Verbiage:

10-18-08 - although* we already told you you can have it for free HERE, you can also now download HUMAN MACHINE via iTunes. just search for us. Sorry about the DRM, Apple forces that shit on you. R. Parmesan did some work on the myspace page, so its not so janky anymore. go sox.

*trying out a bigger font. i'm not committed.

10-12-08 - Thank you so much to all the folks who made it out to El Cid on Friday night. A reminder, one can now freely download our newest album Human Machine here. We would also like to announce a job posting for a position that has recently become availabe at CoP Industries:

Job Announcement:

CoP is actively recruiting an intern. We are looking for someone who is both creative and over 21 years of age.

Salary: Unpaid/competitive
Qualifications: Valid drivers license, ID that allows you to purchase spirits and a pulse (regular or irregular)
Tasks: Burning CDs, Printing Shirts, buying beer, setting up and striking gear, changing strings.
Benefits: We do not provide health benefits of any sort but you will get 1 letter of recommendation from a Yale Law School graduate.

Please send C.V. and cover letter to cityofprogress@gmail.com with the Subject heading Internship

9-24-08 - Because we don't get paid to run this operation, we normally are not in the business of listening to the requests of our customers. However, we have temporarly relaxed this policy and provided "zipped" versions of Human Machine available for download. This is to avoid spending the requisite hours of sitting and clicking though to dowload each song individually. This can be completed here.

9-21-08 - We gotta new Archbishop Shabby remix to drop on ya. Click through to download ABS' take on 2:20am, the first track on HUMAN MACHINE: 220 BC in Fifteen Years

8-25-08 - Loyal peoples: we fixed max's banjo. and we've got another show coming up, and more new songs to play for you. Friday October 10th at El Cid in Silver Lake, beginning 'round 11:30pm. More info to appear on this page shortly, provided HammerTime makes it back from Central Europe unscathed/unscarred (emotionally).

8-22-08 - Many thanks to the all our fans and beholden friends who made it out to the show in Tangiers last night. Morroco is a long way to travel for a show and we know this and our appreciation is thus appropriately scaled. Many bizarre, frenetic and beautiful things occurred during the set.

A side note by the Hammer: Approximately 90 years ago a man in the southern US built a banjo, presumably to be used for hoe downs and other sorts of provincial affairs. Over the past few years I have taken this elderly instrument that was past down to me by my former landlord and attached many wires to it. I have attempted to run it through various distortion pedals and massive sound systems. I have taken this instrument all across the country to places like Reno, Nevada and Brunswick, Maine. Sometimes the fickle old machine revels in the modern challenges I force upon it but other times, like last night, it chooses to bow out. This is simply the nature of working with an instrument of such character.

8-13-08 - although CoP was called out, appropriately, as being "too fancy for the farm", we had a splendid time performing beneath the stars and on top of hay bales (in the hammer's case) in Nevada City. What a great place. Fuck Grass Valley. Ellie Sherman took some revealing photos that capture the spirit of the festivities. You can look them over here (the album is called 'some really good times'). It was our first show with Richie Parmesan holding down the low tones (and singing the high harmonies). The man really holds everything together. Cheers to Richie P.

Fact: one-half of CoP slept in a yome (i.e., a yurt + dome) on saturday after the show.

Many thanks to Joe, Wendy, Tim, and Leo for organizing/hosting such a fine get together. Thanks also to Settledown and Matt Curreri for making us look good (j/k).

Next up, CoP's first Los Angeles show since January. We'll be at Tangier on friday august 22nd, starting up at 11:30pm sharp, playing until we don't have anything left to play. $10 at the door. See you soon.

7-30-08- CoP is firing up the grill, getting it in gear, booting up the hard drive, priming the pump, reving the motor, batoning down the hatches, and pressurizing the cabin. Many other technological metaphors also apply, but suffice it to say:

august 9 (sat.)- CoP plays at wendy's house, Nevada City, CA

august 22 (fri.) - Tangier @ 11:30pm (sharp)

november 20 (thu.) - Echo Curio

details and news on additional shows to follow

 

7-5-08-does byron rock? is that blood all over his guitar? yes and yes.

