THE MONDO TOPLESS STORY (SO FAR)
Straight out the garage, and straight into your hearts. That's the Mondo Topless mission, provided they are served plenty of drinks and salty snacks along the way.
Since Halloween night in 1992, Mondo Topless has been serving audiences a tasty concoction of fuzzy-spicy guitar, bubbly-thumpy bass, and crunchy drums, all topped with a thick cheesy organ sauce.
It's a simple concept, really: "Rock n' Roll is more about primal energy and erotic tension than deep meaning and introspection," says Sam. This is also a clever way of avoiding people trying to figure out the lyrics. To further convey his music philosophy, Sam turned to Russ Meyer's classic 1968 travelogue for the name of the band.
Thus, armed with is third-hand Vox Continental organ, Sam Steinig took it upon himself to enrich the world with some really loud, fast and stupid rock n' roll. The latest incarnation of Mondo Topless features mad-scientist Tom Connors continuing to punish his drums, whilst bassist and coffee-achiever John Loxterman adds the requisite thud. Kris Alutius, technician/guitarist/beef jerky spokesman, adds the squeals, pings, and power chords necessary for any garage rock ensemble. Stirred and heated to boiling, and you've got some damn fine song stylings, capable of inducing shaking, jumping and other irrational acts.
The influences are easy to identify: The Sonics, The Stooges, The Kinks, The Lyres, The Cramps, The Cynics, and that woman who plays the between-inning music at your local minor-league ballpark (provided she's had a couple of pops).
Mondo Topless has attracted the attention of several independent record labels over the years. In 1995, Worrybird Disk International, of Atlanta, GA, took the plunge, releasing the first single "I Want To" b/w "Real Gone Girl." Shortly thereafter, legendary garage label Dionysus chimed in with another single, "In The End" b/w "Stay Away." In 1996, the now-defunct Denver, CO imprint 360 Twist! released the first Mondo Topless long-player "Fifty-Thousand Dollar Hand Job."
Following each of these releases Mondo Topless hit the road to bring the "Mondo Sound" to the people. From 1995 to 1997, the peripatetic group left their native Philadelphia to invade Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Orlando, Tuscaloosa, and points in-between. Mondo Topless has been paired with such garage, punk and rock 'n roll luminaries as Southern Culture on the Skids, The Fleshtones, The Swingin' Neckbreakers, The Woggles, The Lyres, The Original Sins, Ronnie Dawson, and more. They also appeared at garage festivals like Sleazefest, Treble Fest, and Garage Rage.
In 1997, G.I. Productions, USA! invited Mondo Topless to contribute a song for their "Invasion of the Insectoids" compilation. In that same year, G.I. released a 3-song 7" E.P., entitled "Amazon Queen."
Bolstered by the rave reviews for "Amazon Queen," in the Fall of 1998, Dionysus returned to the well to release the second Mondo Topless full-length, "Get Ready for Action!" In support of this effort, the lads were off to the road again, hitting New York, Atlantic City, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Dayton.
The mission is far from accomplished. There are still some people who haven't witnessed the splendor of these four guys "bringing you the rock and roll." So open your hearts, and welcome in Mondo Topless. You'll thank them for the experience.