What Model Citizens

You know we're big fans of all things weird, and incredibly unique, here, which is why when we first saw Brooklyn-based synth-rock band What Model Citizens' video for "Too Late" we knew we had to share it with everyone.

The video is a five minute, incredibly dark, sci-fi clip that involves ... actually, you know what, we don't want to ruin any of it for you. Let's just say there's an accident at the start of the video, after which things get completely insane.

"Too Late" is off of What Model Citizens' latest album, Ohn E Amas, which was released earlier this year, and trust us when we say you should watch the video right now. - Arena

What Model Citizens (link) is an intriguing electronic-punk outfit that hail from the streets of Brooklyn. The brainchild of Alex Musto, songwriter and frontman of the group, the band have just released a new video for “Too Late,.” The piece is an eerie and artistic creation that is not only visually stimulating but musically captivating.
Anything and everything goes in the new video, including oddities such as puppets and vibrant art. The track itself features Musto’s unusual but fitting voice, which works hand in hand with the synth-laden sound that What Model Citizens provide.
It is hard for a band in Brooklyn to stand out with gusto, but What Model Citizens seem to be making waves and doing it well. Their dark yet danceable tones are something that is quite out of the ordinary, but nonetheless perfection in its own right. The video for “Too Late,” took a few months to complete, but the end result is a visual masterpiece. - Black on the Canvas

I ended my night by returning to The Painted Lady to catch the What Model Citizens set. This is a solo act with absolutely killer energy and sometimes muted vocal work reminiscent of Wolf Parade, while at other times the vocals turn raw and raspy. It is a brilliant blend of tight electronic beats, fast precise guitar work and constantly mutating vocals. That he could have so much energy for a 2:00 am set speaks volumes of his endurance. - The Urban Hermit

Most likely to get all the cardio workouts he needs via his intense (and I mean seriously intense) one-man-band show. - Live in Limbo

What Model Citizens began in 2009 as the project of singer-songwriter Alex Musto. The band has a strong base in synth rock while exploring feedback-heavy music. Its debut, OH What Model Citizens We Be, was released in 2010.
The Brooklyn-based band recently released its third album, Ohn E Amas. The 11-track release, along with the band’s prior records, is available for name-your-price download on Bandcamp.

Tell us a little about yourself…
I do a project called What Model Citizens where I bang on some things, yelp, and try to get people to dance with varying degrees of success.
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been doing What Model Citizens for about five years now. I started the project in San Francisco after another band of mine fell apart. Otherwise, I’ve been making music (or pretending to anyway) for years before that. I spent some time busking on the street where I learned to play guitar. Still not really sure how to do that, but I’m working on it. Soon, I hope.
Who/what are your influences?
For this project, probably my closest influences would be Gang of Four and LCD Soundsystem. Dancing beats and jagged guitars are what I got in spades.
What is your favorite song you’ve released and why?
“Coming for Me,” I think, is still my current favorite. I really, finally, figured out the sound of What Model Citizens with that song and then distilled it for the album.
Upcoming projects, where do you want to go from here?
We’re finishing up a new music video that’s looking really exciting. After that, a new album sometime soon.
If you could no longer be a musician, what would you be or do for a living?
Probably go back to film, though I’d hate to see the accident that stopped my music career.
What musicians or bands do you look up to?
I probably look up most to The Clash. I’d love to have the righteousness, the sound, and the writing talent Joe Strummer has in one of his fingers.
Why do you make music?
Well, mostly I don’t know what I’d do otherwise. There’s a certain unconscious desire I can’t escape.
Anything else you’d like readers to know that we haven’t asked you about?
Uhhhh….. smashing TVs is fun. Stay tuned to see why that’s relevant!… - The Spec

What Model Citizens are a synth-rock punk outfit who hail from Brooklyn. The creation of songwriter and frontman Alex Musto, the group is closing out 2014 with the highly anticipated video for “Too Late.” The track is taken from What Model Citizens’ newest release, Ohn E Amas, which is out now.

The video for “Too Late,” proves to be innovative, intriguing and eerie all at once. Anything and everything is fair game in the video from smashing video screens to robotic puppetry, making this an artistic masterpiece.

What Model Citizens are often compared to influences such as Gang of Four and The Faint. A combination of sharp synth punctuations, frenzied beats, and an overbearing sense of paranoia, make up What Model Citizens’ unique and noteworthy sound. The band delivers reverb-laden guitars, heavy with electronic sounds and a driving tenacity with a danceable beat.

