(Re-post)In the ghetto

Statuto were (and still are) the best mod band coming from italy since the eighties. Yes, there were also other groups as the great Underground Arrows and some minor bands too but Oskar Giammarinaro and his mod friends from piazza Statuto in Turin, survived thru the years although official all things mod had gone. The Eighties showed a different side to the Mod scene and for Statuto, to be Mod was a lifestyle choice to reflect in their music. Their first recordings were great, a must for every italian post punk fan, the singles "Io dio" & "Ghetto" and their album "Vacanze" (1988) for the newborn Toast Records. But the record I've loved more - by far - is the mini "Senza di lei", where their sound developed a little more and musical skills progressed, including a wonderful organ cameo by James Taylor of JTQ. Underproduced sounds of course and DIY package with a Two-tone attitude... but everything here is excellent!