Black and White usually brings us back to more simpler times, right? Remember Pleasantville? In the footage above, it brings the San Diegan Soft Packers back to a time when they answered to a pizza-slanging boss probably named Harry or Jim. The video for their new single “Answer To Yourself” was shot at Del Mar Pizza, a previous employer of the dudes when they resided in Del Mar, California. How else would Matt know how to open that huge can of tomato sauce? The perfect soft serve cone is not easy to produce on a first attempt and not every musician knows how to properly place the Del Mar Pizza information delivery thing on top of their van. It’s just like riding a bike.

Returning to New York after finishing recording their next record, we met up with The Soft Pack to shoot an acoustic sesh backstage before their Bowery Ballroom show. We hauled our collective asses up to the third floor backstage area, and as Matt, Matty, Dave and Brian entered the room we knew we had a problem. Dim light wall fixtures gave the green room a bit of a Blublocker’s feel that didn’t vibe with our cameras. However, a mere four feet away from us shone a light so bright and willing, we were forced to surrender to it. Illumination! And so it was that we flocked to the bathroom with The Soft Pack, threw them in the shower and shot “Down On Lovin” and “C’mon”. Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Hotbox.

In line with some stellar Neighbors/Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective covers of “Rome” and “Love Like a Sunset,” the Soft Pack have tackled Phoenix’s “Fences. Leaning heavily on a lo-fi Strokes vibe, it’s definitely more garage-based than it is French palatial— but good lord is it good. The dudes in the band had the following to share:

Phoenix are these cool French guys. We recorded our version of “Fences” with Rob Barbato of Darker My Love. Tim from Darker My Love played the cool guitar lead. It was a fun and challenging experience…

Challenging also good!

The Soft Pack, Fences (Phoenix Cover)

MP3 Download

Fresh off their residency at The Echo in LA, The Soft Pack is set to open a couple shows for Phoenix out in California before embarking on a headlining tour. The band is also working on their debut LP which they’lll record with Eli Janney (Obits, Secret Machines) in Brooklyn this August. Check the tour dates below.

09.16.09 Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre (with Phoenix)
09.17.09 San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre (with Phoenix)
09.18.09 Portland, OR @ Dante’s (NXNW Festival)
09.19.09 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
09.23.09 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
09.24.09 Madison, WI @ University of Madison
09.25.09 Chicago, IL @ Chopin Theatre
09.26.09 Indianapolis, IN @ Locals Only
09.27.09 Detroit, MI @ Pike Room
09.29.09 Toronto, ON @ Silver Dollar
10.01.09 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
10.02.09 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10.03.09 Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
10.09.09 Houston, TX @ Walter’s on Washington

We got an e-mail this past week from one of our favorite Brooklyn bands who used to go by the name of Muggabears, maybe you’ve heard of them? If you have, forget it, because they’re now called The Muslims. No seriously, as awesome as that would be, they’re actually now called Grooms, and they have a new record they want you to hear.

The band formerly known as Muggabears have been floating around the Brooklyn scene for the past 5 years, but given the name change, we’re calling them new. And while we could fill you in on the details of their new album, we’ll let the Grooms’ very own Emily Ambruso fill you in.

We just finished up mastering a full-length record and I wanted to send it to you guys. The album is 10 songs and called Rejoicer. We recorded at Civil Defense studio and mixed at Rare Book Room. We’re really happy with it!

Well Emily, so are we, and because of that, we’re posting the first song from Rejoicer — “Dreamsucker” — so everyone else can hear it too.

Grooms – “Dreamsucker”

Since they changed their name to try and avoid any controversy, we figured to bring back a little of it with our news post title to declare that The Soft Pack are digitally re-releasing their 12″ LP from back when they were known as The Muslims.

After the name change and signing on to Kemado Records this past January, The Soft Pack are ready to release the appropriately-titled The Muslim EP digitally next week. The EP, which will include the ten tracks on their self-released, sold-out 12″ will come out on March 10 in digital formats only (and under the name of The Soft Pack). No word yet if they plan on re-pressing the vinyl and if they do, under which band name it will appear.

The Muslims EP track listing
01. Right and Wong
02. Beside Myself
03. Call It A Day
04. Extinction
05. Nightlife
06. Future Rock
07. On My Time
08. Religion
09. American
10. Bright Side

And as previously mentioned, The Soft Pack will be hitting the road in support of their new digital EP as part of an NME-sponsored tour with Friendly Fires and White Lies throughout March and April.

One top-selling UK band plus one of our favorite bands, along with a band who used to have a good name equals a pretty huge tour. That will be the case when The Soft Pack joins British imports White Lies and the Friendly Fires for a full North American stint.

