The Seldon Plan

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The Seldon Plan
Origin Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Genre(s) Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Years active 2003–present
Label(s) Magnatune, The Beechfields Record Label, OTP Records
Associated acts Pupa's Window
Website www.theseldonplan.com
Members
Michael Nestor
Dave Hirner
Bobby Landle
Former members
Mike Landavere
This article is about a band. For the Isaac Asimov plot element, see Seldon Plan.

The Seldon Plan is a post-rock pop[1][2] band from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It consists of Michael Nestor on guitar and vocals, Bobby Landle on vocals and guitar, Mike Landavere on drums, and David Hirner on bass and vocals. Although The Seldon Plan is primarily known in the indie rock scene in the Northeast U.S., they have had some national print press, internet radio and television exposure.

Founded in 2003, the band started off by playing in non-traditional venues like art galleries. They have invited artists, poets, and filmmakers to display their work at concerts.[1][2]

While primarily playing indie rock that is remiscent of The Weakerthans, an aspect of their sound has been compared to that of emo.[3][2] Regarding the loudness of their latest recording The Collective Now, Nestor said that "we had to compromise our principles to get noticed."[4][5][6]


[edit] Releases

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 All Music Guide.

In 2005, The Seldon Plan released their first full-length, Making Circles and it received widespread critical acclaim in the indie rock community.[citation needed] The record was featured on NPR, and was named a top 40 record of 2005 by the influential indie magazine The Big Takeover. The record was also featured in a number of indie films, including one that aired on Current TV in October 2005. Songs from Making Circles were also featured in some episodes of the lonelygirl15 series. Although originally released by Baltimore-based label OTPRecords, Making Circles was subsequently picked up by the internet-only record label Magnatune.

In October 2007, The Seldon Plan released their second full-length The Collective Now on Magnatune. The Collective Now was quickly named one of the "Best Baltimore albums of 2007" by The Baltimore Sun.[5] The band then re-released a re-mastered version of the record in December 2007 on The Beechfields Record Label. This re-mastered version of the record was a response to the current debate commonly referred to as the loudness wars. Referring to this new, quieter version Nestor said, "We're so awash in a sea of loudness, we forget what records that don't sound like that-sound like."[6].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Sam Sessa. "The Seldon Plan", The Baltimore Sun, 2007-11-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. 
  2. ^ a b c "The Seldon Plan", Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. 
  3. ^ David Malitz. "Nightlife Agenda", The Washington Post, 2006-04-06. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. 
  4. ^ Chris Emery. "Loudness out of control, to some ears", The Baltimore Sun, 2007-11-25. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. "In the music industry, it has produced a generation of recordings that lacks the subtlety of earlier releases. Some experts also fear that it contributes to long-term hearing loss. “This is horrible for the recording industry,” said the Seldon Plan’s Mike Nestor, who plays guitar for the up-and-coming indie rock group. “But we had to compromise our principles to get noticed.”" 
  5. ^ a b Sam Sessa. "Midnight Sun", The Baltimore Sun, 2007-12-21. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 
  6. ^ a b Kathryn Masterson. "Loudness war stirs quiet revolution", The Chicago Tribune, 2008-01-01. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. "Ultimately, band members decided to release a second, quieter version of the album in addition to the louder one for fans looking for a more dynamic sound."We're so awash in a sea of loudness, we forget what records that don't sound like that sound like," Nestor said." 

[edit] External links