The Beat Goes On, the sophomore album from Atlanta’s The Modern Society, is a succinct 35 minutes of foot-stomping, hand-clapping rock n’roll. Written in the band’s practice space – a whitewashed barn surrounded by cattle, nestled in a valley between the Georgia hills north of Atlanta – the album pulses with working class fervor and impeccable style, all anchored by frontman Brown’s winsome sand-papered howl. The Beat Goes On is both immediately engaging (just try to sit still and not sing along) & rewarding upon listen after listen.

Formed three years ago by Brown and Bence over shared mu... (+) expand

The Beat Goes On, the sophomore album from Atlanta’s The Modern Society, is a succinct 35 minutes of foot-stomping, hand-clapping rock n’roll. Written in the band’s practice space – a whitewashed barn surrounded by cattle, nestled in a valley between the Georgia hills north of Atlanta – the album pulses with working class fervor and impeccable style, all anchored by frontman Brown’s winsome sand-papered howl. The Beat Goes On is both immediately engaging (just try to sit still and not sing along) & rewarding upon listen after listen.

Formed three years ago by Brown and Bence over shared musical passions & a glass of whiskey, The Modern Society came together like a big bang of the right place & the right time. The two had first met while playing in different area bands and when they joined up, they immediately began finishing each other’s songs. Bence knew Martin and Carter since high school, where they’d all met through their various bands, and he brought them to play one night. Ask Brown how it all came together and he can’t really explain…they simply met & practiced together only once to discover it felt like they’d known each other their entire lives…it was just magic. After demoing five songs and sharing them online to a good response, the band booked their first show with no expectations only to have close to 400 kids show up to hear them. By their third show The Modern Society was nominated for a few Atlanta Music Guide awards & shortly thereafter entered the studio to record their debut.

The making of 2005’s Friend and Enemies, recorded in Atlanta with local producer Danny Howes, proved to be a frenzied process for the young band. Taking out a loan and cribbing together studio time in between their day jobs, the band members tracked their different parts individually, rarely with another band member in the room. Regardless, The Modern Society soldiered on to craft a winning first album that, by self-releasing on iTunes, earned them enough money to buy a van and hit the road.

After touring the Midwest and Southeast for the better part of a year – including a stop at Milwaukee’s Summerfest – the band played a month-long residency in Chicago before heading home to Atlanta to write new songs. Somewhere in between writing, more touring, road trips across the U.S. and some time spent in Europe, the band uploaded the video for a new song, “Black Daisies,” to the Music Nation site. Catching the eye of Original Signal Recordings, Music Nation’s sister company and label, the band was chosen as the winner of Music Nation’s online rock competition. The Modern Society signed to OSR and headed to Los Angeles to record their second album.

With producer Stacy Jones (American Hi-Fi singer/guitarist; producer of Towers Of London, Low vs Diamond, Plain White T’s) manning the controls, The Beat Goes On was recorded in a whirlwind three weeks consisting of a hotel with a tree growing through its lobby (the Bevonshire), Hite beer, Willie Chambers at The Kibitz Room, and The DeathStar (the studio, not the spaceship). The resultant ten songs depict rebellious young love, the need for escape, and the weary loneliness that can come with youth – all sprinkled with a distinctive Southern grit. From the anthemic chorus of “Matinee,” to the sexy, bluesy stomp of “Paper Moon” or the wistful “History,” The Beat Goes On is a retro-inspired modern classic. By the time album closer “Mona Lisa” begins, with its wall-of-sound guitars and rallying cry, don’t be surprised to find yourself ready to hit repeat and listen to The Modern Society all over again. (-) collapse