Wild and exhilarating, Ohn E Amas distills Musto’s unique electronic sound to a danceable storm and firmly places What Model Citizens in New York’s post-punk electro-clash traditions. “Too Late,” proves instantly, that What Model Citizens is a band to keep an ear on in the ever changing New York scene. - Hell Hound Music

The Brooklyn troupe breathea whole new life into the NYC scene with a charismatic blend of punk, indie, indietronica and seemingly everything else in between.

What Model Citizens is the brainchild of Alex Musto. The budding musician'ssongwriting is very focused and on point with the sound he is trying to create.

The group will be releasing a new video later this fall, something which I'm personally excited about (as you should be too). Recently, I had the chance to chat with frontman Alex Musto, and we talked about all things

Kay: What was the first instrument that you learned how to play?

Alex: The first instrument I played was piano, which I started around maybe 6ish. I didn't stick with it, unfortunately, and gave up on it far too soon. You'll get different interpretations for why depending on who you ask, me or my parents, but I'd like to think I was a very prescient 7-year-old who believed he wasn't being challenged sufficiently by his teacher. Of course, if you ask my parents I was jealous that my friend was better than me. Who's to say? I didn't pick an instrument back up till getting to college where I started to teach myself guitar, though I was never not interested in music before that.

Kay: At what age, or period in your life, did you know that music was something you wanted to be heavily involved in?

Alex: I actually knew I wanted music somewhere in my life at least as far back as high school. While I wasn't playing anything then, my friends and I decided we were going to set up a recording studio [and] label and put out records. We got a whole shit load of gear, bisected my bedroom to install a "sound proof" booth and built ourselves a little studio. I basically slept with a mixer through the latter part of high school -- girls were miles away. I think we only ever recorded one full album with some other kids from school but we did some other, probably terrible, recordings here and there. It was quite fun.

Kay: Your sound is very unique. What is your overall inspiration when writing these tracks? What is your mindset?

Alex:Generally speaking, very neurotic and anxious. A lot of writing music is a great way to work out whatever anxieties I'm currently fixated on as a bit of catharsis. I've tried to bottle that in these tracks, which I think gives them the furious energy and jagged edges. Hopefully someone else finds it at all interesting too, but then that's always the hope isn't it?

Kay: How much of your studio tracks do you record on your own, and how much do you record with a full band?

Alex: Unless otherwise noted on a song, I pretty much do it all. I'm very good at faking it on a lot of instruments, so I do what I can all around the studio. I'd love to work with other people so maybe one day I'll open up the creative process to some outsiders. I'd love to start working with a live drummer if there are any out there looking for something to do!

Kay: What is your favorite thing about recording and writing music?

Alex: This is probably pretty cliche, but listening to the final product. I don't normally know how a song is really going to come out till I get into the studio with my sketches and ideas and try to shoe horn them all together. It can be a really frustrating process when things aren't working or you get bogged down in the MIDI programing part. You start to really loose the forest sometimes. Once it finally starts to work though and a song emerges it's a truly amazing experience.

Kay: What is the most challenging thing about being a musician in 2014?

Alex: I think the most challenging thing about being a musician in 2014 is also one of the best things about being a musician in 2014 and that's the total democratization of the process. Anybody with a laptop, hell a shitty tape deck for that matter, and access to the Internet can reach an audience. There used to be gate keepers holding off truly creative people with wonderful and unique visions because they were unmarketable. Those gatekeepers have no substantial power anymore.

The downside to this is that anybody with a laptop, hell a shitty tape deck for that matter, and access to the Internet can reach an audience. There's so much noise out there it can be incredibly hard to break through. I can't say I'd like to go back to the old way, but every now and then, if only for a moment, I catch myself thinking it might be nice to have some gate keepers again. It's a challenge but I think we're better off for this being the challenge rather then challenging ourselves to make sure we can make money for someone else. - Arena

