MOGA

GoLocalProv's Timothy O'Keefe scouts local bands, listens critically to their MySpace songs, and brings you the ones you need to know about... and listen to... online as well as live. This week he reviews Moga, a folk/electronic band from South County.

Moga’s music elegantly combines folk and electronic elements, producing a signature sound that is both genuine and inspired. Hailing from North Kingstown, Moga started in 2007 as a group of friends who shared a love for music. It wasn’t until 2009 that they officially formed into the band they are today.

Songs like Canopy capture Moga’s brilliance, opening with an atmospheric sweeping Moog-like drone, a muted electronic kick drum, and a beautiful organ-like synthesizer melody awash in a spacious reverb. As the track builds, a pulsing acoustic low tom and tambourine become locked into the beat, grounding the rhythm and finding the shortest distance between all of the song’s expansive elements.

In Mountain Top, Moga pulls back on the electronic elements, pursuing a more traditional folk feel. Even without the electronics, the atmospheric aesthetics of Moga are still present in the spatial qualities of Oliver Williams’s vocals and Alex Pendergrass’s organ, both treated with a healthy dose of big-room reverb.

If you ever wanted a to hear a folk record produced by Brian Eno, Moga may satisfy that desire. Check out their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/muchomoga

Moga will be featured at Providence's IndieArts Fest in July. For Moga's schedule, go to their MySpace page or blog, here. - Go Local Prov

1. Deer Tick at Waterplace Park on Friday. They’re probably the most famous band on my list and I’ve always been into their gritty, alternative rock/country sound, but I have never seen them live. Hopefully that’ll change this week. With their music seeming more like a soundtrack to a summer on the road than a serenade in the city, the perfect venue for Deer Tick would probably be in the back of a pickup on a cross-country trek, although Waterplace will do just fine.

2. Moga at AS220 on July 21. After seeing them live for the first time in April, I hopped on their bandwagon, a psychedelically-infused rock/country bandwagon that sometimes includes twangy banjos, Pink Floydian guitars and old school lyrics that mirror Motown. Weird, right? They’re really a mash-up of a hundred different genres. Sometimes they sound folky, other times experimental, but all times great. It totally works; see for yourself.

3. The Sugar Honey Iced Tea at AS220 on July 22. I know, I know, I’ve been raving about this band for a while, but that just really goes to show how much I think you should see them. If you read this month’s “On Our RiPod” section in our print edition about Ana Mallozzi (her brother Greg Mallozzi is in Moga), then you’re already familiar with one fourth of the band. Mallozzi and three other equally talented girls play their instruments (banjo-ukulele, mandolin, cello and ukulele) and harmonize their voices together perfectly, producing a sound that’s as sweet and refreshing as a ride along Newport’s Ocean Drive with a cup of Del’s in hand. Yeah, they’re that good.

4. Zox at Lupo’s on Aug. 13. This is the first band I ever saw live and frankly, because they now live all over the country, I never thought I’d see them play again. Though their violin-laden alternative rock sound has progressively changed since their debut album Take Me Home released in 2003, nostalgia and the possibility of hearing their version of Pachelbel’s “Canon” at least one more time has reeled me in. This is the band’s ten-year reunion concert and it looks to be your one chance at seeing them this year. - RI Monthly

Garnering comparisons to Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, as well as Brian Eno and the Flaming Lips, Providence-based Moga have been performing together under various guises since 2007, but currently consists of Greg Mallozzi (guitar), Alex Pendergrass (keyboards), Max Fisher (drums), and Oliver Williams (guitar, lead vocals). Songs like “Red Box” and “Dogon” have a fun spacy tropical island thing going on, while “Wakey Wakey”, oh yes indeed, most definitely has a Brian Eno solo vibe (= awesome). Their 7-track debut EP was released last December, and they have two Rhode Island shows coming up next month – The 201 in Providence on April 9, and something called a “URI Hemp Fest” in Kingstown on April 24. Ah, University of Rhode Island Hemp Festival? Now, there’s one worth checking out.

