The Soft City

Bio:

Exciting news. Plastilina have informed the group that the CD of their debut album will be released later this month, March 30th, available direct from the Plastilina Records store and from numerous independent stores listed on the label’s website and on the group’s web site. 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

The first three-track EP, including artwork, is now a free download! Visit the band's web site www.thesoftcity.com for more details.

The Soft City have a song, 'Snow Keeps Falling', on the new Cloudberry e.p., 'Last Train To Christmas". Named for the April March song, the 3" CD also features Strega, Twig, and Champagne Riot. See
Cloudberry Records Blog for details.

The Soft City's first single came out on
Cloudberry Records but is now sold out. It isn't really representative of what we sound like now, but if you like we can send you the files - message us via myspace.

We are on the lookout for a rhythm guitarist for live and recording again soon - message the group if you are interested.

NY Popfest 2009

The Soft City: NYC Popfest 2009

Member Since:

October 28, 2006

Members:

Dora Lubin, Jason Corace, Phil Sutton, Turner Stough, Kyle Forester.

Alumni: Laura Bridge, Ben Phillipson, Gareth Jones, David O'Malley.

Influences:

Velvet Underground & Nico, Modern Lovers, Belle and Sebastian, felt, Bob Dylan, Flying Nun, Girl Group, Motown & Northern Soul, Joe Foster's production on felt's 'Pictorial Jackson Review'.

Sounds Like:

BUY HERE

Heaven is Above Your Head:

Band of the month at Don't Die On My Doorstep last month was The Soft City, a British band started by Phil Sutton of Kicker (and Comet Gain). They sound similar to Kicker (but even better!) and it seems my previous confusion of them with The Soft Set seems justified aurally as well as literally. Their first album is out now on Plastilina and includes ten fantastic songs, and my favourites are the jangly "Cold Hearts" and the almost Velocette-sounding "Capital Soul".

Eardrum:

The small Peruvian indiepop-label Plastilina records was the label behind one of my favourite releases from last year, The Hi-Life Companion’s “Say Yes!”, and now another goodie is released by this label.

I guess you can call The Soft City an “indiepop supergroup” with former members of bands like Comet Gain, Kicker, Ladybug Transistor, A Boy Named Thor and Crystal Stilts. The band started as the solo project of Phil Sutton (Comet Gain, Kicker), and with the help of some friends, he recorded a 3 track ep for Cloudberry Records in 2007. On the Cloudberry-single, Sutton did the vocals himself, but on the new album, Dora Lubin sings on all songs. The Soft City is no longer a solo-project, but a full band. Dora Lubin’s strong vocals remind me of someone, but I really can’t tell who. It’s someone good, I know that much. The Soft City’s self-titled debut-album is full of lovely pop songs with great melodies and jangly guitars. When I listen to these songs, I get the same feeling as I do when I listen to songs by The Go-Betweens and especially the ones Grant McLennan wrote. They may be upbeat and happy, but there’s always some kind of thoughtful melancholy beneath the happy melodies. I like that a lot.

My favourites on the album are many, but “Falling Star”, with its lovely, lovely chorus and layered guitars is one of the stronger songs here. “Young and dumb” is also especially good. It’s a bouncy pop-song with great organs and a wonderful chorus. It’s one of those songs that’s not easy to get out of your head.

Frigopop:

Il nome di Phil Sutton, buttato così, potrebbe non dirvi nulla, a meno che non siate dei fan sfegatati dei Comet Gain. Sì perchè il nostro è proprio il batterista della suddetta band inglese, che un bel giorno ha deciso di dar vita ad una nuova carriera solista. Ma il buon Phil però dopo un po' si è reso conto che non poteva fare tutto da solo, e così dopo aver reclutato una serie d'amici, tra cui membri di Ladybug Transistor e Crystal Stilts, ha deciso di formare i Soft City. Ed ecco che dopo vari ep pubblicati per Cloudberry e Plastilina Records la band è finalmente giunta all'omonimo disco d'esordio, e il risultato è stato semplicemente fantastico. Dieci canzoni, poco più di mezzora, una voce femminile che ti mette in pace con il mondo e con te stesso, più un'ondata di chitarre jingle jangle che ti fanno fare tic tac con le scarpe hanno fatto in modo d'annoverare quest'album tra le cose più interessanti in ambito indiepop/twee di questo periodo, e poi se ci sono di mezzo i Comet Gain, allora tanto di cappello.

[...][The Soft City LP] a great, great indie/jangle pop record from start to finish.

- Eric J. Ostermeier, Word On Music

[...] half-Postcard Records, half Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, so you know it's bringing out its inner Scot in those hollow guitars, charming melodies and yearning vocals. "My Heart and I" has some bittersweet lyrics that don't sound so bad alongside the jangle and the "I wore my fringe like Roger McGuinn" vocals. Like all the best pop songs, though, it draws from its influences and manages to create something modern and relevant for today. I'm just wishing I was listening to this in the car on a Saturday afternoon, rather than a dreary Tuesday night at home.

- Alex Loves You and Your Silly Pop Songs

The second song is courtesy of The Soft City. The band has changed a lot since their Cloudberry single. Well, at that time is was mostly Phil with help from many of his friends. Now it is a band in the whole sense of the word. Phil doesn’t take control of the main vocals anymore, that duty is now Dora’s. Also Jason Corace (from A Boy Named Thor, do you remember?) plays the electric guitar and Phil goes to his favourite instrument, drums, the same he played on Kicker and the underrated but amazing Velocette. The song “Snow is Falling” reminds me to Kicker, and that’s a good thing! A pop song with capital letters, a POP SONG. That’s what it is. What is funny about this Christmas tune, as Phil points out, is that the New York band are one Jew, an agnostic and one unidentified! Who would have thought! Listening the song you would have thought The Soft City was all about joy in Christmas time!

- Roque, Cloudberry

Record Label:

Plastilina, Cloudberry, LPR, Calico Cat