Snappy blog post title. Can't remember where I got it...
Seeing as it's the season of gift giving, here at TSC headquarters we... Funny how indie kids always talk about their bedroom operations in grandiose terms: their band / label has a headquarters, it's based in Fizzbomb Mansion, Indie Pop House, all overseen by a President. Ironic given that we're named for some kind of metropolis. er... anyway. Here at The Winter Palace Offices of the Commissariat of the People's Republic of Indie Pop, in the Soft City, we have decided on a holiday season giveaway. For one day, and one day only (can you guess which?) The Soft City, the stunning, no, haunting, debut album by The Soft City will be free to download, with artwork etc, from our Bandcamp site. Free to those who guess what day that is. It's a kind of competition - guess the day, win the prize type of thing. Until then it'll cost ya!
But there's more! For one day (that same day) only you will be able to download a song from our new 4-track EP, which isn't even out yet! Gratis. It's coming out in the Spring on Vinyl. 7". 4 tracks (yes that's right). 331/3 rpm, like in the old days. When Wimpy burgers came on a plate, with a cup and saucer cup of tea. Do they still? The Soft City is a NYC band btw... SORRY UPDATE: SONG NOT READY! WE WILL GIVE YOU A FREEBIE AS SOON AS THOUGH.
Over at Skatterbrain we've made their Top Twenty for the year, which is super tops. One of songs is included in their mix tape for 2010 called Au Revoir 2010, which includes lots of great acts: Best Coast, Crystal Stilts, Cinema Red and Blue, Frankie Rose, Veronica Falls, Belle and Sebastian: illustrious company indeed!
It's been a bit quiet, but we've been up to lots. This summer we recorded a four track EP, to come out as a digital release and limited 33 1/3 r.p.m. 7" single in the Spring. Yes that's right, a 4-track seven-inch single like in the sixties. Vinyl extended play - our favourite format. The tracks are:
Dear Claire
Plane in the Sky
Let Me On Board
Buttoned Up.
It'll be on the band's own Calico Cat label, with free stuff and a digital download ticket too.
It's been quite on the gig/show front, but we've been rehearsing with a new drummer, Lisa, and a guitarist Andy, with a view to playing some shows in the new year. We've written / are writing some new tunes too.
Jason is on a sabbatical from the group at the mo', mainly because he is now teaching in Baltimore, but fear not he's promised to drop by with a new song from time to time.
Oh and that old chestnut Snow Keeps Falling, our Christmas song makes another appearance, this time on a digital comp. called Happy Gift for the Pop Kids, through Japanese label Happy Prince. It will be available on iTunes, etc, just like The Beatles.
In the meantime we Dora and Lisa have penned the words to a Hanukkah song, with music by Phil. Hanukkah kind of crept up on us a bit this year, so it isn't recorded yet, but we rest assured it will make an appearance!
We have a limited edition tee shirt for sale at our shop.
It's available in black, features a design based on the reverse of our debut LP The Soft City, by Chicago artist Ian Dingman, printed on soft jersey American Apparel tees. It comes in unisex L, M, S and XS. It's $10 and you get a free button badge too!
In the meantime we are currently recording a single for release later this year. It will have 3 or 4 songs and should come out on a label we're good friends with. In addition to this we will be filming our first promo to accompany a song on the single.
Will keep you posted. Another EP will follow that soon after. We are doing things back to front. LP then EPs. Then singles. Then a flexidisc.
Phil might or might not record a confessional EP later this year. He's having a think.
Well, The Soft City is/are playing a show with top Swedish popsters A Smile and a Ribbon (ASAAR if you like acronyms), and NYC legends The Shamblers. It's not for a bit - May 31st - but mark it in your diary. Or calendar thing.
It's post ASAAR's appearance at the NY Popfest and their East Coast tour, and is at Union Hall in Brooklyn. We'll be selling CDs and tees and giving away buttons too. In fact we will have a comp. and give away a combination of all three. There are more details on the Facebook page - which you might like to join if you're that way inclined. I know I am. The tees and buttons are being designed by TSC LP sleeve artist Ian Dingman btw.
