Biography
Emerging from New York City as a brief new wave outfit, Model Citizens forged an intellectually charged and kinetic style shaped by angular rhythms, meticulous playing, dramatic vocal delivery, and compositions leaning toward art music rather than the punk prevalent at CBGB. Between 1978 and 1979 the group drew notice from Philip Glass and John Cale through their refined, provocative approach, while its participants later joined other significant New York ensembles. Their sole official release was a four-track EP from 1979; those studio tracks later appeared alongside previously unheard live material on the 2023 anthology NYC 1978-1979.
The quartet formed in 1978 while studying at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Fine Arts. Polish-born guitarist and vocalist Tomek Lamprecht, singer-percussionist Gloria Richards who had lived in Oregon and Japan, New York suburbanite Eugenie Diserio on vocals, violin, and keyboards, and Steven Alexander from West Texas handling guitar, keys, percussion, and vocals began merging ideas that fused rock energy with minimalist and experimental traits, yielding looping patterns, broken melodic lines, and singing that alternated between flat delivery and heightened theatricality. Seeking a tighter rhythm section, they added bassist Billy Robertson and drummer Robert Medici. The men sourced vintage suits from secondhand shops while the women created their own performance attire, giving the band a sharp, visually distinctive presence. One standout engagement occurred at Carnegie Hall on a bill that featured minimalist composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, a John Cage program, and a John Cale set with special guest David Bowie.
Local press coverage followed, and the band played regularly at prominent underground spots such as Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, and CBGB. In 1979 John Cale, who had started Spy Records two years earlier, added Model Citizens to the label. Under his production the group cut the 7-inch EP Shift the Blame, which earned favorable reviews and prompted rumors of a Warner Bros. deal for a full album. The rumored contract never materialized, and by year’s end the group disbanded. Eugenie Diserio and Steven Alexander formed the no wave band the Dance, which issued In Lust in 1981 and Soul Force in 1982 while also supporting pre-teen art-punk vocalist Chandra. Tomek Lamprecht and Gloria Richards collaborated in 2Yous, after which Lamprecht pursued a solo electronic career. Billy Robertson helped launch Polyrock, which recorded two RCA albums produced by Philip Glass. Robert Medici established himself as a versatile session and stage musician, performing and recording with John Cale, Lou Reed, Roger Daltrey, Klaus Nomi, and Five for Fighting. In 2023 the long-out-of-print Shift the Blame EP resurfaced within NYC 1978-1979, augmented by twelve additional live tracks captured in New York City.
The quartet formed in 1978 while studying at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Fine Arts. Polish-born guitarist and vocalist Tomek Lamprecht, singer-percussionist Gloria Richards who had lived in Oregon and Japan, New York suburbanite Eugenie Diserio on vocals, violin, and keyboards, and Steven Alexander from West Texas handling guitar, keys, percussion, and vocals began merging ideas that fused rock energy with minimalist and experimental traits, yielding looping patterns, broken melodic lines, and singing that alternated between flat delivery and heightened theatricality. Seeking a tighter rhythm section, they added bassist Billy Robertson and drummer Robert Medici. The men sourced vintage suits from secondhand shops while the women created their own performance attire, giving the band a sharp, visually distinctive presence. One standout engagement occurred at Carnegie Hall on a bill that featured minimalist composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, a John Cage program, and a John Cale set with special guest David Bowie.
Local press coverage followed, and the band played regularly at prominent underground spots such as Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, and CBGB. In 1979 John Cale, who had started Spy Records two years earlier, added Model Citizens to the label. Under his production the group cut the 7-inch EP Shift the Blame, which earned favorable reviews and prompted rumors of a Warner Bros. deal for a full album. The rumored contract never materialized, and by year’s end the group disbanded. Eugenie Diserio and Steven Alexander formed the no wave band the Dance, which issued In Lust in 1981 and Soul Force in 1982 while also supporting pre-teen art-punk vocalist Chandra. Tomek Lamprecht and Gloria Richards collaborated in 2Yous, after which Lamprecht pursued a solo electronic career. Billy Robertson helped launch Polyrock, which recorded two RCA albums produced by Philip Glass. Robert Medici established himself as a versatile session and stage musician, performing and recording with John Cale, Lou Reed, Roger Daltrey, Klaus Nomi, and Five for Fighting. In 2023 the long-out-of-print Shift the Blame EP resurfaced within NYC 1978-1979, augmented by twelve additional live tracks captured in New York City.
Albums
Singles
