Nu Rave Brain Wave

Valentines Day gave us single Brightonians a couple of options. We could see the Soft Pack at Freebutt, we could see She Keeps Bees at the Hope OR we could stay at home and be angry. I almost went with the angry part, but instead I went down to the Freebutt to see my Los Angeles compatriats for the first time since their somewhat-meh showing at Pershing Square in July. I’m going to blame their performance in July on their opener (worst band to ever haunt the planet, Little Red Radio) and the sound quality and the drunk bitches attempting to dance to the Soft Pack. Hi-larious.

Their gig at the Freebutt was their first that I’ve attended post release of their second album. I staunchly refer to ‘The Soft Pack’ as their second album. Mostly because I own the original 12″ that they released as the Muslims. It was an album, not an EP, not a digital release – a FUCKING amazing album! There was a healthy crowd to see them which pleased me to no end as I’ve enjoyed so much watching the Muslims go from playing Los Angeles constantly, to their name change, across multiple US tours, and now to the release of their sophomore album.

From the moment they kicked off with ‘Pull Out’, I could see how much they’d matured as a band. The new songs, off ‘The Soft Pack’, are a direct fulfillment of the promise they showed, even as far back as June 2008 – one of first times they played the Echo. They’ve kept their excellent rhythm section – David Lantzman’s bass is the screw that holds the ramshackle together, he’s the one that makes the songs remotely danceable; Brian Hill’s drums play tandem with Lantzman’s lines driving them forward, playing both sides – waiting for everything to just fall apart into one punky mess AND keeping it all together, keeping it solid. Matty McLoughlin’s guitar still needs as much forcing as it ever did – the guy can fucking play but it looks like it’s taking every bit of effort, every drop of sweat to get every note out of that damn guitar. And live, Matt Lampkin’s still got his most dangerous weapon – his voice. The ‘perpetual outsider commenting’ sound, that distant, devil-may-care quality is what draws me in – I can’t help but listen any time he opens his mouth.

So they’ve still got everything they’ve always had – what now? The song writing is better, for a start. For starters, a tune like ‘Mexico’ which may actually steal the show off the album could’ve never in a million years had a place on their first album. ‘C’mon’ is clearly destined to be a major crowd pleaser (my friend demanded we listen to it on repeat afterwards) and ‘Down On Loving’ is the best one to shout along to. It’s hard to pinpoint how exactly I know that something’s changed in the band – I don’t know if I’m too close, if I’ve seen them too many times and whether or not that means I’m one capable of seeing the change or not at all, but I know something’s different. The Soft Pack rock out, hard. That’s never going to change – well, I hope not – but something in their attitude says they’ve slowed down a little bit and taken more time to write the songs and be concerned with writing something more than say a ‘Nightlife’ (even though, honestly, its amazing and hilarious).

Matt Lampkin’s stage presence has also matured. Previously, when he has to ditch his guitar on stage for their perpetually amazing song, ‘Parasites’, he’d walk to the back side corner of the Echo and stand awkwardly not really knowing what to do. Now, he didn’t leave the front of the stage and kept our attention. Perhaps he’s not the most captivating front-man, but I doubt that would work for them, to have a front-man who steals the show, half the fun of the Soft Pack is working out which one to look at, which one’s working the hardest (my money’s always on McLoughlin, although Lantzman’s bass moves are amazing). Basically, if you buy yourself a ticket to see the Soft Pack, you’re in for an evening of fun and punky spirit and tunes to jump around and dance a little to – something that we don’t get enough in Brighton, something that I’d never turn down.

9/10

Full Setlist
Pull Out
Down On Loving
C’Mon
More or Less
Extinction
Brightside
Tides of Time
Right & Wrong
Beside Myself
Parasites
Mexico
Answer to Yourself

DOWNLOAD -> The Soft Pack – Extinction (Live @ Amoeba)

The Soft Pack have announced the locations and estimated set times of their all-day music marathon this Saturday, January 30th. All shows are free.

LOCATION #1:
MATTY’S HOUSE
5227 Irvington Place
LA, CA 90042
ADVERTISED: 10:00am

LOCATION #2:
FRANKIES (SUNSET JUNCTION)
3323 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
ADVERTISED: 12:00pm SHARP

LOCATION #3:
FMLY MANSION
1210 Appleton Way
Venice Beach, CA
ADVERTISED: 1:00pm
W/ AVI BUFFALO