On the FB page you'll see some nice reviews for The Soft City, the most recent of which is from the Eardrum Music blog. The review mentions TSC in the same sentence as the late great Grant McLennan which is clearly outrageous! But very nice too, as the Go-Betweens are massive round here. Expect more fumbling attempts at Grant McLennan-style songwriting on the new EP.
The new EP! Or mini-album, which will feature between 4 and 7 songs. Titles are, so far, Dear Claire, Buttoned UP, Father and Son, Girl on a Bridge, When I'm With You Everything Stops and one or two more. we're recording with Gary Olson of Ladybug Transistor, and Turner makes his recording debut.
The Plastilina shop is back up and running to, so you can order the CD direct. You can also get it from Amazon, iTunes, emusic, and all the others too. As I'm sure you'll appreciate distribution at the DIY level is a little slower than elsewhere, but we'll be appearing in more stores soon I promise!
Unfortunately due to some unforeseen problems with the pressing plant, and with PayPal, it seems that some people are having problems ordering the CD. We're really sorry about this and are working on getting that sorted out now. I spoke to Roque at Plastilina Records and he tells me that they are not sure what is happening with PayPal, but that they are getting the problem fixed, and they should be open for business again soon - we will keep you posted.
In the meantime, the CD can be ordered via Cloudberry Records (shop@cloudberryrecords.com).
Exciting news. Plastilina have informed the group that the CD of their debut album will be released later this month, March 31st, available direct from the Plastilina Records store and from numerous independent stores listed on the label’s website and on the group’s Records page on this website. The digital LP is available from all good digital distributors, including iTunes and Amazon. We are in the process of arranging to record new material and maybe even play some shows. You never know! Will keep you posted.
Graeme Wilson, the man behind London’s best underground band The Projects, has done an alternate mix of the lead track, 15 Years, from our new LP. It has 99% more swirly organs, and is rather great in our opinion. You can download it from here or at the group’s Soundcloud page - press the little pointing down arrow on the right of the music player.
Also, as promised, here is a new song. It’s called Paper Wagons, and it’ll sound very different when it’s finished. Only here do you get such rare and exclusive Soft City gems. You have done well to find this page - here are your rewards!
After a lot of persuading (and two years umming and ahhing) New York’s least snap happy group grudgingly agreed to have their picture’s taken. Ace photographer Dominick Mastrangelo took photos of the group on the roof of Phil’s old apartment building, the Saranac on Worth Street, in NYC, and at a rehearsal that afternoon. More pictures to follow in 2014. You can see the pictures by going to the gallery page on the website and clicking through...
Dora and Phil are currently working on new songs for an EP/mini-album that the group is going to record with Gary Olson some time later in the Spring. There will be maybe 6 or 8 songs. Or maybe two singles. We'll see.
Titles so far are Bones (a sort of Chills-y drone-y chugger), St. Michael’s Mount (a Cale-inspired upbeat ballad with a regional flavor), Always the hunted (an acoustic pop song about childhood), Twisting the knife (a plea for reconciliation), Paper wagons (a slower pop song) and One night in the park (another pop song). True to the work-in-progress tradition of The Soft City, we’ll put up demos as soon as they’re ship shape. In addition to this Jason is writing a new tune with a very pretty guitar melody (title to follow).
The Soft City's debut album, The Soft City, is now available to download from all the usual places, including Amazon, iTunes, and Napster. It has 10 songs and is under 30 minutes, the length all albums should be!
March will see the release of this album on CD, through Plastilina Records. Plastilina is a label run by Jal and Roque (of Cloudberry fame). Cloudberry released the fist Soft City EP back in 2007.
The group is getting together this month (January), after a fall hiatus, to rehearse for some shows and write new songs for an e.p. to be recorded at Gary Olson's Marlborogh Farms studio in March/April.