6-21-08-Some noteworthy things: 1) We will be playing our first show in 6 months tomorrow afternoon at the Quaker Meeting House in Pasadena. Normally we are not in business of "helping out" but this is a benefit so we will be donating some new songs, some old songs and a handful of tasty licks courtesy of Johnny Utah. 2) It is 97 degress today and we have a pool, cool cucumber soup and watermelon glace so let that be an open invitation to all (most, really) suffering Angelenos.

6-6-08-Summer, like a swift kick to the head, has arrived in los angeles. This summer will bring a lot of interesting changes to CoP:

1) We will be recording a new EP called Bay Leaf over the next few weeks.
2) We will take a west coast tour with our long-time friend Settledown in early August.
3) We will incorporate a bassist into our lineup.
4) We will improve our collective golf games.

5-1-08- "As usual, City of Progress is closed today." (see May Day 2007 post for further information). For those interested a revised and electrified version of our homage to Peter Brotzmann's Fuck de Boer is available here. The piece was cobbled togther by the Hammer and Johnny Utah for a soon to be released movie trailer. Details forthcoming. For those of you familiar with the original Peter Brotzmann's Fuck de Boer you will find little similarity, apologies to the purists.

4-14-08- We've received a few reports of problems with our 'pay what you want' function. Apparently, PayPal has given some people a hard time, malfunctioning and such. We've tried to remedy the issue, but please let us know if our shit is broke. Although we've stated it elsewhere, you should know that downloading the album directly from us is the preferred method for acquiring HUMAN MACHINE. Intermediaries like iTunes and Amazon take a substantial cut.

3-6-08- Pertinent information about HUMAN MACHINE (part III): The steady bass-work of Richie Parmerter appears on the songs Snakebit, Fearing the Other, Blind Apartment, and Unreal City. Richie was truly on the spot, coming through with perfect lines on short notice. The bass has traditionally been a spare presence in City of Progress (prompting some commentators to compare us--however obliquely--to the White Stripes), but Richie made us see new possibilities and forget our tortured memories of deeply flawed bassman Brian "Captain Sulu" Sullivan.

2-20-08- HUMAN MACHINE is now available for download, in its entirety, through Amazon.com (DRM free mp3s). Check it out.

2-16-08- Pertinent information about HUMAN MACHINE (part II): The songs 'Fearing the Other' (#5) and 'Arizona' (#8) both feature the fine organist/piano player Justin Perlman on the Fender Rhodes. JP lives in Eugene, Oregon, and represents both the core and outer-boundary of our pacific NW fanbase.

2-13-08- Pertinent information about HUMAN MACHINE (part I): The last track (#10) on HM, which we call 'The End of Love,' is an Archbishop Shabby remix. Shabby took the original sound files from CoP's version of 'No End of Love'(track #9) and forced them to open up another dimension. Check out more of A. Shabby's work at his website, his myspace page, and the city of progress myspace page (streaming his remix of Chino Winds).

2-9-08- HUMAN MACHINE is now availble for download at SongSlide. Follow the link:

1-16-08- As you may have notcied, the website is in the midst of a an overhaul. Please do not direct our attention to any errors/inconsistencies that you find. Also, the song 'snakebit,' track 6 on Human Machine, is currently streaming on the cityofprogress.net opening page (if you were wondering what that was).

12-17-07- we will be performing our only west coast show of the season on sunday january 6th at the hotel cafe in hollywood. show starts at 9pm sharp, cost is $8 at the door. we will be unveiling human machine, so this figures to be a memorable occasion. hope to see you there. An elegant flier with details on the event can be downloaded here.

12-10-07-If you would like to hear the correct pronounciation of Hobbesian please click here.

I thought people might like to know that two of the most common ways that internet users reach cityofprogress.net is by googling "shaved head dudes" or "flag of Moldova".

11-18-07-CoP will be having a short reunion this coming week in Providence. Please seek us out if you are going to be in the region. I (max) am posting a new instrumental piece that I have recently finished called, "Our Autumn, our fall". It is a tribute to both the Velvet Underground and Velvet Revolver.

10-2-07-The project we call 'Human Machine' continues its forward march. The record will feature 9 songs, at least 3 bass players, and 1 un-nameable Indian instrument. If you're interested, you can probably persuade us to give you an advance look at a song or two.

8-28-07-CoP is bicoastal again as the summer draws near to a close. It has been a wild ride though, totally organic. Please follow back as we will be releasing a full length album this fall.

