Living as a Mod in the 21st Century

Monday, August 22, 2016

Profiles Of The Best 60s / Mod DJs in North America: Special Edition - MODtreal 2016


The 2016 edition of MODtreal has one impressive line-up of DJs. Aside from our official resident DJ, Mod Marty from the On Target radio show and yours truly, DJ Parka Pat, we are proud to welcome some of the best wax spinners on the continent. Every genres of the Mod spectrum will be well represented and it bids well for the non-stop party that will be held over Labor Day Weekend. What makes it a more unusual line-up is that we have two couples featured here. I guess it goes to show that similar taste in music and record collecting makes for long lasting relationships.

For all the details and the bands that will perform at this year's weekender, head over to the MODtreal Facebook page HERE.


Your name / DJ
Stacy Thornton
City
Boston, MA
How would you describe your musical style? 
I favor raw and slinky female RnB and yet I love a slickly orchestrated, gorgeous pop production just as much. I absolutely love the early 60s but I also spin Garage, Pop, Rock 'n Roll, Soul, Popcorn, you-name-it. Soft Walkin' by Freddie Houston is a favorite at the moment. 
What is your "go to" track? The one that you will never get tired of spinning?
Something by Bert Berns. I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing by The Drifters perfectly captures the excitement of a night out dancing. New York was legendary in the 60s for all the parties and the cross-pollination of musical styles. Kids from Spanish Harlem, Queens, Yonkers, Washington Heights and the Bronx all sweating together. Last year I picked up The Witches - She's Got You Now on Bang and that will be getting played for a long time.
Name the record that is missing from your collection.
I'd really love to get Foolish Dreamer by Stormie Wynters. I'd like to have As Long As I Have You by Garnet Mimms on a single.
Where can we see you spin on a regular basis?
Aside from popping up for the occasional guest slot, it would have to be in my dining room. We have two turntables and a mixer set up where typically a buffet would be. And in our china cabinet? You guessed it: 45s.
Is vinyl the only acceptable format? 
It is for me. It's what I know. 45s were designed to jump out of a jukebox. The wide grooves demand attention and pack a punch. 78s sound great, too, but they're heavy and hard to find in good condition. What is your favorite place to buy records? 
On the edge of my hometown in Philadelphia, there's Val and RnB Records. I waited years before I felt ready to go there for the first time. It was a humbling experience.
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Your name / DJ
Jason Thornton / Jazzy Jas
City
Boston, MA
How would you describe your musical style? 
Northern Soul meets Popcorn at the corner of Girlstown and Teensville.
What is your “go to” track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning? I have three that I constantly go to.
1. Gotta Keep On Walking - Little Herman - Arlen
2. I'll Burn Your Letters - Jackie & the Starlets - Mascot
3. Would She Do That For You - Mary Saenz - Big Ben
Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection. 
We Can Make It - Mello Souls - Mello
Where can we see you spin on a regular basis?
At our house on the home DJ system with my wife Stacy but I'll happily play records wherever I'm wanted and needed.
Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote. 
Soulellujah at Zuzu in Cambridge. Whether you're hearing Soul music for the first time or if you think you've heard it all, this is the place to go every Saturday. Great variety of music, an energetic crowd and a nice rotating crew of DJs and guests to keep it interesting. 
Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music? 
If I'm playing vintage music, I insist on playing 100% original 45s and LPs whenever possible. I'm seriously into collecting so I love having the genuine article if I can get my hands on it. For other styles of music that are more contemporary and for gigs outside the Rare Soul and Popcorn scene, I have Serato onboard.
What is your favorite place to buy records? 
In a small town, in a barn, from an old man.
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Your name / DJ
Jonathan Newton / DJ Mojo Go-Go (I Dig Your Mind)
City
Washington, DC environs
How would you describe your musical style? 
Eclectic, sixties-centric vintage 45 records, both classics and obscurities. I play Garage, Psych, Fuzz, Freakbeat, Mod, Popsike, Yeh Yeh, Groovy, Bubblegum, British Invasion, Go-Go, Slop, with a smattering of Sock-It-To-Me Soul and some Raw RnB. 
What is your “go to” track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning?
One record which I almost always play is Get It by John Hill on Amy. It sounds like a raucous party captured on wax and always gets a good response no matter what style I'm spinning.
Another record I love but don't play quite as often (which is kind of ironic since I named my regular DJ night after it!) is I Dig Your Mind by The Nervous Breakdowns. It is more representative of the stuff I love to spin: Garage Punk attitude, Bubblegum catchiness, Psychedelic production and lyrics saturated with period slang.
Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection. 
Far too many to mention. Unfortunately my want list is brimming with holy grails and white whales that are exceedingly difficult to find and too expensive if found. Luckily there is an inexhaustible supply of cool, interesting, obscure records that I can squander my money on instead. 
Where can we see you spin on a regular basis? Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote.
I did a regular monthly night at a terrific bar in DC, Showtime Lounge. The owner, Soul Call Paul, is a fellow DJ and enthusiast of "really old, bizarre music" (according to a Yelp review) so it was great but this is on indefinate hiatus right now. Lately I've been doing a series of one-offs and guest spots like Primitive! at Black Cat with DJ Mad Squirrel, Chocolate City Soul Club at DC9 with DJ Mark Zimin, Dodge City with DJ Jennder and Baltimore Scooter Rally with DJs Parka Pat and Sally-Go-Round. And of course I'm really excited to be invited to be a part of MODtreal this year, my first international gig!
Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music?
That's a pretty sweeping statement. As a DJ and record collector, it is my personal preference; it is definitely more fun for me to do it that way compared to CDs or laptop. The vast majority of what I spin was only on singles at the time, so it makes sense for me to focus on that format. On the other hand, if the people listening and dancing are enjoying themselves, who cares about format?
What is your favorite place to buy records? 
As much as I enjoy patronizing the many excellent shops in my local area, nothing really compares to the brain-melting record overload of attending a big event like the Allentown 45 & 78 Record Show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the WFMU record fair in NY and especially the Mega Platenbeurs at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
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Your Name / DJ
Sally Go Round
City
DC Metro Area
How would you describe your musical style?
Girls, girls girls! I literally want women's voices to be heard.
What is your "go to" track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning?
I'll never get tired of spinning, hearing, or dancing to Send Me a Postcard by Shocking Blue.
Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection.
My collection is fairly small so there are lots still missing from my collection.
Where can we see you spin on a regular basis? Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote.
Guest DJing with friends here and there.
Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music?
For me it is because I think it's more fun to search through piles of records to find some hidden treasure (I don't do a lot of online record shopping) and I like the physical act of putting a record on the turntable to play it.
What is your favorite place to buy records?
Record fairs, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and local record stores of whatever city I happen to be in.