Modernettes

Around 1980 the punk trio the Modernettes coalesced in Vancouver. Guitarist John "Buck Cherry" Armstrong, bassist Mary Jo Kopechne, and drummer John "Jughead" McAdams made up the lineup, and each contributed vocals during live sets. Reviewers frequently characterized the band’s material as an alloy of the Velvets and the Ramones.

That same year the group tracked its first EP, Strictly Confidential, for the Quintessence Records imprint. A follow-up EP, Teen City, appeared shortly afterward and contained six songs, among them “Suicide Club,” “Little Girls,” “Celebrity Crackup,” and what many regard as the Modernettes’ strongest and best-loved number, “Barbara.” Despite building a loyal audience, commercial breakthrough continued to elude the musicians.

Only one full-length album ever materialized: Get It Straight, which assembled twenty tracks. After the band’s dissolution, John Armstrong—still billed as Buck Cherry in his Modernettes days—joined additional projects and assembled a personal home studio.