With apologies to Yogi Berra for the above headline, here’s Ira, Georgia and James performing ‘Popular Songs” climactic “And The Glitter Is Gone”, just prior to play being called on account of darkness. Video shot and hosted by Pitchfork TV. Please watch responsibly!
With Tuesday officially welcoming “Love Comes Close” to the Matador canon, here’s an opportunity to check out Cold Cave’s debut masterwork in its entirety. Listen, then order the album to own forever.
Photo taken from Rezflicks’ photo stream, without permission.
There’s going to be a lot of these ‘insert band name’ tour starts tonight! posts from me over the next month, so make sure you’re not caught out with gig clashes by keeping up to date with the Tours page. Europe’s the place to be in November it seems. At least for the majority of Matador’s roster. As I write, Cold Cave should have just touched down on UK soil to head straight to Bristol to start their 10 date tour.
Here’s the dates and at the bottom, a lovely flyer from our friends at Transparent blog who are promoting the show on Tuesday at White Heat.
As most of you are aware, when I’m not opening prescription medication I’ve found in Chris Lombardi’s desk attending marketing meetings at 304 Hudson Street,, I spend the majority of my time in the lovely city of Austin, TX. The region’s musical heritage, while often acknowledged in the major trade fairs and sprawling rock festivals, often leaves some folks more recognized than others ; 13th Floor Elevators, Bubble Puppy, Moving Sidewalks, Doctor’s Mob, True Believers, Big Boys, Dicks, Nice Strong Arm, Butthole Surfers, Scratch Acid, Texas Instruments, Daniel Johnston, 16 Deluxe, Glorium, …Trail Of Dead, Spoon, Shearwater, Strange Boys, Total Abuse, Hex Dispensers, etc. NONE OF THESE WONDERFUL ARTISTS HAS A STATUE, and that makes me want to cry.
The thing is, I really suck at making statues. I’m a little more accomplished, however, at putting together compilations. On January 26, Matador will be releasing a double LP / single CD collection/ digital album called ‘Casual Victim Pile (Austin 2010′), featuring 17 songs from a newer generation of Austin bands (plus a couple of wildly talented ringers from Denton for good measure). I’ve been working on this comp. off and on over the past year and I feel pretty good about this record being a valid representation of….uh…..the bands I like to see most often? The Austin Chronicle recently touted CVP as “shaping up to be the most impressive regional comp since 1983′s ‘Cottage Cheese From the Lips of Death’ (Ward 9) , and while I’ll take that praise any day of the week, to my ears it more closely recalls Matador’s 1991 NYC underground sampler., ‘New York Eye & Ear Control’.
Of the album’s 19 songs, 18 are previously unreleased, Harlem’s “Beautiful & Very Smart” being the only current exception. Only Harlem, The Golden Boys, The Distant Seconds and Elvis have released full albums previously, while several of the bands on this album (Flesh Lights, Dikes Of Holland, KOSL, The Stuffies, The Persimmons) are making their recorded debuts (at least as of this writing). Here’s the track listing.
There will be more news to follow in the days in weeks ahead, including a multi-night stand at one of Austin’s more beloved nightspots (OK, Beerland) featuring the majority of the album’s participants. In the meantime, ‘Casual Victim Pile’ is available for preorders starting today from The Matador Store, 2XLP for the discount price of $15.30, single CD for $8.50
P.S. ‘Casual Victim Pile’ is an anagram for ‘Live Music Capital’. I learned that from a talking statue.
Jay Reatard and his new band are starting their European tour tonight in France, all the dates can be found below. As previously billed, he’s playing with the Cola Freaks as his new band and by all accounts they’re raring to go as this statement from Mr Reatard attests…
“Life has been great since I’ve been here in Aarhus (Denmark) the last ten days. Working on music all day, walking a half hour to the rehearsal studio, playing with the Cola Freaks all night. With the last band it was all overplaying – turn it up, play it fast – but the songs got lost in all the distortion. This new band makes the songs in a way sound more pure by scaling back and putting more emphasis on the melody and the changes. It sounds exactly the I wanted these songs to sound like live when I wrote them.
We added a lot of new songs to the live set. There’s already been a secret show in Aarhus before we start a 12 country European tour before coming right back for those Pixies shows. Can’t wait for those.
I also recorded a cover of Chris Knox’s first band The Enemy – a version of “Pull Back The Shades” for a Chris Knox tribute album. I did it right in the bathroom of my hotel room here – put the computer on the sink, recorded the guitar and vocals sitting right on the toilet!”
L-R Jacob Elving (drums), Jay Lindsey (Flying V), Anders Thode (bass)
Girls are shipping up to Boston to rock the Sox off of everyone from Back Bay to Somerville… so check it out, FO FREE.
Free Instore
Saturday November 7th @ 5pm
Newbury Comics – 332 Newbury Street
Until then, grab a copy of Album so you can sing along. Or just check out this wicked good video that the Lust for Life directors dropped on us without telling anyone… but we still love them.
So it’s been a mere couple of weeks since Mission of Burma celebrated their very own day in Boston (technically they were in Cambridge, but really folks lets not knit pick) and even longer since their killer set at Jelly NYC’s Pool Party (that had no pool, again folks let’s not get caught up in the details) in Brooklyn this past July. Well fear not Northeasterners, Burma’s tour plans include coming back our way and not just hitting the West Coast . As the saying goes, “back by popular demand”, Mission of Burma have 4 new shows to announce, 2 in Boston (Paradise Rock Club on Fri, 1/15 + Sat, 1/16/10) and 2 in NYC (Bowery Ballroom on Fri, 1/29 + Sat, 1/30/10).
Pre-sale tickets for the Boston shows go up today at 10am. CLICK HERE to order tickets. Tickets are $20 for one show and $35 for both shows. The pre-sale is only available to those purchasing 2-Day Passes. You know what they say, double the Burma, double the Fun. Ok maybe only we say that but we believe it. General ticket sales for the Boston shows start on Sat, 10/31.
As for the NYC shows just CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to a single show or a 2-Day pass.
“Here To Fall” from the staggeringly great ‘Popular Songs’ LP/CD/digital album, as filmed and posted by PF TV. Nice view of the Empire State Building behind Georgia, too. More rooftop Yo La Tengo to come later this week.
There’s only one professional sports team that I dislike more than the Anaheim Promise-Keepers and that’s the hometown crew in pinstripes.
So as a Philly ex-pat living in New York, I’m more siked than most for the Fung Wa Bus series.
And like many in Philly, I’m on the Chooch Train.
While we’re pretty sure Kurt has not endorsed the following clip, I’m sure the kids over in Fishtown, out the Main Line and straight up Broad Street do.
