THE MODULATORS

By Nicky Gee

The Modulators unofficially began in the early 1980’s when Joe Riccardello walked into Vintage Vinyl Records, a small store in Irvington, NJ, and met owner Rob Roth.  After a few months, Joe started working at Vintage Vinyl and he and Roth started writing songs together (Joe wrote the music and Rob wrote the lyrics).  With all of the instruments/vocals performed by Joe, “Girl Trouble” B/W “Amplitude Modulation” was released as the first (500 numbered copies) single. 

Joe called his old band mate, guitarist Mark Higgins, and the band, The Modulators, began.  They recruited some other players, namely Fran Barbone on drums, and Jim Gordon on guitar, with Joe shifting to bass, and the foursome began a series of promotional shows at various NJ clubs.   The Dirt Club in Bloomfield, NJ, was the first club they played, and the Modulators became a fixture there – probably playing there more than any other band.   Ron Cassel replaced Barbone on drums shortly after the band started.   Soon thereafter, Gordon left the band and bassist Gene O’Brien joined briefly.   With the departures of Cassel and O’Brien, The Modulators were down to a twosome – Riccardello and Higgins.   The duo began recording a Roth/Riccardello song, “Down at the Dirt,” a tribute to their favorite club.   The song became an anthem at the Dirt Club, eventually winding up on the Dirt’s Various Artists album, “Vol. 1”.

After auditioning way too many drummers, Mark “Cakes” Westlake solidified the band.  The Modulators were now: Riccardello, bass/ vocals; Higgins, guitar/vocals; and Westlake, drums/vocals.   The band began playing more high-profile gigs, at clubs like Kenny’s Castaways and the Bitter End, in NYC, and the Meadowbrook in NJ.   All the while, they continued playing at their home base, the Dirt Club.   They recorded their next single, Higgins’ “She’s So Cynical,” and Roth/Riccardello’s “Dream Girls” that garnered more radio airplay, on stations such as Long Island’s WLIR, New York’s WNEW, and New Jersey’s WDHA, along with many NJ college stations.  Additionally, the band promoted the record on the “Uncle Floyd Show.”

The band was doing well, and a representative from A&M Records contacted them, requesting more material. The band went back to the studio to work on new songs, which would eventually form the basis of their album, “Tomorrow’s Coming.”  Unfortunately, by the time the new material was completed and sent to A&M, the interested rep had left the label.  The band continued recording, finishing and releasing the album in 1984, to critical raves, and receiving airplay on many college stations as well as the NJ shore station, WHTG.  Bassist/vocalist, Jim Brennan, was added shortly after the album was completed, and has been an integral part of the band ever since.   Following the recording of a video “Spin Me Around,” the band continued to perform throughout the mid-1980s, playing Jersey shore clubs.  Their video for “Spin Me Around” has received over 17,000 hits on YouTube.

 “They had a sound that recalls a bunch of bands I really liked at the time: The Killer Whales, Uncle Green, The Surf, The Producers, and The Raves.  Though not part of the Rickenbacker tribe – from available photos, The Modulators were Fender guys – there’s a pleasant jangle throughout the record.  They focused on writing actual songs.  There was a level of quality control assumed on all tracks: there were, simply put, rules.  You had to have a hook in every song; more than one hook was preferable. The vocals were mixed out front, and you sang in a way that people could understand the words.  They wrote winning pop songs and played them earnestly.  They were unashamed to draw upon the best straight-ahead influences of earlier decades: witness the extensive use of ‘ba ba ba’ vocalizations on ‘If You Let Her Go.’  But modern approaches were also employed: though an interesting drum figure is the basis of ‘Own Little World,’ evoking warm memories of ‘Revolver’, the song still has that 80’s vibe.

The three bonus tracks (all of which predate the original album by a couple/few years) are equally strong.  Though in parts it’s the millionth rewrite of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Sweet Jane,’ the song ‘Kristine’ sounds like it could/should have been a local hit.” – Bill Kopp

In November of 2009, International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash contacted the band and asked them to play the IPO festival at Kenny’s Castaways in New York. The show was very well received.  Subsequently, Bash invited the Modulators to play the Cavern Club in Liverpool, UK, for the 2010 IPO festival.  The band still is slated to play 2011 IPO dates in New York and Boston.  Earlier this year, their highly collectable LP was reissued (with 3 non-LP tracks added) on CD by New Jersey based Kool Kat Musik.

Hear songs from “Tomorrow’s Coming” at: http://www.myspace.com/modulatorsnj

LISTEN TO THE MODULATORS!

“She’s So Cynical”

“Down At The Dirt” – Live

“Spin Me Around”