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SOME REVIEWS OF "PHYSICAL""The word "unique" is used too easily when describing singers. It seems that "unique" is just a better spin on "abrasive," "annoying," or "hard to connect with." It's been ages since I've heard a voice that is both unique and engaging, but lead singer Markie of The Model is the possessor of this kind of voice. As I listened to "Physical," I thought he might be the jaguar/hound dog cousin of a David Bowie/Grace Jones lovechild. His slinky, growling, sometimes androgynous delivery drips with expression and yearning. Of his style, Markie says he internalized all the background music from the '80s and combined this with heavy influences from Kraftwork and Daft Punk. "Physical" showcases Markie's vocal depth on a frolic through outright dance-pop to trashy S&M fashion show soundtrack.
Opener "What Does It Look Like I'm Doing" is a refreshingly original take on the dance/electro feel with a pumping beat that is ethereal and powerful at the same time. The elements are all here - shimmering, heady synths fill the upper spectrum while gritty bass and thumping kick drum deliver down low, leaving Markie free to lay waste to the entire mid-range with hishi-fashion crooning. "Physical" hits its high point on "I Won't Be Hanging Out Anymore," with Markie's dangerously seductive growls tying together a slightly disorienting assault of swirling synths. Track three, "Do You Believe In Angels?," has the strongest hook on the album; the song is full of emotion and reflection.
After showing off their pop sensibilities in the opening third of the album, The Model moves on to explore a wider range of electronic songsmithery. There's plenty of synth wizardry to keep the tech-heads happy (The Model runs their live drum machines through a VHS machine for a vintage sound). With a giant stash of analog equipment, the textures are rich and constantly developing. The songs on the back half stay consistent within themselves rather than adhering to pop structure. If the front end is a glitzy '80s throwback party, the back half is the crisp, cool convertible ride through an endless urban trance-scape afterward.
Markie emphasizes the importance of vocal melodies in his songs. The bubbling, swirling, blazing synths have to know their role - the vocal is what carries the song, and it's what people connect with. In the case of The Model, it feels like you are indulging rather than listening. The rich darkness of the Philadelphia-based trio will have you reaching for your bowl of 72% dark chocolate or your zestiest Zinfandel. The Model is paired perfectly with steamy after parties, questionable motives, and the strange vagaries of urban life in the 21st century. 'A'." Noah, PLUG-IN MUSIC"Late to the party, but what an entrance.?As the opening synths of "What Does It Look Like I'm Doing?" drop into arpeggiated spirals and emotionally wrenched vocals, it's clear this Philly outfit knows its way around the resurgent synth-pop blueprint. Filled with layers of over-the-top catchy synth hooks to match the overwrought vocals occasionally indulging in falsettos, The Model's debut disc sounds like a lost '80s treasure. But it's not a one-note revival; "Immigrant" takes on the slinky grind of early Nine Inch Nails, and "Cowboys" looks to early techno. This band is starting in the past, and there's room to grow." Remix Magazine"The slick, stylish pop of Philadelphia electronic trio The Model is just as aesthetically pleasing as any of the long-legged, platinum-haired human mannequins that wander freely outside our Beverly Hills office though not nearly vacant as you'd presume those vixens would be. J Buz, Johnny, and Markie craft life-sized hooks over gently strobing instrumentals that will stick in your head longer than the hottest image in your favorite maternity wear catalog. Their debut record Physical possesses a very fitting title; this is music that is hard not to react physically to, inciting impromptu dance parties, orgies, and head-bobbing sessions across the land. "Do You Believe in Angels?" is just a slice of this promising band's infectious blend of anthemic melodies, dancefloor-ready beats, lovesick vocals, and shimmering synthwork." URB Magazine"The Model = The Faint + She Wants Revenge + INXS. The groove of this record makes me want to direct The Model’s music videos with leather-clad, 80s rock-gods like icon Michael Hutchinson (INXS) staring into the camera and singing/whispering with eyes as intense as their motive for creating music. You can picture it, can’t you? The motive in the case of The Model (frontman Markie and keyboardists Ziggy, Jason, Johnny) began as a semi-annual philosophic-pop-costume party in Philadelphia—where it’s always sunny. Today, The Model is exactly as their name implies: a perfect example for dance parties they (and Girl Talk) have made infamous by mixing their own synth-noise into sexy, 80s, I-am-who-I-am-movie-attitude, like their anthem “I Won’t Be Hanging Out Anymore.” They play new-wave synth very well, blending that style with modern techno effects and beats for hopeful romantics (or those just swaying alone), like the Simple Minds-influenced “Do You Believe In Angels?” Markie’s deep, haunted vocals are similar to Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), only lacking the self-loathing which is replaced with a becoming maturity. Expect to hear The Model at every club/dance party this next year." Slug Magazine"Stop-the-presses-level radio-techno from Philadelphia, but that’s how good those bands have to be, what with top-dog record labels Metropolis and Dancing Ferret running the show in that town. From the start of the LP these guys prove themselves, with “What Does It Look Like I’m Doing?,” a rapturous foray into what INXS might have sounded like today after a weekend spent binging on Kraftwerk. Fractals swoop in and around the heavy-lidded vocals of Markie, his role in the mix laid slightly bare by what must have been a budget not exactly envied by Ne-Yo, but that makes it a little more 80s, which is in part the game here. But before you run away screaming, know that these guys aren’t a bunch of goobs sitting around trying to get the 80s vibe intravenously from a steady diet of Molly Ringwald vidiot schlock; although there are astoundingly catchy runs buzzing all over the place, the aesthetic template of the core sound might get the seal of approval of a more sentient house guy, say, Deadmau5. At this writing I’m not seeing this on Amazon as yet – it’d be tragic if this never got some sort of wide release." Glide Magazine
[scroll down the "rewind" page to find our cover of "wicked game"]download the Steven Bloodbath + JerraVoid "Get Physical Mix"
