You’ll have spotted that the bands featured throughout this week have all been new, not just to the the blog, but to my own ears. That’s why there’s been such a heavily reliance on the likes of wiki:-
The Softies were a musical duo consisting of Rose Melberg and Jen Sbragia, who are known for their minimal approach to pop music.
Beginning in 1994, the band was intended to be a side project for both artists. Along with an eventual career as a solo artist, Rose Melberg performed with Tiger Trap, Gaze, and Go Sailor. Jen Sbragia was known for her work with the band Pretty Face. As part of the Twee Pop movement centrally located in the Pacific Northwest, they were able to meet at performances for their respective bands.
After Tiger Trap disbanded in January 1994, the pair formed The Softies and recorded the four-song “Love Seat” 7-inch single for Slumberland Records. Calvin Johnson later produced their “He’ll Never Have To Know” single and the band’s debut album It’s Love on the K Records label. They released an eponymous EP on Slumberland Records in 1996. Within months, they would record the full-length Winter Pageant in Melberg’s childhood home in Sacramento, California. In 2000, they released their final collaborative work, Holiday in Rhode Island. It is sometimes speculated that their albums correspond with the seasons of the year as follows: It’s Love (Summer), The Softies (Autumn), Winter Pageant (Winter), Holiday in Rhode Island (Spring).
The Softies almost exclusively use two electric guitars and harmonizing vocal melodies for their recorded tracks and live performances. Their lack of accompaniment, inexcessive production, and brevity of their songs are recurring characteristics of their work throughout their three full-length albums.
The band undertook a few tours, including as an opening act for singer/songwriter Elliott Smith.
Here’s some fine tunes:-
mp3 : The Softies – Love Seat
mp3 : The Softies – I Love You More
mp3 : The Softies – Write It Down
And finally, possibly the most twee and excruciating thing I’m ever likely to post:-
mp3 : The Softies – Together Forever
Yup. It’s a cover of a Rick Astley smash hit!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 