What Model Citizens is the brainchild of Alex Musto and sits comfortably at the intersection of synth rock and dark electronic music. It’s edgy and nervy but will probably also make you dance. You can check out the song “Too Late” from album Ohn E Amas or the video for “Coming For Me,” which has a delightful dystopian vibe. According to Alex, a video for “Too Late” is coming soon. He says, “With out giving away any of the surprise I’ll just say giant robots and leave it at that!” Plus they have more dates lined up around the city this summer, check out the bandcamp page for more details.
GP: If you had to describe your sound as “If X had a baby with Y and the first record the child heard was Z,” what artists/genres would you plug in as X, Y, and Z?
Alex Musto: Though it’s been a while since algebra, I suppose my X, Y, and Z for your equation there would have to be Gang of Four, The Faint, and Sound Kapital by The Handsome Furs.
GP: What is one of your favorite summer jams and why?
AM: Not sure what’s leading the summer jams yet for 2014 but I’ve recently had St. Vincent and Darkside’s Psychic on repeat. St. Vincent’s new album is equal parts catchy, exuberant, and profoundly strange. Psychic on the other hand is complex and terrifying. There’s a certain horror to it that I can’t shake and that fascinates me.
GP: Is there anyone else you are looking forward to seeing at Northside?
AM: I’m always excited to play with Haybaby who are on this bill with us. It’ll be fun to check in with some other friends too, Happy Lives, Alien Trilogy, and Napoleon later on Saturday at Muchmore’s. I had originally been planning to catch Thee Oh Sees at Mccaren park but now that we’re in direct competition with them I’ll just encourage everyone to swing over to our show instead. Come check out some good local music! Thee Oh Sees go on hiatus and come back like several times a year, right? They’ll be back… probably.
GP: What is something you love about Greenpoint or the Northside?
AM: To be honest I haven’t spent much time up in Greenpoint. I went to a good Sushi place there once the name of which for the life of me I couldn’t remember. It’s certainly nice and quiet. Quieter, it seems, then where I live. - Greenpointers

What do you get when you blend syncopated guitar strikes with fast rhythms and throw in sick electro beats and melodies?

Well what you have is the electro-clash sounds of What Model Citizens, a post-punk group, (usually one man), based out of Brooklyn and led by Alex Musto.

What Model Citizens is about to kick off a Northeast tour with a stop at The Rockin' Buffalo Saloon on May 4.

I had the pleasure of asking Alex some questions before his show on Sunday. Their official site has more tour & band info. - Buffalo Vibe

I always find it incredibly difficult to whittle down my list of favourite bands from five days jammed tight with music. Fundamentally, you’re comparing apples with every conceivable fruit in the orchid. In so doing, I usually ask myself a series of questions:

Did the live performance live up to the recordings, or perhaps even surpass them? Am I conjuring the melodies in my head? Did I purchase a digital copy of their album? Am I actually listening to what I’ve purchased? All of these questions help me arrive at a rough selection.

I have now managed to pick out thirteen bands that I thought were extraordinary and I’ve put them in a single list for easy reference. I’ve also included a concert picture or two so that you can get a sense of their live presence. I should note that I’ve only included bands that I actually caught live this year. Many other terrific bands played in CMW whose music I love but wasn’t able to fit into my schedule. The low number of Toronto bands is a sheer accident of scheduling and familiarity. I gave priority to out of town bands and also gave priority to bands I had never heard before.

In no particular order, here are my favourties from CMW 2014:

12) What Model Citizens (Brooklyn) - The Urban Hermit

What Model Citizens dropped the synth pop toast of tardiness, “Too Late,” with word of an appearance at SXSW this year. Being late never felt cooler. - Impose

NYC's What Model Citizens are here to remind us that electroclash never died ya'll, so peep the post-punk electric revivalism of "Coming For Me" here. The Eddie Costas and Steve Nolan video takes you through those keyboard dotted histrionic states and trails from Bizarre Bar, Silent Barn to various other hoods around Brooklyn. - Impose

“My first encounters with things vinyl began combing through my father’s collection. Apparently whittled down over the years it was still pretty impressive and consisted mostly of classic rock and the female blues musicians for whom my father had a real affinity. My musical beginnings began mixed between here and the shitty music that was playing on the radio in the late ’90s. I have to admit back then I had pretty terrible taste in music.”

“My real awakening began in college when I got that friend who showed me what good music was. I really came alive when I heard The Clash’s London Calling. Things started to make sense after that. The unbridled energy and tension of punk rock really fit in with my high-strung neurotic self. That along with the sublime droning of The Velvet Underground fundamentally reshaped the way I approached music.

I never fully abandoned my classic rock/pop roots however leaning to play guitar basically with the Beatles catalogue. I’m pretty sure I learned every song on Abbey Road and Let it Be, my two favorites as it was the Beatles’ return to their rhythm and blues roots.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea was my next big milestone on the road to What Model Citizens. The droning fuzz, high energy, and sincere pop brought together just about everything I liked into something I felt was truly unique.


