Self Against City
Encyclopedia
Self Against City is a pop rock
band
from Sacramento, California
best known for their single "The Process." They formed in 2004 and were the first band to sign to Rushmore Records
. The five-piece has an EP out (2005's Take It How You Want It
), as well as the most recently released full-length album Telling Secrets to Strangers
(2007).
s Jack Matranga and Jeff LaTour, bassist
Patrick O'Connor and drummer
Chris Trombley decided to record songs together.
The quintet
pooled their cash and recorded three songs at Fat Cat Studios in Sacramento, California. The songs were uploaded to their PureVolume
profile, a link to which was forwarded to Drive-Thru Records
owner Richard Reines by a fan of the band. He soon approached the band and asked for more material. Upon hearing the songs, Reines invited the band to play a showcase in Los Angeles
for him and Drive-Thru co-owner Stefanie Reines. That same night over dinner, the two offered the band a record deal. On November 6, 2004, Self Against City officially became the first band to sign to Rushmore Records, only a few months after their formation.
Their first act as a signed band was to record a cover of Darlene Love
's "Alone on Christmas" for the Drive-Thru Christmas compilation Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records
and a sixth song for their debut EP
, advance copies
of which had been given out at a show at the Boardwalk in Orangevale, California
on October 28, 2004. Take It How You Want It
finally hit music store shelves on April 5, 2005, while the band embarked on their first nationwide co-headlining tour with Houston Calls
the same month. They hit a total of 32 cities across 18 states. Upon returning home in July, LaTour left the band. Though initially the band made efforts to try and replace LaTour — Blake Abbey of the Daytona Beach, Florida
band Abagnale sporadically filled in as a rhythm guitarist — they soon decided to continue on as a four piece and began writing songs for their first full-length record. Two days before the band left for recording in March 2006, LaTour decided to rejoin.
Self Against City began recording their full-length album Telling Secrets to Strangers
in April 2006 with producers
Steve Haigler and Mike Watts in Long Island, New York. According to Jack Matranga, the album was written as an upbeat pop-rock album. After two weeks of tracking and one week of mixing the album was completed. In June 2006, a month after returning home from recording, O'Connor and Trombley left the band. Drummer Justin Barnes (formerly of Simplistic) officially joined the band in August 2006, two days before the band left for tour with Houston Calls
and Quietdrive
, while Hunter MacDonald (whom the band met while on tour with JamisonParker
temporarily filled in on bass. Towards the end of the year, in search of a new permanent bassist, the group once again recruited fellow vocalist/bassist Blake Abbey, who was announced an official member in December 2006.
In January 2007 Self Against City hit the road with Boys Like Girls and We The Kings on a nationwide tour across America. Later that year the "SAC Pack" went out on the road with Valencia and Forever the Sickest Kids.
page July 6, 2008 "Self Against City will be taking a break from touring and performing together but all of us are still playing together and we all have new material recorded and ready for release there is a bidding war that has gotten semi- brutal over the past couple weeks so we are trying to play it cool and be smart about our futures as individuals and as a group."
From Telling Secrets to Strangers:
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
best known for their single "The Process." They formed in 2004 and were the first band to sign to Rushmore Records
Rushmore Records
Rushmore Records was formerly a subsidiary of Drive-Thru Records. As of September, 2006, Rushmore became an Imprint label due to the project being largely unsuccessful.-History:...
. The five-piece has an EP out (2005's Take It How You Want It
Take It How You Want It
Take It How You Want It is the debut EP of Self Against City. A print run of 400 advance copies was released by 720 Records at one of the band's concerts at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California on October 28, 2004...
), as well as the most recently released full-length album Telling Secrets to Strangers
Telling Secrets to Strangers
Telling Secrets to Strangers is the first full-length record by rock band Self Against City, released on January 9, 2007 via Drive-Thru Records' Rushmore imprint. Preceded by the self-produced EP Take It How You Want It , the album marks the first time the band worked with a record producer...
(2007).
History
Self Against City formed in April 2004 in Sacramento, California, when vocalist Jonathan Michael, guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s Jack Matranga and Jeff LaTour, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Patrick O'Connor and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Chris Trombley decided to record songs together.
The quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
pooled their cash and recorded three songs at Fat Cat Studios in Sacramento, California. The songs were uploaded to their PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
profile, a link to which was forwarded to Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records, established in 1996, was a California-based record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. It has produced various pop punk bands, many with a distinct SoCal sound....
owner Richard Reines by a fan of the band. He soon approached the band and asked for more material. Upon hearing the songs, Reines invited the band to play a showcase in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
for him and Drive-Thru co-owner Stefanie Reines. That same night over dinner, the two offered the band a record deal. On November 6, 2004, Self Against City officially became the first band to sign to Rushmore Records, only a few months after their formation.
