The Seldon Plan | |
|---|---|
 The Seldon Plan in New York City, 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | Indie rock, Indie pop |
| Years active | 2002–2013 |
| Labels | Magnatune, The Beechfields Record Label, OTP Records, Modern Hymnal Recordings |
The Seldon Plan is a post-rock pop band from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The group is primarily associated with the indie rock scene in the Northeast U.S. [1] [2]
While primarily playing indie rock that is reminiscent of The Weakerthans, The Feelies, Nada Surf and Camera Obscura, their sound has also been compared to and influenced by indie pop and emo. [3]
The Seldon Plan was founded in 2002 by guitarist Bobby Landle and bassist Dave Hirner. Landle chose the name for the band as a reference to Isaac Asimov. In late 2003, Hirner and Landle met Michael Nestor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine via an ad placed on a local music website. [1] The earliest performances featured the use of a drum machine with occasional appearances from percussionist Austin Stahl, who provided drums for the first Seldon Plan demo. In 2003, the trio met drummer and multi-percussionist Mike Landavere and as a result, the band took a more dynamic and engaging approach. Stahl continued work with Private Eleanor and The Beechfields Record Label, which released the first Seldon Plan EP.
The Seldon Plan started out by performing at non-traditional venues like art galleries and DIY spaces in Baltimore. Many of their early shows were part of the DIY renaissance that began in the Baltimore music scene in the early 2000s. [4] During these performances they gained notoriety by inviting artists, poets, and filmmakers to display their work concurrently with the music. [2] [5]
Throughout 2005-2008, the core line-up of Hirner, Landavere, Landle, and Nestor took on a busy tour schedule and released two critically well-received full-length records while supporting shows with Explosions in the Sky, The Stills, Now It's Overhead, The Octopus Project and Matt Pond PA. In 2008, the band was highlighted in the Music Alive! magazine along with Joan as Police Woman. Shortly thereafter Landle and Landavere left the original lineup. From 2009-2011, Hirner and Nestor included musicians from local Baltimore bands to help with recording and touring. In 2011, founding member Hirner left The Seldon Plan. During 2012-2013, Nestor, percussionist Frank Corl, and bassist Kresimir Tokic continued to record as The Seldon Plan. [6] In 2014, Corl and Nestor formed the indie rock group Underlined Passages. [7]
The Living Room EP was released in 2003 on The Beechfields Record Label. Although thought to be a well-produced demo, the CD was picked up by a number of college and internet radio stations and earned the band some local notoriety including a review in Allmusic.
In 2005, The Seldon Plan released their first full-length, Making Circles. Making Circles received a number of positive reviews in the United States and in Europe. [8] The record was featured on NPR, and was named a top 40 record of 2005 by The Big Takeover . Songs from "Making Circles" were featured in a number of indie films, Current TV, episodes of the lonelygirl15 series, a T&C Surf Design advertisement and used in some early iPhone applications. [5] Originally released on Stahl's Baltimore-based OTPRecords, Making Circles was re-released in 2006 by Magnatune. [9]
In October 2007, The Seldon Plan released their second full-length The Collective Now on Magnatune. The Collective Now was named one of the "Best Baltimore albums of 2007" by The Baltimore Sun. [10] The Collective Now received national attention when it was used as an example in press reports about the loudness wars. [11] Referencing the loudness of the Magnatune version of the record, Nestor was quoted saying, "we had to compromise our principles to get noticed." [12] In response to the loudness wars debate, the band released a quieter re-press of the record on The Beechfields Record Label in December, 2007. [11]
The Seldon Plan's third full length, Lost and Found and Lost was released in June, 2009 and tackled the financial crisis of 2007–2008 as well as the election of President Barack Obama. Hirner and Nestor were joined by guitarist and vocalist Dawn Dineen and percussionist Matthew Leffler-Schulman. Lost and Found and Lost was described by Brian McTernan as "catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips" and by Mark Degli Antoni as "smart pop with no wasted space". [13] Lost and Found and Lost was also highlighted as a "top 40" record at The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid. The general theme of the record centered on Nestor's personal reaction to the economic recession of 2008. [14]
In 2011, The Seldon Plan released their fourth full length, titled Coalizione del Volere. Along with the core of Corl, Hirner and Nestor, the record featured guitarist Chris Ehrich. Coalizione del Volere was described as a return to the more angular indie rock sounds of The Collective Now and Making Circles. [9] The record tangentially deals with the theme of mass marketing in the digital age. As described by Nestor, "I used to go to the record store and buy a tape, take it home and pop it in the cassette player and pull out the liner notes," Nestor says. "Then I'd go to school and find two or three people that liked the same band and they would be my best friend. Now it's like the whole school is your best friend. How is the listening experience special? I think that's why vinyl is making such a comeback, because you don't get mass marketing. You actually have to take the record out, put it on a record player and listen to it." Coalizione del Volere was released as The Seldon Plan's first vinyl LP. [15]
In 2013, Corl, Nestor, and Tokic released the That Time You Dreamed EP on Modern Hymnal Recordings. The Big Takeover highlighted the EP as a "weekly top 10" noting, "Their brisk indie pop and angular post-rock has given way to languid, hazy dreampop/shoegaze..." . [6]
Steven Howse, known professionally as Layzie Bone, is a rapper known primarily for being a member of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He has also gone by the names L-Burna and The #1 Assassin. He is the younger brother of fellow group member Flesh-N-Bone and cousin of group member Wish Bone. Layzie is also a member of the rap group Bone Brothers and CEO of the record label Harmony Howse Entertainment.
