The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers were a proto-punk band in the early 1970's, considered to have been highly influential on the rock landscape of the ensuing decade. After the band's break-up, bandleader Jonathan Richman recycled the name for later bands in the 1970s and 1980s, which included none of the original members.

Fast Facts

Origin: Natick, Massachusetts
Years Active: 1970 - 1973, 1976 - 1988 (as Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers)
Record Label: Warner Bros Records
Discography

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Legacy

Though responsible for only one LP, the Modern Lovers are considered one of the most influential bands of the 1970s. The self-titled album—recorded in 1972 by John Cale of the Velvet Underground—was shelved for four years, but still sounded ahead of its time upon its 1976 release. The album had a profound influence on the punk movement, particularly The Sex Pistols, whose brash simplicity echoed the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner," and Elvis Costello, whose straight-laced misfit persona seemed to emulate that of Richman, circa '72. "Roadrunner" is the band's signature tune, but the entire album was influential, including the track "I'm Straight," which oddly prefigures Minor Threat's "Straight Edge" by a decade.

Band Members

Richman, who played guitar and sang, went on to record as a solo artist, according to his own uniquely childlike and sentimental vision. But he is not the only member of the band to earn notoriety elsewhere. Keyboardist Jerry Harrison would go on to form Talking Heads and guitarist John Felice is known for his Boston punk rock band, The Real Kids.

Categories

Entertainment | Music | Punk | Indie | New Wave

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: The Modern Lovers | Jonathan Richman
Profile: The Modern Lovers
Biography: The Modern Lovers
Album Review: The Modern Lovers | Buy
Fan Site: The Modern Lovers
Article: "The Modern Lovers: Despite All the Amputations" (2002)
Video: "She Cracked"

The Modern Lovers News and Gossip

Variety: "Rocker Richman Sues Label" (2005)
The Sunday Telegraph: "A Short History on the Perverse Path of Punk" (2004)
Rough Guides Music: "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" (1999)
The Washington Post: "Richman and the Modern Lovers" (1976)
Google News Archive Search: The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Music and MP3s

Yahoo! Music: The Modern Lovers Downloads
Rhapsody Online: The Modern Lovers
MP3Sparks: The Modern Lovers
iTunes: The Modern Lovers
Hype Machine: The Modern Lovers
SeeqPod: The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Photos

Google Image Search: The Modern Lovers
Live Search Images: The Modern Lovers
MoreThings.com: Jonathan Richman's Lovelorn Troubadour Photo Gallery
Last.fm: The Modern Lovers
Snap Image Search: The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Videos

YouTube & Google Video Search: The Modern Lovers
YouTube: "Modern World"
YouTube: "Roadrunner"
YouTube: "Astral Plane"
YouTube: "Pablo Picasso"

The Modern Lovers Lyrics, Tabs and Chords

911Tabs: Modern Lovers Tabs
Lyrics Mania: The Modern Lovers
CraveOnline: The Modern Lovers
Chordie.com: The Modern Lovers
Lyrics and Chords: The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Profiles

MySpace: The Modern Lovers | Jonathan Richman
allmusic: The Modern Lovers
Yahoo! Music: The Modern Lovers
Last.fm: The Modern Lovers
VH1.com: Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Biographies, Articles, and Blogs

allmusic: The Modern Lovers Biography
Last.fm: The Modern Lovers Biography
Pitchfork Album Review: The Modern Lovers
Wilson & Allroy's Record Reviews: Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers
Flowering Toilet: The Original Modern Lovers (2007)
Guardian Unlimited: "The Car, the Radio, the Night--and Rock's Most Thrilling Song" (2007)
MOG: The Modern Lovers
Boston Rock Storybook: Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers Merchandise

Amazon.com: The Modern Lovers
CD Universe: The Modern Lovers
eBay: The Modern Lovers
Overstock.com: The Modern Lovers

Similar Artists

Last.fm: Similar to The Modern Lovers
Yahoo! Music: Similar to The Modern Lovers
Music-Map: Similar to The Modern Lovers

Related Pages on Mahalo

Talking Heads | The Sex Pistols | New York Dolls | David Robinson | Talking Heads | The Cars | Velvet Underground | Television | Wire | Jonathan Richman | Jerry Harrison | Richard Hell | Son of Rambow Soundtrack

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