Modcast #146: The Big Power Pop Show Pt. 1

Anyone who listens to this show or reads this blog will quickly realize that I'm a big power pop fan. So, I'm finally doing a right proper power pop show. And to kick it all off I've got a Mod World exclusive. If you're a mod power pop fan of a certain age you are probably familiar Modest Proposal -- they were a mid-80s mod band from Washington DC. Opening the show this week is a previously unreleased, --even unrecorded-- song by MP, "Already An Angel," It was penned by lead singer Neal Augestein just about the time the band broke up back in 1986 and the they just got around to recording it about a week ago in prep for their upcoming reunion show. If you don't have a ticket though you are out of luck as the show is now sold out. Besides Modest Proposal there's lots of good stuff on this week's show. Like a kid in a candy store, my eyes were bigger than my stomach so to speak, so this is just part one of the Big Power Pop Show. You gotta love a power pop show so big that one modcast can't contain it.

Modest Proposal -- Already An Angel (2009)
The Records -- Teenarama (1979)
20/20 -- Action Now (1979)
The Pinkees -- Danger Games (1982)
The Pranks -- The Last Ideal (1980)
The Numbers -- Sideways Elevator (1982)
Fingerprintz -- Who's Your Friend (1979)
Kursall Flyers -- Television Generation (1977)
Rick Springfield -- I've Done Everything For You (1981)
Cheap Trick -- Dream Police (1979)
The Last -- Every Summer Day (1979)


Kursaal Flyers -- Little Does She Know



20/20 -- Cherie

Mod-A-Day: Birdie

I'm busy, but not so busy I can't at least give you a taste of some dreamy pop courtesy of a most fabulous twee band Birdie. Enjoy.

Birdie -- Let Her Go

Mod-A-Day: Spearmint

Spearmint is a British pop band that for lover 25 years has been making some seriously great, northern soul infused, at times tweeish, power pop. Starting out in 1995 the band produced a number of good singles --and one great one-- through the end of the century. The great single was a modern northern soul foot stomper in which they sampled the legendary Dobie Gray. 1998's "Sweeping the Nation" became a big hit for the band and helped to get them recognized enough to begin to get serious label and production consideration.

A year later they put out their first full album (they'd had a comp of singles before that), A Week Away. It's a fantastic piece of guitar centered indie pop with a strong soul influence. Later albums were somewhat less soulful, and a bit more poppy. Their 2006 release, Paris in a Bottle is a smooth, polished piece of electronic poetry with Shirley Lee's style almost like spoken word performance art in places. Throughout their career the band has not strayed far from the kind of music you might have heard from The Housemartins, Beautiful South, The Style Council, or Teenage Fanclub.

You'd think that arriving along with the Britpop phenomena that they would have achieved mega stardom. But, for some reason the public eye sort of passed them by, leaving them as stars of cult status. A good, criminally overlooked band.

Spearmint started out as a five piece, and original members Shirley Lee, Simon Calnan, and Ronan Larvor remain in the group today. Along the way they added Jim Parsons and Andy Lewis. Over the years the band has done lots separately, as well as a number of official Spearmint albums, including 2021's Holland Park. Lee released his own solo stuff -- alhtough since a number of the band played together on it, it really is a lot like just another Spearmint album. Andy Lewis has been busy playing with Paul Weller -- as well as having his own projects where he produces some great soul music. And Jim Parsons front his own side-project, a quirky, indie pop band called telly.
[Updated 2023]

Spearmint -- Sweeping The Nation


Spearmint -- Scottish Pop


Spearmint - Albion

Mod-A-Day: Blondie

One of my favorite videos, of one of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite bands, featuring my all time favorite blonde lead singer.

Blondie -- Sunday Girl 1979

Mod-A-Day: The Prissteens

The Prissteens are a late 90s garage rockin' power pop band made up mostly of females. So far, so good. It gets better, once you start listening to their one and only album, 1998's Scandal, Controversy & Romance. The Prissteens build on a foundation of influences from classic girl groups like The Ronnetes and The Shangri-Las for songs like "I Don't Cry" and "Run Back To You". Then there are the harder sounds of tracks like "The Hound" and "Let Me Run Wild" that expose their infatuation with later, harsher ladies like The Runaways and even The Go-Gos. And then there's the bass heavy garage punk number "What's She Got" that sounds for all the world like something the Pandora's did back in the day. All this was dropped back in the late 90s, and then sadly the band dispersed before cashing in, having paved the way for girl heavy garage rockers who have like The Detroit Cobras, The Raveonettes, The Cocktail Slippers, and others.

The Prissteens -- What's She Got

Mod-A-Day: The Elements

If you like your rock and roll courtesy of Bruce Springsteen then you'll like The Elements. They have that sort of down home rockin' vibe that seems to emenate so strongly from guys like Bruce, or John Cougar. But, this is rock with a touch of the goodness about it. It wallows in sixties influences, most especially the power chords that have defined serious rock and roll for nearly 40 years.

The Elements have all that going on and more. This is guitar powered rock, that borrows heavily from the classic power pop bands of bygone eras like The Who and Cheap Trick. There's a gritty blue-eyed soul that hints at a raw garage rock edge but never actually gets to that point. On the other end of the equation there is a definite power pop sound and structure, but one that the band doesn't seem to ever fully committ. Still, this is sharp stuff, especially the very Who like track "Caught in a Storm".

The Elements -- A Little Love

The Elements -- Caught In A Storm

Mod-A-Day: The Blocked

As best I can tell, The Blocked were an early to mid 90s mod outfit from the UK. They didn't do all that much damage on their first time around, but enough that eventually someone (Detour Records to be exact) saw fit to release a bunch of their recordings. Pretty standard mod revival stuff, but with a few flares here and there that make for good listening. The Kinks-like "Happy Families" is a pretty good track through and through, as is "Keep Your Hands Off Felicity" -- which is their big smash hit, if you believe everything you read on the internet.

The Blocked -- Happy Families

The Blocked -- Keep Your Hands Off Felicity

Modcast #145: Mods Ride Again

I'm back baby. You can't get rid of me that easy. Between guest hosts, and sharing a few of the old shows from the vaults, it seems I haven't done a lot of my modcasting of late. A big shout of thanks to the recent guest hosts who've made me look like such an amateurish hack -- Dan from The New Fidelity (Modcast #140), Neal from Modest Proposal (Modcast #143) and Ken from The Shingles (Modcast #144).

But, I'm back on the beat, Pete. And have I got a show for you. Don't believe me? Just listen in.

Enzo Bontempi -- Bangarang (1968? or 2009?)
The School -- Let It Slip (2008)
New Street Adventure -- Small Town Heroes (2009)
Cool Frog -- Much Than You (2009)
Connett -- Soul Clean (2008)
The Madd -- You Can Be My Baby (20090
The Cribs -- We Were Aborted (2009)
Nick Gilder -- Got To Get Out (1978)
The Quick -- No No Girl (1976)
Sweet -- Wig Wam Bam (1974)
Graham Day & The Gaolers -- Wanna Smoke (2008)

Italian Spiderman Trailer (Alrugo Entertainment)

The Madd - Her Big Man