Mod-A-Day: Greenberry Woods

If 90s power pop is your thing, you probably loved Greenberry Woods. Even with everything going for it (talent, major label, growing fame) Greenberry Woods, like power pop in general, was relegated to the back of the bus. The band produced only two albums, due in part to the timing, and in part to band members inability to get along. The band came along just as grunge was exploding and rap was in its decade long reign over MTV, which I think made it hard going even for good power pop bands. Greenberry Woods finally self destructed allowing brothers Matt and Brandt Huseman to go forward with Splitsville, a band that was admittedly more modish than Greenberry Woods ever was. Still, the Woods produced some good power pop, at times with nice sixties overtones, such as "More and More" and the track here "#37 (Feels So Strange)" from their debut album 1994's Rapple Dapple.

Greenberry Woods -- #37 (Feels So Strange)

Mod-A-Day: The Cheeksters

What can you say about a band whose music touches upon the very nature of our being? They contemplate the conundrums that afflict every mod. Mods are nothing if not obsessed with their appearance, and here comes a band that ask the importnat "mod" questions that leave philosophers drooling, the issues that are at the very essence of human nature: "Should I go with drainpipes, or should I wear flares?" Such is the importance of the questions that one band is unafraid to ask. The Cheeksters.

The Cheeksters serve up a bit of Kinks-like goodness with a poppy bounciness that is both British invasion evoking, and Britpop posturing. The songs have to-die-for melodies and harmonies, and at the same time there is a cleverness to the lyrics that fits just right with the ocassional garage rock vibe. While you can hear influences from northern soul and sixties folk rock, there are obvious nods to sixties era Bowie, the Kinks, and the Beatles. All of which is a good thing.

The song here is simply a great song, "Movers and Shakers". The band clearly loves what they're doing and it shows here, and in all their songs.

The Cheeksters -- Movers and Shakers


The Cheeksters -- Movers and Shakers

Mod-A-Day: The Lyres

Out of Boston comes one of the granddaddies of the garage rock movement. In 1979 The Lyres rose up out of the ashes of early punk band DMZ -- which was already showing a strong sixties garage leaning. So when Jeff Connolly formed The Lyres the band kept right on moving in that direction. For three decades Conolly has been pounding his keyboards, following in the footsteps of The Standells as well as The Ramones, and has consistently produced fantastic music with various lineups. While the lineups often changed, it was always rock and roll, and there was always a solid sixties influence from garage to folk to even some soul.

This track, "Dolly", from the band's debut album is a real stomper with Conolly's farfisa organ wailing just underneath a driving beat. It's a simple song, but some of the best things in life are simple.

The Lyres -- Dolly

Mod-A-Day: The Diplomats of Solid Sound

The Diplomats of Solid Sound have been pumping out solid soul with style from the heartland for about a decade. The band started in the late 90's but really took off with the addition of Hammond B3 master Nate "Count" Basinger around the turn of the century, and immediately started producing some fine recordings of Memphis style soul.

The sound, pure soul, over the years has ranged from the cool, swingin' and at times even loungey sound of their first album Instrumental Action Soul to more bluesy and sometimes modern jazz sounding tracks of Destination...Get Down!, incorporating more saxophone and horns than you might expect.

The song here, "Lights Out" is from the new release by The Diplomats of Solid Sound - for the first time featuring the Diplomettes. The Diplomettes add vocals to the Diplomats mix for the first time, and what vocals. Gritty and rough, and then equally velvety smooth at times. This latest CD puts all this together simply sizzles with soul and wicked good R&B. Nate Basinger's Hammond playing is inspired throughout. If you're jonesing for a soul fix then this one is highly recommended.

The Diplomats of Solid Sound featuring the Diplomettes -- Lights Out

From The Vaults: Modcast #12 - Myspace Becomes Modspace

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 the fun filled days of summer 2006. I've opened up the vaults and dusted off a classic modcast that I think you'll enjoy. Again.

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This week it looks like it's Myspace that has become the Mod Mod World. The site is bursting with cool mod, garage, power pop and punk bands. So, I decided to single out some of the best ones and highlight them on this week's Modcast. Hope you enjoy!

(Click on band names to visit their Myspace site, websites are listed separately.)