Finally, The Handsome Furs’ Face Control gave me the final inspiration to start What Model Citizens. I came across them somewhat accidentally going to their show to interview the opening local band from San Francisco for a local blog. I stuck around for their set and was immensely glad I did. Their fusion of indie rock and electronica really took root in me and, from the ashes of the noisy punk band I was in that had just broken up, I put together What Model Citizens.

Though this is the third record I’ve put out with this project, I think this is the one I finally got right. Of course I’m sure I probably said that about the last ones too. Ohn E Amas though really feels like the statement I’ve been trying to make and I’m really excited to have it out there.”
—Alex Musto - The Vinyl District

I bet it was a pain in the backside to clean that lot off his head after the four different photo shoots. Now he knows what Kiss must go through most nights. Yet another talent from the Brooklyn scene, Alex Musto formed What Model Citizens in 2009 and has worked with an array of musicians when performing live in the past, but the studio work is pretty much just the man himself. A self-titled debut album was released in 2010 and another is planned for the autumn, this single being the first we get to hear of it, and it has to be said that things are looking promising if you like your music innovative, fun and energetic.

Describing their sound as "electropunk", What Model Citizens sound like Gary Numan being remixed by Fisherspooner at the height of electroclash. The sounds overlap quite a lot. It's an insistent little monster, not pausing for breath as the beats just keep on coming, ticking along like a pneumatic drill at some points. The energy continues over to b-side 'Acts Of Sound', another track that gets the world of retro electronica, modern electronica, punk and noise-rock and squishes them together into a song-shaped lump. It all feels a bit like a mad head-rush. - The Sound of Confusion

I’m sure music lovers all go through their stages. Tastes flourish, and the nonsense they subjected their ears to a decade earlier starts to deafen a bit. I say a bit, because some things listeners never get over. I personally revisit songs, or albums at intermittent times, usually for nostalgic purposes. Some people, I’m lookin’ at you Cousin George, never get over the songs they love, and listen to them with the same exuberance as if it were the initial. Kudos to him. As funny as it is, it makes me a bit jealous. It’d be amazing to not get sick of a song that played the role of “soundtrack” in ones daily grind.

In high school, ironically, it was Cousin George that introduced me to a whole new set of albums that influenced my outlook on life, and my musicianship, for better or worse. I consider it luck that I had someone close to me that owned many tapes (which I actually got to keep, and make a cover collage out of 16 years later) and was constantly willing to introduce me to every single one he got his hands on.

Then there was mom. The advantage of living with her was that there were many Sunday excursions downtown, one stop being Thompson St.’s Generation Records. In the process, this was before I owned a computer, I was able to find even more bands, thus enhancing my ears, and broadening my preferences. By doing research I excavated an amaranthine garden of sound. Wow, cheesy poetic lines, and a band reference all in one sentence. Kudos to me now. Maybe not. At any rate, it was thanks to the two of them that high school was spent in a hushed gloom listening to, and playing music.

I have no idea why, but that’s the vibe I got from watching What Model Citizens at Brooklyn’s Matchless. I mean that in an evocative way. The whole show was Christmas day, junior year of high school, Bianca, my Bedlington Terrier lying in bed next to me, as I listened to, and studied the linear notes of one of my favorite band’s box set. What did you expect, I was the fat kid.

Alex Musto, the brains behind this operation, put so much ardor into his performance, which to me is a triumph, considering he was surrounded by 7+ guitar pedals, a table of keyboards, and two microphones, one that he manipulated manually using a Korg Kaossilator. Throw in some ominous sounding noisemakers like the Monotron, and the Cacophonator, and you realize Musto is not only a musician, but an evil genius with enough devices to turn the venue into the Technodrome. Given the small stage, and the way Musto, and synth player Phil Maves dominated, amongst unused wires, and amps, they very well could’ve opened dimensions. To say the least, it did intensify claustrophobia. At some point Musto made a wrong move, and his mic wire wrapped around his headstock. With skilled hands, he fixed it, snickered to himself, and kept playing. Embracing the obstacles, he played with ease, and looked like he was enjoying every minute of that set.

