Mod-A-Day: The Kinks

Well, we're nearing the end of the mod-a-day project and I'm entering that territory where I have to start giving out mod-a-day lifetime achievement awards. Scratch that. That makes it sound like the bands don't deserve it. Rather, they don't deserve it from me. I mean who the hell am I to tell you about The Kinks or any other great band, mod or otherwise.

In the case of The Kinks it's not hard to make a case for them being a mod band. I mean, have you ever listened to the band? They eschewed the label in the early part of their career, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised that they would like to be seen in that light now.

Everyone knows that The Kinks are somwhere in everyone's top ten list of greatest bands ever. I can't add much to that. All I can do is let you know that they had some great mod tendencies both early and late in their career. The enjoyment of that career is all up to you.

Here's a couple of good ones. The first, "Powerman" is from a rather obscure 1970 album, and the second is one of the band's all time greatest hits, and one of my all time favorite songs, "Waterloo Sunset".

The Kinks -- Powerman

The Kinks -- Waterloo Sunset

Mod-A-Day: The Pipettes

There's The Pipettes and then there's The Pipettes. The Pipettes these days are not much more than a tribute band to the original line-up, and won't be more than that until such time as they produce an album as good as the original. All of which just shows that the band's theme song, "We Are The Pipettes" can apparently be sung by any trio of young women with an all male backing band.

The Pipettes first line-up change came before they had an official full length release. That release landed in 2006 to many accolades, and the delight of listeners of everywhere. The group that carried those vocals were RiotBecki, The Duchess of Darkness and Rosay. They are the lineup then that most people are familiar with, even though a scant 19 months after their release two of them had left the band. And, that meant that any lineups after 2008 would lack a founding vocalist -- though much of the boy powered backing band has stayed in place throughout.

That's the drama. What about the music? The band's album "We Are The Pipettes" is 14 tracks of girl-group goodness. It's tight, well written (mostly), and reminiscent both of girl groups of the sixties, and attitude strutting girl groups of later eras. The attitude though is all channeled through a very "girly" sort of filter that takes the angst and puts ruffles and sparkles on it.

No matter, the sound is what counts and The Pipettes had that in spades back then. There's a definite sixties foundation, a sort of Ronettes first floor that every other floor is built on. While some of the lyrics are tongue in cheek, none of the music is -- they take that very seriously, fortunately for us listeners. If you like tightly crafted pop songs with catchy hooks and harmonies, than The Pipettes are for you.

The Pipettes -- Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling)

Mod-A-Day: The Headlights

After hearing the delightful sixties pop sounding, soul influenced "Catch Them All" by The Headlights I had high hopes. You know what happens to high hopes, they get dashed -- which is why low hopes are so much more realistic, sadly.

The Headlights Some Racing, Some Stopping saw them mature into a much more serious musical combo. They ditched the overdone emo-laden shoegaze pop that had so weighted them down previously. Instead, Some Racing, Some Stopping let the band free to float into new stratospheres of pop music blending bouncy, soulful melodies with sweet vocal harmonies, all backed with a nice design of atmospheric guitars and keyboards. It seemed to good to be true. And some of the songs were just that -- "Catch Them All" and "Cherry Tulips" especially.

Alas, perhaps it was too good to be true. Their latest EP seems to have drifted back down to the depths of overproduction, more shoegaze than light hearted.

The Headlights -- Catch Them All

Modcast #149: About Time

Welcome to Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World. Got a little bit of everything for you this week from the synthesized soul of The Style Council and The Truth to the ska of Bad Manners and The Selecter to the psychadelic pop sounds of The Moody Blues and The Monkees. Even got a great insturumental from The Smiths, "Oscillate Wildly", which is simply a fantastic song. So, I think that you will not be disappointed in this show. In fact, I'm so sure of it, I promise your money back if you don't like it from beginning to end.

The Ordinary Boys -- A Few Home Truths (2005)
The Truth -- A Step In The Right Direction (1983)
The Smiths -- Oscillate Wildly (1987)
The Style Council -- A Man Of Great Promise (1985)
Bad Manners -- Stop Making Love Beside Me (1993)
The Selecter -- On My Radio (1979)
Madness -- Sugar and Spice (2009)
The Moody Blues -- Ride My See Saw (1968)
Strawberry Alarm Clock -- Incense & Peppermints (1967)
The Monkees -- Daily Nightly (1967)
The Odd Numbers -- About Time (1996)


The Selecter -- Three Minute Hero



The Truth -- Exception of Love

Mod-A-Day: The Muppets Ringing of the Bells

'Tis the season.

Mod-A-Day: The Killermeters

The Killermeters were just one of hundreds of mod revival acts that sprang up in the late 70s, and not particularly memorable. However, their single "Twisted Wheel" was one of the first mod singles I ever heard and so I've always had a sort of soft spot for it in my heart. Their sound was pretty typical sixties styled power pop, at times a little more punky, at other times incorporating horns for a more soulful sound. While they never released an album during their run, a few years back a compilation of their singles and b-sides was released, called Metric Noise.

The Killermeters -- Twisted Wheel (demo)

Mod-A-Day: Alan Hawkshaw

Groovy
groov-y/gruvi
[groo-vee]
–adjective, groov-i-er, groov-i-est
1. Slang. highly stimulating or attractive; excellent: groovy music; a groovy car.
2. Alan Hawkshaw

If ever there was a mod session man, Alan Hawkshaw is that man. In the UK in the sixties he was a leading Hammond organ purveyor incorporating the sound into ... well just about everything. He composed and arranged music not just for artists, but for commercials, TV, and movies. And it was always with the organ as the center piece of a funky, go-go, groovin' sound. At times he was like Walter Wanderly and at others like Georgie Fame, but overall he was simply stunning in his focus on what sounded hip and cool, always infusing his work with soul, boogaloo and funk. Lounge and beat afficianados will know his work from countless compilations such as the Music For TV Dinners and Blow Up series or the Lounge Deluxe box set. To get a serious handle on his sound pick up the very "now sound" release The Champ by his own "band" The Mohawks.

Alan Hawkshaw -- Beat Boutique

Alan Hawkshaw -- Girl In A Sportscar

Mod-A-Day: The Chords

The Chords were one of the more sucessful of the mod revival bands on the early 80s. Following in the footsteps of The Jam it was inevitable that they'd have a similar sound incorporating the power pop of the sixties along with heavy doses of soul and R&B. They nevertheless carved out a sound and following of their own. Like other mod revival acts they were combining sixties sounds with seventies attitudes. But, where The Jam's soul numbers sounded more or less like soul, The Chords managed to make their soul sound like punk. Case in point, just listen to either their frantic cover of Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood", which features more shouting than singing, or their wild and wooly take on "Hold On I'm Coming". Along with Secret Affair and The Purple Hearts, The Chords carried the mod banner into the 80s, and managed to get a top 30 album with their debut LP So Far Away. Regardless of that, in many ways The Chords share as much or more in common with The Buzzcocks, The Undertones and even The Damned than they did with any of the mod acts of the day.


The Chords -- Hold On I'm Coming


The Chords -- Maybe Tomorrow