in what appears to be a mix up in the pressing on the Staring at the Sun compilation, the title track of our album has been put on in place of "for the good of the armor" .... so in case you picked up a copy and didn't notice the difference, there it is. but hey, thankfully you can still catch For the Good Of the Armor on myspace. and with friends like these isn't up there, so all works out.
if you didn't make it out last night, it was a great night. free El Zarape (had a couple potato rolled tacos and some cheese quesadillas with guac and salsa). Tim Pyles was broadcasting in the back. a bunch of sd locals rolled out, natalie from it's too sunny, frantic romantic folks, joanie and matt, kerrie from Book of martyrs, matt from hotel st. george, the swim party guys, tom and sarah, and many more. it was great seeing em all for a fun night. if you missed out, don't worry, they'll be doing some more "Staring At The Sun" release shows throughout the month. I think i heard the next one is at U31 sometime mid-month.
oh, and the tracklist:
Staring At The Sun VI
1. Circa Now - Tonight
2. Simeon Flick - Choice
3. Infants - Josie's Got A Brand New Man
4. Down With Leo - Glasses in Wintertime
5. The Grams - Love
6. Blizzard - Home
7. Echo Revolution - Safety First
8. Lee Coulter - Booty Voodoo
9. The Reverie - Lemonade
10. John Miller - Waiting
11. Mark De Cerbo & Four Eyes - Omission
12. The Modlins - With Friends Like These (mislabeled For The Good of the Armor)
13. The Anna Troy Band -31968
14. The Shambles - Wouldn't You Like To Be A Bear
15. The Mark Jackson Band - Open Wide
16. Dave Humphries - Runaway For The Day
17. Action Andy & His Haunted Honky-Tonkers - One Tortured Soul
18. Chris Leyva - Beautiful Sky
19. Secret Apollo - My Solo Album
20. Jon Kanis - Make It
thanks again to bart mendoza for putting it together with blindspot, to tim pyles and 94/9, tim mays and the casbah folks, and everyone who came out last night. we had a blast.
Monday, March 31, 2008
"With Friends Like These" is the new "For The Good Of The Armor"
KUSI performance
while sound technical difficulties loomed overhead, we trudge on through our set at KUSI. you can check out our performance of "For The Good Of The Armor" here. but if all you care about is more pictures of our beautiful faces, here's us at our new day job:
we're ramping up for the tour this week, so check the dates on the side, tell your friends out of state, and we'll see you on the road!
Friday, March 28, 2008
If You Were Me
... you'd have a tough time deciding what to do tonight.
if you're looking for the all ages route, boy are you in luck: Tokyo Police Club, Eagle*Seagull, We Barbarians @ Soma Sidestage is a guaranteed awesome show ... as is the all-star local line up of Grand Ole Party, The Muslims, Red Feathers @ Che Cafe.
can't go a full night without drinking? two great local line-ups: Pattern Is Movement, Swim Party, Joanie and the Secretaries at the Beauty Bar ... and .... Vitro, Paper Planes, Roxy Jones @ Ken Club.
honestly, i wish i could be in 4 places at once. I caught TPC at the beauty bar last time they were through, so i am good on that front, i just saw GOP at their M-theory in-store, and Red Feathers last week at Whistlestop for their EP release so i'll push those aside. it's a bit of a toss up, but i'll probably be heading to Beauty Bar. i'd like to do both (BB and Ken), but both venues start late so they'll probalby coincide. honestly, you probably could catch one of those all ages shows, and part of one of the 21+ shows if you're crazy or if you're hardcore like Rosey.
also, if you were me, you headed to the ken on wednesday to catch one of SD's finest The Exfriends play (sans Ray). they also played with label mates Andy Friedman and the Other Failures (other, or is just failures, something like that) ... both were excellent. it was a late weekday night so the crowd was thinner, but that didn't stop both bands from playing great set. i also had Ponce's for the first time (FINALLY!) ... though not too many veggie options at this point, i still got potato rolled tacos and some cheese enchiladas. both were excellent. my friend mike who works there said they're working on getting some more veggie stuff, and he said next time give him a heads up and they'll just make me a fat all veggie plate of goodness. i'll be back.
sadly, i got lazy last night (and by lazy i mean band practice went til 10pm and i was beat) so i didn't get to head to the casbah. but we did catch "her political heart" on 94/9, nice shout out from tim. nicest guy, seriously. and he also gave the heads up that there would be FREE El Zarape food at the casbah. seriously, how could people not want to head out now.
