The Seldon Plan

The Seldon Plan reemerges with whimsy with their highly anticipated album LOST AND FOUND AND LOST, a worthy follow-up to their 2007 record THE COLLECTIVE NOW. Praised for its “catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips” by artist/composer Mark Degli Antoni (David Byrne/Soul Coughing) and dubbed “smart pop with no wasted space” by record producer Brian McTernan (Senses Fail/Piebald/Thrice), LOST AND FOUND AND LOST plays with images of childhood nostalgia to embrace the economic and political pendulum. The band will release this third studio album on June 2, 2009.

The Baltimore-based indie pop rockers are known for their “tuneful-wistful rock” (The Washington Post) and “literate, yet
still youthful” (Allmusic) sound. Aptly named, LOST AND FOUND AND LOST portrays the juxtaposition of excitement and uncertainty in a country undergoing a changing political situation. “These were the hardest lyrics I’ve ever had to write, but now that they’re out, I feel really energized,” says singer/songwriter Michael Nestor.

Calling their latest LP “a burst of new flavor”, The Big Takeover’s Jack Rabid expressed delight at the “Baltimore foursome’s continued maturation” and compared it favorably to “melodic pop favorites such as Feelies’ offshoot Wild Carnation, Winnipeg’s wonderful Weakerthans, great Scots Camera Obscura, and Portland’s Dimes”.

The Seldon Plan spent the last few years taking on a busy tour schedule—including shows with Explosions in the Sky, The Stills, and Matt Pond PA. The band regrouped in 2008 and entered the studio with a fresh organic approach as a way of rediscovering who they were as a band. With few preconceived songs, much of the album was written in the studio, allowing the record to grow naturally as a whole. Simple focused melodies are textured by intricate harmonies, layered with soulful instrumentation including cello and trumpet, and punctuated by bright choral interludes.

LOST AND FOUND AND LOST features an all-new line-up. Michael Nestor (vocals/guitars/keys) and Dave Hirner (bass), two founding members of The Seldon Plan, are joined by Dawn Dineen (vocals/guitars) and Matthew Leffler Schulman (Drums).

The record was produced by Matthew Leffler Schulman and Michael Nestor at Baltimore’s Mobtown Studios.

The band’s sophomore effort THE COLLECTIVE NOW was quickly named a top 40 record of 2007 by The Big Takeover
and one of the “Best Baltimore albums of 2007 by The Baltimore Sun. Tracks from the album were licensed by the massively popular YouTube series lonlygirl15 and by Simplify Media for its top-rated music-streaming iPhone app. Their debut album MAKING CIRCLES was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. The Seldon Plan is likened to established alt rockers Death Cab for Cutie, The Posies and Nada Surf.

In anticipation of this release, the band offered a limited-time-only free download of the title track in early April. The single was immediately highlighted by The Baltimore Sun (April 5, 2009) in a multimedia showcase and Arts & Life piece discussing creativity as an outlet for economic woes. (read less)

The Seldon Plan reemerges with whimsy with their highly anticipated album LOST AND FOUND AND LOST, a worthy follow-up to their 2007 record THE COLLECTIVE NOW. Praised for its “catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips” by artist/composer Mark Degli Antoni (David Byrne/Soul Coughing) and dubbed “smart pop with no wasted space” by record producer Brian McTernan (Senses Fail/Piebald/Thrice), LOST AND FOUND AND LOST plays with images of childhood... (read more)