(photo courtesy the Mark Ohe archives)

After a decade on the 12th floor (and more than 17 years in the 'hood), today marks Matador's final day at 625 Broadway.  On Monday, we'll be moving to our new fancy digs with our pals from the Beggars Group — and dig is the operative world.  Much of the staff will be wielding shovels all weekend. 

Though we've had our gripes over the years, I cannot claim 625 wasn't good to us.  We had a great view of a Diana Ross photo shoot, once.  And over the years, our glamorous neighbors on the other floors have included video game firms, failed dot coms and the mysteriously dubbed "Juvenille Lingerie".  We never did quite turn Gonzalez y Gonzalez into our local (ie. we're not crazy), but we did manage to stay on the block long enough to bear witness to the closing and reopening of no fewer than 3 Blimpies. 

Anyhow, bye bye to the place and the all the lovely ghosts that stomp through the hallway each day.

UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOK : Matador Records, 304 Hudson Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013

If you live in the Windy City (or thereabouts), you're in luck! Not only are Love of Diagrams opening for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Metro, but they are also playing another gig that night at the Hideout! Here's the details on the latter:

Love of Diagrams with Life During Wartime DJ's
doors at 9PM, band on at 11 PM
$8 before, $5 after 11 PM

The Hideout is one of the best venues in Chicago, if not the best, if you ask me! So head on out and have fun!

This is possibly the only reason for wanting to step foot anywhere near James Blunt… 

Spinal Tap, the greatest band that never was, are to play at the Live Earth gig at Wembley, London on 7 July. The three actors Michael McKeen (David St Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnell) and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) have been brought together for the appearance by the director of 'This Is Spinal Tap', Rob Reiner. A short ten minute film has also been made, and will be screened at the gig.

Reiner says of the band's appearance: "They're not that environmentally
conscious, but they've heard of global warming. Nigel thought it was just
because he was wearing too much clothing - that if he just took his jacket
off it would be cooler."

(illustration by Mogollon)

Dear Friends,To commemorate Matador's barely legal status (ie. we're celebrating our 18th this year), we're commissioning a series of t-shirts. Though the garments are meant to be vaguely label/logo insipired, but we're hoping for something a bit more inspired that our previous designs (though that said, the Matador "that's italian" shirt still goes for crazy loot on eBay).

The shirts will be printed in a limited run of 200 per design, with each designer receiving $250.00 (USD) plus 20 shirts to be peddled or given away as he or she sees fit.  In turn, Matador will flog the remaining shirts for a sum  to-be-determined, but it'll probably be on the pricey side of things. 

The selected designs will be available for viewing on the Matador site & blog for advance purchase, though they'll also be available from select retailers.  We'll provide links to the individual designers' websites, too.

Knock yourselves out. Thank You. 

For your streaming pleasure, the portions of Lavender Diamond's forthcoming 'Imagine Our Love' (CD/LP, May Eigth), right here.

(link swiped from Boing Boing) 

Jennifer O'Connor's Wednesday night residency series at the Living Room kicks off on May 2, a night that will serve as a record release show for her split 7" with Choo Choo La Rogue. There's also a drawing for a $50 iTunes giftcard, but even you non-materialistic types would be foolish not to turn up. 

(pic by Lori Lee, used without permission)

With all due respect to Angus Young, Rowland S. Howard and Steve Lucas, The Coloured Balls' Lobby Loyde might be the most important Australian rock guitarist of his generation or any other.  Loyde passed away Saturday after a struggle with lung cancer — he's capabaly eulogized at WFMU's Beware Of The Blog by Brian Turner.

Starting off in 1963 with various combos including the Stilletos, Purple Hearts, Wild Cherries, and Thorpe's early Aztecs, Lobby took his amazing guitar playing through many phases from straightforward R&B through acid psych and spacerock soundtracks and schooled countless countrymen for years to come.