1) it's the casbah
2) it's a FREE show!!
3) it's an early show (doors at 7ish, first band at 8pm)
4) there is FREE El Zarape Mexican food
5) there is a FREE Compilation CD featuring us, anna troy, echo revolution, secret apollo, etc.
6) and we're playing .. and this is basically our tour kick off show!!! we leave for vegas next thursday.
so there you have it. there's no good reason not to come. so we'll see you there sunday. and if for some reason you're confused about what i'm talking about, you can read all about it here.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
SD City Beat "Great Demo Review"
the, now infamous, Great Demo Review '08 occurred yesterday in CityBeats across San Diego county. if you remember last year, they were hilarious and harsh, sparking much anger, criticism, and controversy. this year, well, check it out here.
i feel that the reviews this year lacked the funny witticism that made them so enjoyable to read last year, and seem more to just be an exercise in saying "i hate it" 20 different ways. but hey, at least they're taking note of various local and unheard of bands (if only to say "stop trying")
the modlins?
The Modlins describe themselves as being an “oldies influenced indie-pop band” which is apparently 2008 code for “power-pop.” Perhaps a mellower version of early Weezer or Fountains of Wayne would be a more appropriate description. The songs are bouncy with a definite ’50s-rock influence, but they bring enough originality to the table to avoid sounding completely retro-derivative. Overall, kinda predictable. But if the perfectly structured three-minute pop song is what floats your boat, The Modlins make an adequate river, ocean or stream. MS/themodlins—Dryw Keltz
so basically we shouldn't call ourselves oldies influenced, even though there is a "definite 50s rock influence." we also are predictable but original. noted. all in all, a positive review. We love and are pop music and apparently we like bodies of water.
also, huge props to Cosmo Speedway for scoring the ExtraSpecialGood (and Vision of A Dying World, but i think most of San Diego knows how awesome they are)
Cosmo Speedway
Evolution of the Bicycle
OK, friends, I think we have something here. This is a fun, poppy album full of little jumps, blips, glitches and various electro noises apparently inspired by the original Nintendo game system. The lyrics are sometimes upbeat stream-of-consciousness, sometimes absurdist while the beautiful vocals blend well with the unobtrusive synth beats. The acoustic guitar and piano ballads make for nice interludes between songs on the rest of album, while the last track, “Say What You Mean,” is particularly lovely. Overall, it’s a solid record from start to finish. I don’t know much about the evolution of the bicycle, but I do know that I’d happily ride mine to see these guys play. MS/cosmospeedway —Jason Bow
we were on the Spanish Archer Compilation with these guys, and we can safely say we were very impressed back then. though i got the impression these guys (guy?) don't play out much, just love making music. sweet to see them get some local recognition.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
UCSD Sungod 2008
little details are known ... but one tidbit i can say, we'll be playing one of the stages at RIMAC. locals Lady Dottie and The Diamonds will also be on hand for the day.
time to relive our college years. i dare anyone to attempt the 4 double shots of 151. she's a mighty beast.
Monday, March 24, 2008
94/9 Local Member of the Day, Thursday!!!
monday's been a busy posting day, but wanted to also note that this thursday we're the local member of the day on fm 94/9. they'll be playing "Her Political Heart" around 9pm on 94.9fm in san diego. listen in your car, or at home, or if you aren't in San Diego, you can stream it online here. in fact, in support of that CD release show on sunday, there's quite a few of the compilation folks as "members of the day". check full listing here.