• Orange Peels -- Circling The Sun
  http://www.theorangepeels.com/
  
• The Eddies -- Colour My World
  http://www.theeddies.net
  
  
• Eurovox -- A Night On The Tiles
  http://www.eurovoxuk.com/
  
  
• The Itch -- Upside Down
  http://www.theitch.biz/
  
  
• Beat Revolver -- You Gotta Move
  http://www.beatrevolver.de/
  
  
• The Green Circles -- Knee Jerk Reaction
  http://www.thegreencircles.com/
  
  
• The Keepers -- Hardcase
  http://www.thekeepers.here.co.uk/
  
  
• Made -- Tonight
  
  
• The Small Change -- Mexico City
  http://www.thesmallchange.com/
  
  
• The Platforms -- Bang Me
  http://www.theplatforms.com/
  
  
• 88 -- Hide Another Mistake
  http://www.the88.net/
  

Bands take note: If you'd like your band fatured on Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World e-mail me today at rob@mistersuave.com.



Bonus Videos

The 88 - Hide Another Mistake


This week's second video is a classic from the Easybeats, Sorry. Enjoy!

Sorry indeed. Is this ironic or what? YouTube's link to embed the Easbeat's video right here has blownup, so you'll just have to click here to enjoy.

Mod-A-Day: The Equals

A decade and a half before the 2-tone movement (and record label) spearheaded the modern ska explosion, 1965 saw the rise of probably the first ever 2-tone group: The Equals.

Made up of Jamaican Londoners the band's sound was as eclectic as its members. They are best known for their huge 1968 hit, "Baby Come Back", which was a pure pop song. And the group knew how to write pop songs, and how to infuse them with a wide range of sounds from northern soul to ska to R&B and even some psychadelia from time to time. There's the funky soul of "Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys", the mid-sixties beat of Viva Bobby Joe, and the Caribean flavors of "Rub A Dub Dub", "Soul Brother Clifford" and "Laurel and Hardy". The Equals sound is shot through with influences just as wide ranging as well from The Temptations to Sly Stone, The Equals drew equally from just about all musical styles.

While "Baby Come Back" put them in the public's eye (and on millions of turntables worldwide), they are secondarily remembered for being fronted by a young Eddy Grant who nearly 20 years later would ease on down "Electic Avenue" with his own million selling chart topper.

This song here, "Police on My Back", will be recognizable thanks to The Clash who famously made it popular when they covered it in 1979.

The Equals -- Police On My Back


The Equals -- Hold Me Closer (1967)

Mod-A-Day: Fuzztones

Anytime you bring up the Fuzztones with garage rock afficianados you know you're going to get an argument. Either they love 'em, or they hate 'em. I'm in the love 'em category. They've gone through more line-ups than a Mariner's single season roster, and yet have managed to keep their "brand" in tact. And it's that sixties soundin', garage rockin', punk lovin' thing they do so well that keeps the fans coming back for more.

Ever since I picked up 1984's Lysergic Emenations I was a huge Fuzztones fan. For me they encompassed everything a sixties revival band should be: crunchy guitars, fuzzy farfisa organ, simple songs, and catchy choruses. Whether they were living out their own fantasies as the ultimate Sonics cover band, or churncing out their own wickedly cool original garage rock, the band was always forging new ground.

It was pretty hard to narrow down their discography to just one quintessnetial song. Should I have chosen an original? They've got some brilliant ones, like "Ward 81". Or, should I have chosen one of their Sonics covers that they just shred to death? Like "Strychnine" or "Have Guitar Will Travel"? Ultimately it really didn't matter what I chose because all of the songs are equally good, which is what makes the Fuzztones such a great band. So, you get to enjoy "Bad News Travels Fast".

The Fuzztones-- Bad News Travels Fast



Below is the video for one of my all time fave garage punk songs -- in fact one of my fave songs period -- "Ward 81". It's a pretty sophisticated video, even by today's standards. It's sharp, clean, and packs a punch like so few music videos do anymore. It's hard to believe this video is coming up on 30 years old.

The Fuzztones - Ward 81


For a bit of a laugh and giggle, here's Larry King trying to keep pace with The Fuzztones. I wish there was video of this, but alas only the audio has ever been mass released.

Larry King Fuzztones Interview

Mod-A-Day: American Breed

Perhaps the name was a statement about the British Invasion, perhaps not. No matter, the Chicago based American Breed scored one bona fide top ten hit with "Bend Me, Shape Me", a song that voiced every teenage boys true feeling -- bend me, shape me, anyway you want me, long as you love me it's alright. (Married men everywhere are aware of the dangerous tone of this song.)

The band had a sound that echoed their British cousins, but like the Monkees and others was really only a softened, Americanized version of the mid-sixties beat sound of Britain. It was good enough for Americans though, and the band cruised to success behind their one sole hit song. The song here, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" though is not that one, this is from the second of their three releases in 1968 Pumpkin, Powder, Scarlet & Green.

American Breed -- I'm Gonna Make You Mine