The Agenda!

Raw, raunchy, and almost embarrassingly self-assured, The Agenda pick up where the garage and Mod bands of the Sixties left off, and then jump ahead to heady days of late ’70s/early ’80s punk rock, for a great mix on their debut full-length Start The Panic (Kindercore; streetdate October 8th, 2002).

But, lead singer Justin wants to stress, The Agenda is not some sort of Mod revival band. "We're not a garage revival band either, we're Mod-core, a mix between mod rock and hardcore (punk rock)."

Fueled by an intoxicating blend of distorted guitars, pounding rhythms, a wailing organ and J.R. Suicide's urgent vocals, The Agenda truly represent the best of these divergent musical worlds. Bringing together the Mod's sense of R&B history and rock n' roll style with hardcore's drive, fury, and ethos.

Who better to capture that sound during three quick days in Athens' Chase Park Studio than former Sugar bassist Dave Barbe, a man who knows a thing or two about working his magic around noise. Even if, as Justin claims, "recording with Dave is kinda like recording with your dad," it's hard to argue with the results.

A licentious tribute to rock's holy trinity of sex, rock and roll and more sex, Start The Panic, is more than just a nod to the past, it stands as the aural embodiment of The Agenda's mission statement, which reads: "Boredom is the rock that smashes the window of creative thought! We combat the boredom the only way we know how; with the power of Young Lust & Rock N' Roll!"

A-men, Agenda, let the Mod-core initiation begin.