Find these, and many other new and classic Matador, True Panther and distributed releases here. Spend over $50, and get free shipping AND while you’re at it, pick up a new Matador tote bag (cuz let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a tote? )
A few weeks back we mentioned Belle And Sebastian’s forthcoming 12″ EP (out July 26, pre-order it) which is backed with several exclusive b-sides, including a remix of the track “I Didn’t See It Coming” by COLD CAVE’s Wes Eisold. Today, we’re excited to share that track with you.
Also, we’ll take this moment to remind you that Cold Cave’s US tour starts in Brooklyn tonight, and we’ve excited to announce a following bunch of dates which brings the band to Europe in August and September (new dates in bold).
Tuesday, July 12 – Brooklyn, NY — Knitting Factory (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Wednesday, July 13 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, July 14 – Toronto, ON — Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Friday, July 15 – Detroit, MI — Magic Stick (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 16 – Chicago, IL — Pitchfork Festival
Sunday, July 17 – Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Monday, July 18 — Fargo, ND — The Aquarium (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, July 21 – Vancouver, BC — Biltmore Cabaret (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Friday, July 22 – Portland, OR — Doug Fir Lounge (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 23 – Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
Monday, July 25 – San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall (Austra Supports)
Tuesday, July 26 – San Diego, CA — Casbah (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Wednesday, July 27 – Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Ukranian Center (Austra Supports)
Friday, July 29 – Salt Lake City – Urban Lounge (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 30 – Denver – Bluebird Theater (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Sunday, July 31 — Omaha NE — Waiting Room (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Monday, August 1 – Saint Louis, MO — Firebird (Austra Supports)
Tuesday, August 2 — Cleveland, OH — Grog Shop (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, August 4 – Washington, DC — Rock N Roll Hotel (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Friday, August 5 – Philadelphia, PA — Voyeur (Austra Supports)
Saturday, August 6 – New York, NY — Bowery Ballroom – Tickets (Austra Supports)
Friday, August 26 – Reading UK, Reading Festival – Tickets Saturday, Augist 27 – Leeds UK, Leeds Festival – Tickets
Monday, August 29 – Amsterdam, NL – Bitterzoet – Tickets Tuesday, August 30 – Luxembourg BE – Exit 007 – Tickets Wednesday, August 31 – Luzern, Switzerland – Treibhaus – Tickets Thursday, September 1 – Milan, IT – Magnolia Parade – Tickets
Friday, September 2 – Montalcino, IT - Itaylo Harvest Festival – Tickets
Saturday, September 3 – Rome, IT – Circolo delgi Artisti – Tickets Monday, September 5 – Paris, FR – Point Emphere – Tickets
Last week we posted the Belle and Sebastian video for “Come On Sister” and if that’s not enough video goodness, Belle and Sebastian have another video out today for “I Didn’t See It Coming” (Richard X mix) by Glasgow based artist, Lesley Barnes.
This summer, you’ll be able to pick up the new Belle and Sebastian 12” (July 26 release). This vinyl-only release includes reworked versions of Write About Love tracks – including a Cold Cave remix of “I Didn’t See It Coming”.
Come On Sister 12” Track Listing:
Come On Sister (Tony Doogan mix)
I Didn’t See It Coming (Richard X mix)
I Didn’t See It Coming (Cold Cave mix)
Blue Eyes of a Millionaire (Album version)
Pre-order the Come On Sister 12” on the Matador Store
Paul Fegan has directed a clip for a new version of Come On Sister – which was remixed by Tony Doogan. This stars all seven band members faced with the grim realities of life off the road:
Damn good, right? Perfect for the end of the work week.
…Be sure to keep it here for more Belle news over the coming weeks…
While this is hardly the most comprehensive or definitive profile of Stuart, it is a quick look at the man behind the impending Belle and Sebastian song about Mr. J. Ficenec.
What is your name?: Stuart Leopold Murdoch
Where are you from?: Clarkston, Glasgow
How old are you?: 42
Of all the amazing entries, why did you pick John Ficenec’s?: It was different, it was easy to read, it was funny and I thought the advice was good!