The entire show seemed to be a test in duality: from the battle between man and machine, to the members themselves, which at least on that night, consisted of two; even down to the zombie Snow White sticker on Maves’ laptop, it was about capturing the conflict, as well as the vigor. The duo, which met each other in San Fran, used to play out together often. However, on this particular night there were songs Maves had to master right before the show. Talk about commitment, from both members: for Musto to be able to write songs for a distinct vehicle such as What Model Citizens, to reduce the performance to two stage members, yet never minimalism, and for Maves to learn songs immediately, only to be exposed, and judged, that takes courage. As precisely as the duo synchronizing their beats and licks to one another, they never forgot about the blood, and soul of what makes a great show: performance. At some point, true to Don Music conduct, Maves banged his head on the Korg. People got a kick out of it. Aside from the quips though, he played incredible synths that brimmed, and eventually overflowed into leggato leads.

What Model Citizens is definitely an act to catch. They’re currently promoting Coming For Me, their new single, which you can listen to by clicking the link. Watch the live clip below. The Eddie Costas, and Steve Nolan directed video can be seen here. Zany, and filmed in parts of Gowanus, a neighborhood with the friendliest addicts, and the best blueberry muffins; check it out. You can listen to the rest of their catalog on bandcamp. By the way, in the process I figured out why I compared their set to my high school years, if you’re still interested. Conflict. The internal vs. the external, the external vs. the internal, all that struggle and clash can lead to a symphonic cacophony. Or a cacophonous symphony? You decide. Thanks for getting this far. What Model Citizens. Spaseeba. Paka. - Kiss Them For Me

WMCs are the electro/synth/pop brain child of frontman Alex Musto. We wrote a little piece on the video for "Coming For Me." It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it (or watching again if you have). Ohn E Amas is a sonic bombardment; Musto is almost a mad scientist, producing squeaks, screams, floods, and crashes, that range from subliminal to overwhelming. Listen to the album on Soundcloud. Zone in and out to it. "Carry Me With You" is my favorite track. - Hearts Bleed Radio

Electro sensations, What Model Citizens, have just premiered the new single, “Felony Heights,” via The Vinyl District earlier this week. The brainchild of Alex Musto, What Model Citizens has just released the album, Ohn E Amas, to the awaiting ears of fans and critics alike. The electro laced “Felony Heights,” is a vibrant taste of what the record has to offer.

What Model Citizens was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The band’s music is perhaps best described as a fusion of the noisy jagged guitar of The Gang Of Four with electroclash melodies of The Faint.

2010 saw the release of What Model Citizens debut, semi self-titled, album OH What Model Citizens We Be, followed shortly by 2011′s You’ve Been Set Up. Both albums defined Musto’s sound as grinding juxtapositions of tender synthesizer tones and heavily distorted guitar that beg ears to dissect the layers of sound while daring hips not to shake to the beat. Gritty and driving, OH What Model Citizens We Be and You’ve Been Set Up introduced Musto’s reverb-laden guitar heavy electronic sound with a driving tenacity.

Described as a mad-man with a music box wielding and electric anarchist sound, Ohn E Ama scaptures captures Musto’s energetic fury in What Model Citizens’ third album. Sharp synth punctuations, frenzied beats, and an overbearing sense of paranoia permeate throughout What Model Citizens’ exciting new record. Wild and exhilarating, Ohn E Amas distills Musto’s unique electronic sound to a danceable storm and firmly places What Model Citizens in New York’s post-punk electroclash traditions. - Modern Mystery

Electro sensations, WHAT MODEL CITIZENS, have just premiered the new single, “Felony Heights,” via The Vinyl District earlier this week. The brainchild of Alex Musto, What Model Citizens has just released the album, Ohn E Amas, to the awaiting ears of fans and critics alike. The electro laced “Felony Heights,” is a vibrant taste of what the record has to offer.

What Model Citizens was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The band’s music is perhaps best described as a fusion of the noisy jagged guitar of The Gang Of Four with electroclash melodies of The Faint.

2010 saw the release of What Model Citizens debut, semi self-titled, album OH What Model Citizens We Be, followed shortly by 2011′s You’ve Been Set Up. Both albums defined Musto’s sound as grinding juxtapositions of tender synthesizer tones and heavily distorted guitar that beg ears to dissect the layers of sound while daring hips not to shake to the beat. Gritty and driving, OH What Model Citizens We Be and You’ve Been Set Up introduced Musto’s reverb-laden guitar heavy electronic sound with a driving tenacity.

