Modcast #491: The Future Is Bright

If the future is so bright you gotta wear sunglasses, the music of now is so great you gotta turn up the volume. Lucky listeners out there are gonna get hipped to some very cool new music from garage pop to punk rock to soul, got it all going on right now, right here. You know it feels good to be alive.

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The Screens -- Coming Live From The City Of Light (2020)
Reaction -- Gotta hold of My Heart (2021)
Pama International -- Smile & Say Good Morning(2021)
Richie Mayer -- Sunshine Blues (2021)
Orange Peels -- Whenever (2021)
Jodie -- Pushover (2021)
Mark & The Clouds -- In The Big Crowd (2021)
Danny Wilkerson -- Enough For Somebody (2021)

Cromm Fallon & The P200 -- Two Stroke Smoke (2021)
Bad Nerves -- Baby Drummer (2020)
The Veras -- Spaceman (2021)
The Sorels -- She's In The Gang (2021)
The Terraplanes Blues Band -- Catfish (2021)
The Prof. Fuzz 63 -- Sheena Is A Soccer Mom (2021)
The Yellowhead Project -- A Million Minds In Tune (2021)

Reviews You Can Use: Wilkerson, Big Stir Records (2021)

I wasn't sure what I expected when I pressed play on Wilkerson, but it wasn't what I got, which sort of took my breath away. It opens with Everybody Loves to Love and the first thing I think is oh my god Burt Bacharach! But that wasn't all, it bounces effortlessly into sort of light psychpop, Beatles style, and all with such ease. Then the second song comes on, and remember I'm still on my first listen at this point, and I could have leaped up and started dancing. that second song, Enough For Somebody, is an uptempo northern soul vibing pop number, shoulda been an instant classic. Fast becoming one of my favorite songs on the album after countless listens now. As if that wasn't enough you get this fantastic mix of strings to kick off the third song Endless Haze, which has still another sort of vibe, a different, easy, feeling. After that it's one bit of delightful pleasure after another, all bringing in different elements and stylistic flourishes, but sill cohesive and holding on to a basic power pop platform. This is an album you'll listen more than once, or even a dozen times, for sure.

Bonus Third Set

Caper Clowns - CAPS LOCK ON


Save Henry -- Sunrise


Cromm Fallon & The P200 - Two Stroke Smoke


Pale Lips -- Candy Song


Smile -- Hideout


Du Blonde -- Pull The Plug


Lucas Aaron -- Ocean Girl


The Rugs -- My Love Is Bad

Modcast #490: All Funked Up

Here comes some super soul tunes with such rounded edges that it gives it a smooth, swaggering vibe the likes of which your ears will be begging for more. This will have movin' and groovin' and slidin' and glidin' as you bump and hustle across the floor.

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The Untouchables -- Freak In The Streets (1985)
The Allergies -- Jumping Off (2020)
Bosq ft. Kaleta -- Backstrokin' (2019)
Frankie Smith -- Double Dutch Bus (1980)
Commodores -- Machine Gun (1974)
Renegades of Jazz -- Flaximus (2021)
Jungle Fire -- Firewalker (2013)
Soopasoul -- If It Ain't Funky Back It Up (2018) Jamiroquai -- Soul Education (1999)
Deee-Lite -- Deep Ending (1990)
Nick Pride & The Pimptones -- It's A Love Thing (2014)
The Traffic -- White Lines (2016)
Basement Freaks -- All That Funk! (2016)
Vic Ceasar -- Shake Down (Bare Knuckles OST) (1977)


Bonus Third Set

Fort Knox Five feat. Flex Mathews -- Reach


The Brothers Johnson -- Ain't We Funkin' Now


Fat Larry's Band - Act Like You Know


Hodges, James & Smith ‎– Sexy Ways


The Jacksons - Goin' Places


Maceo & The Macks -- Soul Power 74


J-Zone -- Knight Rider


Liquid Soul -- Sex God


James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing Live

Modcast #489: Stirring Things Up

Power pop lovers of all stripes are probably well aware of the guests joining me on this modcast: Rex and Christina co-founders of Big Stir Records. We talk about turning a live scene into a record label and some of the new --and old-- acts they're bringing to your ears.

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The Forty Nineteens -- It's For Fun (That's All We're Living For) (2021)
The Well Wishers -- We Grow Up (2020)
Sorrows -- Christabelle (2021)
Danny Wilkerson -- You Still Owe Me A Kiss (2021)
Popsicko -- Nastassja (2021)
(An Oral History of Popsicko)
The Armoires -- (Just Can't See) The Attraction (2020)
The Living Dolls -- Everything That Happened (2021)

Check out more about Big Stir Records artists at www.bigstirrecords.com

SORROWS: The Real Story of The Real Album


Some of my other favorite Big Stir artists, friends, and co-conspirators

sparkle*jets u k - Ballad of El Goodo


The Corner Laughers -- Bells of El Camino


Librarians With Hickeys - Black Velvet Dress


Irene Peña - Not from Around Here


In Deed - Don’t Need, Don’t Care