8-19-07-Big thanks to the prompt few who made it out to the Room 5 Lounge last night. Even bigger thanks to the less prompt and fewer who made it to the "after party" at my house.

8-16-07-CoP mourns the loss of one of the Hammer's favorite musicians, Max Roach, who passed away early this morning. I was particularly fond of his album Drums Unlimited...

8-10-07-CoP is off to Oregon to celebrate the wedding of former Midnight Chonies, front man, Archbishop Shabby. Please download and disseminate flier for upcoming shows.

7-24-07-We have two shows coming up in August 1) Room 5 Lounge in Hollywood on Saturday, August 18 and 2) Mr. T's in Highland Park on August 26. We will be joined by long time City of Progress stalwart, Johnny Utah for both shows. In addition, we have been hard at work recording a full length album at our new studio, Keg Rodeo, in Mt. Washington. Human Machine should be finished by summer's end and is a retrospective on love, loss and land-use with poignant commentary on legal theory, stable isotope systematics and the artwork of Karl Anton Fleck. Please revisit the site soon as we will shamelessly leak tracks as they near completion and again I promise to overhaul this site with a sleek modernist look.

7-15-07- We've been quite busy. Too busy, in fact, to update this page. But rest assured, we've also been focused. Deeply focused. Scattered agenda items:

- Congrats to Bridget and Joe on the occasion of their marriage. We had an amazing time, and thanks for inviting us to perform. Johnny Utah gets enhanced props for driving all the way up from San Luis Obispo the morning of the gig, and then driving all the way back down to los angeles a few hours later (utah moved at a blistering pace; CHP can verify that).

6-11-07- So. CoP is back in full force. We've added Johnny Utah into the mix, and we are much better men for it. Next steps: cooking up new material in the hammer's garage, performing a private show in the bay area, hitting golf balls, recording the raw material for a forthcoming album, and appearing at Mr. T's Bowl in August. We'll fill in the gaps as we go. It does feel good to be back in one piece though.

5-15-07- Northern Aggression (sans cowboy) will be rocking it out at the Velvet Lounge on U Street (D.C.) this coming thursday, starting around 8pm. Captain Brian "Sulu" Sullivan has assured me that he has been spending time on the nautilus (sp?) maximizing the power in his bass player power stance. Hope to see you there.

5-7-07- Some classic CoP for you:

 

5-1-07- As usual, City of Progress is closed today.

4-18-07- It recently came to my attention that the U.S. Postal Service may be unconstitutional. Nobody makes the argument more effectively than the anarchist lawyer Lysander Spooner, and his rhetoric rings as true today as it did in 1844 when he wrote it (don't doubt my ability to step inside the collective mind of 1844 America). You can access it here: http://www.lysanderspooner.org/bib_new.htm

Just scroll down and select the Spooner pamphlet entitledThe Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails.

4-1-07-I feel that is important to recognize some other United States institutions that also consider themselves to be a "City of Progress." Please see the short list below:

3-19-07- As many of you know, City of Progress came of age in the heart of California's Inland Empire (recording the Bi-Coastal Curious EP and a number of other tracks above an antique shop in Pomona). The IE proved to be an unexpectedly deep well of creative inspiration for us, as it appears to have been for director/producer/writer/camera operator/sound designer/weather forecaster David Lynch, who has unearthed something truly terrifying and wonderful with INLAND EMPIRE (apparently he insists that it be written in all caps). Its a damn shame, but INLAND EMPIRE will not be making its way into theatres through normal distribution channels, so you've got to try and catch one of the limited screenings occurring around the U.S. over the next couple of months. You can check the screening schedule here. Catching this one on DVD is simply not acceptable, sorry. We are committed to keeping you informed about this sort of stuff.

3-13-07-The monthly trends in 2006 CoP.net behavior is shown below. I think it is fair to say that the public's interest in City of Progress has a close relationship with Northern Hemisphere temperatures. I believe there is probably a causal relationship.

3-8-07-Because of some recent demands I have now posted "Death Breath Volumes 1-1000". The weirdness of this song is only matched by the weirdness of its name. I know it is unfair to do this, but if you really want to sink deep into this song you need to listen to it with headphones. With headphones this song is arguably one of our three best songs. And with that I present you with "Death Breath Volumes 1-1000".

