The Moderns

THE MODERNS – Descartes










Tuesday, 09 August 2011




(DB Collective/Green Distribution)

Beers and philosophy

These Gold Coast natives echo vintage Kings Of Leon while their lead singer, Samuel Rees, has you recalling Wolfmother before you can help yourself. The guitars are dirty enough to make each track feel nicely aged but not dated. Troubled Man, the pick of the album and its opening track, could easily soundtrack a Corona ad. It’s also where their album’s famous namesake, the so-called father of modern philosophy, René Descartes, shows up. “You said, ‘I think, therefore I am’ / And I said, ‘I’m a troubled man’”. It’s a nice piece of escapism and possible anthem for lost boys everywhere. Other highlights are Beechmont and Wouldn’t Rock And Roll, with the latter introducing a rockabilly feel that exposes more depth to their sound. People throw around ‘from another era’ a lot, but there are no time constraints on the classics and The Moderns have a noteworthy crack at a cruisy rock album.

CAITLIN DIXON

- Rave Magazine

THE MODERNS – Descartes










Tuesday, 09 August 2011




(DB Collective/Green Distribution)

Beers and philosophy

These Gold Coast natives echo vintage Kings Of Leon while their lead singer, Samuel Rees, has you recalling Wolfmother before you can help yourself. The guitars are dirty enough to make each track feel nicely aged but not dated. Troubled Man, the pick of the album and its opening track, could easily soundtrack a Corona ad. It’s also where their album’s famous namesake, the so-called father of modern philosophy, René Descartes, shows up. “You said, ‘I think, therefore I am’ / And I said, ‘I’m a troubled man’”. It’s a nice piece of escapism and possible anthem for lost boys everywhere. Other highlights are Beechmont and Wouldn’t Rock And Roll, with the latter introducing a rockabilly feel that exposes more depth to their sound. People throw around ‘from another era’ a lot, but there are no time constraints on the classics and The Moderns have a noteworthy crack at a cruisy rock album.

CAITLIN DIXON

- Rave Mngazine

Playing classic psychedelic rock, The Moderns easily earn their place on the Big Day Out bill. The five-piece from the Gold Coast entice punters passing by the Local Stage with their vintage style, causing them to stop in their tracks and have a bit of a dance. Not caught up in the pretentiousness of other bands, The Moderns are clearly here to just have a good time.
- Time off

Playing classic psychedelic rock, The Moderns easily earn their place on the Big Day Out bill. The five-piece from the Gold Coast entice punters passing by the Local Stage with their vintage style, causing them to stop in their tracks and have a bit of a dance. Not caught up in the pretentiousness of other bands, The Moderns are clearly here to just have a good time.
- Time off

After a first announcement overflowing with dancey goodness – the festival’s Boiler Room looks chock-a-block with the likes of Primal Scream, Booka Shade and The Bloody Beetroots – ITMers were a little confused at Big Day Out’s second lineup announcement which had little love for more electronic fare.

Thankfully it’s not a total misfire as the festival organisers have now announced a bunch of local acts to bolster the dance ranks on the summer festival tour.

Each city on the Big Day Out tour has now received an influx of new artists including one-off stops for the likes of Bass Kleph, Nina Las Vegas, T-Rek, The Touch and Anna Lunoe who’ll be doing all the Australian dates.

You can check out the full lineup additions below and if that’s not enough to satisfy your BDO thirst, head over to our All About Big Day Out page for news, sideshow deets and more juice to come.

SUNDAY, 23 JANUARY – GOLD COAST PARKLANDS – SOLD OUT
Local additions: BLONDE ON BLONDE, HALFWAY, SHORT CUT KIDS, FANS DJs, BLEEDING KNEES CLUB, LANEOUS AND THE FAMILY YAH, LYNCHMADA, ELECTRIC HORSE, THE DELTA RIGGS, THE KIDNEY THIEVES, THE MODERNS, OCEANICS, DEAD BEAT BAND, NINE SONS OF DAN, THE CITY SHAKE UP, ILONA HARKER & THE DAUGHTERS OF THE RUM REBELLION, FOUNDS and BALL PARK MUSIC (triple j unearthed)

- In the Mix - Dec 2010

Gold Coast rock band The Moderns have emerged back onto the local music scene with a new line up and sound.

They will be performing at The Haunt – Bar Soma’s new live music night – on Thursday, 3rd June which will showcase new material from their forthcoming album and give punters a first look at the revamped band.

The Moderns will be supported by local indie band Martin Party.

Tickets will be on sale at the door for $10.
- Faster Louder - May 25 2010

Classic psychedelic heavy rock is alive and well in south-east Queensland, a fact that is proven by the ever-increasing momentum behind The Moderns, aka Andre & Levi Franco and Samuel Rees. The trio bring their 60s and 70s influenced, psych-tinged hard rock to The Zoo on Wednesday May 19. Proceedings kick off at 8pm, and tickets are $10, which is way less than you’d pay for most psychedelic experiences you could have. Yes, friends, for less than the cost of an acid trip you can have hard rock delivered carte blanche straight to your auditory senses with just enough delicacy for you to gain a sense of appreciation and reverence rather than becoming confused and frightened and reduced to a sobbing heap in the nearest corner, which incidentally is how a lot of acid trips end. It’s not the music you’d expect from the children of preachers, but The Moderns aren’t around to satisfy your expectations. Dig it. If you can’t make that show, the band also play the Hard Rock Cafe, Surfers Paradise on Friday May 28 with Black Mustang.
- Time off - 26.05.10

Classic psychedelic heavy rock is alive and well in south-east Queensland, a fact that is proven by the ever-increasing momentum behind The Moderns” Time off Magazine. Consisting of Franco brothers, Levi and Andre and lead singer Samuel Rees, the recently evolved heavy rock group are set to release their first album in late 2010, recorded in Old St Johns church in the hills of brisk Beechmont. An album which references 60’s and 70’s rock and roll, from 13th Floor Elevators and Led Zeppelin to The Faces, Ray Charles and Velvet Underground. An album The Moderns are proud to call their first release.


Sons of Preachers the Franco and Rees combination fly under the radar, approaching timeless Rock and Roll without the pretense and scenester-appeal that seems to dominate the live scene.

Located in the northern shrubs of the Gold Coast. Away from everything, in a fire warmed house on stilts, on 14 acres, The Moderns wrote their album.


The Moderns have had a relatively strong presence in the GC and Brisbane music scene over the past 2 or 3 years – however it was not until early 2009 when the band disbanded, and Samuel Rees and Andre Franco sought a new drummer and wrote songs as a three piece as apposed to the original 4 piece outfit that used to load in and out of the local establishments.


Levi Franco officially joined the band in mid 2009. It was evident even in the early days of the new line up, that The Moderns were going down a new path. Pop sensibility and mass appeal was not the concern for the new group that it had been for previous members. The band spent much of ‘09 writing new songs, inspired by the likes of Lou Reed, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jeff Beck Group, Black Mountain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Muddy Waters and Ray Charles.

The Moderns have played shows with friends such as:
Tame Impala, The Galvatrons, The Holidays, Skybombers, Yves Klein Blue, Small Mercies, I heart Hiroshima, Ghostwood, The Hondas, Foxx on Fire, Amy Merideth, Philadelphia Grand Jury, The Last Dinosaurs.
- Triple J Unearthed- 28.05.10