is the 4th Annual Suave Headquarters Office Christmas Party, when my co-host will be none other than Ken from The Shingles. See you then for more holiday shenanigans, Christmas music and mayhem all courtesy of the rat bastard who put so little punch in the office rum bowl.

Listen Now

The School -- Let Me Be The Fairy On Your Christmas Tree Tonight
Warren Peace -- Do They Know It's Christmas (Bandaid)
Darlene Love -- Winter Wonderland
The Bang -- (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home (Acoustic - download here)
Wayne Ford -- I Want An Alien For Christmas (Fountains of Wayne)
The Idea -- It's About That Time
The Critics -- She Feels Like Christmas Day
The Spongetones -- Christmasland
Jonny from The Ace -- Stop The Cavalry (Jona Lewie)
Kara from The Corner Laughers -- Christmas in Suburbia (Martin Newell)
Dean Stickley -- Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes)
Smoke Robinson & The Miracles -- Christmas Everyday
James Brown -- Go Power At Christmas Time
Donny Hathaway -- This Christmas
Thee Headcoatees -- Santa Clause

Santa is a Mod — Mark Cunningham & Rob Fricker

Martin Freeman turns The Hobbit into The Moddit with soul and style

So, I've been a fan of the BBC show Sherlock since it first started airing and a Brit friend recommended it to me. It took me a couple episodes before I realized where I knew that Watson guy from. He was Tim on the original British version of The Office. Oh, and he was Arthur Dent in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. So, that makes actor Martin Freeman a bona fide movie star. Now I see that he's been tagged by Peter Jackson as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. If he wasn't a star before, he will be from now. Cool for him.

Even cooler for me was finding out today that he's a die-hard mod, a real ace-face and has been since he was just a wee thing. He even tried to insert someof his mod aesthetic into the Bilbo character's clothing and fashion, so much so he and the cast took to calling The Hobbit The Moddit.
Here's my take on a mod Bilbo, less subtle than what Freeman was able to do.

Shortlist.com just ran a great interview with Freeman. I'll just highlight the relevant parts, but the whole thing is worth reading.

Do you class yourself as a mod?

I suppose so. But it’s a dangerous thing in this environment now, because even the Daily Star has gone modtastic because of Wiggo. He’s the real deal, he’s not a plastic, he’s always been into it. But the trouble is, from a media point of view, as soon as you say that word, everyone starts getting out pork-pie hats and parkas and doing the Lambeth walk. I’ve been into what I’ve been into since I was about nine years old. I started buying 2 Tone records, and from there went that rude boy sort of skin/mod/soul boy route all my life. And I’ve always loved clothes. Even before I had money, I went charity shopping. So I’ve always had an eye for clothes.

Who are your style heroes?

First it would have been Jerry Dammers of The Specials, and then it would be Pete Tosh from The Wailers or Paul Weller. McQueen – Steve, not Alexander. Small Faces. I’ve always liked a certain look. When you say the ‘M’ word, I would say of course I am, but only me and about another 10 other people I know, know what we mean by that. Which is everything from modern jazz from 1957, to 1970 suedeheads. It’s all that and beyond, from football casuals into acid jazz and now through to hip-hop. The truth is, the absolute truth, is that most people have no idea about it. It’s like a cult. It’s like being a Roman Catholic in the 17th century or something. You don’t really know what it is. You’ve heard of it. You think, “Oh, that’s The Jam isn’t it?” Well yeah, it’s The Jam partly, but it’s also 500 other things. It’s a much broader church than most people give it credit for. See, I’m much more animated now talking about this.

So do you worry about a mod bandwagon, where everyone starts buying jackets with targets on from the high street?

If it means a 16-year-old likes a pair of shoes with laces instead of just a pair of trainers, then I’ve got nothing against that. I just get wary of it for my own sake, because I’ve stuck my neck out before on that mod thing. People see me walking around town and I look a certain way. I don’t expect other people to be into it. If everyone became a mod, I would probably become a rocker. Because that’s the mod thing to do. It’s about being an individual. It shouldn’t be about a uniform. There are common denominators, but it should always be the highest, not the lowest. It shouldn’t be lazy f*cking uniform. I can spot it in people a mile off, and it doesn’t have to be telegraphed. It’s the cut of people’s jeans, the shoes, something about the f*cking hair. Things that the editor of The Sun certainly wouldn’t spot.

After reading that piece I Googled up some more comments from Mr. Freeman about his passion for all things mod. Came up with this 2008 article in the Daily Mail, which also has some lengthy and insightful comments from Freeman about his views on mod styles and mod music. Here are a few excerpts from that interview.

‘I love that pre-mod jazz look of the late Fifties, the Steve McQueen style that influenced the British modernists. I love all kinds of loafers – penny, tassel, fringed. Loafers have been a staple of my wardrobe since I saw Terry Hall of The Specials in them on the cover of Do Nothing. One of my favourite looks is a button-down gingham shirt with a Sixties Levi’s jacket, Levi’s 501 “XX” jeans and a pair of loafers with maybe a nice little hat. You can wear that all your life.

‘I love all that “Ray Davies circa 1966” style – sort of English dandy. And I love the cut of Soho tailor Mark Powell’s suits. Being a mod is about attention to detail and a love for clothes. Mark and I meet on that level and he knows my taste. I like really versatile clothing that’s not too showy but has nice details – stealth style. But I have to be careful with clothes, because in my mind I’m 6ft 1in – but really I’m quite short.’

...

When did this fascination with the nuances of Britain’s subcultures begin?
‘It’s always the music that’s led me,’ he says. ‘For other people it was the clothes, but for me it was music. The first records I could sing along to when I was five were by the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Buzzcocks. I had older siblings and that was what I heard all day long. I think I sensed it was naughty. I used to sing them to wind up my dad. But it was 2 Tone that really started me off. I thought I looked like one of The Specials, but really I was just this nine-year-old kid who didn’t even know that “rude boy” was a term for a Jamaican gangster.’