Death Breath Volumes 1-1000

3-7-07-Things are fucking slow these days. We got a web hit from Slovakia though. The said Slovakian was looking for "Progress Bands" on google. City of Progress has also recently acquired a garage, which is being outfitted as a studio so I imagine this will generate a new suite of dark dark music. For those of you in the know, you are probably thinking about one of our least celebrated songs, "Death Breath Volumes 1-1000".

3-05-07- It is time for CoP to get its motherfucking shit together, don't you agree?

2-10-07-CoP would like to express a gushing congratulations to Bearded Dan Tankersley (aka Archbishop Shabby) and Becky Blanchard on their recent engagement. We wish you both flowing glasses of Rocket Fuel.

1-26-07-Please see the following digital kaleidoscope created by the ever-talented and gorgeous Archbishop Shabby: http://www.archbishopshabby.com/cops/. If you look closely you will notice all the images are taken and distorted from this very website.

1-24-07-It has come to my attention that if you cut and paste all the material from the "Nuances" section of this website you will be left with 11 pages of text. The earliest entry dates back to July 2005, meaning we are producing slightly over half a page every month.

1-17-07-Apologies for the delay in any new postings. It has indeed been quiet times in the City of Progress. I (Max) would like to express my warmest congratulations to newly elected president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa.

12-28-06- If you haven't heard the news, City of Progress will reconstitute itself (spatially) this summer in Los Angeles, CA. If our hunch is correct, physical proximity will lead to a shitload of new songs, battery operated drum machines, battery operated battery installers, nasty casio solos, and hopefully, an appropriate amount of live performances and tasteful cameo appearances at Largo adding much needed nuance to Jon Brion's set. Enjoy the remainder of O-six.

12-12-06-I am ashamed to say that I had never heard of the Republic of Moldova until I recently learned we have fans in that fair land-locked country. Hello to all interested Moldovians, we will gladly accept an invitation to play in your republic.

12-3-06-Rest assured, we have been granted four more years of Hugo Chavez.

11-21-06- does anyone know how we can transform this 'nuances' page into a legitimate blog?

11-15-06- news and attempts to harmonize the chaos/cosmos distinction now available courtesy of the Archbishop Shabby: www.archbishopshabby.com

11-13-06- there is a discussion of great import going on at www.bicoastalcurious.net. For those tracking CoP's internal dynamics, it looks like we are headed for a summer of unicoastiality.

11-7-06- join me in wishing the hammer a happy birthday. and vote for democrats.

10-30-06- We posted a brand new recording on our myspace page. The song is called Unreal City and it feautres dozens of small children. Head over there and check it out: www.myspace.com/cityofprogress

10-26-06- The Little Ice Age (featuring Johnny Utah of the New West, Max of CoP, Cookie Jar of the Philistines and Ryan Adlaf) will be playing a show this Sunday evening at the Gig in Hollywood at 8:00 pm.

10-23-06-A brief CoP reunion this weekend fruited important insights into the dendritic trajectory of this venture.

Sport fans might also like to know that City of Progress' soccer team, The Urban Blight, posted their first win last night with a 2-0 shut out thanks in part to Max's brickwall-like perfomance in goal.

10-16-06-Comment from byron: Digital drifters: Sorry about the lack of sound in the video links posted below, we'lll have that fixed soon. A special welcome to Yale Law School students in Professor Benkler's class, enjoy your stay, and let us know if our site provokes any deep revelations regarding the future of information production and associated implications for human freedom. Also let us know if you can think of any ways for CoP to make some cold hard cash.

One other thing: you won't find the Archbishop Shabby-City of Progress collaboration on the a/v page, but you can always download it here (and I suggest you do).

 

comment from max: The videos posted below now have sound. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to some recent comments about cityofprogress.net posed by our colleagues at Yale University. In the annals of this website there exists a credits page which, includes, among other things, a waiver regarding the usage of all material (audio, visual or otherwise) that exists within the construct of this website. The waiver reads as follows:

"Absolutely no rights reserved to any visual or audio material on this website. Use at will."

To clarify, this means anyone can use anything on this website for any imaginable means. Does this mean someone can download all the songs, put them on a CD and sell them without giving City of Progress credit? Of course, just don't send us the bill if this venture doesn't turn out to be lucrative.

