July 29, 2014

Modcast #304: '79 Hell Of A Lot More Than Just A Mod Revival

In 1979 there was a whole hell of a lot more going on than just the mod revival. You all know the mod revival inside and out I'm sure. Trom The Jam to the Purple Hearts, the Small Hours, The Aces, to Mods Mayday '79, and of course the release of Quadrophenia. All good stuff. And all been done to death. Heck, I did a big mod revival show a few years ago as part of my Mod Essentials series. It's a good show. As I said, a whole hell of lot of other things were happening in music. Like 1966 and 1994, 1979 was just one of those iconic watershed music years. So on this week's modcast I'm going to explore some of the other things happening at the same time the mod revival was in full bloom.

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Elvis Costello -- Moods For Moderns
Joe Jackson -- One More Time
The Vapors -- Waiting For The Weekend
Squeeze -- Cool For Cats
XTC -- Making Plans For Nigel
The Cure -- Jumping Someone Else's Train
Patrick Fitzgerald -- Improve Myself
B-52s -- Private Idaho
Oingo Boing -- Only A Lad
The Plimsouls -- Zero Hour
The Knack -- That's What The Little Girls Do
The Ramones -- Rock'n'Roll High School
The Dickies -- You Drive Me Ape
Weirdos -- Happy People
Madness -- In The Middle Of The Night
The Specials -- Too Much Too Young
The Beat -- Mirror In The Bathroom
The Undertones -- You've Got My Number


The Dickies do Basket Case on CPO Sharkey



Blondie -- Dreaming (Live on Midnight Special 1979)



NEW WAVE "20/20" video piece (1979)




July 20, 2014

Modcast #303: How Are The Acoustics In Here?

This week on the modcast it's all acoustic tracks -- raw, stripped down, just the bare bones. I love how acoustic versions of songs can so drastically change a song. Sometimes that stripped down, raw sort of thing is just more pure. Sometimes it makes the song heavier, sometimes lighter and softer. Either way it really does give you something fresh and new. The way so many albums are overproduced these days, for me it's a real treat when an artist does the acoustic thing. It's one reason that MTV's Unplugged series was so incredibly popular. I remember reading that Nirvana's Unplugged album was one of the band's best selling recordings. Acoustical tracks aren't all I want to hear, but I do enjoy the occasional vocal and guitar alone and it certainly can make the songs have a more powerful impact.

As promised here is a link to Modcast #253: East Meets West with the Shibuya-kei Soul Sound


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Pizzicato Five -- Baby Love Child (1995)
Franz Ferdinand -- Walk Away (2010)
Teenage Fanclub -- Sparkys Dream (1985)
Blondie One Way Or Another (2002)
Beautiful South -- Don't Marry Her (1999)
Oasis -- Married With Children (1994)
Blur -- Sunday Sunday (1993)
Supergrass -- Next To You (2006)
Pete Doherty -- Don't Look Back Into The Sun (2004)
Dirty Pretty Things -- Bang Bang Your Dead (2008)
The Rifles -- Local Boy (2006)
Pauline Black -- Three Minute Hero (2005)
Dave Wakeling -- Save It For Later (2006)
The Style Council -- Headstart For Happiness (1983)
Social Distortion -- Reach For The Sky (2010)
Jane Weidlin -- Our Lips Are Sealed (2010)


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Blondie -- Sugar on the Side



Vaselines -- Son of a Gun (Live acoustic KEXP)













July 2, 2014

Modcast #302: It's Got Some Kick To It

With the US, UK, Italy and Australia out of the World Cup now, there's no excuse for the countries that support Mr. Suave most to not be listening to this week's modcast. I've got almost as many new songs as Tim Howard had saves! From floor filling soul tracks to guitar driven power pop, this modcast can't be beat in regulation time. That's right this week's show is crammed full of new music from the likes Paul Weller, The Ace, The Blue Dawns, Fuzzy Vox, Paul Orwell, Smoove & Turrel and of course the ubiquitous more.

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Fuzzy Vox -- 1789 (2014)
Paul Orwell -- Little Reason (2014)
The Idle Gossip -- 11 Plus 11 (2012)
The Men -- All Time High (2014)
The Ace -- Egil's Head Ransom (2014)
Nicola Conte -- Free Souls feat. Bridgette Amofa (2014)
Smoove & Turrell -- Lay It On Me (2014)
Nick Pride & The Pimptones -- It's A Love Thing (2014)
Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbot -- Moulding Of A Fool (2014)
The Blue Dawns -- I've Seen Things (2014)
Paul Weller -- Flame-Out! (2014)
Johnny Marr -- Lockdown (2013)
Miles Kane -- Taking Over (2013)
The Vaccines -- All In Vain (2012)
Volage -- Not Enuff (2014)


Nine Below Zero (on The Young Ones) -- 11 Plus 11



Paul Orwell Tell Me Tell Me