3.24.2008 through 3.28.2008
Monday – Cabron “Silencio”
Tuesday – Secret Apollo “Piccolo”
Wednesday – Echo Revolution “Come Down”
Thursday – The Modlins “Her Political Heart”
Friday – Shark Attack “Dead Last”
.... now seems like as good a time as any to say, if you haven't already picked up With Friends Like These, you must be a crazy person. i mean, granted we made it so we're a little biased, but it's good. it's real good. to order yours via paypal today go here and click on the "buy now" link next to the picture of the album. Or just head on down to M-Theory, Off The Record or Music Trader in PB and pick up a copy. you won't regret it.
q2 ambitions
today is monday, so i updated my calendar with what i could for the upcoming months. there's a couple more unconfirmed (or at least, noone told me they are confirmed yet) modlins dates later on that i didn't list, and everything is always subject to change, but here's what i have on the ol' 30boxes:
wed 3/26 - the exfriends @ the ken club w/ andy friedman and the other failures (city salvage records)
thur 3/27 - the archways cd release @ the casbah w/ the blackout party, apes of wrath, & starline theory
fri 3/28 - swim party @ the beauty bar w/ joanie + secretaries & pattern is movement (from philly)
sat 3/29 - i am playing piano at a friend's wedding up in irvine, but there are definitely fun things in sd that i am missing.
sun 3/30 - the modlins / anna troy band / echo revolution / secret apollo / action andy & haunted honky tonkers @ the casbah
wed 4/2 - padres v houston @ petco park. not so much rock and roll, but ought to be good times with good buds nonetheless.
thur 4/3 - southwest showdown 08 : the modlins + the roman spring @ beauty bar las vegas w/ action cat
fri 4/4 - southwest showdown 08 : the modlins + the roman spring @ the ruby room in phoenix w/ the former young americans & sister cities
sat 4/5 - southwest showdown 08 : the modlins + the roman spring @ burt's tiki lounge in albuquerque w/ lousy robot & cherry tempo
sun 4/6 - southwest showdown 08 : the modlins + the roman spring @ the hut in tucson w/ ultramoon
thur 4/10 - new episodes of The Office start up again, but i have dvr, so there is also louis xiv @ hob downtown w/ the prayers & transfer
fri 4/11 - modlins & bobby fantasy @ the whistlestop, brought to you by the lovely robin roth
sun 4/13 - modlins @ mcasd la jolla for the soundwaves exhibit (see post below)
wed 4/16 - joanie m & correatown split 7" vinyl release party @ the belly up w/ michael tiernan
thur 4/17 - 91x loudspeaker @ belly up w/ swim party, republic of letters, plus bill and high tides
fri 4/18 - frantic romantic / book of martyrs / modern rifles @ the ken club
wed 4/23 - the vision of a dying world @ the casbah w/ black heart procession, AND red feathers @ tower bar w/ thin man
fri 4/25 - the prayers @ the casbah w/ the teenagers. also, harold & kumar 2 comes out. just throwing that out there.
tues 4/29 - eric told me the islands are playing somewhere that i forgot where, but that could potentially be awesome.
weekend of 5/2-5/5 - what happens in new orleans, stays in las vegas. wait, what? anyways...
sat 5/10 - red feathers @ the casbah w/ the sess & thin man
sun 5/11 - mothers day. don't forget. they don't like that.
mon 5/12 - the prayers @ the casbah w/ the carrots & the muslims
fri 5/16 - ucsd sungod.
sun 5/18 - the kooks @ hob downtown
mon 5/19 - roxy jones @ the casbah w/ the childballds & the kills
fri 6/13 - the boyish charms @ the habitat, and then, apes of wrath @ beauty bar w/ scarlet symphony
fri 6/20 - all will be revealed in due time
sat 6/21 - the frantic romantic @ lestats w/ irradio
and that should cover it, at least for now...
Extra, Extra!!! Modlins to play Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla!!!!
... didn't we say we'd be loading up on all age stuff for you folks. we're playing a daytime show on Sunday, April 13th from 2-5pm at the La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (MCASD) . this will be a family event for their MCASD soundwaves exhibit. this day specifically is an extention of that exhibit tuned more towards families, you can read a little blip about it here.
Specifically, we'll be playing 2 sets (2:30pm and 3:30pm) in honor of this "music meets the arts" event. tell your friends, tell your families. if you haven't been to the MOCA in la jolla, it's definitely worth checking out, if not for us, for yourselves.
here's a brief description on the event from the MCASD website:
Sound has played a significant role in the development of modern and contemporary art, from the visual references of Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian in the early 20th-century to the aural experimentations of Nam June Paik and John Cage in the 1960s.