10-5-06-Please enjoy three new live videos shot during our most recent east coast shows.

[Pioneers w/Joe Lasser on drums]

[She came from Arizona (a brand new track)]

9-23-06-This has been a seminal week for the City of Progress, recording our first web hit from the People's Republic of China. We imagine this will open the door to literally billions of new fans. God bless the internet.

Happy New Year and Happy Ramadan to our jewish and muslin fans respectively.

8-25-06-For those fans interested in sounds and images please see archbishop shabby's chino hurricanes remix (life changing...) for the former and earnestly inaccurate tour photos (part a and part b) for the latter.

8-23-06- So -- we'll have tour photos, videos, analysis, and more up on the site soon enough. We'll also be releasing a heartbreaking and destabilizing remix of Chino Winds by the one true Archbishop Shabby. In the meantime, I [=byron] want let to my d.c. people know that this is my last week in the Diamond District as a full-time resident. As of 8.28, you can find me in New Haven, CT, staffing the City of Progress Remote New England Research Station (CoPRNERS). Holler at me on your way up/down route 95. One other bit of news: a City of Progress track is currently feautured in the Neo-Futurists' production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby go Blind, which is a cool play even without the City of Progress music. If you happen to be in the Chicago area, go check it out.

8-16-06-Big ups to everyone who came out to the Velvet Lounge last night, you were a forgiving and generous audience. Red Heart the Ticker was wonderful and a pleasure to share the stage with. Thanks to Redding Coser Cates for the photos, a few choice shots are available below:

An Angry Crowd

Pioneers

See you all in Brooklyn tommorrow...

8-15-06-We will be playing tonight at the Velvet Lounge in DC at 9:30 with Red Heart the Ticker. We will be displaying many new songs, many remixed old songs and some new skills on previously under-utilized instruments. Please bring your friends and "families".

8-7-06-We would like to announce the availability of some new hand-printed tshirts and boxer shorts(!). They are available online or at the shows. As always, they were made in an extremely limited run so if you want one or think you might ever want one you should order it now because they are definitely not going from the west coast to the east coast and back (i.e. we are giving away everything that is not sold by the last show of the Earnestly Inaccurate Tour). Warning: the boxers may or may not be used.

8-1-06- The Earnestly Inaccurate Tour approaches, and there is much for the wider City of Progress community to look forward to. Our first show in Williamsburg, an evening with an inspired duo (red heart the ticker), a fictional show in Providence, some new tunes, some new instruments, different people playing the same instruments, hecklers, subtle electronic 1990s evocations. So, hopefully we'll see you in august, and if you can't make it to a show, then at least fucking email us so we can get a drink and talk about this relentless heat (or is it the humidity?).

Correction: the Pianos show is at 10:30 pm.

7-7-06-It is with both enthusiasm and existential angst that we would like to announce the dates for the Earnestly Innacurate Tour. Please refer to the Tour Page for all nuances deemed too cumbersome to appear in the Nuances section of this webpage.

8-15-06-The Velvet Lounge (DC) with Red Heart the Ticker

8-16-06-Interstate 95

8-17-06-Pete's Candy Store (Brooklyn)

8-18-06-Pianos (NYC)

8-19-06-Okie Street (Providence)

8-20-06-The Midway Cafe (Boston) with Killing Pablo and Mark Santoro

6-30-06-Apologies to all parties who come to this sight strictly for City of Progress information, but I have attached a link to a handful of pictures from my (the hammer) recent forays in Asia. There willl be more to come...

6-28-06-Concerned investors will please refer to the attached link showing a quasi-exponential increase in consumer interest in the latter period of this quarter.

6-26-06-I have yet to listen to this album but nontheless wanted to direct eveyone's attention to the new release by our good friend and favorite folk-core/noise band Amps for Christ. "Every Eleven Seconds" is available by clicking through to the 5RC site.

6.21.06-Summer. And with the turning of seasons comes little change in the perpetual autumn that is City of Progress. As always, we appreciate your patronage.

6.3.06- The recent lag in website updates had absolutely nothing to do with the release of Deadwood Season II on DVD. P.S.- max is in 'nam, although I'm pretty sure he's not in the shit. I'll let you know if the situation changes (as always).

