The 1900s - Cold & Kind

Artist: The 1900s Title: Cold & Kind Catalog#: Parasol-CD-106 Regular Price: $10.00 Official Release Date: October 2, 2007	Tracklist:
	No Delay
	Georgia
	When I Say Go [Free MP3]
	Cold & Kind
	City Water
	Aculiplantar Dude
	When We Lay Down
	Two Ways
	The Medium Way
	Supernatural
	Wool Of The Lamb
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The new album, Cold & Kind was released October 2, 2008, the follow-up to their debut Plume Delivery EP.

Cold & Kind is the debut album from Chicago septet The 1900s. From the morning moment of ‘waking up’ in “Georgia” until ‘the end of day’ in “Supernatural”, the entire album is a grand trip into the unknown that makes no distinction between outer and inner worlds, personal and political, utopia and apocalypse. And oh yeah, it sounds totally sweet as well. Cold & Kind is a highly ambitious record overflowing with erotic melodies and of course, the band's trademark vocal harmonies. Recorded mostly live to tape, the record captures the energy of the band's remarkable live show while also benefiting from the addition of large string and horn sections. While Clocking in at exactly 40:00 minutes (in honor of finishing the album on the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Peppers), Cold & Kind keeps one foot in the past, one in the future and another foot in your heart. You'll dig if you dig: Tommy James, Fleetwood Mac, Velvet Underground, Cat Power, Supremes, Roy Harper, Arcade Fire, Dr. Dog, Midlake, Leon Redbone, Bill Clinton on sax or Russell Crowe's band.

Praise for Cold & Kind:

Pitchfork: "This is elegant pop, 1960s radio pop, yes, but 1900s should also cop to some less cool influences: Carole King ("When I Say Go"), or "Danny's Song"-era Kenny Loggins ("City Water") lurk on Cold & Kind alongside the Mamas and Papas-style harmonies."

Chicago Tribune/Feature: "The 1900s Create One of Year's Best Albums." [online]

Desert Living Magazine: "With a six-person, mixed-sex line-up, the 1900s have lots of chances to lay it on thick but that'snot their thing - everything here is understated. "Cold & Kind" is subtle psychedelia reminiscent of early Jefferson Airplane while other tracks are bubblegum gems built around surprisingly simple hooks. Not exactly the Starland Vocal Band but feigned innocence hasn't been this enjoyable since "skyrockets in flight."

Bust Magazine/Review: "Back in the day, AM radio was the assimilator of the airwaves; transistors tuned to sunshine frequencies and trebled harmonies... And while those blasts are long past, the 1900s absolutely nail that vibe on their rich and confident debut."

Venus Magazine/Feature: "Chicago's ensemble band uses their collective efforts to smother their city in lovely psychedelic pop sounds with Cold & Kind."

Harp Magazine/Fresh Faces Feature: "The bouncy, piano-driven "When I Say Go" would sound perfect blaring from a convertible on the Pacific Coast Highway circa 1975... "Acutiplantar Dude" uses Zombies-style harmonies to pay tribute to a friend who died of a drug overdose. You can practically see (and smell) the hippies swaying to the pastoral "Georgia".

Under The Radar/Review: "Not to be confused with Glasgow's The 1990s, this Chicago outfit makes complex indie-pop anchored by male/female harmonies, strings, piano, and variously styled guitar... Substantial music delivered with a delicate touch."

Big Takeover/Review: "From bleakly narcotic to sunny and ebullient, Cold & Kind covers some expansive emotional territory over the space of an album. With nutmeg sweet vocals courtesy of Edward Anderson and Jeanine O’Toole, and tastefully florid orchestration, the record’s a luscious baroque pop mélange pitched roughly between Love’s Forever Changes and The Zombies’ Odyssey and Oracle."

URB Magazine/Next 1000/Artist Profile: "It’s been over 40 years since the Zombies released their chamber-psych-pop classic Odyssey and Oracle, but don’t tell that to Chicago band the 1990s... However, the 1900s aren’t strictly a retro throwback, their tight and bouncy pop songs recall Belle & Sebastian’s recent output or the mellower tracks on the New Pornographers’ Challengers."

Chicago Reader/Feature: "Even if you’ve been following their steady evolution into a beautiful machine for the delivery of pop bliss, even if you’ve seen them so often you can sing along with songs they haven’t recorded yet, the new album still might catch you off guard. It’s actually kind of spooky how good it is. With its wealth of unforgettable hooks and its intricate, sensitively executed arrangements, it feels like a classic on first listen—it’s the kind of record that seems to come from a more perfect dimension (or at least from England), not from the band next door. If the 1900s keep this up, it won’t be long till the rest of the country falls for them just as hard as Chicago has."

Paste Magazine/Review: "Chicago pysch-pop band pleasantly heavy on the pop...These are sprightly pop ditties dressed up in regal accoutrements, equally suited to fans of The Shins’ fluffy indie rock and Rufus Wainwright’s musical theater."

