The Receiver EP by Modernage

Singer Mario Giancarlo comments, "We tried to rush things that shouldn't be rushed." The sessions went nowhere.

The band regrouped and released 'Modernage: Live at Churchill's.' The eight song demo, distributed locally in and around Miami, served as a practice run. With all their material now available to the public, the band began work on the songs that would later comprise 'The Receiver EP.' The new songs marked a departure from their grittier live sound and the band took a different approach to writing material. "Headlights and Four Eleven were written while they were being recorded," explains Perscky. In fact, on the latter, neither Giancarlo nor Alexander heard Perscky's drums until after they were recorded. The tracks introduced what would become Modernage's signature motifs: driving bass lines, tight energetic drums, sharp cutting guitars, and Giancarlo's forceful balladry. These songs were meant for the dance floor.

Modernage, with new bassist Roberto Moriel, began to test the new material. The increasing popularity and local support of the emerging indie scene in Miami ensured venues for the band to showcase their sound. These included crowded shows at Poplife, Spiderpussy, the District and Revolver. Anxious to develop a fan base outside of their local scene, the band headed to New York to play shows at Rothko, Trash and Tiswas. Upon return to Miami, Garcia Freundt was recruited to play keyboards. The band was offered the opportunity to open for established national acts such as The Stills and The Walkmen. Now experienced and confident, Modernage proved they could hold their own.

The time had come for Modernage to turn their attention to the overdue record. When Giancarlo and Moriel offered the demo track "Bella," Alexander admits he wasn't thrilled. "It was an acoustic sing-a-long," the guitarist states. The song went through a Chameleons-like reworking with thumping drums, distinct guitar work, and an earnest delivery by Giancarlo. It became the heart of the record. The lyrics of "Receiver," the larger-than-life title track, were inspired by a nightmare while the gothic overtones reach back to Modernage's original sound. "The Shore," written with original bassist Pascal Cabrol, was the gem of the ill-fated Valverde sessions. This fast paced requiem introduces an arresting guitar riff which descends into a frenzy comparable to that of the protagonist's mental state. The closer, "No Answer," is a flag waving anthem that sounds like the Clash and Blondie got together at a protest rally. Having recorded the bulk of the new material with Richard Lopez at SAE studios, Modernage took the record to Fashionista guitarist and producer Howard Melnick for the finishing touches.

With 'The Receiver EP,' Modernage have created a document of where they have come from and set the path for where they are going. The music propels itself forward with the urgency of a voice that demands to be heard. Track by track, the listener becomes a witness to the fog of uncertainty, the heartache of regret, the melancholy of vanity, the isolation of self-doubt, the despair of betrayal, and the rallying cry of the defeated. "And this is just the beginning," declares Giancarlo.

-Roman Cutliff August 2005

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