5.18.06- ***We've added a hip-hip addendum to the recommended albums list (thanks to Rafe for the suggestions). Also, to mark the long awaited release of Deadwood Season II on DVD, Max has written and recorded an instrumental piece honoring the twangy "Deadwood Theme." I'm not sure when he's going to post it on the site, but I'm hoping soon . . . .

5.12.06- In the interest of layering nuance on top of nuance, the east coast half of city of progress (the west coast half has not yet endorsed this post**) would like to recommend some good albums released in the past twelve months. All are readily available online, except for the live Midnight Chonies one, you'll need to email: cityofprogress [at] gmail.com to get a copy of that (and I recommend you do). Also, if you think there is some music that the CoPs ought to hear, let us know.

the list:

Quasi- when the going gets dark

Red Heart the Ticker- for the wicked

Deerhoof- the runners four

Cat Power- the greatest

Silver Jews- tanglewood numbers

Future Rock- sugar coated bullets

John Fahey- the yellow princess (reissue)

Foot Foot- snagle and buck

Herman Dune- not on top

Pearls and Brass- the indian tower

Midnight Chonies- live at occidental college

**the west coast addendum:

Architecture in Helsinki-In Case We Die

World Psychedelic Classics 3-Love's a Real Thing

Eels-Blinking Lights

Avett Brothers-Live, Vol 2

Band of Horses-Everything all the time

Robbie Robertson-Raging Bull Soundtrack (finally, 30 fucking years later)

***hip-hop addendum

Cunninlynguists- a piece of strange

Murs and 9th Wonder- murray's revenge

T.I.- king

5.8.06-Correction; there is no Gout in City of Progress. Apologies for the confusion. Please send money anyway.

5.6.06-City of Progress would like to report its first confirmed case of the Gout. Donations for treatment will be accepted via Paypal. Thanks for your concern.

5.5.06-"I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or being cited for three driving infractions. That's not how I want to live my life, and that's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island." We've all been there Patrick, keep up the decent work.

5.1.06- City of Progress is closed today.

4.20.06-Hope to see everyone tonight at the Velvet Lounge for Northern Aggression's debut performance. We will start playing at 9pm sharp (for reals), and our first song is our best song, AND, I'm assuming you want to get yourself a Schlitz before the set begins- so err on the side of early. That's all I have . . .

4.11.06- Happy birthday to our dear friend Alexander William McKey Johnston A.K.A. Aljiers or A. Johnson to those who know him well.

4.10.06- Do not miss the debut performance of Northern Aggression, featuring the Cowboy (City of Progress) and Captain Sulu (Tippler Contingent/Midnight Chonies/The Patriarchs), at the Velvet Lounge on Thursday April 20th at 8:30pm.

4.1.06-April Fools Day can manifest in many forms. For example, a member of City of Progress starts a side project and books a show at a club in the Valley. The said band arrives at the club and starts to unload but in the meanwhile a death metal band destroys the venue. So the show is cancelled 5 minutes prior to its start.

3.28.06-This friday (3.31.06) will be the debut performance of the Little Ice Age a power trio featuring; The Hammer (City of Progress), Johnny Utah (The New West) and Cookie Jar (The Philistines). The show is at the California Institute of Abnormal Arts (CIA) in North Hollywood at 1:00 am.

3.27.06- I saw Red Heart the Ticker (from Philadephia) perform this past weekend, and was mightily impressed. You'll probably like them as well, so buy their debut album here.

The "I" above refers to The Cowboy, the new Rhetoric Analyst for City of Progress.

3.24.06-Thanks to our fans in the Inland Empire and KSPC radio for letting Bi-Coastal Curious top the charts at #6 last week. In other IE related news, please swing by the Grove House on 3/25 at 9:00pm to check out the Hammer sitting in with Andy Friedman and the Other Failures.

3.23.06- Please report all spelling errors, offensive content, and site malfunctions to this man.

3.20.06- Things are weird for the sake of weird in the New West, but don't take my word for it. Our good friends and sometime accomplices have posted some great new music (and a new name) on their myspace page, so get to it.

3.18.06-The Hammer will be performing with Andy Friedman & The Other Failures at the Grove House in Claremont on Saturday, March 25. Please come support City of Progress' continuing efforts to spread the sounds of Swedish Erotica throughout the music community.