Have you ever been to Omaha?: No, never, but I’ve heard it is a nice town, with a nice zoo.
What do you plan on doing with John when you get there? I’m going to try real hard not to embarrass him.
Earlier this week we answered the question that everyone had been asking; “Who is going to win the Belle and Sebastian ‘Write About Love Contest?’”
But as questions beget questions, now everyone wants to know “Who the hell is John Ficenec?”
Well, after a short but relatively arduous search, we’ve located the lucky fella behind the billion dollar essay about young love (no, he doesn’t get a billion dollars*. Even better. He gets to hang out with Stuart Murdoch for a day and then have a Belle and Sebastian song written about him to be released as a limited 7″).
A little more about John:
When/where did you first hear of Belle and Sebastian?: I heard The Boy with the Arab Strap in a skate video.
What else do you listen to?: Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Owen Pallett, Vampire Weekend, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
What are your favorite new bands?: James Blake, Smith Westerns.
Old bands?: The Clash, The Pixies, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks.
Why did you decide to enter the contest?: Just for the heck of it and for fun.
What was it like when you found out you were in the Final 5?: Crazy. I had a free period at school and starting freaking out.
We informed you on a Thursday that you were one of the 5 but didn’t tell you that you’d won until the next Tuesday. What was the wait like?: Not that bad, just a little anxiety here and there.
What was it like when you found out that you’d won?: Amazing. I had gotten done with gym class and checked my phone and saw a missed call and voicemail and decided to call back and found out I won. I was very ecstatic.
Do you have a record player? Will you be able to play the 7″ that is YOUR SONG?: My grandmother has one so yes.
What do you plan on showing Stuart when he comes to Omaha?: I would like to show him around the Old Market, my neighborhood, a restaurant called Amsterdam Falafel and Kebab, and a bakery called Jones Bros Cupcakes.
What’s the one thing Stuart should know about you?: I am an avid photographer.
The Belle and Sebastian Write About Love contest is closed and the band has judged.
AND THE WINNER IS…
John Ficenec, of Omaha Nebraska!
We reprint his winning essay below. John will be getting a personal visit from Belle and Sebastian singer Stuart Murdoch, and the band will then be writing a song about him, to be released this spring on Matador. (He will also receive the autographed album and Belle and Sebastian medal.)
Advice for Young Lovers: Never in ANY instance believe that you are going to marry someone you are dating/fond of before you are 18. Play the field while you are young. Don’t cheat or be a whore but see what all the fish are like so you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. Don’t dwell on past loves; they are ex’s for a reason. Don’t go out with someone if you have to keep it a secret because when it ends since no one knows you were dating there will be no one there but your actually ex to comfort you and chances are pretty good that they won’t. While you can show some public affection keep it to a minimal of holding hands or a cheek kiss. I always find myself disgusted walking by and seeing people swap tongue right in the middle of public. Yes, we get you are dating and whatnot, but really get a room. Don’t have sex without a condom. Don’t date your best friend. It may sound like a good idea at the time and even while you are going out with them but you know what when the relationship is over so is the amazing friendship. Don’t date people up to 2 years or older until you are 18. Don’t make someone your rebound. It makes them feel like shit and you feel like a monster. Talk to your significant other. Laugh with them ask them questions but DON’T interrogate them. Don’t become too jealous of anyone else. And never EVER get into the friends zone with someone you are fond of. It will scratch away at your heart and soul knowing that you will get no further than friends but that your heart wants to be more than friends.
We announced the twenty-one honorable mention winners of Belle and Sebastian’s Write About Love contest on Tuesday. Today we have Stuart Murdoch’s top 5 selections — from which we will be choosing one GRAND PRIZE WINNER (to be announced later this week, stand by!) We have published all five essays below. These formidable writers will each receive a Belle and Sebastian medal in addition to an autographed LP — and one of these five finalists will win the GRAND PRIZE; a visit from Stuart and have a song written about her/him!!