MySpace | blog | Facebook - Musings from Boston

RED HOT, RIGHT NOW - Moga are purveyors of a dizzying array of musical influences and styles which they delightfully combine into a satisfying and fun gumbo. There's a hillbilly vibe of acoustic guitar and banjo picking, with subversive synth sounds mixed in. A little calypso, a bit of blues, a touch of gospel. A New Orleans style funeral march. Honky-tonk piano. Grateful Dead jams. Doo-wop harmonies. And trombone. Vocals that sometimes conjure The Beatles or The Band; othertimes Brian Eno. Sounds crazy, but it works.

[Editor's Note: it's hard not to hear a little Delta Spirit or maybe The Walkmen in today's song of the day, "The One That Got Away," it immediately won me over!]



Moga released their debut album, the aptly titled Jamboree, last year. It's a remarkable achievement on a first release, to bring together so many styles and influences, and have it glide along so naturally as it does, sounding just right. I very much look forward to seeing these guys live and partaking of what Rhode Island clubgoers have been enjoying for some time now. - Ryan's Smashing Life Blog

If you're looking for one word to describe the band Moga, we wish you the best of luck.

Influenced by everything from Sinatra to Pink Floyd, the quartet of North Kingstown natives has put together a sound that is part old-school rock, part folk and part modern rock with a splash of psychedelic undertones.

"We're trying to make older sounds more contemporary, basically," said band member Oliver "Ollie" Williams.

Moga (rhymes with "toga") is made up of former North Kingstown High School classmates Williams (bass and vocals), Alex Pendergrass (piano/keyboards and vocals), Max Fisher (drums) and Greg Mallozzi (guitar). The group is all in their early 20s, but their songs sound more like a product of the jukebox generation than the iPod generation.

"We definitely gravitate more toward the older sounds," Fisher said.

Though the group met in high school more than five years ago, Moga didn't come to be until nearly three years ago. From NKHS battle of the bands competitions to playing in bands throughout and after high school, the four have randomly played in bands with each other over the years until things really came together in 2007.

One year after the release of their first album, the self-titled "Moga," the group is looking to take their craft to the next level. In September, the four moved from North Kingstown up to the more sparsely populated Scituate together, where their jam sessions no longer result in noise complaints by agitated neighbors. At the end of a long day, the band takes to the "jam room," packed with pianos, organs, guitars, basses, drums and quirky signs the guys have found to adorn the walls.

Because the band does all their own recordings, the new locale also helps with the writing and recording process.

"Before, we'd be sending each other files from our computer from all over and trying to piece things together," Pendergrass said. "Now we've got the house and can really focus on our projects."

The guys do play shows other than the "jam room," including local spots AS220 and The Met Café. If you attend a Moga show, don't be surprised to see some musical chairs — no pun intended — on stage: The band has been known to switch instruments in the middle of sets.

Just like their musical style, each bandmate's musical background varies greatly.

Williams began playing piano when he was five years old and was a member of both the NKHS choir and jazz band. Mallozzi took up drums in middle school. Fisher honed his drumming skills with lessons at Main Street Music from seventh grade to his senior year of high school. Pendergrass taught himself piano only three years ago.

"The response from fans has been really good," Williams said. "We have really good friends who've come out to our shows in the beginning, but now it's become more than that."

Aside from their Rhode Island fan base, Moga has received surprising support from the Philadelphia area. The guys aren't sure whether it's due to the number of shows they've played there in the past year or because Fisher attended Philadelphia's University of the Arts, but Philadelphia has treated them well.

"They've got a legit fan base in Philly," said band manager and friend Alex Fraioli. "They've done those five to six shows in the past year there, which is kind of crazy."

Over the summer, the band released their second project — the full-length record called "Jamboree." They're currently in the process of booking tours to support the new record.

The guys' pursuit of a career in music isn't about fame or fortune, but passion.

"We're not trying to get the limos or get rich," said Pendergrass.

Adding to his bandmate's sentiments, Williams adds, "We just want to make a modest living and do what we love."

