ModRoc

This band is great switch from the common bands we review here on ModRoc. Bringing back the classic Alternative / Rock band, Buck Cherry is a nice listen for almost any Rock fan. This band came to being the the mid nineties and played events such as Woodstock 1999. They broke up in 2002 only to have the 2 lead members, Josh Todd and Keith Nelson, restart the band yet again in 2005 after the 2 noticed a new vibe while they were performing on the Ontario Live 8 stage. Currently popular on  mainstream rock radio stations, Buck Cherry’s hits Everything and  Crazy Bitch, have a heavy, driving rhythm that draw’s the listener into the song.  I haven’t found many hard rocking bands that can easily pull me in.   All in all,  Buck Cherry is making a great come back.  I look foreword to future albums and to see the evolution of such a great band.

Well, this probably not a band you would expect us to review here on ModRoc, but here we are. In 2000 Good Charlotte put out their first, self titled, album. Their song, “Little things,” was an instant hit throughout the US, first played by a now non-existent Philadelphia radio station, Y100.

This quick popularity elevated this small town band to MTV popularity status in a very short period of time. Living off of this quick popularity, the band began to tour and eventually worked on a second album. This album was not nearly as popular as their first, still of course having their MTV hits but nothing close to that national following as their first album. Again, in 2004 they tanked out with another album that had one or two mtv hits but that was it. In the past few years GC has been now where to be found, playing mostly over seas, where their music is much more openly supported.

Apparently they’ve been working on new songs, and a new style. Through listening to this new cd and comparing it to their older works, I’ve noticed a modernization of their Pop-Punk style. With so many Emo, Alternative, and Indie bands hitting it big, it seems as though GC has tried to tie in styles seen in these other genres.

Their new album goes on sale tomorrow and it’s a big improvement over the most recent work.   They’re sure to get some MTV hits out of this, but will they be able to reach the same teenage crowd they captivated years ago?

Well, as many of you know, we at ModRoc, usually do not like to review “popular” bands. We prefer smaller, “up-and-coming” bands. This band hit it off a few years ago with Sugar We’re Going Down but that was the extent of their outbreak. As with many bands, their first single was plastered all over TV and radio and quickly everyone was sick of it. Don’t get us started on their last album, how many songs were exactly the same but with different lyrics and changing the chord progression slightly?

So recently we were given the opportunity to preview their new album, Infinity On High. Going into expecting very little, we barely paid attention through the first batch of songs. 3 songs into it, we realized, this is pretty good and original. As we got deeper into the CD, Fall Out Boy seemed to have come up with a brand new style and mixed it with their old style. Every single song is different and has a catchy tune. It seems the band wanted to evolve from pop listeners to an alternative listeners, and largely succeeded. In fact, they’re featured on the cover of Alternative Press for February. (more…)

To start off the new year, we have a great new band hitting up ModRoc. A newcomer to the top 10 alternative rock bands on myspace, this band is going to hit it big. Something Corporate fans should find this band very pleasing. Calling home to Westchester, NY, this band has begun touring around the east coast, mostly playing coffee shops and universities.

Don’t let that sway your judgment on this band; their pure music is extremely easy to listen to and will leave you wanting to hear more. Their song These are the Nights has already been featured on Laguna Beach.  Most likely we’ll see this band open up for a few other bands such as My Chemical Romance within a year and eventually they will be on a movie sound track.

They’re a good band to take a listen to and their purevolume page has quite a few song downloads.  Take a listen to them in the tunefeed on the right side of screen. (Just hit the play button and they should be first!)

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If you enjoy some good down to earth rock music, with an semi Emo style, then this bands for you. Since they call Saint John, NB home, you probably won’t be hearing much from them. Instead of playing concerts around the US and touring they prefer to stay in their hometown and support local music. They are not signed to a major label which allows them to accomplish this.

Theres not too much else you can say about this band. Take a listen, their song is in the tunefeed on the right. I really enjoy the way they write their songs with all sorts of styles for which I don’t even know the names of.

All in all, 16th Avenue seems like a band that we could see on the warp tour or something similar in the future.