Described as a mad-man with a music box wielding and electric anarchist sound, Ohn E Ama scaptures captures Musto’s energetic fury in What Model Citizens’ third album. Sharp synth punctuations, frenzied beats, and an overbearing sense of paranoia permeate throughout What Model Citizens’ exciting new record. Wild and exhilarating, Ohn E Amas distills Musto’s unique electronic sound to a danceable storm and firmly places What Model Citizens in New York’s post-punk electroclash traditions. - NeuFutur Magazine

My pal Alex Musto of What Model Citizens has a new video for the noise-pop song, “Coming for Me.” Loud, frenetic and awesome, I envision listening to this the next time I’m getting ready to go out. Also, this video shines. I heart the sci-fi, Twilight Zone vibe. - Music Crush Girl

What Model Citizens, the project of songwriter Alex Musto, was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The band’s music is perhaps best described as a fusion of the noisy jagged guitar of The Gang Of Four with electroclash melodies of The Faint.

2010 saw the release of What Model Citizens debut, semi self-titled, album OH What Model Citizens We Be, followed shortly by 2011’s You’ve Been Set Up. Both albums defined Musto’s sound as grinding juxtapositions of tender synthesizer tones and heavily distorted guitar that beg ears to dissect the layers of sound while daring hips not to shake to the beat. Gritty and driving, OH What Model Citizens We Be and You’ve Been Set Up introduced Musto’s reverb-laden guitar heavy electronic sound with a driving tenacity.

Described as a mad-man with a music box wielding and electric anarchist sound, Ohn E Amas captures Musto’s energetic fury in What Model Citizens’ third album. Sharp synth punctuations, frenzied beats, and an overbearing sense of paranoia permeate throughout What Model Citizens’ exciting new record. Wild and exhilarating, Ohn E Amas distills Musto’s unique electronic sound to a danceable storm and firmly places What Model Citizens in New York’s post-punk electroclash traditions. - Delusions of Adequacy

This is hands-down one of the most interesting things I’ve come across musically in a long time. What Model Citizens is a band from Brooklyn that centers around the electro, post-punk vision of Alex Musto. They’ve done a lot of different releases in the past that I unfortunately missed but, gratefully, I’ve found “Coming For Me”, their new single and music video. Mr. Musto described the video and its anxious feel in-depth at Dödselectro, but go ahead and take a look below and be sure to snag that free download further down. - HOF Is Better

Electroclash outfit, What Model Citizens have released a new video for their latest single, Coming For Me. The project consists of songwriter Alex Musto, and was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The video itself is quite odd and induces a sense of paranoia, but it’s definitely worth a watch and was shot at Bizarre Bar, Silent Barn, and various neighbourhoods around Brooklyn, NY. Coming For Me is the latest single in advance of a full-length album coming out later this fall. You can pick up his latest track along with the rest of his discography on What Model Citizens‘ Bandcamp page. - Lost In The Sound

What Model Citizens is a local electro-synth-y indie noise pop band. Did that make sense? 'Cause that's what they are... A convergence of several distinct styles. The brainchild of songwriter Alex Musto, WMC has released a new video for the single "Coming For Me". Effortlessly weird, almost gracefully strange, the video feels like an alternate remake of "Sunglasses at Night" (which I consider to be an awesome video BTW), co-starring The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Keep your eyes peeled for some of my favorite Myrtle J area haunts, Bar Bizarre and Silent Barn. Enjoy! - Hearts Bleed Radio

What Model Citizens, the project of songwriter Alex Musto, was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The band’s music is perhaps best described as a fusion of the noisy jagged guitar of The Gang Of Four with the electroclash melodies of The Faint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvx5S9DmL0s

2010 saw the release of What Model Citizens debut, semi self-titled, album OH What Model Citizens We Be, followed shortly by 2011’s You’ve Been Set Up. Both albums defined Musto’s sound as grinding juxtapositions of tender synthesizer tones and heavily distorted guitar that beg ears to dissect the layers of sound while daring hips not to shake to the beat. Gritty and driving, OH What Model Citizens We Be and You’ve Been Set Up introduced Musto’s reverb-laden guitar heavy electronic sound with a driving tenacity. - Skope

Sonically, San Francisco-based Spiro Agnew is somewhere in-between the fuzzed-out guitar noise rock of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the synth-pop of New Order, a hybrid between reverb-heavy music and electronica. Over the course of 2010, songwriter Alex Musto recorded its debut album “OH What Model Citizens We Be,” a mediation on love, politics, and the fiction in between. After gigging at SXSW, SOTR caught up with Musto via e-mail:

SOTR: In 10 words or fewer, describe Spiro Agnew’s sound without referencing other bands and music genres.

