The Seldon Plan's Baltimore

Indie rockers help music fans beat the recession

By Lindsay Smith
Special to Metromix

The economic recession provided creative fodder for The Seldon Plan. Named for an Asimov character who predicted human and universal behavior, the Baltimore band is fronted by Michael Nestor (singer/songwriter) and combines the talents of Mat Leffler-Schulman (drums), Dawn Dineen (singer/songwriter) and Dave Hirner (bass). Both Dineen and Leffler-Schulman are group newcomers, which previously released two records, "The Collective Now" and "Making Circles."

Its newest, "Lost and Found and Lost," is not only an attempt to "figure out what our sound is [as a group]," according to Dineen, but also an effort to process the energy generated by the country's panic. Sweet melodies, gentle harmonies and a persuasive beat propel the album forward with hopeful, optimistic strides. "We try to use positive energy from the recession and funnel that into our music and lyrics," says Nestor.

With this focus on local economies and the tightening of belts, The Seldon Plan makes its way around Baltimore to its favorite recession-friendly spots. "When [recessions] happen, people want to find things to do that are fun and cheap," Nestor says. We couldn't agree more.

Keep reading to uncover the band's favorite spots.