Soundwaves: The Art of Sampling looks at a specifically late 20th-century manifestation of the conjunction of art and sound, and features artists in MCASD’s collection, such as Tim Bavington, Celeste Boursier-Mougenot, Sean Duffy, Julio Cesar Morales, Dario Robleto, and Steve Roden, who appropriate the musical process of sampling in their work, either through the incorporation of found sound or through visual and material references.
(picture from MCASD website, by Pablo Mason of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's Untitled [series #3])
This Sunday, We Go BIG!!!
first, casbah .... Doors are at 7:30pm, all attendees will get in free, and receive a free compilation CD featuring us, secret apollo, anna troy, action andy and his haunted honky tonkers, echo revolution and a slew of other great bands. i make note of those ones as they'll all be playing with us that night. get there early and enjoy stellar sets from all.
sponsered by FM 94/9 and Blindspot Records , it's a show not to be missed.
but earlier that morning, we'll be playing on Good Morning, San Diego on KUSI to support the show that night. Tune in around 9:30am for the action. THE MODLINS ON TV?!?!? Heck YES!!!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tonight @ The Habitat!!!! FREE!!!!
just a reminder, tonight's show at the habitat. doors at 7pm, i think the bands start at 7:30pm. we're playing with the delightful indie pop/rock band The Besties from New York, fresh off their showcase in SXSW, and the Facets ... who I don't know much about about other than it's indie pop as well, and it features members of red pony clock, so really, can you go wrong? see you all there!
UPDATE: fyi, we're on last so in case you get out of dinner later and you think you already missed us, you might not have, so swing on by. but might i recommend just eating somewhere fast and nearby (luigi's?) so you can catch us all. maybe swing by the turf club for a drink before you head over. now doesn't that sound nice.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
In-studio performance, KSDT 4/18
details are still a little fuzzy. we'll hopefully get them shaped up in a week or so. but we'll be doing an in-studio performance at KSDT, free all ages show on Friday April 18th.
KSDT is the internet radiostation for UCSD campus in La Jolla: http://ksdt.ucsd.edu/
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
oh joy!
so tonight, vampire weekend at the casbah, with YACHT ... and Rafter band. geez, that's gonna be good. if i wasn't going to this already, i'd for sure be at the Bon Iver, Phosphorescent, The Paddleboat @ Che Cafe show.
sorry there haven't been many updates, i was gone all last weekend, and been busy this week. most of the modlins and I just watched the Bob Dylan documentary "Don't Look Back" on monday. i'll spare you the commentary and instead say "it's good, it's worth watching."
what's going on this week in modlin land? well of course we all know about the habitat show on friday. but we've also got some other exciting shows in the works (free/all ages?) which we're finalizing the plans on now. they'll be coming up in the next couple months, but figure we'd tickle your curiousity bones a bit.
next week will be "kick off week" .... TV slot, free casbah show w/ free CD, tour kick off .... it's all party times! check back shortly for all the juicy details.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
April 19th is Record Store Day!!!
April 19th has been declared Record Store Day where everyone goes out to support their favorite local record store. Record stores across the US are participating so you'll have to check their complete list to see if your local store is involved. In our case, supporting M-Theory Records and/or if you live in north county, Lou's Records (i didn't see Off-The-Record listed yet, but i'm sure/hope they'll follow suit).
Details are a little unclear what all will make up Record Store Day, since we aren't really "in the know", but apparently there will be at 10" limited edition Stephen Malkmus record available.
if nothing else, M-Theory is an awesome record store, and i highly recommend supporting them if you don't already. they stock a great selection, have a very friendly staff, have great instores, and sell modlins albums at a reasonable price (PLUG!) ... yay supporting local music and local business.