Freeman even remembers the first outfit he bought with his own money. ‘I was 15,’ he says, ‘and it was a Prince of Wales three-button mod jacket bought from a local mod shop. I had matching trousers from Oxfam, a Ben Sherman shirt, loafers from Hobbs and an umbrella. People used to ask me, “Why do you dress like that?” They were genuinely puzzled.’

...

Someone who certainly knows his onions, Freeman – who has recently filled in as a DJ on BBC 6 Music – is an avid (some might say rabid) collector of classic vinyl. His pristine record collection is meticulously sorted in alphabetical order in a set of custom-made shelves in his Sixties-inspired living room.
‘I love everything about buying records. There is something really special about it'

‘I love everything about going to a record shop and buying records. There’s something really special about that. But there’s no reason to suppose that old music will be better or worse. It’s just from another era, which might be as relevant or irrelevant as what’s happening now. So I try to always learn about stuff. The one thing I’ve found is that someone always knows more than you do, including your babies. There are loads of things people presume I know about that I don’t.’

Finally, a nice quip from Freeman in The Belfast Telegraph

The 41-year-old realises he is close to becoming better known for his Mod aesthetic than he is for his acting. "I may as well just wear a pork pie hat with a Union Jack on it," he joked.

Modcast #253: East Meets West with the Shibuya-kei Soul Sound

East meets west with Shibuya-kei taking center stage in the mod world this week. Shibuya-kei was a 1990s music movement that wasn't as much about Tokyo's ultra-trendy and fashionable Shibuya district as it was about a rather lucky gathering of Japanese musicians who mixed bossa nova, soul, funk, jazz, techno and synthpop into a retro-futurist sound that was both redundant yet fresh.

Shibuya-kei's most prominent artists -- Flipper's Guitar, Pizzicato 5, Love Tamborines, Kahimi Karie, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Cornelius and others -- mixed together everything from sixties pop and motown, to acid jazz, krautrock, French ye-ye and twee. The result was something like if Sergio Mendes and Burt Bacharach had a Japanese love child.

So this week I'm exploring the soul and style of Shibuya-kei and also exploring a few of the scenes influences, as well as some of it's offspring and distant cousins.

Listen Now
Download

Karen Aoki --- The Paris Match (2010)
Love Tambourines -- Spend The Day Without You
Towa Tei Feat. Bebel Gilberto -- Batacuda (2001)
Pizzicato 5 -- Baby Portable Rock (1995)
Crazy Ken Band -- Bibimop
Fantastic Plastic Machine -- Bachelor Pad (1997)
The Flipper's Guitar -- Young, Alive, In Love (1990)
Cloudberry Jam -- Cliches (1996)
The Style Council -- Long Hot Summer (1983)
Swing Out Sister -- Am I The Same Girl (1993)
Kahmi Karie -- Candyman (1998)
Melting Holidays -- Timebird
Instant Cytron -- Summer Wine
Karen Aoki -- Smooth Operator (2009)

---

Ty Ku Suave Tini

2 parts Ty Ku Liqueur

1 part citrus vodka

1 part aloe juice

1 part soda water
Mix all ingredients together in shaker with ice, strain into pre-chilled cockail glass

---

Kahimi Karie - Elastic Girl


Fantastic Plastic Machine feat. Ms. Nomiya Maki - Dear Mr. Salesman


Cornelius - Chapter 8 ~Seashore and Horizon~


Flipper's Guitar - Blue Shinin' Quick Star


Twitter - @mistersuave
Facebook - facebook.com/modmodworld
Subscribe - iTunes

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Modcast #252: Do The Shu-Ga-Loo

Now is the time for all good mods to come to the aid of their scene. Download this podcast, turn up the stereo to 11 and introduce the world to some great music. Wheter it's soul, power pop, classic rock, or new wave I've got you covered this week.

Listen Now
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The Ska Vengers -- Gunshot (2012)
Major Lance -- You Don't Want Me No More (1967)
Sam Cooke -- Another Saturday Night (1963)
Shirley & The Shirelles -- Look What You've Done To My Heart(1969)
Hot Chocolate -- You Sexy Thing (1975)
Deee-Lite -- Good Beat (1990)
Pizzicato Five -- Nata Di Marzo (1995)
The Rolling Stones -- Brown Sugar (1971)
The Kinks -- Powerman (Demo) (1970)
The Doors -- Peace Frog (1970)
Siouxie and the Banshees -- Hong Kong Garden (1979)
Payolas -- China Boy (1980)
Oingo Boingo -- Louise (1981)
B-52s -- Butterbean (1983

---

Classic Chocolate Cocktail

3 parts Vanill Vodka

2 parts Creme de Cocoa

Splash Lemon Juice
Pour over crushed ice in shaker and shake vigorously.
Strain into ice-cold cocktial glass and add drop in a Hershey's chocolate kiss

---

The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Live, 1964)



Pizzicato Five - Sweet Soul Revue

Modcast #251: You Need Wheels

Gentlemen and ladies start your engines and get up to speed, this modcast will drive you wild. You need wheels, it's as true now as it ever has been. It's a liberating feeling having your own transpo, car, scooter, harley, whatever, it's good to have your own wheels.

This whole show is dedicated to that fact with every song being somehow related to scooters or cars. Because as The Merton Parkas put it: a man ain't a man with a ticket in his hand.

