Model Citizens

A short-lived new wave band from New York City, Model Citizens created an arty, energetic sound dominated by choppy rhythms, a precise instrumental approach, theatrical vocals, and songs that owed more to art music than the punk sounds then flourishing at CBGB. Active between 1978 and 1979, the Model Citizens managed to attract the attention of both Philip Glass and John Cale with their stylish, challenging music, and the members would go on to perform in other influential and well-regarded New York groups. Model Citizens' official discography amounted to a single four-song EP issued in 1979; these studio recordings were combined with unreleased live recordings for the 2023 compilation NYC 1978-1979. Model Citizens was formed in 1978 by four students at the Graduate School of Fine Arts at New York's Columbia University. Guitarist and singer Tomek Lamprecht was an immigrant from Poland, singer and percussionist Gloria Richards had grown up in Oregon and Japan, singer, violinist, and keyboard player Eugenie Diserio hailed from the suburbs of New York, and Steven Alexander, who handled guitar, keys, percussion, and vocals, came to the big city from West Texas. As the four began comparing notes on their musical ideas, they put together a band that fed on the energy of rock & roll while incorporating elements of minimalism and experimental music, with cyclical rhythms, fragmented melodies, and vocals that were by turns deadpan and wildly theatrical. As the four musicians began rehearsing, they realized they needed a solid rhythm section, and they recruited a pair of adventurous rock musicians in bassist Billy Robertson and drummer Robert Medici. With the men rescuing vintage suits from thrift stores and the women designing and constructing their own stage clothes, Model Citizens looked and sounded smart and expressive, and one of their most celebrated performances was at an event at Carnegie Hall, where the program included appearances by minimalist composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, a program of works by John Cage, and a set from John Cale accompanied by special guest David Bowie. Model Citizens' unique sound earned them notices in the local media, and they performed regularly at some of New York's most celebrated underground venues, including Max's Kansas City, Hurrah, and CBGB. In 1977, John Cale had launched an independent label, Spy Records, and in 1979 he signed Model Citizens to his roster. With Cale as producer, the group recorded a four-song 7" EP, 1979's Shift the Blame, and the disc was well-received by critics, with Warner Bros. rumored to be signing the band and having them cut an album. The deal didn't pan out though and by the end of 1979, Model Citizens split up, as the members moved on to other projects. Eugenie Diserio and Steven Alexander formed a no wave group called the Dance, who released a pair of albums (1981's In Lust and 1982's Soul Force) and backed pre-teen art-punk singer Chandra. Tomek Lamprecht teamed with Gloria Richards in a group called 2Yous, and he went on to a solo career in electronic music. Billy Robertson became a founding member of Polyrock, who signed with RCA and cut a pair of albums produced by Philip Glass. Robert Medici became a respected journeyman musician, working on-stage and in the studio with John Cale, Lou Reed, Roger Daltrey, Klaus Nomi, and Five for Fighting. In 2023, after decades out of print, the Shift the Blame EP was reissued as part of the collection NYC 1978-1979, which along with the studio EP included 12 additional songs from live appearances in New York City.
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