Favorite Jello Flavors At the Pfoho Dining Hall

In any case, those who missed Battle of the Bands or failed to give it up and get down for all the competitors have a chance to redeem themselves. All four of the battling bands can be seen this weekend as ARTS FIRST takes over. For your stimulation, we offer you profiles on last week's stars. Who?Wha?Huh? It's all here: learn the truth behind the Mode Mode's spastic onstage hijinks! 98%--exactly how funky are they? discover the double life of Putney Swope, folksters by day and thrashing mod-rockers by night! and finally, an interview with usagipop--mp3s included!

Christian Rudder for the Mode Mode

WHO?: The Mode Mode is Justin Rice '99 (guitar, vocals), Christian Rudder '98 (keyboards) and Tim Farrington '01 (drums)

SAY WHAT?: "Well, we started out calling ourselves Depeche Mode. As you can imagine, there was trouble. Mode Mode was the logical improvement."

THE SOUNDS: Last Friday's fast-forward performance could be described as twitch pop with a bit of punk thrust. Rudder says, "We don't like to talk about our music. We believe a band should be seen and not heard."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: "After a drunken debacle of a first show, in which Christian had to punch Justin in the stomach, we decided we needed drums to hold everything together. Tim, then (and still, really) a hotshot freshman, was pinned down in the Science Center and handed a tape. There was nothing else he could do but join."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "Since everyone seemed sort of bored and unhappy, it was many ways an ideal crowd. There was no way we could ruin anyone's night." Mode Mode was second runner-up.

CRIMSON SAYS: MOST FUN!

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: "As for jello, we prefer pudding. Or putty. Or ointment. Color doesn't matter, we believe it's the person inside that counts."

WHERE?!?: Playing Friday, May 7 at 7:30 at the Holyoke Outside Stage.

Neal Padte and Dorian Ramirez for 98%

WHO?: 98% is Rebeca Salmon (vocals, senior at Boston University), Neal Padte (alto sax, junior at BU), Dorian Ramirez '99 (tenor sax), Jeff Weinshenker '00 (trumpet), Annie Durston '01 (keyboard), Eliot Wadsworth '00 (guitar), Brett Sherman '00 (a.k.a. Sherm, a.k.a. Shermy, bass), Michael Blaugrund '00 (drums, percussion, back-up vocals, turntables, sitar).

SAY WHAT?: Padte: "We are named after one of the best sax players of all time--Maceo Parker. He began his career as the saxophonist within James Brown's horn section (the JB's). In his solo career, he always claims his music is 2% jazz, and 98% funky stuff."

THE SOUNDS: Ramirez: "Our main influences are Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and other assorted Motown and R&B greats. We are currently playing songs by these artists and Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, among others." Padte: "We've been working on originals, but currently we do not have any completed."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: Ramirez: "The band has been around for four years.... We are an evolving group, picking up new members each year." Padte: "We have played a variety of performances, including the Hasty Pudding Man and Woman of the Year events for the past 3 years."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 98% grooved the audience out of their seats and onto the dance floor, even earning a call for an encore. 98% was winner of the Battle of the Bands.

CRIMSON SAYS: GREATEST HITS

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: Padte: "Jello isn't the favorite of some members of the band; chocolate is popular though."

WHERE?!?: Saturday, May 8 in the Currier House Courtyard. E-mail blaugrun@fas for updates.

Aileen Brophy for Putney Swope

WHO?: Putney Swope is Aileen Brophy '00 (guitar), Raegan Hicks '00 (bass), Courtney Ellis '00 (vocals) and Adams Rackes '02 (drums).

SAY WHAT?: "Putney Swope has a nice ring to it. We got it from the movie of the same name...people always mispronounce it, though (Putney Swoop, Puppy Smoke, etc.)."

THE SOUNDS: Frenetic and energetic, Putney Swope is described in the ARTS FIRST '99 Guide as "post-punk, mod-rock" or alternatively, by Brophy, as "our own special brand of laid-back adult contemporary folk-rock."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: "Putney Swope has existed since spring of last year, with another drummer (John Reuland '00) and a keyboardist (Doug Muller '00).... Then we all lived together in a house last summer in Allston, and played shows in our basement. It was all very Real World. Then John went to England for a semester and Adams (who we also knew through WHRB) took his place. Then all the Voltron lions were in place..."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "You could hear the crickets chirping, but we didn't mind."

CRIMSON SAYS: FIERCEST PERFORMANCE

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: "You know that jello is made from horse bones, right?"

WHERE?!?: Friday evening, May 7 at the Holyoke Outside Stage. Also look for a 7" coming out on Putney Swope's own label, Parts Per Million.

David Marx for usagipop

WHO?: usagipop is David Marx '01 (songwriter, lead vocals, guitar, drum machine, sampler, turntable) and Chess Stetson '01 (analog synthesizer, back-up vocals).

SAY WHAT?: "ooh-saw-ghee-pop"

THE SOUNDS: "I describe it as acoustic sample pop. Basically, I listen to a lot of stuff coming out of Japan: Cornelius, Minekawa Takako, Buffalo Daughter, Fantastic Plastic Machine. I like the idea of sound montage that they employ and so I am trying to reconcile this with my American pop sensibilities. I am a sucker for melody, so in essence I am trying to create pop songs shrouded in esoteric yet interesting noises with this kind of Japanese '90s pop culture influence."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: "We've been roommates since our freshman year. I created usagipop last fall when I put together a mini-album on cd. When it came time to perform, I needed Chess to play the bass parts...we've really changed the original sound I had because he ended up adding so much good stuff: namely harmony and cool synth sounds."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "The Battle of the Bands was actually our second show to date." usagipop was first runner-up.

CRIMSON SAYS: SWEETEST SOUNDS

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: "Green with pears in it."

WHERE?!?: Playing Friday, May 7 at 2:30 at the Holyoke Outside Stage, and Saturday, May 8 at 2:00 at Science Center D. Check out the album super cute essay at http://www.mp3.com/usagipop.