Their first act as a signed band was to record a cover of Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
's "Alone on Christmas" for the Drive-Thru Christmas compilation Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records
Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records
Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records is a compilation album, released on December 14, 2004, carrying solely Christmas-themed songs by Drive-Thru Records and Rushmore Records artists. All the recordings were previously unreleased, though five of the eight songs were cover versions of famous...
and a sixth song for their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, advance copies
Advance copy
As a marketing tool, publishers provide free copies of new titles to booksellers, journalists and even celebrities.Such books are variously referred to as readers editions, an advance copy, an advance reading copy, ARC or ARE...
of which had been given out at a show at the Boardwalk in Orangevale, California
Orangevale, California
Orangevale is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,960 at the 2010 census, up from 26,705 at the 2000 census. It is located approximately ...
on October 28, 2004. Take It How You Want It
Take It How You Want It
Take It How You Want It is the debut EP of Self Against City. A print run of 400 advance copies was released by 720 Records at one of the band's concerts at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California on October 28, 2004...
finally hit music store shelves on April 5, 2005, while the band embarked on their first nationwide co-headlining tour with Houston Calls
Houston Calls
Houston Calls was an American power pop/punk band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Drive-Thru Records. On June 9, 2009 they announced their official breakup.-Formation :...
the same month. They hit a total of 32 cities across 18 states. Upon returning home in July, LaTour left the band. Though initially the band made efforts to try and replace LaTour — Blake Abbey of the Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
band Abagnale sporadically filled in as a rhythm guitarist — they soon decided to continue on as a four piece and began writing songs for their first full-length record. Two days before the band left for recording in March 2006, LaTour decided to rejoin.
Self Against City began recording their full-length album Telling Secrets to Strangers
Telling Secrets to Strangers
Telling Secrets to Strangers is the first full-length record by rock band Self Against City, released on January 9, 2007 via Drive-Thru Records' Rushmore imprint. Preceded by the self-produced EP Take It How You Want It , the album marks the first time the band worked with a record producer...
in April 2006 with producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Steve Haigler and Mike Watts in Long Island, New York. According to Jack Matranga, the album was written as an upbeat pop-rock album. After two weeks of tracking and one week of mixing the album was completed. In June 2006, a month after returning home from recording, O'Connor and Trombley left the band. Drummer Justin Barnes (formerly of Simplistic) officially joined the band in August 2006, two days before the band left for tour with Houston Calls
Houston Calls
Houston Calls was an American power pop/punk band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Drive-Thru Records. On June 9, 2009 they announced their official breakup.-Formation :...
and Quietdrive
Quietdrive
Quietdrive is an alternative rock band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that formed in 2002. Quietdrive released their debut album When All That's Left Is You on May 30, 2006 on Epic Records. In April 2008, Quietdrive parted with Epic Records and released their album titled Deliverance on October...
, while Hunter MacDonald (whom the band met while on tour with JamisonParker
JamisonParker
JamisonParker was an American Alternative Rock duo in the early to mid 2000s, consisting of singer/guitarist Jamison Covington and guitarist/bassist/drummer Parker Case...
temporarily filled in on bass. Towards the end of the year, in search of a new permanent bassist, the group once again recruited fellow vocalist/bassist Blake Abbey, who was announced an official member in December 2006.
In January 2007 Self Against City hit the road with Boys Like Girls and We The Kings on a nationwide tour across America. Later that year the "SAC Pack" went out on the road with Valencia and Forever the Sickest Kids.
2008-Present
Self Against City posted on their latest blog on their MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page July 6, 2008 "Self Against City will be taking a break from touring and performing together but all of us are still playing together and we all have new material recorded and ready for release there is a bidding war that has gotten semi- brutal over the past couple weeks so we are trying to play it cool and be smart about our futures as individuals and as a group."
Members
- Jonathan Michael – vocals
- Jack Matranga – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Jeff LaTour – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Blake Abbey – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Justin Barnes – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Patrick O'Connor – bass
- Chris Trombley – drums
- Kyle Pesely – bus driver
Singles/Videos
From Take It How You Want It:- "The Process (Tonight)" (2005)
From Telling Secrets to Strangers:
- "Becoming a MonsterBecoming a Monster"Becoming a Monster" is the first single from Self Against City from their debut album Telling Secrets to Strangers.-Music video:The single's music video was posted by the band on MySpace on March 5, 2007. The video was filmed partially in Yuba City, CA. It begins with the members of the band ...
" (2007)
Non-album tracks
- "Alone on Christmas" – released on Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru RecordsHappy Holidays from Drive-Thru RecordsHappy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records is a compilation album, released on December 14, 2004, carrying solely Christmas-themed songs by Drive-Thru Records and Rushmore Records artists. All the recordings were previously unreleased, though five of the eight songs were cover versions of famous...
(2004)
Demos
- "RUAH" (2008)
- "Satellites" (2008)
- "Gold" (2008)
- "Band On The Run" (2008)
- "Kiss And Run" (2005)
- "Held Hostage With An Unloaded Weapon" (2003)
- "Echo Off The Headstone" (2008)