March 6, 2020

The Mod Violets’ self-titled CD brims with sharp-angled, guitar-driven melodies and reflective lyrics veiled in an aura of psychedelia. The band name signals an era—could The Mod Violets have been a group from mid-’60s London, tinted with Edwardian nostalgia? At moments they sort of sound that way. At others, the precise origins of their music are more allusive.

The Mod Violets are a reunion for Mark Lonteen (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Mike Hartwig (lead guitar, vocals). After playing together in the ’60s-pop influenced Loons, they parted ways in the ’90s and eventually went silent. Lonteen and Hartwig regrouped in 2018 to write and record. Their first new song, “Because She Could,” is the least characteristic of the album—it could be a lost number from Buddy Holly’s catalogue—but lends a note of contrast to the otherwise yearning harmonies and minor keys. – David Luhrssen

Silk Torpedo is a trashy glitter proto-punk rock & roll band featuring the work of 1970s artists such as T Rex, Mott the Hoople, Bowie, New York Dolls, the Stooges, Aerosmith, Slade, Sweet, and others.