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The Modern: Eastern Bloc EP

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? by Anthony Gibbons
In their minds, new Universal signings The Modern imagine themselves to be at the very height of post modern sophistication, dripping in studied cool perhaps staring blankly out of a speeding taxi as it whisks them to a seedy Berlin nightclub.

In reality, The Modern, led by the unlikely named Tudor-Harte supposedly from London's New Cross, look like a low rent 1980s tribute band, and sound like Younger Younger 28s but without the irony. Yes, that bad.

The soulless 'Suburban Culture' proves the point, a plastic, soulless, piece of piss poor synth pop with Tudor-Hart muttering about hanging around an Eastern Bloc railway station eyeing up some blank eyed girl in a long coat or some such nonsense. It's like Visage never existed, and Steve Strange at his, er, most strange couldn't have come up with such a preposterous chorus as 'Boy meets a girl / Girl runs away / It's a game that we play in surburban culture'. Is it? Is it really?

This is just a cynical cash in on the apparent vogue for all things 80s. Surely though no one is going to be so stupid as to be taken in by this crap. Then again...

  • The Modern 1 / 10
Words: Anthony Gibbons

Comments

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The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

never heard this, but i bet id like it :(
polko | 7 Mar '05, 00:56 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

haha !

http://www.ireallylovemusic.co.uk/q_and_a.htm

The Modern 'interview' .. may interest ..

then again it may not !
mark e
ireallylovemusic
mark_e | 7 Mar '05, 17:01 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

i saw this lot a couple of months ago. Really Really Bad. inexcusably so.

xxx
-gen- | 7 Mar '05, 17:51 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

Have you got the right band? This is the first negative response I've read about the band. I went to see them last night and they already have a big following and judging how the crowd went they are going to be massive. This is the 3rd time I see them and they just keep getting better. They have also just signed with Universal and I reckon the big hit is gonna be INDUSTRY! Music lovers check them out on www.the-modern.co.uk
Musicmadness | 10 Mar '05, 15:21 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

i...just... don't get it. i saw them play to a club crowd, and i had looked forward to seeing them, having been intrigued by what i saw on their website. but it was embarrassing watching them. contrived, cliched and just... ugh. perhaps they'll improve. let's hope so.

xxx
-gen- | 10 Mar '05, 18:30 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

I agree! and "Industry" is a better track than "Suburban Culture" in my book.. Maybe the author is just jealous he doesn't look as good in eye-liner as they do (nothing personal A.G.), actually wasn't surprised about the negativity here after all the Bravery slagging going on (although thats maybe deserved to some extent as they are way overhyped). In any case, everyones got an opinion and I suppose The Modern are just too 'Romo' for D.i.S...
One-Chord-Wonders | 10 Mar '05, 16:20 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

1. RE: 'Maybe the author is just jealous he doesn't look as good in eye-liner as they do'. No offence taken but not only would I look fucking stupid but I am in fact allergic to eyeliner. True.
2. The Modern are contrived, manufactured and utterly soulless.
3. I never saw the attraction of the new romantic movement but I'm a bit too macho to be poncing about the place with a tea towel on me head.
4. I like electro pop but I like it done good and proper i.e. The Human League, Pet Shop Boys, New Order.
5. Have you heard the Younger Younger 28s? Exactly.
amgibbons | 11 Mar '05, 14:11 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

Thank god new bands don't have to rely on narrow minded people like you to buy their records! I've never heard anything like it. "Contrived, manufactured and utterly soulless" and you didn't get the whole new romantic movement because your too "Macho" - for that comment alone you shouldn't write about music because you can't even appreciate when someone is innovative and starts a movement like that. I'm sure you would just like every band to be stood still, looking cool and singing like crap. I see so many bands and haven't felt this strongly about one in a long time. They write their own lyrics, play their own instruments and have done loads of gigs yet they are classed as manufactured because there image is just as strong as their music. Everyone can have an opinion but just how many of their gigs have you seen? I've been to a couple and never been dissapointed.
Musicmadness | 13 Apr '05, 15:27 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern Live in Ibiza

Saw the Modern when they supported the Kaiser Chiefs on the Ibiza Rocks bill at Privilege September 05.
Never heard of them before, never heard them before, never seen them before...they were excellent.
I hope to catch up with them live again soon.
They fit nicely into a category of their own...
"New Rock-mantics!"
whorlix | 10 Sep '05, 22:23 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Modern Live in Ibiza

i also saw the modern live before kaiser chiefs, id had a lot of late nights up to that point and was gettin tired, but the modern really woke me up and set the mood for kaisers!! tokyo lady..tune!!
kraj | 13 Sep '05, 15:50 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Modern - Eastern Bloc EP

arent the modern just another tom watkins manufactured group? hes been hawking this lot for years around the music business and getting nowhere with them fast
blitzed | 11 Oct '05, 15:04 | Send note | Report this | Reply


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