Mod Fiction

Artist: 
Album Title: 
Hoax
Release Date: 
Monday, January 13, 2014
Distribution: 
Review Type: 

This American Alternative Rock trio from upstate New York was founded in 2011 by brothers Kevin (guitar & vocals) and Greg Gadani (drums), alongside bassist Mark McCarty, whom was replaced in 2013 by Peter Monaco, whom also brings a second voice to the vocal department of the band.

Together, they bring music which draws influences from both modern and older music, ranging from early '90s Alternative Rock to '60s Pop/ Garage Rock, '70s Punk Rock, as well as Folk, Blues, and jazz. As specific references, the band is influenced by the music of the likes of Mudhoney, Nirvana, Neil Young, The Beatles, The Kinks, and Cream (and quite a load more; just check the band's facebook). As the info sheet we got along with this EP quite fittingly states, the band's songs “...are comprised of fuzzed and jangly guitar sounds, haunting bass lines, relentless drumming and groggy, catchy melodies”! On their facebook page, the band puts it as follows: “Fuzzed-out, Garage Rock Psychedelia drenched in Improv Acid-Jazz jams with “Beatlesque” Pop sensibilities”. Hoax is actually the band's second recording session, as the guys already released a full-length entitled Come Back Down, during the summer of 2012. In between, the guitarist apparently had enough material to also release (during last Autumn) an acoustic solo album entitled Spectator's Blues.

Coming back to this 4-track EP, the first three songs certainly fit the description above, with EP closer “Is This Morning?” taking on a slightly different stance. Piano based with some “string” arrangement atop, it finds a couple of samples put in during the second part of the track, the first a statement by John Lennon about The Beatles lyrics...which is followed by a sample of some dude (I have o idea where it comes from) explaining about Blues music (the song ends with a sample from some '40s of '50 movie)! So now here's the good thing: you'll find both the EP and album (and that solo album as well, I guess) at iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. Of course, you'll also find almost all tracks (minus one per release) at (www.) facebook.com/pages/Mod-Fiction, so get your butts....sorry, you ears on over there, and find out what this band's about, eh?

83/100