FFWD Calgary Weekly/Review: "The well from which they draw their inspiration may be popular, but few acts come away with such convincing success as The 1900s do on Cold & Kind. Grounding their songs with irresistible melodies, vocal interplay between the band’s three singers and a jaunty instrumental flair, The 1900s construct incredibly likable songs that sound both comfortably familiar and exciting."

SPIN/Mp3 Review: "On "City Water," these tensions are explored in a full blown folk out that combines simple strumming, harmonic sing-alongs and too-perceptive lyrics about lost loves in windy cities... It's the 1900s' "Landslide" [Fleetwood Mac] with the melodious grit of the Hidden Cameras, so you better toast a glass of merlot to sorrow and multi-member harmonies."

Pitchfork/Mp3 Forkcast: "The Chicago septet apparently sprung fully-formed from the womb of the local psych-pop scene, releasing an EP before playing their first show and then getting signed on the basis of that show. "Everybody's Got a Collection", an outtake from their upcoming full-length, Cold & Kind, is a swirling synthesis of graceful strings, folk-pop guitars, tinkling pianos, and cooed backing harmonies."

Stylus Magazine/Review: "It's let’s-conquer-the-world pop... Hit play and ride that frisson of delight until you burn out."

All Music Guide/Review: "Cold & Kind is the kind of record that will capture the heart of anyone lucky enough to discover it, a glittering jewel of well-written, perfectly recorded, and heartbreakingly honest and true music..."

The Onion/Review: "The album develops nicely on the promise of last year's Plume Delivery EP, fleshing out the sound, finding new ways to weave the vocals, and slipping unsettling sentiments into its sunny melodies, taking a classic sound and confidently tilting it to a modern angle."

Emusic/Review: "The septet uses a pleasing mix of boy/girl vocal harmonies, winning arrangements and warm production to help you fall into the proper reverie."

MTV/Feature: "Chicago psych-pop squad the 1900s are only getting started — they're stepping up with their Cold & Kind debut this week. Oddly enough, the septet's violin player, Andra Kulans, is also a part of the Quartet Parapluie, who have performed with everyone from Kanye West to Clay Aiken. The Fleetwood Mac-esque band features keys, piano, strings and more."

Ink 19/Review: "Following in the footsteps of Elephant 6 satellites Essex Green and Ladybug Transistor, The 1900s mine from a timeless Bacharachian/The Mamas and The Papas baroque school of pop. Their melodies seem destined for perfect pitch and placement, as though they're covering one of their '60s idols, but this seven-piece throws in some touches of '70s soft rock -- including a fairly strong strain of Fleetwood Mac..."

Biography:
The 1900s are a seven piece psychedelic pop group from Chicago, Illinois. The band is a combination of some very old friendships (like riding the school bus together-style) and some very new ones. This proved to be a potent experiment, resulting in steamy relationships, Fleetwood Mac-style breakups and hookups, and most importantly, their much loved Plume Delivery EP, which was recorded before the band ever played a live show. With only those six songs under their belt, The 1900s walked into a whirlwind, becoming one of the most talked-about bands in Chicago, garnering enough printed praise to make even them blush and playing sold-out show after sold-out show in their hometown. Their notoriety also spread outside of the Windy City, leading to touring performances with Midlake and Iron & Wine among others, as well as a highly touted apperances at SXSW (a blown away SPIN reporter named them 'Artist of the Day' the morning after their official performance) and an invitation to perform at this year's Lollapalooza in Chicago.

The 1900s are:
Edward Anderson (vocals, guitar)
Caroline Donovan (vocals, keys)
Jeanine O’Toole (vocals, tambourine)
Mike Jasinski (guitar, keys, vocals)
Tim Minnick (drums)
Charlie Ransford (bass)
Andra Kulans (strings)


Click on image above for hi-res.
More 2007 hi-res: 1900sA | 1900sB | 1900sC | 1900sD

Even More Photos from 2006

Praise for their debut Plume Delivery EP:

Time Out Chicago:
“Chicago seven-piece pop ensemble is on its way to Next Big Thing status.”

The Onion AV Club:
“The Chicago collective finds the connecting point between Stereolab, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and high-lonesome bluegrass.”

Chicago Sun Times:
“A surprisingly fragile and breathtakingly beautiful sound... A fresh, hook- and harmony-laden take on '60s influences, such as the Zombies, the Incredible String Band, Donovan and the Velvet Underground.”

All Music Guide:
“An intricately arranged, sweetly sung and tenderly played gem of a record.”

Chicago Reader:
“The band’s sweet, keyboard-swathed pop shows a strong 60s influence and puts co-ed vocals front and center.”

Time Out New York:
“Bittersweet pop with shades of both '60s London and '70s Los Angeles.”

Punk Planet (RIP):
“This wonderfully modern septet has drawn comparisons to Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, and The Zombies… The band’s vocal dynamics, from honey-coated to Nico-like monotone, give their music an instantaneous hook.”

More hi-res: 1900sA|1900sB|1900sC|1900sD|1900sE|1900sF|1900sGuys|1900sGals|1900sLive


Visit the 1900s Home Page
and then check them out at MySpace.com

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