Our week of uni-coastality draws to a close; so thanks to our CA peoples for making it a good one. See you soon on one side or another.

3.9.06-Very special thank you to the people at the Hotel Cafe for their hospitality, John Nixon for the guitar and drum work, Nate for the violin and everyone who made it out last night to applaud and heckle. Last night's show was entirely too enjoyable. Check back soon for audio tracks from the show.

3.3.06-Time to bask in a week of uni-coastality, with City of Progress reuniting in LA this week to record a new EP and play a show at the Hotel Cafe on March 8th. Come one, come all (except Jason Abboud, sworn enemy of City of Progress).

2.25.06-We would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to City of Progress' very own Byron Elio Kahr.

2.23.06-Some recent press: "Your EP is really great! Way better than any of my other friend's bands." (quoted from a text message from a non-family member). Also, Max's dad and mom listened to our EP a record 6 consecutive times recently. We are playing with Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs and AM at the Hotel Cafe on March 8th.

2.17.06-Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and buy the new Foot Foot album, Snaggle and Buck, available from Oedipus Records. Oh god, it's so good. Also CoP will be playing a show at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood on March 8 at 10:00pm. (That's twice, if you are counting).

2.9.06-City of Progress will be playing a show at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood on March 8 at 10:00pm. This will be announced roughly ten more times before March 8th.

1.31.06-I know many of you have been blogging maniacally in search of a transcript for the 2006 "State of the City Address" however, all we will be able to offer is a new song, The Last Thing. It is a hot little (1:56) number recorded at the Hurt Box (Pomona), The Allesandro Cave (LA) and Capitain Sulu's (DC). As per the norm, download it, burn it, sell it at a profit...but listen to it, please. A happy birthday to two of our most favorite women (Bo and Abby).

1.26.06-The Hottest Year Ever Award goes to 2005. Let's take off all our clothes.

1.23.06- How about that links page? In other news CoP is planning a west coast reunion March 4-12, 2006. Let's get together. We're also challenging all physical laws by working on a single together over the internet. You can download it here first (hopefully by this weekend).

1.16.06-I highly encourage all visitors to go to our "links" page to access some new music, psychadelic animation and learn about some good places to visit on the internet.

1.13.06-City of Progress has made a resolution to commemorate the new year: At least 50% of the time when we would ordinarily use the adjective 'Derridean' we will substitute the adjective 'Benjaminian.' Please help us enforce this judgment.

1.06.06-We had a great time playing at the Velvet Lounge last night, thanks to Rob for the great sound in the room, thanks to BO for holding down some sweet harmonies, thanks to Bound Stems for the loner on the drum kit, and thanks everyone for coming. Check out new images from our latest east coast swing on the photos page. See you all soon.

1.03.06-H.N.Y. to everyone. Thanks so much to Alex Johnston, BO, Sammy Cooper, and Archbishop Shabby for sitting in with us last night at Pianos in NYC and also thanks to everyone else who came out in the rain. For anyone hanging out in DC, we will be playing with Bound Stems at the Velvet Lounge on Thursday (1/5) at 9:00pm.

12.19.05-City of Progress is on the east coast. We are going to do some rehearsing in Max's ancestral basement (Providence, RI) next week and then on to NYC. Get at us dog.

12.9.05-A new addition to the Standard Deviation Tour, The Velvet Lounge in D.C., January 5th at 9pm.

12.4.05- We have a page on MySpace; check it out if your into that sort of thing: http://www.myspace.com/cityofprogress

12.2.05- Standard Deviation Tour: City of Progress will show 2006 what we think of it on January 2nd at Pianos in NYC (8:30pm sharp). Hope to see you all there.

11.13.05-Bi-Coastal Curious EP is available for purchase on the Free Market!!! I know many have you have waited patiently for this day to arrive. Well, rejoice (and then buy a copy). For southland residents, the CD is also available at Sea Level Records on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park (sans shipping and handling fees).

11.7.05-Back to bi-coastality...new pictures from The Velvet Lounge

11.5.05-Big thanks to everyone who came out to the Velvet Lounge last night. It was a great show, packed house and we got to share the stage with some great bands (Digby, The Times, and Silent Tongue). Photos on the way...

10.23.05-Sassy new shirts on the Free Market.