Want to catch a Moga show? Hit up AS220 Thursday night at 9 p.m. for the band's Christmas Eve Eve show.

To learn more about Moga and for upcoming shows, check out their Myspace page. - North Kingstown Patch

Imagine the most pleasant and calming melody you can think of. Now channel those dulcet tones through the plucky strum of a banjo and toss in what can only be described as the twittering of robotic birds. It’s pretty much impossible to imagine that sound from scratch, isn’t it? If you’re wondering how someone can craft such a combination, you need to talk to the boys behind the opening track, “Experiment” from the Rhode Island band Moga’s full-length, Jamboree. Alex Pendergrass, Greg Mallozzi, Oliver Williams and Max Fisher are a couple of guys who have been friends their school days in Providence, where they formed after they graduated high school. Two years after that 2008 formation, the band came out with Jamboree, their record debut and by our standards, not a bad way for a band to make an introduction. Jamboree features an obvious influence from the well loved sound of bands like Creedance Clearwater Revival and The Band, along with hints of Eno-inspired production coming through an otherwise placidly flowing combination of banjo, guitar and drums. Quirky kicks of woodblock and frolicking bass lines accompany the band’s folksy style to create a ‘dueling banjos at the beach’ sound that is sunny and bright enough to make us forget we’re living through the hellhole of winter here in Chicago.
Jamboree is available for $10 on the band’s Bandcamp, and if that’s too rich for your blood, we recommend that at the very least you stream the 13 tracks because Moga is a delightful little secret from the East Coast you need to be let in on.

The band took some time to talk with Reviewsic about Jamboree, their influences and the bands they wish they had listened to 10 years sooner.

Reviewsic: Can you give us a quick recap of what the band has been up to lately?

Moga: We’ve recently moved to an19th Century farm house in Western Rhode Island. We’ve been doing a lot of practicing as well as having friends come over to jam and record in our home studio. On top of that we’ve been booking dates for a January/February tour.

Reviewsic: What are your top three musical influences?
Ollie: 1. The Rolling Stones 2. Radiohead 3. CCR

Max: 1. Hank Williams 2. Animal Collective 3. Lead Belly

Greg: 1. The Band 2. The Beatles 3. The Grateful Dead
Al: 1. Van Morrison 2. The Band 3. The Bee Gees

Reviewsic: Is there any instrument you don’t play, but wish you did?

Ollie: Fiddle

Max: Saxophone

Greg: Sitar

Al: Harp

Reviewsic: What are the last three albums or bands you listened to?

Ollie: 1.The Rolling Stones- Some Girls 2.CCR – Willy and The Poor Boys 3.The Black Keys- Brothers

Max: 1.Floating Action – Self Titled 2.Animal Collective – Feels 3.Dr. Dog – Takers and Leavers

Greg: 1. The Band: Rock Of Ages 2. Grateful Dead: Dicks Picks Vol. 19 3. Grateful Dead: Ladies and Gentleman: Grateful Dead Live at Filmore East 1971?

Al: 1. The Band- “The brown Album” 2. Eric Clapton Unplugged 3. Muddy Water in Woodstock

Reviewsic: If you could work with one person in the music industry (musician, label, producer etc), who would it be and why?

Ollie: As a producer I’d love to work with Danger Mouse

Max: Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes

Greg: My friend Dennis Glasberg

Al: Joaguin Phoenix

Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any 3 bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Ollie: 1. The Band: I’ve always wanted to open for them, just so I could watch them afterwards. 2. Phish- They have such a great following and it would be cool to have some of the same people see you night after night. 3. Dr. Dog- I think their fans would totally dig us.

Max: 1. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes: I feel like they’re a great contemporary band with a similar musical perspective. 2. Al Green: Opening for the reverend would be a huge honor. 3. My Morning Jacket: A great rockin’ & rollin band with a huge following.

Greg: 1: The Band 2: Grateful Dead 3: Flaming Lips

Al: 1. See Above 2. See Above3. Le - www.reviewsic.com