AM: Well sometimes it’s hard to come up with a concise explantion of how you sound. There can be such a difference in what you hear in your head and what’s actually there. I guess if pressed probably the best way to describe us, in 10 words or fewer, it would be: a wall of sound with a danceable groove. Alternatively we could go with a simultaneous assault on your hips and ears.

SOTR: When did you start playing music? Why did you start playing? What instruments can you play?

AM: Don’t all young men start playing music cause they think it will increase their chances of sleeping with someone? I suppose I technically started with the couple of years of piano lessons I had as an adolescent but that never really went anywhere. I picked up the guitar in college, as you do, and then started seriously playing after I graduated, busking very poorly. As far as what instruments I can play, truthfully I play nothing very well. I can pretend to play guitar, bass, and keys. I’m really good at making mistakes look good. Fake it till you make it, such is my motto.

SOTR: I understand you were previously a member of the noise-punk band, Vitiligo. Why did you start Spiro Agnew?

AM: Yeah that project sort of imploded. Let’s say there were irreconcilable differences. Towards the end of that project I was getting really frustrated administering so many peoples lives I really wanted to do something much simpler. I saw a couple shows of rock/electronic sounding bands using drum machines and said to myself that’s what I’m going to do.

SOTR: For those who are unfamiliar, who is Spiro Agnew? Why did you name this project after him?

AM: Well Spiro Agnew was Nixon’s first Vice-President who resigned in disgrace. He was the big firebrand of his time (you might say the Sarah Palin of the 60s and 70s) and an absolutely despicable person. A real divisive figure that stoked reactionary rage against the cultural changes. So the million dollar question, why are we named after him? Well his name really sounds like the name of a band. Also, I suppose the idea first came around when back in college I used to get together with some friends and make some excruciating atonal noise music and one of the names that project (if you could call it such) went under was Spiro Agnew. I resurrected it for this project because as I was writing the album I realized that I was drawing a lot of inspiration from the frightening divisive nature (a little ominous in light of recent events) of our present politics. I tend to work out anxieties in my writing and that was causing a lot of uneasiness. Plus, his name really does sound like a band name.

SOTR: What are you working on now? Any upcoming releases? What should be we be expecting from Spiro Agnew next?

AM: Well with an album and several shows under the belt it’s about time to move on to the next thing. I’ve begun recording the next set of songs for an upcoming release. I’m hoping to have it out by May. We’ve got several shows planned around the Bay Area.

SOTR: Any last words?

AM: Uhhh…. this is not a pipe. - Sick of the Radio

What Model Citizens, the project of songwriter Alex Musto, was created towards the end of 2009 as a means of exploring noise and feedback-heavy music grounded by a foundation in synth-rock. The band’s music is perhaps best described as a fusion of the noisy jagged guitar of The Gang Of Four with the electroclash melodies of The Faint.2010 saw the release of What Model Citizens debut, semi self-titled, album OH What Model Citizens We Be, followed shortly by 2011’s You’ve Been Set Up. Both albums defined Musto’s sound as grinding juxtapositions of tender synthesizer tones and heavily distorted guitar that beg ears to dissect the layers of sound while daring hips not to shake to the beat. Gritty and driving, OH What Model Citizens We Be and You’ve Been Set Up introduced Musto’s reverb-laden guitar heavy electronic sound with a driving tenacity.
Coming for Me marks the release of What Model Citizens latest single in advance of a full-length album later this fall. A faster, more aggressive, beat than previous tracks, Coming for Me drives with along with sharp synth punctuations and an overbearing sense of paranoia. Accompanied with a video, shot by Brooklyn film collective Nerd Rage Films, Coming for Me places What Model Citizens firmly in the traditions of New York electroclash. - Delusions of Adequacy

“I love the sound of our next artist, who I'm quite sure are a local here in NY but then again I may be wrong. I don't have a ton of information about the band. I do know their name. They are Spiro Agnew named, yes, for the Vice-President of the U.S from the 70s. Great CD called "OH What Model Citizens We Be" was released earlier this year.” - Radio Crystal Blue

There was a three-band show last Wednesday at Kimos, though the word didn't get out very well -- they played to an audience of about ten, and I'm including the mascaraed door guy.

An evening of two-piece bands, the first was synth-and-guitar duo Spiro Agnew, my favorite act of the evening (and the band that brought at least eight of the ten folks in attendance). Layered on top of an upbeat drum machine (running off a lap-top) were vocals that ranged from despondent to angsty, accompanied by distorted, droning guitar and synthetic tones and chimes throughout. Lyrically, Spiro Agnew eschews a distaste for modern culture and sympathy for the helpless individual trapped within.