Magnatune is an American independent record label based in Berkeley, California, founded in spring 2003. It only sold music for download through its website but added a print-CD-on-demand service in late 2004 and in October 2007 began selling complete albums and individual tracks through Amazon.com. In May 2008, Magnatune launched all-you-can-eat membership plans. From March 2010 Magnatune dropped the CD printing service and moved exclusively to all-you-can-eat membership plans. Magnatune was the first record label to license music online and as of May 2015 had sold over 7,000 licenses in its twelve years of existence.
Craig's Brother is an American punk rock band. They have released three albums internationally, two on Tooth & Nail Records and one self-released.
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. Death Cab for Cutie's music has been classified as indie rock, indie pop, and alternative rock. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr (drums).
Pupa's Window is a lo-fi singer/songwriter pseudonym from Baltimore, Maryland.
Sad Lovers and Giants are an English rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire, England, which formed in 1980. Their sound blends post-punk, atmospheric keyboards and psychedelia.
The Oranges Band is an American indie rock band from Baltimore, Maryland signed with Green Day's original label, Lookout! Records. Fronted by ex-Spoon bassist Roman Kuebler, The Oranges' first record, The Five Dollars EP, was released on Baltimore-based label Morphius Records. Subsequent touring and critical praise earned the band a deal with Lookout, culminating in the release of an EP, album, and several videos, leading up to, according to many critics, their strongest album to that point, The World & Everything in It. In 2004, Morphius released a retrospective compiling the band's earlier work, including The Five Dollars EP, the now out-of-print 900 Miles of Fucking Hell EP, as well as various unreleased tracks entitled Two Thousands. In 2008, with a new lineup that included Pat Martin on bass and guest guitarist Doug Gillard, the band released their third full-length The Oranges Band are Invisible.
Hammerjacks was a music venue in downtown Baltimore which operated from 1977 to 2006. It was founded by Louis J. Principio III. The club attracted many big-name national acts, but also showcased many rising stars in the music world. The bands ranged from punk, glam, thrash and heavy metal acts most commonly associated with the venue to pop and alternative rock groups. The club was often frequented by hard core patrons and musicians donning big hair, leather, lace, spandex, and heavy makeup, and was considered a "hard rock shrine." Hammerjacks, however, attracted audiences with other attire as well.
The Beechfields Record Label was an American independent not-for-profit musician's cooperative record label, from Baltimore, Maryland, noted for an artist-centered approach to releasing records.
The Living Room EP is the debut album from the American rock band the Seldon Plan.
Making Circles is the second album released by indie rock band The Seldon Plan, released in April 2005 by OTPRecords and re-released in September 2005 by Magnatune. Songs from this record were featured on Current TV, NPR, and the lonelygirl15 series.
Lost and Found and Lost is a studio album released in June 2009 by The Seldon Plan. It is their third album, following on from their 2005 album Making Circles and their 2007 album The Collective Now. It is produced by Mat Leffler-Schulman, and features vocals and guitar by Michael Nestor. It is released under The Beechfields Record Label
stephaniesǐd was an American indie pop band from North Carolina. Band member Stephanie Morgan now performs as the solo artist Pink Mercury.
The Union Trade is an American Indie rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 2006. An early and leading member of the Bay Area post-rock scene, The Union Trade is also the founding band of San Francisco independent music label, Tricycle Records. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Nate Munger, Don Joslin (guitar), and Eric Salk. The founding drummer was Dan Rodkewich. The band's current drummer, Eitan Anzenberg, has been with the band since 2012.
The End Records is a record label in Manhattan that specializes in rock, heavy metal, indie, and electronic music.
Fairmont is an American indie rock band from New Jersey, fronted by Neil Sabatino. They have released eleven full-length albums, as well as six EPs, and toured across the United States for over a decade of their existence.
Underlined Passages is an American rock band from Baltimore, Maryland.
The Ottobar is a music venue in the Charles Village neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. In 2018 the Ottobar was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by Rolling Stone Magazine. The Washington Post describes it as a "bastion of sub-mainstream music...where the insular community of artists and scenesters flock to hear the best touring bands." It also hosts theme events, dance parties, and an occasional burlesque show.
Coalizione del Volere is a record from The Seldon Plan. The album was released in 2011 on both Magnatune and The Beechfields Record Label. The Beechfields Records version was released as a limited edition translucent red 12" record with additional bonus tracks in 2012.The album features Michael Nestor on vocals and guitars, David Hirner on Bass, Chris Ehrich on guitars, and Frank Corl on Percussion. The record was produced by Frank Marchand and is the final full-length record by The Seldon Plan.
That Time You Dreamed is an EP from The Seldon Plan. The record features Michael Nestor on guitars, vocals and keyboards, Frank Corl on percussion, and Kresimir Tokic on bass, replacing founding bassist David Hirner. The Big Takeover named the record a top 10 and wrote, "Their brisk indie pop and angular post-rock has given way to languid, hazy dreampop/shoegaze..." The slower music, and "hazy, dreamy guitarwork" is departure from previous Seldon Plan work. Independent Clauses writes that the songs on this EP, "...are consistently welcoming..." and compares That Time You Dreamed to Copeland.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