Listen Now
Download

The Merton Parkas -- You Need Wheels (1979)
The Pills -- Scooter Gurl (She's So Faithful) (2004)
Steve Craddock -- My Scooter Sits Idle (2011)
The Untouchables -- Whiplash (1984)
The Rumble Strips -- Motorcycle (2007)
The Jam -- London Traffic (1977)
The Rings -- Automobile (1977)
The Lambrettas -- Cortina MK II (1981)
The Toy Dolls -- Tommy Kowe's Car (1980)
Helium Angel -- Motorcade (1998)
The Leopards -- '57 Chevy (1977)
She & Him -- Ridin' In My Car (2010)
Mary's Danish -- Don't Crash The Car Tonight (1989)
Dukes of Stratosphere -- Bike Ride To The Moon (1987)
Thee Fourgiven -- I Want My Own Highway (1985)
The Hot Rats -- Drive My Car (2009)
The Forty-Fives -- Drive All Night (1999)

---

Mr. Suave's Classic Gibson Martini

3 shots gin

splash dry vermouth

dash bitters

2 cocktail onions
In a shaker mix gin, vermouth and bitters with ice, then strain into a super chilled cocktail glass. Add 2 cocktail onions for a little snack half-way through.

---

Corin Ashley (The Pills) -- Badfinger Bridge



The Leopards - Psychadelic Boy

From the Vaults: Modcast #167 Classic Songs Ska'd For Life

Welcome to Mr Suave's Mod Mod World, the big ska covers show. I don't know when exactly it happened, but at some point covers ceased to be just a ska band staple as they were for Madness, The Beat, The Specials and so on back in the two-tone era. Then, covers were soemthing that rounded out a band's performance, a nice little extra that was the musical cherry on top of each band's original ice cream sundae. Now, not so much. You practically can't be a ska band these days if you aren't doing a slew of covers of classic songs in a ska style. For better or worse, the modern ska catalog owes as much to covers as it does to original composition. There are ska styled covers of everything from the Village People's "YMCA" to the Star Wars theme song.

So, here then is a whole bunch of ska related covers. This whole modcast is either songs done in a ska style, or a cover of a ska band made new, or something along those lines. There's even a cover of a cover of a cover of a commercial buried in here.

Listen Now
Download

Reel Big Fish -- Mama We're All Crazy Now (Slade)
The Selecter -- The Tide Is High (The Paragons)
The Hot Rats -- Mirror In The Bathroom (The Beat)
Skanatra -- Come Fly With Me (Frank Sinatra)
The Rifles -- Rat Race (The Specials)
Amy Winehouse -- Monkey Man (The Specials)
Lily Allen -- Gangsters (The Specials)
The Ordinary Boys -- Little Bitch (The Specials)
The Pepper Pots -- Be My Baby (The Ronnettes)
Bad Manners -- Music To Watch Girls By (Andy Williams)
The Specials -- Sock It To 'Em J.B. (Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers)
Pete Townsend -- Save It For Later (The Beat)

Reel Big Fish -- Take On Me

One Day Later and It's All Over Now

Only 1460 more days until the next election.

The Rolling Stones -- It's All Over Now

Modcast #250: C'mon Let's Go!

Two hundred fifty? If you'd told me six years back that I'd pump out 250 modcasts --with a little help from my friends-- I'd have told you to bugger off you crazy fool. But, lo and behold here we are doing just that. (Publishing the 250th show that is, not buggering off.) Amazingly, over that time the show has been downloaded 268,921 times and there have been over 200,000 pageviews at mistersuave.com.

This is a labor of love, but it's nice to know that there are folks out there listening and enjoying the show.

Listen Now
Download

Twitter - @mistersuave
Facebook - facebook.com/modmodworld
Subscribe - iTunes

The Jam -- The Night (1978)
The Times -- Whatever Happened To Thames Beat? (1983)
Secret Beauty Cream -- Mad At You (2008)
The Lolas -- Ballerina Breakout (1999)
The Sods (UK) -- Plaything (1979)
The Who -- Slip Kid (1975)
The Rolling Stones -- Doom and Gloom (2012)
Dr. Feelgood -- Another Man (1975)
Keith -- Ain't Gonna Lie (1966)
Tyrone Davis -- What Goes Up (Must Come Down) (1974)
Cee Lo Green -- Satisfied (2010)
The Presidents of the United States of America -- Candy Cigarette (2004)
The New Pornographers -- The Mary Martin Show (2000)
Title Tracks -- Turn Your Face (2011)
The Ace -- Next Time Around (2011)

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This week I'm drinking Maple Cider Manhattans in the suave lounge.

Ice

4 ounces Bourbon

3/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 cup apple cider

Cayenne pepper
Fill cocktail shaker with ice, add bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, and apple cider; shake vigorously. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and top with a dash of cayenne pepper, if desired.

---

Interview with Ed Ball of The Times



The Presidents of The United States of America -- Video Killed The Radio Star

Modcast #249: Rest in Peace

It's Halloween and that means that DJ Ken is at the helm for his annual festival of macabre music. Enjoy the madness.

