THE MODULATORS - Girl Trouble 7'' 1980

Debut 7Inch by this New Jersey four piece on Vintage Vinyl Records with two quiet PowerPop goodies. A bit Info by Nicky Gee: "The Modulators unofficially began in the early 1980’s when Joe Riccardello walked into Vintage Vinyl Records, a small store in Irvington, NJ, and met owner Rob Roth. After a few months, Joe started working at Vintage Vinyl and he and Roth started writing songs together (Joe wrote the music and Rob wrote the lyrics). With all of the instruments/vocals performed by Joe, “Girl Trouble” B/W “Amplitude Modulation” was released as the first (500 numbered copies) single. Joe called his old band mate, guitarist Mark Higgins, and the band, The Modulators, began. They recruited some other players, namely Fran Barbone on drums, and Jim Gordon on guitar, with Joe shifting to bass, and the foursome began a series of promotional shows at various NJ clubs. The Dirt Club in Bloomfield, NJ, was the first club they played, and the Modulators became a fixture there – probably playing there more than any other band. Ron Cassel replaced Barbone on drums shortly after the band started. Soon thereafter, Gordon left the band and bassist Gene O’Brien joined briefly. With the departures of Cassel and O’Brien, The Modulators were down to a twosome – Riccardello and Higgins. The duo began recording a Roth/Riccardello song, “Down at the Dirt,” a tribute to their favorite club. The song became an anthem at the Dirt Club, eventually winding up on the Dirt’s Various Artists album, “Vol. 1”. After auditioning way too many drummers, Mark “Cakes” Westlake solidified the band. The Modulators were now: Riccardello, bass/ vocals; Higgins, guitar/vocals; and Westlake, drums/vocals.

The band began playing more high-profile gigs, @ clubs like Kenny’s Castaways and the Bitter End, in NYC, and the Meadowbrook in NJ. All the while, they continued playing at their home base, the Dirt  Club. They recorded their next single, Higgins’ “She’s So Cynical,” and Roth/Riccardello’s “Dream Girls” that garnered more radio airplay, on stations such as Long Island’s WLIR, New York’s WNEW, and New Jersey’s WDHA, along with many NJ college stations. Additionally, the band promoted the record on the “Uncle Floyd Show.” The band was doing well, and a representative from A&M Records contacted them, requesting more material. The band went back to the studio to work on new songs, which would eventually form the basis of their album, “Tomorrow’s Coming.” Unfortunately, by the time the new material was completed and sent to A&M, the interested rep had left the label. The band continued recording, finishing and releasing the album in 1984, to critical raves, and receiving airplay on many college stations as well as the NJ shore station, WHTG. Bassist/vocalist, Jim Brennan, was added shortly after the album was completed, and has been an integral part of the band ever since. Following the recording of a video “Spin Me Around,” the band continued to perform throughout the mid-1980s, playing Jersey shore clubs. Their video for “Spin Me Around” has received over 17.000 hits on YouTube."

here