The tour, which is being presented by NME, will have the White Lies and Friendly Fires co-headlining the spring tour. The tour kicks off on March 24 in Washington DC — most likely after SxSW stints for all three — hitting most major American and Canadian cities. White Lies will then kick back in Cali at the end of the tour waiting to play their confirmed gigs at Coachella.

White Lies, Friendly Fires and The Soft Pack tour dates
03.24.09 – Washington, DC (Black Cat)
03.25.09 – Philadelphia, PA (First Unitarian Church)
03.26.09 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
03.27.09 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
03.28.09 – Boston, MA (Paradise Rock Club)
03.30.09 – Montreal, QC (Les Saints)
03.32.09 – Toronto, ON (Lee’s Palace)
04.01.09 – Ann Arbor, MI (Blind Pig)
04.02.09 – Indianapolis, IN (Radio Radio)
04.03.09 – Chicago, IL (Double Door)
04.04.09 – Minneapolis, MN (Triple Rock Social Club)
04.07.09 – Seattle, WA (Neumo’s)
04.08.09 – Vancouver, BC (Richard’s on Richards)
04.09.09 – Portland, OR (Doug Fir Lounge)
04.11.09 – San Francisco, CA (Slims)

The band previously known as the Muslims, LA based soft-garage rock act The Soft Pack, has announced a deal with New York-based Kemado Records. Apparently the band and label had been in discussions prior to the name change, hopefully dispelling any rumors that it was done for potential label-signing purposes.

According to Billboard, the band cited the fact that they felt they shared the “same perspective” as Kemado.

In between heavy bouts of touring this spring, the Soft Pack will record its debut album, which it hopes will be out by the end of the year. “Right now, we’re writing new songs and demos,” guitarist Matty McLoughlin tells Billboard.com. “We’ve been writing and working pretty hard when we haven’t been touring. And it’s an incentive to get more work done.”

Before the album, the Soft Pack plan to release songs via 7-inch vinyl singles on Kemado. Opening slots for the Raveonettes and the Black Lips are scheduled, along with appearances at South by Southwest and All Tomorrow’s Parties in the United Kingdom.

In this installment of The Singles Collection, we look back on two great 7″ that current industry darlings Wavves and, ahem, The Muslims, put out last year. The two slabs of wax we’ve got this week are as good as they get, and we urge you to get out and snatch ‘em up while they are still around. After all, we’d hate to say we told you so… but we will.

The first single we’ve got this week is from San Diego’s shit-hot The Muslims (they have since changed their name to The Soft Pack), on the upstart I Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll imprint. “Parasites” b/w “Walking with Jesus” is a cool brace of Flying Nun-style pop-rock delivered with such an impassioned-yet-relaxed verve that they damn well might have recorded the whole thing while still asleep. The A-Side rumbles along on a gnarled, muscular riff accentuated by taut drumming and a just on the right side of monotone vocal delivery that’s somewhere between (JAMC’s) Jim Reid and Little Richard. The B-Side, a cover of Spacemen 3’s “Walking with Jesus”, strips the interstellar flanging/phasing and impossible feedback squalls of the original, revealing the song’s furious, stripped-down skeleton and jangly ’60s pop undertones. That they can take a song that’s been covered extensively and make it their very own (and somewhat unrecognizable to whit) is a testament to their audacious versatility as a unit.

Our second single this week is from another California dreamer, beach-combing pop wonder Wavves. “Beach Demon” b/w “Weed Demon”, released on Tic Tac Totally was — across the board — one of the best singles released last year (it eked its way out in the last days of ‘08). Its packaging is beyond over the top, with a handmade sleeve made entirely out of grip tape and accompanied by two clear transfers that create the single’s front and rear covers, one of which features a brilliant re-conceptualization of the Natas’ classic Santa Cruz deck design. As if that weren’t enough, the songs here are absolutely fucking killer, the A-Side “Beach Demon” is a skuzzy, hook-filled ride down the PCH at 100mph. Its trashcan rhythms and dirt-encrusted guitar lines held together by barely discernable vocals and a bevy of sunburst melodies struggling to emerge from the murk. On the flip, “Weed Demon” is the perfect foil, a Quaalude-addled slice of pure Californian pop bliss, replete with four-part harmonies and a simple, delicate guitar tacet that, strangely reminds of Smashing Pumpkins‘ “Soma”, especially in its gorgeously fragile last moments.

That’s it for this week, short-but-sweet, but we are resting up, drinking lots of fluids and gearing up for a great year bringing you the finest seven-inch singles the world has to offer.