Listen/Download

Dickies - Killer Klowns From Outer Space (Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988)

Ramones - Chain Saw (Ramones, 1976)

Past Tense - Wolfman (You Got Your Punk in My Garage (VA), 2011)

Fuzztones - Happy Halloween (Monster A-Go-Go, 1994)

Like - Wishing He Was Dead (Release Me, 2010)

Stems - She's A Monster (The Great Rosebud Hoax, 1987)

3-D Invisibles - Midnight At The Wax Museum (Vampires A-Go Go, 2009)

Dynotones - Night of the Ghouls (Beach Party a Go-Go, 2005)

Ghastly Ones - (Everybody's Doin') The Ghastly Stomp (A-Haunting We Will Go-Go, 1998)

Briefs - Dead In The Suburbs (Singles Only, 2004)

Iggy Pop - Bang Bang (Party, 1981)

Robert Hazard - Escalator Of Life (Escalator of Life EP, 1981)

Tones on Tail - Lions (Single, 1984)

Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds - La Llarona (Dracula Boots, 2009)

Chris Isaak - Black Flowers (Speak of the Devil, 1998)

Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Rest In Peace (Of Cabbages and Kings, 1967)

Zombies - A Rose for Emily (Odessey & Oracle, 1968)

Wikies - Only A Child (Single, 2006)

Louis Prima - (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You (Ultra-Lounge: Wild, Cool & Swingin', 1999 )



"The Loved One" Movie Trailer:

Early 80s video clips of The Three O-Clock

Here's a video I just stumbled across on Youtube last night while looking for some other Three 0'Clock clips. Pretty cool, even though not high quality. Wonder where in the world the videogrpaher was standing. Must have been a rooftop or something.

The Three 0'Clock -- In My Own Time


There's another even older, rarer clip of the band from 1982 of them doing With A Canteloupe Girlfriend. Must have been late 1982 as they had only changed from The Salvation Army to The Three 0'Clock in the middle of that year.

Modcast #248: Living in the Mod World

Fall is in the air, and things are all trippy out there. You can almost taste the tension sometimes now that electoral madness has siezed the country. You can hardly watch or read anything without being bombarded by political ads, or political comments, or political diatribes. I for one will be glad when all the bullshit passes.

No matter if your guy wins or loses on election day, by listening to the modcast you are a big winner.

Listen Now
Download

The Luck of Eden Hall -- Bangalore (2012)
The Bang -- Love's Gone Bad (2012)
Button Up -- I Spy For The FBI (2012)
Rube Velle & the Soulphonics -- Soul Of The Earth (2012)
Laura Vane & The Vipertones -- Floating (2011)
The Style Council -- Wanted (1987)
Alice Clark -- Don't You Care (1972)
The Troggs -- 6654321 (1966)
Mouse & The Traps -- Public Execution (1965)
The Guess Who -- Undun (1969)
The Beach Boys -- It's About Time (1972)
The Slickee Boys -- Invisible People (1983)
Paul Bevoir -- Living In A Different World (1992)
The Amber Squad -- Six Of Me (1981)
The Gymslips -- Thinking Of You (1983)

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As I mentioned this is fall and you know what that means. It means Halloween is upon us. And you know what that means. That's right, it's time once again for legendary frontman of The Shingles, DJ Ken's annual Halloween modcast. The old man is at it again and his show will be modcasting starting Saturday, Oct. 27th. Here's a couple of past shows if you missed 'em.

Modcast #216: No Costume, No Candy
http://www.mediafire.com/?o94o5obq2xoa684

Modcast #181: Monsters Rule O.K.
Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?xv39hupbbm5v451

---

Small Town Parade/Paul Bevoir -- Watching Merry Go Round



Laura Vane & The Vipertones -- Good Morning

Modcast #247: Ready Set Fun

Welcome to the mod world kids, ready for fun? Fun is pretty underrated these days it seems. People don't really know how to enjoy themselves, let alone enjoy good music. I'm hoping to help that with this modcast. Enjoy yourself.

Listen Now
Download

The Corner Laughers -- Sugar Skull (2012)
Madness -- My Girl 2 (2012)
Surf School Dropouts -- Baby, I Long To Be Yours (2012)
Reel Big Fish -- Don't Stop Skankin' (2012)
The Vaccines -- No Hope (2012)
Madness -- My Girl (1979)
Eurovox -- Happy Hour (2005)
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds --The Death of You and Me (2011)
Blondie -- Danceway (1982)
The Francis Jetty -- Room 111 (2011)
The Dickies --Where'd His Eye Go (1980)
The Stems -- Running Around (1987)
Sparks -- Good Morning (2008)


Surf School Dropouts -- Beach Bound


Reel Big Fish -- Sell Out

Modcast #246: The Chosen Few of '82

Welcome mods, I've set the wayback machine to jet us 30 years into the past. For your listening pleasure I present the chosen few of '82: some rather obscure, some more recognizable, but all of them worth hearing out. Almost all of these songs were released in '82, although there are a couple of late '81s in here, but you would have been listening to those in '82. [Originally broadcast in Oct. 2012]

Really this just scratches the surface of what was going on in music that year. There were albums out from The Clash, the Damned, the Beat, the Ramones, Oingo Boingo, Madness, Spandau Ballet, ABC and so many more. Michael Jackson released Thriller, and of course 1982 marked the end of The Jam with the release of one of their best albums, The Gift. Movies that year included Pink Floyd's The Wall, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, ET, Blade Runner and the legendary Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip. The Iron Lady was large and in charge and the Falklands War dominated international news. In the US gas was only $.90 cents a gallon, the USA Today published it's first newspaper, Magnum PI and Knight Rider were atop the TV ratings, and the first CD player rolled off a Japanese assembly line. And for those of us so inclined, and I was quite inclined, the hottest arcade games in 1982 included Joust, Dig Dug, and Donkey Kong Jr. Yup, 1982 was quite a year.

Listen Now

The Bangles -- Want You
Maurice & The Clichés -- Softcore
Barbie & The Kens -- Just a Gigolo
The Headaches -- Teenage Sex
Killery Pussy -- Tomahawks
The Go-Go's -- Beatnik Beach
The Flirts -- Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)
Bonnie Hayes -- Girls Like Me
Josie Cotton -- So Close
Angel & The Reruns -- Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys?
The Prisoners -- Maybe I Was Wrong
Purple Hearts -- Plane Crash
Secret Affair -- Lost in the Night
The Lambrettas -- Nobody's Watching Me
Wall of Voodoo -- Mexican Radio


Purple Hearts -- My Life's A Jigsaw


The Bangles -- Real World

The Corner Laughers Get My Vote For MVP

Each year for me, October means cool nights of playoff baseball. This year I have something to warm my insides from the chill night air. And I don't mean gin. No, right now I'm all ajitter for the latest release from The Corner Laughers, "Poppy Seeds."