10.17.05-New video of a rain storm in LA. Video 1 (featuring lightning) and video 2 (featuring a street light).

10.14.05-The new Deerhoof album is amazing. You can buy it here.

10.13.05-Thanks to Max's due dilligence, our Bi-Coastal Curious EP will be available for sale through this website on November 2nd. You can also pick up a copy at our show in D.C. on November 4th. In other news: we've got a bad-ass helicopter on our website now.

9.25.05-To ensure satisfaction and quality, City of Progress now comes with a guarantee.

9.18.05-Check out the new addition to City of Progress, Hotel Byron.

9.12.05-Our hottest page yet, the Links page. Do you want your link posted? Let us know. Also, more music for sale on the (almost) Free Market.

9.6.05- We have booked a show in D.C. to celebrate the release of 'Bi-Coastal Curious'. City of Progress will be performing at the Velvet Lounge on Friday November 4th (also a good day to celebrate the birth of Max), details forthcoming . . .

8.30.05-To give you a taste of what's to come, we have posted the EP version of Chino Winds on the A/V page.

8.29.05-For those interested in purchasing music, we have made the Midnight Chonies' 2002 self-relased EP, "Five Of", available through the Free Market. It is a rare disc that has been gathering dust for 3 years waiting patiently for a means of dispersal.

8.27.05-Check out the new video clips from the Growroom in Providence, shot by the ever-talented Abby Berkelhammer.

8.22.05- Bi-Coastal Countdown . . . our first recorded release, a four song EP entitled "bi-coastal curious", has been sent to a mastering house in Ventura, CA and will head from there to a CD pressing plant. We'll make copies available through this site as soon as we get them (five weeks from today is a pretty good estimate).

8.17.05-For those who may be wondering, City of Progress recently installed a permanent Ambassador in Washington, D.C. If your living in the District, or passing through, please get in touch.

8.15.05-Warm thanks to everyone who pitched in on the east coast tour. It was great to see so many old friends and meet some new ones. All told, it was a tremendous success. We had a great time and received postive feedback wherever we played. To those who missed the shows (or just want some more), we are already laying groundwork for another east coast run so stay alert. For those who want to advertise their dedication to City of Progress, there are a limited number of hand-printed tour shirts available exclusively through this website.

8.4.05-For those in LA this weekend, City of Progress highly recommends attending "Movement Reborn" at El Cid on Sunday night (8/7/05). The show starts at 10:00 pm and will feature our favorite hip hop junkies, The Philistines.

8.1.05-Good news for all you fools who are fleeing New York City next weekend, City of Progress has added a weeknight show at Sputnik on August 8th, 9pm. Check out the new tour link to keep your calendars straight.

7.31.05-New audio posting, "Sleeping in My Jeans". It's the last recording before the destruction of the Hurt Box Studio (Pomona, CA).

7.29.05-Check out the recent City of Progress shout out on this New York scenster's blog. (Correction: it is actually Experimental Folk Pop, not New Wave Folk Punk.)

7.27.05-East Coast readers, we would like to encourage you to come out to the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge on August 9th at 10:00pm for a City of Progress set. Once again, thanks to Alex J, Lacy and all the good folks over at KSPC for having us on the air yesterday.

7.25.05-City of Progress live on KSPC 88.7 fm or on the web at kspc.org from 5:30 pm (8:30 pm E.S.T) tommorrow (7.26.05)! In other news, City of Progress is beginning their ventures into bi-coastal curiosity with a show at Tommy's Tavern in Brooklyn, NY on August 6th.

7.23.05- Thanks to Foot Foot and everyone who came out to the Smell on Friday night. We've posted some pictures and video (thanks to Bridget Dolfi) from the show.

Those craving whiskey, keg beer, and a special set by DJ Cansafis should consider attending a going away party (of sorts) at 1260 W. Court Street (Echo Park) tonight; bring your friends and vague acquaintances.   

7.20.05- City of Progress the website is back in business.  Thanks to Leif Johnson in SF for providing server space and prodigious tech support- we really appreciate it.  To be absolutely clear:

Max, Byron, and Steph have tracked a new slate of tunes in preparation for the release of our forthcoming EP "bi-coastal curious". It will be available mid-August but for now, you can listen to a few cuts on the website.  Feel free to download, burn, plagiarize, or bastardize.