Biography
The Modulators formed in New Jersey as a power pop outfit that earned local legend status throughout the 1980s and gradually attracted a devoted cult audience among dedicated pop collectors, even though national breakthrough remained elusive. Joe Riccardello, whose tastes ran from the Beatles and the Byrds to the fresh pop styles that accompanied new wave’s rise, started the group. He developed a friendship with Rob Roth, proprietor of the Irvington, New Jersey record shop Vintage Vinyl, and soon joined the store’s staff, after which the two began composing original material together. In 1980 they pressed two of those songs to a 45, with Riccardello performing every instrument and vocal part; issued on Roth’s fledgling Vintage Vinyl imprint, the single paired “Girl Trouble” with “Amplitude Modulation.” Using that release as an introduction, Riccardello assembled a full band—himself on bass, Mark Higgins and Jim Gordon on guitars, Fran Barbone on drums—that quickly became a regular attraction at the Dirt Club in Bloomfield, New Jersey. After Barbone and Gordon departed, Ron Cassel took over drums and Gene O’Brian assumed bass duties while Riccardello moved to guitar, yet neither newcomer stayed long; when the Dirt Club organized a compilation album, Riccardello and Higgins alone recorded the Modulators’ contribution as a temporary duo. Drummer Mark Westlake’s arrival finally stabilized the lineup, with Westlake and Higgins handling guitars while Riccardello played bass, allowing the group to maintain a steady schedule of shows across New Jersey and New York. Their second single, “She’s So Cynical” backed with “Dream Girls,” appeared in 1982. An A&M Records A&R scout expressed interest, prompting Riccardello and Higgins to write and demo new songs in pursuit of a major-label contract. Although that deal never materialized, the material surfaced on the band’s debut album, Tomorrow’s Coming, released by Vintage Vinyl in 1984. The record received college-radio exposure and favorable regional notices, and the Modulators expanded to a quartet when Jim Brennan joined on bass and vocals, freeing Riccardello to return to guitar. A modest video for “Spin Me Around,” featuring era-typical visual effects, circulated on local television. The band kept performing in East Coast venues until it quietly disbanded by the close of the decade. In 2009 the Modulators reconvened for a well-received set at New York’s International Pop Overthrow Festival and returned for the 2010 and 2011 editions. They reentered the studio in 2015 to record their long-delayed second album, Try Try Try, issued by Kool Kat Music. Manufactured Recordings later brought Tomorrow’s Coming back into print in 2017 as an expanded edition containing nineteen bonus tracks.
Albums