What can I say about The Corner Laughers, one of my favorite indie acts of the past few years? I've been meaning to put together a review of "Poppy Seeds" for a few weeks now, but I've been overwhelmed by just how great the new album really is.

One band should not be this good, this sweet, this smooth, this clever, this catchy, this sparkling, this smart, this funny. The songs are little bits of sugary sweet gossamer strands of molasses that you keep trying to get off your fingers but continue to tangle you up in sticky goodness.

Karla Kane's voice surely is one of the biggest reasons for all that sweetness. There are few voices so perfectly complimented by the music surrounding them, and few voices that are so obviously made for singing indie pop.

Each of the 13 songs shimmers in its own way, like stars in the greying twilight sky. Like their previous albums the writing is the foundation of Poppy Seeds, very poetic, and yet not really poetry set to music. The themes are not terribly new for the Laughers, love and relationships are their mainstay subject matter. But this isn't stale and neither will you feel like you've heard it before. It's fresh and yet familiar.

The songs are varied, from the lush layers of Laughing Stars, to the simplicity of the jaunty ukelele driven Twice the Luck, to the bouncy power pop of Transamerica Pyramid and Now That I have You I'm Bored.

For me one of the stand out tracks has to be the pop gem I'd Rather Count Cormorants With You. How can you not like a song the gives a shout out to possible national league MVP the Giant's Buster Posey?

As with their last album, the sunny "Ultraviolet Garden" the production is again captianed by Allen Clapp of The Orange Peels. Poppy Seeds also features collaborations with powerpopster Mike Viola of the Candy Butchers as well as contributors Anton Barbeau, William Cleere and others.

With three albums in the win column so far, The Corner Laughers are batting .1000 and on pace to keep hitting it out of the park with each new release.

The Corner Laughers -- Bells of El Camino (Poppy Seeds, 2012)

From The Vaults: Mr. Suave's Loungecast #2

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. Take a giant step outside your current listening constraints and journey with me all the way back to those oh so cold and rainy days of Winter 2010. I've opened up the vaults and dusted off a classic modcast that I think you'll enjoy. Again.

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Welcome to Mr. Suave's Swingin' Cocktail Lounge which this week is filled with swank sounds top to bottom. This week in the lounge I've got cool tunes from Swing Out Sister and James Clarke, got some exotic tiki music from tikiyaki orchestra and the Tiki Tones, as well as some seriously swingin' bachelor pad trax from Googie Rene and Eldee Young. To really set the stage, opening the show is the one and only, lounge legend, Les Baxter with the title track to his 1970 album Que Mango, arguably one of the best lounge album ever recorded. Since the sun is out and Seattle is sweltering I've mixed myself a batch of my special recipe lemonade and I suggest you do the same. Then sit back, put your feet up and just lounge around.

P.S. If you're looking for cool cocktail recipes, news and what not check out Waitiki International's cocktail blog, The Cocktail Journal.

Les Baxter -- Que Mango! (1970)
Boris Schoska -- Toys for Boys (195?)
Swing Out Sister -- Certain Shades of Limelight (2004)
James Clarke -- Double Take (196?)
Eldee Young -- Mr. Kicks (1962)
Combustible Edison feat. Juan Esquivel -- Miniskirt (1994)
Googie Rene & His Orchestra -- Caeser's Pad (1959)
Tikiyaki Orchestra -- Mai Tai's on the Moon (2007)
Waitiki International -- Primativa (2005)
Tiki Tones -- Sneaky Tiki (1996)
Garry Blake & His Orchestra -- The Odd Couple (1968)

Tikiyaki Orchestra -- Song of Delilah

Fred Perry: Excellent short film on Soul boys

This is a nice snapshot of the UK soulboy scene of the seventies that is part of the series of shorts that Fred Perry sponsored this past years. And at just under 12 minutes its not so long that you are put off watching the whole thing in one sitting.

Modcast #245: Very Very Good Music

With a title like that you know this is going to be one hell of a kick ass show. It might seem cheeky, until you hear it and then you will undoubtedly agree that this isn't just good music. It's not even very good music, but what you're actually going to get is Very Very good music. If you want to rant or rave, bitch, moan or whine, do it in the comments section below. Otherwise sit back and prepare to have your mind blown.

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The Ace -- Sgt. Major Neighbour (2012)
The Past Tense -- Nervous (2012)
Green Day -- Troublemaker (2012)
The Electric Mess -- Falling Off The Face Of The Earth (2012)
The Go! Freaks -- Asteroid (2011)
The Laynes -- We Got Time (2011)
The Red Button -- She's Going Down (2007)
Sambassadeur -- Subtle Changes (2010)
The Agents -- Modern Girl (1983)
The Jolt -- Chains (1978)
Split Enz -- I Got You (1980)
Culture Club -- Church Of The Poison Mind (1983)

The Go! Freaks Live at The Black Note


The Electric Mess - Trash Talkin' Woman

From The Vaults: Modcasts #188 & #180

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. Take a giant step outside your current listening constraints and journey with me all the way back to those oh so cold and rainy days of Winter 2010. I've opened up the vaults and dusted off a classic modcast that I think you'll enjoy. Again.