Monday, March 10, 2008
missing lamps!!!
i don't know why i didn't blog about this earlier, but we're missing two of our lamps. the matching green lamps that we use during our set (courtesy of the rhanor's living room) have ran off in the heat of the night. last seen outside the ken club on 2/29 ..... if you have any information on their whereabouts let us know. here's the craigslist post with a pic:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/laf/601141694.html
The Habitat
so you may notice our next show is in a couple fridays from now at The Habitat. I've talked to a few people who had no idea what or where the Habitat was. so just as a quick overview: The Habitat is a house on the corner of 21st and Broadway in Golden Hills (near downtown and south park). It doubles as a recording studio and a live music venue. shows are ALL AGES and FREE (UPDATE: rosey just tipped me off that due to some issues they've had, shows are no longer all ages. we'll double check with roy, but rosey's a pretty solid source of info. that makes my flyer a double loser now!), and a good time is guaranteed. for more info, check these links out:
The Habitat's Official Website - http://thehabitat.info/
The Habitat's Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/thehabitat
The Habitat's Yelp! Profile - http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-habitat-san-diego
and of course, we'll be playing there Friday March 21st with:
The Besties (from Brooklyn, NY) - http://www.thebesties.com/
and
The Facets (from Santa Monica?/San Diego?) - i believe featuring members (member?) of red pony clock. okay, i don't have my facts straight, but i think it's gonna be good.
here's my rejected flyer idea:
and the winning, "better" alex smith submission:
No More Shows for Alibi
http://www.sddialedin.com/2008/03/no-more-shows-at-alibi.html#links
this also means all shows that were schedule to appear there have been cancelled, including the Frantic Romantic show on the 22nd. shame. thankfully, they've got one coming up a the beauty bar pretty soon.
Friday, March 7, 2008
TONIGHT!! BEAUTY BAR!!! APES OF WRATH CD RELEASE!!!!
tonight at the beauty bar (4746 El Cajon Blvd - 619-516-4746) ... the infamous Apes Of Wrath (www.myspace.com/apesofwrathmusic) are hosting their CD release show ... with support from yours truly and Music For Animals (www.myspace.com/musicforanimals) from San Francisco. the show is $5 and kicks off at 9:30pm with us opening the night. here's what the SD Reader had to say:
"The Modlins drop pretty pop at Beauty Bar. The natty hometowners have a knack for Beatles-y backbeats and harmonies, but the songs describe K-tel comps. Check the Mods’ ‘07 debut With Friends Like These. The boys’ll share the back-yard stage with locals Apes of Wrath and SFriscans Music for Animals.... " - Barnaby Monk, SD Reader
Thursday, March 6, 2008
if you were me
you'd be headed to chaser's tonight to check out Writer (who i missed last week) and Birds and Batteries (who played with Swim Party a month or so ago, and i missed also) ..... i also have yet to check out chasers (read: "the new Scolari's") so i'm interested to see how things are shaping up around there.
and of course, if you were me, you'd be heading out to the Beauty Bar tomorrow night as it's Apes of Wrath's CD release show (these guys are good) and us and music for animals are opening. we go on at 10pm. be there or be a loser. actually, even if you're a loser, you should come. we don't mind.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Pitchfork .... TV?
say what you will about pitchfork, i am interested to see how this pans out:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/49084-pitchfork-to-launch-online-music-tv-channel-april-7
Official April Tour Announcement!!! TV Appearance!!!
so this is the "official" announcement of our short jaunt east with our good friends The Roman Spring. Albuquerque called, and we listened. If you live in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson or Albuquerque ... tell your friends ..... The Modlins are coming ......
04/03/08 The Beauty Bar (Las Vegas) w/ The Roman Spring, Action Cat
517 Fremont St
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
04/04/08 The Ruby Room w/ The Roman Spring, The Former Young Americans
717 S. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
04/05/08 The Tiki Lounge w/ The Roman Spring, Lousy Robot
313 Gold Ave SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
04/06/08 The Hut w/ The Roman Spring, more TBA
313 Gold Ave SW
Tucson, AZ 85705
as if that wasn't enough, we also have a kick off show of sorts at the Casbah that we may have mentioned before. but if not, Sunday March 30th is a Free Casbah show, with Free Food, and Free "Staring at the Sun" Compilation CDs. It's also our last date in town before our ill-fated jaunt eastward. you'll not want to miss it. oh and did i mention that in support of this show we'll be playing the morning show on KUSI. Check Local listings for which TV channel it's on. we're slated to go on at 9:30am (for all you early risers).
Monday, March 3, 2008
albums now available on Itunes!!!