The format is one of the more well known bands I’ll be reviewing on ModRoc. This band has been around for quite some time and has some amazing music. Their latest album adds to their great library of albums, out just a few months ago. Now this band has had a tough ride. Most bands don’t survive being dropped by their label, but being dropped twice and surviving? That’s nearly unheard of. After Atlantic Records dropped them, they received many offers from other main labels, but declined all so that they would not be forced to stick to the production rules of mainstream labels, allowing them to create a very dynamic and sweet sounding album.Previously having a sound of a more rock Ben Folds, their latest album combines a unique sound difficult to describe with the Beatles. Some songs in this genre have a lame, boring sound, but most The Format’s songs grab your attention and hold it through the entire song. All in all, The Format is a nice band to cheer you up. Their sound is very memorable and is a very good listen.

Take a listen to them at or
Latest Album: Life as an Adict Label: Resonant Recording (Self-Produced)

After a long hiatus, we’re back. We’ve been having problems with our hosts but we are now setup with a brand new host, and should be set for awhile. Thanks for staying tuned! Now to the music!

If you listen to WMMR here in Philadelphia, you most likely have either heard some of their songs on the radio or heard of local concerts with them performing. After only 3 years after performing their first major show as a band, they’ve come a long way. In 2004, the band had two of their songs selected to be on the soundtrack to cruel intentions 3. This major break for the band allowed them to widen their fan base, creating a surge of record sales and performances in some of the best venues on the east coast.

Their sound is sweet, but has a great alternative drive to it (take a listen to “Don’t Lie Down” by using the player on the right side of your screen). Their lyrics are well thought out, along with all of the musical pieces that combine to form a song. I feel this band is a prime example of mainstream alternative rock who knows how to put on a fantastic show for it’s crowds, performing almost every night to sold out shows.

Take a listen to them at or
Latest Album:Sampler, Volume One Label: Unsigned

Welcome to ModRoc. Today, September 1st 2006, is our official first day open. Why don’t we get started by how this works! Almost daily, I will post about new and upcoming bands making it big. Above, you can see pictures, clicking on the pictures makes them larger. When enlarged, click on the left or right sides of the picture to move through the group of pics. Also, when possible, we’ll post sound clips of songs which you can listen to by clicking the play button, like above. Any suggestions would be greatly appriciated, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Modroc Staff

For the first official post to ModRoc, I decided to write about a local band from my hometown. This band, although local, is known all over the Philadelphia region by teens as being an amazing band, both live and recorded. Capitol Risk mold together sounds from Mae, Jimmy Eat World, and obviously many other rock and non-rock influences. In my book, this band is a true winner and it should not be long before they have a recording contract.

Had I not lived in this area and never met a few of the members of the band, I probably would’ve never guessed they were just teenagers. Their crisp lyrics, sweet harmony, tight guitar and perfectly fitting drums grasp the listener into the music.

This band had a big break lately, being able to play at one of the tour stops of the Warped Tour here in PA. Honestly, I’d give this band 2 years till they hit it big. All the guys in this band have a big future ahead of them.

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Take a listen to them at or
Latest Album: Under the Influence of Giants Label: Island Def Jam

From the Producers over at Island Def Jam comes another wacky indie band. Sometimes know as just The Giants this band creates a mix of a classic beatles sound with a more mordern pop sound. Yet still this can not fully describe their type of music. To truely understand their style you must listen at least 3 of their songs… then maybe, just maybe, you can get a jist of their musical standing.The Giants hit the major label scene recently, scoring “big” deals with MTV and other networks for promotion of their latest hit, Mama’s Room. If you havn’t gotten a chance to check out their music video, keep an eye out (all the youtube, etc.. versions of it have been taken down). Just the name of the song alone reminds me of Stacy’s Mom.

This band has something different that makes them stand out, and that is exactly why a label like Island Def Jam would sign them so quickly. Like William Hung and the other’s before him, the Major labels will squeeze all the $$ out of them until theres no more, leaving them and their music in the dust. Nonetheless, whatever their reign may be, this band currently captivates us with a video of psychadelic lights and almost too sweet sounding music for us to enjoy.