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Modcast #188: More than just a dog and pony show

Welcome to Mr. Sauve's Mod Mod World.  Get things off to a rockin' start with the opening track to Social Distortion's forthcoming album due out later this month called "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes". Ya gotta appreciate a band that opens with an instrumental, especially a cool, garage tune like "Road Zombie".  Reminded me of The Goldstars who opened their 2010 EP in a similar style. Anyhow, it's good that Social D has a new album, and from my first few spins it's pretty much what you'd expect a little Stonesy, a little Hank Williams, a whole helluva lotta punk rock guitar. The show goes on from there with a swaggering rock and roll arrogance that even blows me away. And I put it together. Go figure.

Social Distortion -- Road Zombie (2011)
Los Peyotes -- Garaje o Muerte (2011)
Mothers Children - That's Who (2010
The Ace -- Loose Cannon Woman (2010)
The Like -- Walk of Shame (2010)
Paul Bertolino -- Just Another Breakup (2000)
The Lolas -- Dog and Pony Show (2001)
The Contrast -- Caught in a Trap (2007)
Smash Palace -- Win it All (2010)
Good Shoes -- The Way My Heart Beats (2010)
Parov Stellar -- Booty Swing (2010)

Los Peyotes - Garaje o Muerte


The Like - Wishing He Was Dead

Modcast #180: Some Hits Hurt

So, lately I've been on a Three O'Clock kick listening to the band's back catalog over and over and over. I've even come to appreciate what was probably their last great song "Her Head's Revolving". Which was of course the last album featuring the band's core lineup. Like all good music does it touched a nerve and then led me on a little musical jaunt. It's one of those jaunts that is probably best listened to rather than explained. I mean, how do you adequately explain all the cool music on tap for you this week from Shonen Knife to 999, The Marigolds to Mooney Suzuki? You don't. The best you can do is listen to it and simply enjoy.

Three O'Clock -- Her Head's Revolving
White Rabbits -- The Plot (2007)
Vibrators -- DNA Robot (2010)
Shonen Knife -- Animal Song (1993)
The Ace -- If You're Out There (2010)
The Cute Lepers -- Some Hits Hurts (2009)
The Marigolds -- Sticks And Stones (1985)
Cuban Heels -- Downtown (1978)
999 -- Action (1978)
Gary Valentine (The Know) -- I Like Girls (1980)
Mooney Suzuki -- Yeah You Can (2000)


Shonen Knife -- It's A New Find



999 -- Emergency

Modcast #244: Driving Enjoyment in Beats Per Minute

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Get in and give this modcast a test drive. This is all-wheel drive music, both high and low gear. Buckle up it's gonna be a wild ride.

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The Temptations -- Angel Doll (1967)
Dot Dash -- The Past Is Another Country (2012)
Phenomenal Cat -- The Volume Police (2012)
Galileo 7 -- More Time (2012)
The School -- I Should Do (2012)
Rockpile -- So It Goes (live, 1980)
Big Sound Authority -- This House (Is Where Your Love Stands) (1985)
Cuban Heels -- Downtown (1978)
Beggar -- Have Another Drink (1980?)
Boys Wonder -- Goodbye Jimmy Dean (1988)
Strawberry Alarm Clock -- I'm Coming Home (1970)
Special Beat -- Rainy Days (1990)


Mine! Mine! Mine! (live) - The Galileo 7


Big Sound Authority - (Call Me) Soul Man

Modcast #243: Keepin' The Beat

Keepin' the beat in the mod world this week is a whole host of great bands from The Who to The Chase to The Ska Vengers, with sounds from power pop to soul, to ska. What's old is new again with a couple of cool covers mixed in with brand new originals and a few classics that always put your toes to tapping.

If you're digging the modcasts let me know. You can leave a comment below, or ask a question, or rant, or rave, or whatever, but it would be good to hear from you faithful listeners. You can also friend me up on Facebook (facebook.com/modmodworld), and you can follow me on Twtitter where between weekly shows I occasionally post videos, highlight new music releases and just basically pass on all the goodness I find in the Twittersphere each day. Follow me: @mistersuave

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Night Trains -- No More Heroes (2012)
The Uptights -- Let Me Love You (2012)
Men of North Country -- iPhoneumonia (2012)
Likely Lads -- Home Wrecker (2012)
The Chase -- A Different Place (2011)
The Idea -- You Remind Me Of You (1987)
Squire -- Get Ready To Go (1980)
The Jetset --Count The Beating Hearts (1985)
The Who -- Call Me Lightning (1968)
The Raindeer Army -- Subterranean Sun (1970)
The Breajers -- Don't Send Me No Flowers (1966)
The Ska Vengers -- I Put A Spell On You (2012)
The Absolutes -- I Think About You (2011)
The Fleet Street -- Hang Me Out (2012)
Lee Dorsey -- Wonder Woman (1966)


Men of North Country - Debut


The Fleet Street - Save Me

Modcast #242: Not The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On, But Close

This week in the mod world, they're all direct hits. Top to bottom, this is just a great lineup of songs. I'd write more but the truth is in the hearing. So, go listen up.

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Direct Hits -- Back to the Sixties (1980)
The Sometimes Family -- It's Slow But It Feels Alright (2012) (Download for free here)
Gene Harris & The Three Sounds -- Hey Girl (1972)
Brian Auger -- Save Me (1968)
The Josephs --The Situation (200?)
The Fratellis -- Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night (2007)
Agony Aunts -- Tiny Pictures (2011)
The Like -- Square One (2010)
X -- White Girl (1981)
Modern Lovers -- She Cracked (1976)
The Monochrome Set -- Flesh. Trash. Heat. (1975-77)
999 -- Nasty Nasty (1977)
Oingo Boingo -- Who Do You Want To Be (1984)


The Monochrome Set -- Jet Set Junta


The Direct Hits -- English Girls

DC Fontana return with short film "Pentagram Man"

DC Fontana are one of the most interesting bands currently on the planet, blending soul and psychadelia into a deliciously lush and fresh mix. They also have a great knack for blending visual elements with their music, making short films and videos the likes of which are just not done so often these days.