Here are the winning essays:
John Ficenac, Omaha NE:
Advice for Young Lovers: Never in ANY instance believe that you are going to marry someone you are dating/fond of before you are 18. Play the field while you are young. Don’t cheat or be a whore but see what all the fish are like so you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. Don’t dwell on past loves; they are ex’s for a reason. Don’t go out with someone if you have to keep it a secret because when it ends since no one knows you were dating there will be no one there but your actually ex to comfort you and chances are pretty good that they won’t. While you can show some public affection keep it to a minimal of holding hands or a cheek kiss. I always find myself disgusted walking by and seeing people swap tongue right in the middle of public. Yes, we get you are dating and whatnot, but really get a room. Don’t have sex without a condom. Don’t date your best friend. It may sound like a good idea at the time and even while you are going out with them but you know what when the relationship is over so is the amazing friendship. Don’t date people up to 2 years or older until you are 18. Don’t make someone your rebound. It makes them feel like shit and you feel like a monster. Talk to your significant other. Laugh with them ask them questions but DON’T interrogate them. Don’t become too jealous of anyone else. And never EVER get into the friends zone with someone you are fond of. It will scratch away at your heart and soul knowing that you will get no further than friends but that your heart wants to be more than friends.
Rebecca Armendariz, Washington DC:
Clark’s cancer had spread to his hip and so two months before he died he couldn’t really walk. At least not without my help so I was his human crutch crushed on one side anytime he wanted his 33-year-old body moved to another spot in our apartment. After a period of decline he traded me in for a desk chair on wheels and I pushed him around scooping him up from under his armpits when we reached the bathroom. I’d use a firm but tender grip to lower his eggshell body into the tub where he’d sit for hours to make the effort worth it.He hardly left the house except for doctor’s appointments. I’d finally convinced him to wear an adult diaper after too many laundry loads of soaked pants and bed sheets. The first night he slept in it I put one on too and we giggled under piles of blankets together sharing a secret before he nodded off. One spring day we let the air breeze through the front and out the back of the apartment. The buried idea of what he’d been missing was exhumed; he wanted to go outside. We drove a few blocks to a friend’s where we sat in lawn chairs in a sun-soaked driveway. A snapshot of any one particular moment from that afternoon would appear unremarkable to an outsider. We gossiped and laughed. I drank a beer. After a few hours we were home refreshed by our peek at normalcy. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to see that mischievous amorous look in his eye but after helping him to the couch it disappeared. He wanted to do something for me for once. He wanted me to relax. And for the last time before he died I did.
Lia Braswell, Van Nuys CA:
I fell in love this summer. He was my first love. We spent every day together hand in hand and unaware of the people around us. Then summer came to an end as the leaves started to change colors. He moved away to Rhode Island. He never loved me back. I know he cared about me but the feeling of his subtle disappearance from my life leaves me no choice but to smile and walk away. So as of today I’m forgetting about it. I’m leaving it all behind because in this moment after hours and hours of biking around the valley I realized that the person I love most is someone who changed my life as soon as he left the world. He would have been thirty-one on October 11 2010. He has been gone for almost twelve years. That man is my brother. Still nineteen and no longer in pain. I had an epiphany that I am a musician because of his love. I am who I am because of his love. People tend to let go of loved ones who pass on but I can’t seem to part ways with him. The spirituality in me says that he is still around and he’s coming to life every second of the day. Even though I can’t see him I can feel him. I feel him whisper in my ear “Fuck it. You can do better” and I listen with an everlasting smile. It’s not that I’ll never find someone to love again. I will know when the time is right and when he is capable of loving me back. I will know when it is no longer Adam whispering in my ear. Every night is different and though it is lonesome I will never be completely alone.
