The Seldon Plan - Releases

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 Allmusic.

In 2005, The Seldon Plan released their first full-length, Making Circles. Making Circles received an overwhelming number of positive reviews in the United States and in Europe. 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, a T&C Surf Design advertisement and some early iPhone applications. 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. Again, songs from this album were licensed by lonlygirl15 and by Simplify Media for its top-rated music-streaming iPhone app. The Collective Now received some national exposure when it was discussed as part of the music debate referred to as the loudness wars. Referencing the loudness of the Magnatune release of the record, Nestor was quoted saying, "we had to compromise our principles to get noticed." 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 loudness wars debate. 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.".

The Seldon Plan's third full length, Lost and Found and Lost released in June, 2009, tackles the economic collapse of 2008 and the subsequent election of President Barack Obama. Featuring an all new line-up, the record is influenced by temporary members Dawn Dineen and Matthew Leffler Schulman. Lost and Found and Lost has been described as "catchy simple melodies awash with lush vocals, hip full guitars, and a hint of Flaming Lips" and “smart pop with no wasted space”. Lost and Found and Lost landed another "top 40" record bid from The Big Takeover, and is the bands most pop-influenced record to date. Although Nestor was wary of putting social and political commentary into his music, the album has been described as Nestor's personal reaction to the economic recession of 2008. After embarking on an east-coast tour to support the record, the band has announced work on a new CD. Both Nestor and Hirner have said that the new CD will be darker than Lost and Found and Lost and will feature a new cast of backup musicians.

In 2011, The Seldon Plan released their fourth full length, titled Coalizione del Volere. The record features new members Frank Corl and Chris Ehrich and is a return to the more angular guitar rock oriented pop sounds of Making Circles. 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."