10,000 Teens weren't wrong--Modernettes--Get It Straight!!

Within the last few years I've getting into the whole Canadian Punk scene, and fortunately for all of us, Sudden Death Records has been putting out tons of archival releases of some great music of the era. Certainly if you check out the website you will find a source for all things D.O.A. as the label is run by Joe "Shithead" Keithley.  (I'm serious--get your official Joe Keithley bobblehead doll, while supplies last!!)

But it is also a nice place to go for other great bands like Young Canadians, Pointed Sticks, the Vancouver Complication comp, and of course the Modernettes, who are another forgotten great band from the era. I am listening to the original Cd which was originally released by Zulu records of Vancouver. I believe the Sudden Death version has extra tracks than the 20 here.

In many ways the term "New Wave" is considered pejorative these days, merely a way for big labels to make money from the Punk scene by pasteurizing and trivializing the material into something palatable for the American public. But you know what? I kind of think these guys have at least the outward appearance of New Wave and  the music is pretty pop oriented, looking to the great music of the past, while moving forward. But you know what? The music speaks for itself and they are a terrific band. When you hear this music you will wonder why you didn't hear them on the radio back in the 80's.

The Modernettes were Buck Cherry (John Armstrong) vocals, guitar, Mary Jo Kopchne bass, vocals, Randy Valentino, guitar/keyboards and on Drums, Jughead and later Ian Noble. Though basically happenstance kept them off the legendary Vancouver Complication album, they were an important part of Vancouver's Punk scene. For an informative first hand look into that scene, Armstrong's autobiographical book Guilty of Everything is a most worthy read that I highly recommend.

I Don't Want to Watch You Cry......
Still can't figure out why they called him Jughead

Every time I listen to Get It Straight, I just marvel about this band. It's just one great song after another, sometimes poignant, sometimes incisive intuitive lyrics on life, and other time just tongue in cheek sarcastic humor.

Fun music with a darker side to it. What could be better.




You have great pop tunes like Barbara, I Can Only Give You Everything, and Confidential. Mary Jo sings lead on a few of the tracks here, like their revved up cover of Femme Fatale, Static, and Surf City Strangler. You get anthemic pop like Rebel Kind and Teen City; Ten thousand Teens can't be wrong....It's about moving to Vancouver from the burbs.

Nothing to do in this fucking town
Just drink and drink and then fall down
the girls are ugly and it always rains
Now matter what happens, the kids agree....

Soon I'm gonna be, with a million teens like me.

Hence their motto, which appeared scrawled on walls across Vancouver,
Get modern, or get fucked.



So please check this band out if you don't know about them. Definitely one of the best Canadian bands of the 80's. My Zulu Records version  of this record doesn't have a bum track on it. While sometimes more music doesn't necessarily mean better, I am pretty confident in assuming that in the case of the Modernettes, more tracks on the Sudden Death version would be an improvement. I would like them to put out everything these guys ever did, including the entire Gone But Not Forgotten record plus any demos or any live tracks that could be cleaned up off of a crummy cassette. And there is probably a lot of great music from that scene from other bands that I am still ignorant of. Let's hope we see some more releases like this soon.