The Softies touring? With Tony Molina? Would have loved to attend that one! To mark the occasion, The Softies and Molina released a Tour Tape where they play each other’s songs. The Tape is probably long gone, but the record is too good not to share. And who knows, perhaps the kind folks of Slumberland Record or Speakeasy Studios SF may decide to someday do a CD or vinyl release? I think they should, because this one is special.
The split tour tape has 15 songs. The Softies play 11 songs from Tony Molina’s Dissed And Dismissed and also play the GBV cover Molina included on the record for good measure – a meta cover if you will. Molina’s record holds a special place in my heart, and was one of my favorites of 2014. The Softies turn the straightforward, deceptively simple noisy hits of Molina into gorgeous dreamy folk songs that are rich of guitar lines and free of percussion. Whether intentional or not, The Softies prove how great a songwriter Molina is and how well these songs translate to a different style. I encourage you to play the original and updated versions next to each other for maximum appreciation. Molina contributes three songs, not straying too far from the original Softies versions of Just A Day, Write It Down, and Selfish. His execution is flawless, though a certain part of me would have loved to hear him playing the songs in his Dissed and Dismissed style. Beggars can’t be choosers though. This Tour Tape is a treat!