Christina from Ridgewood NY:
One day my best friend and I went to a guitar shop in midtown Manhattan. I was and always have been a musical dope unable to read music or remember where to put my fingers. My childhood piano teacher gave up on me. My friend Lo was quite talented with violin and guitar. A lanky young man with long hair covering his face assisted us showing us acoustic and electric Fender and Gibson. I’m certain neither Lo or I remembered anything he showed us because every time he put his fingers on the frets he flashed us a tattoo on his wrist. It was a big red heart and inside the heart in beautiful script was the word “Nervous Nervous Heart.” Afterwards Lo and I talked about how it was the best tattoo we’d ever seen that the young man seemed such a gentle shy soul it fit him well. We wondered if we wore our heart on our wrist what would it say about us “Bold Skittish Free” I think back on this moment from time to time how we were and how we are. I still cannot play music but I can sing and Lo owns a trendy consignment shop. She lives far away to the North with her husband and child their marriage on the rocks. I still live in NYC with my husband and child going strong surviving disasters and laughing. What would our tattoo hearts say now “Brave Adapting Fractured”.
Daniel Montano, Pittsburgh PA:
I could not contain the Great Love I had inside my Heart. So I went around the city on a bike to Write about Love. I wrote on the walls along the traint racks the rivers and the bridges. In abandoned buildings and on fancy storefronts in the busy shopping area. To express my Love for the Beauty of the World. To reflect the Light of The Sun Moon and Stars. To honor and pay tribute to the simple Beauty of my beloveds face. To place value on feelings of the Heart over the material world. To cover the bricks with precious kisses and sorrowful tears so they too could experience Love. To wake up the sleeping people of the world with Bold Statements of Love. And the people said that my Love was prolific and would go down in History. And they displayed my Love all over the evening news. And when they showed the policeman taking me away even he would say that my Love was profound. And the Judge said so too at my trial when he sentenced me to five years. But my Love was so strong that I took it with me to prison. My love was so determined that it would not diminish but always grow. So in my cell I wrote about Love…I wrote about Love at all costs for it is the noblest cause on Earth and is valued accordingly by God in Heaven. So I got on my knees and prayed I would purify my Love so it wouldn’t cause harm. So the World may receive it. God answered my Prayers when a young girl sent me a letter in prison: “I enjoyed reading your Poetry all over the city walls. Please write them in a book so they will last.”
Winners: we will be in touch with you shortly to get you your prizes. (If you haven’t heard from us in the next day or so, please email Mike V.)
As you may have read over on the Belle and Sebastian site, Stuart has chosen the shortlist of winners for the Write About Love contest. We are pleased to announce our Part One winners, the Honorable Mentions, today:
Ann Orsini – Carrboro, NC
Paul Sotrop – Maplewood, NJ
Brett Hall – Lawrence, KS
Michele Muller – Brooklyn, NY
Mike Janzen – Spruce Grove, Alberta (Canada)
Michael Henriksen – Salt Lake City, UT
Blake Gibson – Cincinnati, OH
Ryan Johnson – Ludington, MI
Brian Pfeiffer – Oakland, CA
Tyler Ring – Columbia, TN
Keith Kuramoto – Glendale, CA
Megan Helstone – Bellflower, CA
Chad Johnston – Lawrence, KS
Evan Minsker – Dexter, MI
Joshua Cagan – Los Angeles, CA
Camille Akers – Omaha, NE
Joanna Blauer – Ypsilanti, MI
Nicholas Burica – Tinley Park, IL
Daryan Reay Farrell – Urbandale, IA
Trudy Haley – Scandinavia, WI
Andrew Weber – Bloomington, IN
Honorable Mention winners will receive autographed LPs of Write About Love. (If your name is on the list above and you haven’t heard from us, keep checking your email – you should be contacted shortly. If you still haven’t heard, please email Mike V and ask him what’s up.)
Keep checking back here this week to see Part 2 and Part 3 announcements: the Runner Ups and the Grand Prize – a get-to-know-you meeting with Stuart himself followed by a Belle and Sebastian song written about the winner.
If you missed yesterday’s INSANELY FANTASTIC live Belle & Sebastian concert webcast from Glasgow, well, what were you THINKING? Watching the band burn through classics and new favorites, my inner 15-year-old-self nearly went into convulsions (ask my coworkers, it was embarrassing).