A couple years ago they produced a great series of videos in support of their last album Six Against Eight.

Now they're back to promote their upcoming album Pentagram Man and have a promo video featuring three actors (Richard Taylor as the Pentagram Man, Louise Fulwell as the mysterious lady in the fields and Mark Brindley as the castle doorkeeper) alongside DC Fontana.

According to bassist Mark Mortimer it was shot at various Midlands locations including:
The Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham; Tamworth Castle; and, Orton on the Hill (in Leicestershire).

It features parts of two tunes from the forthcoming EP, Sighed DC and the title track Pentagram Man.

From The Vaults Modcast #192: Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?

Welcome to a special charter modcast ladies and gents with The Shingles. In the hot seat this week with one hand firmly on the controls and one hand firmly on the nearest stewardess is Cap'n Ken. Co-piloting, and if truth be known probably doing all the real work, is Shingle's bassist Daren. They will be flying you through some quite friendly skies. The wayback machine shows that the smoking lamp is lit, the seat belt sign is off, so you know it's gonna be smooth sailing from here on in.

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01. James Taylor Quartet - Blow Up (Mission Impossible, 1993)
02. Nerves - When You Find Out (The Nerves, 1976)
03. Loved Ones - You Better Do Right (Better Do Right, 1994)
04. Remains - Don't Look Back (The Remains, 1966)
05. Three O'Clock - Sorry (Baroque Hoedown, 1982)
06. Big Star - Thirteen (#1 Record, 1972)
07. Lloyd Cole - Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? (Rattlesnakes, 1984)
08. Dick Dale - Hava Nagila (King Of The Surf Guitar, 1989)
09. Saints - Just Like Fire Would (All Fools Day, 1986)
10. Stiv Bators - Evil Boy (Disconnected, 1980)
11. The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (Piano Version) (Café Bleu, 1984)
12. Cousteau - Wish You Were Her (Cousteau, 1999)
13. Redskins - It Can Be Done! (Neither Washington Nor Moscow, 1986)
14. Untamed Youth - The Hearse (Untamed Melodies, 1996)


The Saints -- "Stranded"

Modcast #241: The House That Suave Built

Welcome to Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World, the 241st show of that name, if you can believe it. The long march to episode #500 continues, and I'm almost halfway there. Summer seems to have finally arrived in Seattle. Temperatures are pushing the mercury up above 80 degrees, which around here is pretty warm. The skies are blue, the nights are long (not Alaska long, but long enough) and it does indeed seem like the dog days are here at last. As Natalie Babbit put it: "These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after." Well, I don't think I've done anything on this week's show that I will be sorry for after, but you'll have to listen and judge for yourself.

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No Doubt -- Paulina (1987)
Stanley Road -- City (2012)
Paul Weller -- Kling Klang (2012)
The Primitives -- Move It On Over (2012)
Suzi Chunk -- Tripwire (2012)
Quasamodo & The Q Orchestra -- Mama's Boy (2012)
Mr. Day -- Caveman (2012)
French Boutik -- Le Clope (2012)
Frank Popp Ensemble -- Love Is On Our Side (2000)
Paul Messis -- Louise (2011)
The Largactyls -- (Girl) Never Grow Up (2012)
The Plimsouls -- I Want You Back (1981)
The Invaders -- She's A Heartbreaker (1980)
Prime Movers -- Change For The Better (1983)
The Jam -- Saturday's Kids, Live San Francisco (1980)


The Plimsouls -- Everyday Things (1979)


Frank Popp Ensemble -- The World is Waiting

Modcast #240: Double Shot of Suave

That's right people, you're getting a double tall mod world today. Two shows in one. Two times the suave. It's kinda like a double album, that's because the first part is Modcast #240, and the second half of today's show is actually a soul show I recorded for the very excellent Mod Soul Review podcast. A while back I was invited to guest host the Mod Soul Review show and this is what I turned in. Dean Stickley (be sure to check out his Mod Mod World guest hosting gig) who runs Mod Soul Review kindly said I could rerun the show on the Mod Mod World, and so here it is.

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Pt. 1 -- Modcast #240
Jackie Wilson -- Nothing But Blue Skies (1968)
The Bang -- Drink In Hand (2012)
The Past Tense -- Here Comes The Rain (2012)
Buster Shuffle -- Come In (2012)
Kula Shaker -- Guitar Man (1997)
The Offspring -- Autonomy (2010)
Climax -- You! (1966)

Pt. 2 -- Mod Soul Review Podcast
Fitz & The Tantrums -- Sweet Dreams (2012)
The Three O'Clock -- When Lightning Starts (1983)
The Untouchables -- City Gent (1985)
The Corsairs -- Wait For Me (1984)
Grady Tate (Schoolhouse Rock) -- I Got Six (1973)
Larry Wald -- Superman (1971)
Paul Anka -- I can't Help Loving You (1966)
The Plimsouls -- One More Heartache (1984)


Buster Shuffle -- Me, Myself & I



The Untouchables-"Whiplash" ("Rock of the 80's")

Modcast #239: Open For Business

The mod world is open for business, and business is booming people. Mods are winning the Tour de France for god's sake, how much more mod can the world get? And truthfully, I think most of us would be completely disenchanted with mod were it to become a worldwide phenomenon. Since that's unlikely to happen in my lifetime, I'll just content myself with cool new music from the likes of The Brassic, Miles Kane, MFC Chicken and more.