Take their song "Desert of the Real," named after the most famous line in Simulacra and Simulation, a philosophical treatise by Jean Baudrillard. In a nutshell, Baudrillard claims that human society is a simulation of reality, not reality itself. That's the kind of angst that drips from Spiro Agnew, a beat you can dance to but lyrics that make you feel lonely (e.g. "there's something dead inside me, but I know it's alright") and dissonant chords and keys that make you feel lost. I can really get behind pretentious music like that, and so I had a blast. You should check them out for yourself on June 16th, again at Kimos. - The Deli Magazine

What's the meaning behind the band's name?
Well Spiro Agnew was at first kind of a hold over from when I used to make a bunch of shrill noise with some friends in college. We used to get together and abuse the hell out of instruments for shits and giggles and one of the names we referred to ourselves as was Spiro Agnew. Those gatherings were never much more the messing around but I held on to the name, resurrecting it for this project. As I wrote the album I began to realize how relevant the name was becoming as the songs really seemed steeped in political concepts.

How did the band started??
For most of 2009 I was spearheading a noise-punk band called vitiligo. We struggled with repeated line-up changes, strong egos, and admittedly (with reluctant hindsight) probably a mediocre sound. Towards the tail end of the band I began conceptualizing noise-infused electronic music and when that band met its end I turned my full attention to the new project, Spiro Agnew. After writing and recording several songs I was able to recruit one of the former vitiligo members, Zach Reitman, to join me for most of the live performances.

What's the message to transmit with your music??
I don't generally write towards a specific theme. A lot of the time it doesn't occur to me what a song is about until after it's recorded. I like dealing with ambiguities and I tend to work out my anxieties in my writing. For this particular album a lot of those anxieties seemed to focus around our alarmingly divisive political climate.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??
Generally, I find myself lying on my back in my living room drinking beer and plucking my guitar till an idea comes. It's certainly the least flattering image you could conjure, especially considering I'll usually lie there in my underwear, but it seems to work.

Who are your music influences??
I'd like to think I take influence from a wide variety of music; gathering beats, melody and lyrical ideas from a lot of different styles. That could just be bullshit pretension to say that but there might be some truth in it. I was listening to a lot of Handsome Furs while working on this album, maybe that had an effect.

What plans do you guys have for the future??
It certainly couldn't hurt to get signed, or at the very minimum someone to handle the administrative end. My kingdom for a PR department. Otherwise, we're focused on gigging regularly, playing out of town when we can and hopefully finding more people who like our music.

Which has been the greatest day in the band?
One time we got drunk in a park... That was fun.

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??
The guitarist and I of vitiligo used to have an ongoing joke, that we often shared with the audience, that the bassist had raped the drummer. Nobody ever really thought that was funny. We seemed to have a fairly awful sense of humor.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
Surely I would be the one sent for help, it's my lot in life to do so. Considering that would leave Zach behind I'd come back and eat his corpse... or maybe just pee on it.

What are your hobbies?
I've been fixing an old motorcycle for several years. Just got back from a trip to the East Coast, where it lives, where it finally got to the point where it may be drive-able.

Which country you guys would love to play?
Probably Spain or England.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??
I'd have killed to play with The Clash or Joy Division. For now it'd be great to open for !!!, Low or maybe And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?
Yeah. If it continues like this maybe, just maybe, someone will sign our asses. - Vents Magazine

San Francisco’s Spiro Agnew took the stage next donning two laptops, guitar, and an extra keyboard for good measure. The electro drums laid down the beat for the three members to perform over, culminating in some noisy cross section between Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and New Order. They were celebrating the release of a new CD, Oh What Model Citizens We Be on Tough Sluts Records. - The Deli Magazine

OH What Model Citizens We Be is angsty and nostalgic. Many tracks are introduced by (and sometimes layered over) audio clips from political rallies and interviews from the 70’s, mostly consisting of diatribes against hippy culture by political figures. Vocals are sung over electronic beats, simple keys, and distorted guitar. The album is at its best when these elements come together in ways that grab the listener’s attention and subsequently expand into emotional payoff. “John Kennedy’s Dead” has compelling tempo changes in-between verses and a more complex beat, and the following track “Guns in Town” has some of the best singing on the album, strangely muted and in contrast to the sharp, swelling sounds of the guitar and keyboard. - The Deli Magazine