Mod-A-Day: The Red Button

If you could only listen to one record produced in 2007 you would have to choose The Red Button's debut release, She's About To Cross My Mind. In fact, if you could only listen to one record for the rest of your life The Red Button would be in the top tier of those that might make the cut.

The Red Button is really the pop music vehicle of avid baseball fan and author, singer/songwriter Seth Swirsky. Along with Mike Ruekberg of Minnesota's power poppers Rex Daisy, Swirky has put together a pitch perfect pop album. The songs float easily out of the speakers, caressing your ears with something akin to aural cotton candy. And yet, this isn't sugary, bubblegum pop. It's pop music that has an ephemeral quality such as the swirling, soft psychadelia of "Free", or the harmonies of "She's Going Down", or the very Beattleseque "Cruel Girl". It's so smooth, so accessible that you'd be hard pressed to call this power pop, though it is. The song here, "Floating By", is just one such.

The Red Button -- Floating By

Mod-A-Day: The Decibels

The Decibels were a power pop band with heavy mod and sixties influences. The band came together with former members of California mod/garage band E-Types, so the mod influence isn't a surprise. The Decibel's level of talent and production quality were a surprise. It's a wonder that the band didn't break through and get more exposure. Their sound is tight, but also accessible to a mainstream audience with catchy hooks, and often clever lyrics. The song here, "Good", is better than that. It opens like something from the mod revival and roars along as a great piece of pounding power pop. A lengthy interview is posted on The Decibel's myspace page.

The Decibels -- Good

Mod-A-Day: The Creeps

In 1986 The Creeps came screaming out of Sweden with their long hair and sixties look and feel to the delight of garage revivalist around the globe. The band's debut Enjoy The Creeps was an explosion of psychadelic tinged garage punk complete with crunchy guitars offset by smooth and soulful organ work, and lots of reverb. The albums opener "Down at the Nightclub" set the stage for The Creeps and helped propel them to worldwide notoriety. At least in the mod/garage/psychadelic underground.

By 1988 they had cut their hair, their look was a bit more subdued, in some ways more mod you might say. Their sound was mellowing, but a stronger, bluesier sense of soul was starting to shine through. Their sophmore release, Now Dig This, was more soulful, but less rocking. It had an almost honky tonk fell to it at times, gritty, but a prettied up gritty, like "Where My Heart Belongs" and the Prisonersesque "So Long".

Later albums saw the band progress in a more mainstream direction, gone was the garage punk R&B of the early days. Instead, they added a funkier element, but without losing their soul, ultimately making them more listenable and in line with The Soup Dragons, Wonderstuff and other such acts of the early 90s. 1990 saw the band win a Swedish Grammy for a glammed up funk number, their biggest hit, "Ooh I Like It". Regardless, for me, "Now Dig This" remains their best release.

The Creeps -- Now Dig This


The Creeps -- Ooh I Like It

Mod-A-Day: Ace-Tones

The Ace-Tones are a garage punk combo out of Holland that have made their mark on the garage rock world by being both talented and driven. The band produced a handful of singles and full release throughout the 90s, and members have gone on to play with The Fuzztones and other garage acts. Their sound was pure garage rock mixed with power pop. The song here, "In Your Eyes" is a real floor shaker combining sixties R&B with just a hint of psychadelia.

The Ace-Tones -- In Your Eyes

Mod-A-Day: Translator

Sorry for the late post today, but here it is at last. Not a mod band or mod song really, but some post-punk new wave from San Francisco 80's band Translator. They're best known for the song here, "Everywhere That I'm Not", but they did some other good stuff as well. Influenced by sixties merseybeat and the Beattles, they had some good guitar pop tunes like "Come With Me" and "Stony Gates of Time". But, they also incorporated a lot of power pop and post punk influences such as Talking Heads and The Pretenders to turn out some sharper new wave songs like "When I Am With You" and "Favorite Drug." Still, "Everywhere That I'm Not" is just such a great song that it's easy to see why some of the rest isn't much remembered these days.

Translator -- Everywhere That I'm Not

Modcast #127: I've Got A Feeling

This week on the modcast you will be getting a blast of new tracks from Chris Richards, Beatnic Prestige and Maximo Park. You'll also get treated to some acid jazz Mother Earth, power pop from Bronco Bullfrog and even gospel punk from Mercy Seat. I've got a feeling . . . you're gonna like it.

Chris Richards & the Subtractions - I Can't Quit Her (2009)
Beatnic Prestige - Doubtfire (2009)
Mercy Seat - I've Got A Feeling (198?)
Maximo Park - In Another World (2009)
Mother Earth - Apple Green (1995)
Paul Weller - Bitterness Rising (1992)
Kaiser Chiefs - Team Mate (2005)
The Its - Girls Kick Ass (1997)
The Knows - I Like Girls (198?)
Most Wanted Men - Good Girls (Go To Heaven)(1991)
Bronco Bullfrog - I Got The Rain (2004)

Beatnic Prestige - Suck It Up


Paul Weller Movement at Brixton Academy circa 1990/91

Mod-A-Day: Locksley

They look like the Monkees, they play like the Beatles, they tour with Hanson, they're all over Rock Band, and they sound like the Kinks (most of the time, except when they sound a little like the Strokes). They're Locksley. Power pop the way it was meant to be.

Locksley -- Let Me Know

Mod-A-Day: Crawling Walls

Just as the first wave garage rock revival was winding down along came one of the best garage rock albums ever. The Crawling Walls released "Inner Limits" in 1985 off the Voxx label and then promptly disappeared forever more. It's unclear if the band lasted more than the time required to record one terrific album. No matter, they did record it and I've loved it ever since I happened across it in Rhino Records and just could sense that it would be something special.

I wasn't wrong. Bob Fountain speaks eloquently with two voices, his and his Farfisa's. His voice fits perfectly here, and has a unique twang that makes it it instantly identifiable. His Farfisa does the same, lending pacing and direction. The tracks are all garage rock pure and simple, but the swirling organ gives it both an exotic psychadelic sound, and a very authentic sixties feel. This is combined with fuzzed out guitar in several surprisingly long songs, with speeds ebbing and flowing as the focus switches back and forth between the musicians. Then there are a number of three minute power pop songs, still combining organ and guitar, but with driving drums that keep them moving at a breakneck pace. The comparisons to Thee Fourgiven, The Fuzztones and The Unclaimed are warrented, but Crawling Walls also added their own unique stamp to the songs, few as they were. It was hard to pick a song to feature since they are all so great but I finally chose "Tell Me Why", and you'll understand why as soon as you hear it.

Crawling Walls -- Tell Me Why