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Miss Chain & the Broken Heels -- Flamingo (2010)
Green Day -- Let Yourself Go (2012)
MFC Chicken -- Man-Sized Tissue (2012)
Chicaynes -- Cry A Little (1981
The Francis Jetty -- No Time For Ticking (2008)
Miles Kane -- First Of My Kind (2012)
The Gramatones -- Exile (2011)
The Brassic -- Rapscallion (2012)
The Mannequins -- Dance With Me (2012)
Club des Belugas -- Skip To The Bip (2006)
Lily Allen -- Fuck You (2008)
Aloe Blacc -- Hey Brother (2010)
The Cute Lepers -- Opening Up (2008)


Miss Chain & The Broken Heels -- Rollercoaster



Miles Kane -- First Of My Kind



The Brassic -- June

Check Out My Gig on Mod Soul Review

Hey check out the Mod Soul Review podcast, I'm guest hosting this week for epissode #35. I put together a show that includes some cool stuff from The Three O'Clock, Grady Tate, Larry Wald, The Corsairs, Paul Anka, Fitz & The Tantrums, The Plimsouls and The Untouchables. Listen in on Mixcloud.

Modcast #238: All That Jazz

I'm getting back to my roots, to modernism's roots, getting back into the jazz groove. Jazz was of course what the very first original mods of the late 50s and 60s first cut their teeth on. Modern jazz, became cool jazz became west coast jazz became hard bop. And so on. It was all jazz, and that's what the earliest mods were all about. So, this week's show is all about jazz as well.

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Everything But The Girl -- Crabwalk (1985)
Nicola Conte -- Solo (2009)
Art Pepper -- Groovin High (1959)
The Style Council -- Dropping Bombs on the White House (1984)
Art Blakey -- No Hay Problema (1960)
Dexter Gordon -- Le Coiffeur (1965)
Miles Davis -- I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) (1957)
European Jazz Trio -- I Say A Little Prayer (2006)
Joey DeFrancesco -- Organ Grinder's Swing (1999)
James Taylor Quartet -- Lucky Jim (2011)
Trio Valore -- Return Of The Iron Monkey (2008)
The Nostalgia 77 Octet -- Chola (2007)


Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, feat. Lee Morgan -- Buhaina's Delight (1966)

From The Vaults: Modcast #212 Go For Soul

What is it about soul music that has captivated every mod since ... well, since the beginning of time? Or at least since the beginning of the 'rock' era. I guess mods like to dance, and truly there really isn't any better dancing music. Pop music dancing, I'm not talking any sort of stuff you have spend six weeks of lessons learning like tango or swing (a thing I've never done, but someday might thanks to Groupon). Nope I'm talking about the music plays, the notes hit your brain, and your toe begins to tap. For most mods the toe tap becomes a shoe shuffling, body spinning, eyes closed sort of religious experience. My wife knows what it looks like, though she associates it a bit more with gin and vodka than Sam and Dave. So be it. Point is mods love soul music. And I think it's because it makes us dance. Maybe we gotta dance because it's in our genes. Or at least in our blood, thank you pharmaceuticals of all sorts. No matter. When the sound is right you gotta go for soul.

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• Jackie Wilson & Count Basie -- Uptight (1968)
• Bill Cosby & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band -- Funky North Philly (1968)
• Jimmy Lynch -- Let A Woman Be a Woman and a Man Be a Man (1961)
• Sir Joe Quartermain & Free Soul -- I Got So Much Trouble On My Mind (1974)
• Chico & Buddy -- Can You Dig It (1969?)
• Black on White Affair -- Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother (197?)
• Eddie Jefferson -- Filthy McNasty (1968)
• Ray Barretto -- New York Soul (1968)
• J.J. Jackson -- But It's Alright (1966)
• The Equals -- Police On My Back (1966)
• Gloria Jones -- Tainted Love (1964)
• PP Arnold w/The Small Faces -- If You Think You're Groovy (1967)
• Barbara Lynn -- Movin' On A Groove (1976)
• Gospel Classics -- More Love (1968)
• Smokey Robinson & The Miracles -- Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying (1963)
• The Countdown Five -- Shake Shake Na Na (1969)
• William Bell -- Just As I Thought (1963)
• Marvin Gaye -- You're A Wonderful One (1964)

P.P. Arnold - The First Cut Is The Deepest (live 1967)

< br /> The Equals - Baby Come Back

From The Vaults: Modcasts #27 & #28 (2007)

Modcast #27: Coming Tuesday I feel Better

Here's a special bonus episode of Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World, featuring songs about the days of the week. Enjoy, and I'll have a new episode for you right away.

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• Small Faces -- Lazy Sunday
  
• Corduroy -- Don't Wait for Monday
  
• Skyshakers -- A Girl Called Tuesday
  
• Jetset -- Wednesday Girl
  
• The Truth, Thursday Club
  
• The Easybeats -- Friday on My Mind
  
• The Specials -- Friday Night, Saturday Morning
  
• The Jam -- Saturday's Kids
  
• Squire -- Saturday Shopping
  
• The Odds, Saturday Night
  
• The Incredible Moses Leroy -- It's A Sunday

Modcast #28: Just What I Needed

On this episode of Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World a great slate of power pop from the sixties to just about now. Enjoy.

• The Crimson Shadows -- Even I Tell Lies
  
• Fire -- Father's Name is Dad
  
• ? & The Mysterians -- Ten O'Clock
  
• Eddie Cave & The Fyx -- Fresh Out of Tears
  
• Supergrass -- Lose It
  
• The Jam -- Standards
  
• Madness -- Shut Up
  
• The Last -- Snake in the Grass
  
• Wreckless Eric -- Let's Go To The Pictures
  
• Nikki & the Corvettes -- Just What I Needed
  
• Vaselines -- Son of a Gun

Questions? E-mail me at rob@mistersuave.com.