LOCATION #4:
FINGERPRINTS
4612 E. 2nd St
LONG BEACH, CA
ADVERTSIED: 3:30pm

LOCATION #5
SECRET BEACH SHOW
FOLLOW AT TWITTER.COM/FYFFFEST or TWITTER.COM/THESOFTPACK FOR LOCATION
ADVERTISED: 5:00pm

LOCATION #6:
KEVIN FROM CRYSTAL ANTLERS DAD’S HOUSE
6382 ROCHELLE
WESTMINISTER, CA
ADVERTISED: 5:30pm
W/ CRYSTAL ANTLERS

LOCATION #7:
HOUSE PARTY AT A FANS HOUSE IN DOWNEY, CA
FOLLOW ON TWITTER DAY OF FOR LOCATION
ADVERTISED: 7:30pm

LOCATION #8:
VACATION VINYL
4670 HOLLYWOOD BLVD
ADVERTISED: 8:00pm
W/ DUNES

LOCATION #9:
SILVERLAKE HOUSE PARTY
ADVERTISED: 10:00pm
W/ WOAH HUNX

LOCATION #10:
SECRET LOCATION
LOS ANGELES, CA
ADVERTISED: 12:00am

DOWNLOAD ->The Soft Pack – Extinction (live @ Amoeba)

Hey there – So, we have a record coming out February 2nd and to celebrate we want to throw a show at YOUR house. We’re not out to thrash your place or anything – we’d come, play, hang out and have a couple of beers. All your friends plus a few of ours = guaranteed good times. If you’re interested, just respond here in 50 words or less and let us know why we should play your house! Ideally, your house will be in the Los Angeles area, anywhere between Long Beach to Downtown LA to Santa Monica.

Hit them up @ MYSPACE if you wish to have them over… I mean who wouldn’t want them to play? Look at those little faces!

The San Diego band called the Muslims were a great band at one point. They released a LP, including a vinyl 12″ with real bullet holes (it’s true! I own one!) and it was amazing. Then, they moved to LA and decided to call themselves the Soft Pack, and the former LP they released became a “digital EP”. So now, this band called the Soft Pack have announced their debut album, but it’s really their 2nd album, and it’s “self titled”. So their discography reads like this:

The Muslims – The Muslims LP
The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack LP

This sophomoric debut will be released on the 1st of February 2010. The record was recorded earlier this year with Eli Janney in New York.

Guitarist Matty McLoughlin told NME.com: “Eli was a perfect producer choice, he comes from that DC punk background, but he’s also being in a band who were pretty poppy, they were sort of like a next Nirvana kind of thing in the ’90s.

He understood both ends of the spectrum. We do write pop songs but we come from more of a punk background and he made sure we didn’t sound cheesy or lame. We just wanted a better fidelity, like Iggy Pop on ‘New Values’.”

The tracklisting reads:

‘C’mon’
‘Down On Lovin”
‘Answer To Yourself’
‘Move Along’
‘Pull Out’
‘More Or Less’
‘Tides Of Time’
‘Flammable’
‘Mexico’
‘Parasites’ (This song has been around for a LOOONG time. I have the first Parasites/Walk With Jesus 7″. I am elitist.)

DOWNLOAD -> Walk With Jesus (Cover) by the Muslims

The Soft Pack have announced a new single and a short tour.

The band will release brand new track ‘Answer To Yourself’ on seven-inch and as a digital single on November 2.

The song was produced by Eli Janney and is the band’s first release from their sessions for their debut album. (Note: THIS IS NOT THEIR 2ND RELEASE. THEY HAVE HAD A FULL ALBUM UNDER THEIR BELT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO RERELEASE IT TWICE ONCE AS AN EP AND ONCE DIGITALLY. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL 12″ WITH THE BULLET HOLES IN IT TO PROVE THIS SHIT. DAMN LIARS/NME)

Following the release, the band will then play the following dates:

Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (November 3)
Manchester Ruby Lounge (4)
London Barfly (5)
Paris La Cigale (6)

The band have also announced that they have signed with Kemado Records to release their debut full-length album, which they plan to record in Brooklyn with producer Eli Janney (Secret Machines) in August. [WTF ‘debut’ album???? What do you call the ‘Muslims LP’.

The tour dates are:

Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre (September 16)*
San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre (17)*
Portland, OR Dante’s NXNW Festival (18)
Seattle, WA Crocodile Café (19)
Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry (23)
Madison, WI University of Madison (24)
Chicago, IL Chopin Theatre (25)
Indianapolis, IN Locals Only (26)
Detroit, MI Pike Room (27)
Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (29)
Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s (October 1)
New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (2)
Boston, MA Middle East (upstairs) (3)
Houston, TX Walter’s on Washington (9)

*with Phoenix

THE MUSLIMS ARE BACK IN LA AND READY TO GO

LET THEIR LITTLE FACES LURE YOU TO PERSHING SQ.

THEY PLAY AT 8 PM
Jul 29 2009 8:00P
PERSHING SQUARE 532 S. OLIVE ST. LOS ANGELES, CA

PLUS FACE PAINTING AND DONKEY RIDES AND RUMORS OF SKI BALL.

Aaaaaand they’re back!!!!

See you there!

Good ole Amoeba, always up on their shit, getting the videos up. It’s not like we had to wait 1+ year for the Cribs, and this one is getting pretty fucking old as well. But regardless, this is a great song, by a great band, at a great store, and even the NRBW girls make some awkward cameos. Yeah, I’m talking about myself in 3rd person, but yeah awesome.

mp3: The Muslims – Extinction (Live @ Amoeba)