Though you may have erred horribly and missed the show, ’tis the holiday season, and in the spirit of giving (and forgiving) our friends at NPR have archived the entire show, in audio and video. Hallelujah.
The show was something really special – watch it with someone you love, and have a safe and happy holiday season.
We’re expecting classic tunes, long-lost favorites, suprises and superjams from the recent Write About Love (buy the album)…Break out the eggnog, this is going to be great.
We are so pleased to announce that this coming Tuesday December 21 at 9PM GMT/4PM EST, NPR and The Guardian will partner with Matador, Rough Trade and, of course, Belle & Sebastian to bring you a live concert, in it’s entirety, from the legendary Barrowland in the band’s hometown of Glasgow.
Belle & Sebastian. Live from Glasgow. Oh my God, Merry Christmas!!!!!
The live concert webcast, which promises to include long-lost fan favorites, hits from this year’s Write About Love (buy the album) and all manner of festive fun, will be found at www.npr.org/BelleHoliday and www.theguardian.co.uk, as well as on NPR’s mobile site (http://m.npr.org/) for viewing on your iPhone, Android and iPad.
I don’t really know what it means to be in love, and as they say, write what you know. Since I am to write about love, I will focus on something I love to have and am very well acquainted with: Crushes.
These are pictures of the three-ring binder I had in 7th grade. I saw “Speed” in the summer of 1994 just after graduating from elementary school, and became absolutely smitten with Keanu Reeves. I spent that summer daydreaming about how I was going to marry Keanu when I was 24 (only after I had retired from modeling, of course). Did you know that Keanu was born in Beirut, Lebanon and that the name means “cool breeze over the mountain” in Hawaiian (thanks for the education, Bop Magazine!)? Anyway, I thought about the trips my future husband and I would take, made sketches of the types of dresses I planned to don at future red carpet events, and imagined how great it would someday be to hobnob with celebrities like Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels and Dennis Hopper (12 year-old me imagined the cast of “Speed” to be the best of friends, I would later become aware of things like press junkets).
This intense “love” lasted a grand total of 6 months, until a viewing of “Newsies” ushered in a new era where Christian Bale reigned supreme over my 13 year-old heart. Well, along with Ethan Hawke, Brad Pitt, Brad Renfo (RIP) and Jared Leto, who were also, like, really, really cute and stuff.
1996 (age 14) was the year I had my first boyfriend, kiss, drink, joint etc. and things like celebrity crushes temporarily fell by the wayside. I watched “Dazed and Confused” all the time, read Siddhartha, and made my dad stand in line to get me tickets to see the Sex Pistols during their Filthy Lucre reunion tour, cus I was, like, into punk rock and stuff, but like, had to rehearse for my 8th grade graduation, right, and I was, like, afraid it would sell out if I went after school. It was all very Lindsay Weir in “Freaks and Geeks,” I even started wearing an army jacket and had the same haircut!
Ah, speaking of “Freaks and Geeks,” my current celebrity crush is James Franco. Actually… strike the first statement of this blog post from the record – I added “Eat Pray Love” to my Netflix queue. That’s LOVE.
I suddenly became very aware of my surroundings. My favorite white strapless dress with the lace overlay suddenly started to itch and I was overwhelmed with this feeling of insecurity. Should I have worn this dress and not the purple A line with the big bow? My hair has completely fallen from dancing and is now getting in my face. My foot is slipping out of my kitten heels every step we take. I died them bright white to match my favorite dress, which I’m now seriously reconsidering. I think my stockings are starting to fall.
I felt his hand brush against my arm as it slowly made it’s way in to my hand. I was relieved to feel it was moist, he must be nervous too. He stopped. Turned to face me. I could feel his eyes on me. I was too scared to look at him. The carpet was a dark green with a pretty flower pattern. How long can I avoid his eyes? Is the carpet really that entertaining? If I look at him will he read my thoughts? Will he know everything I’m thinking. He’ll know how I feel about him. Then everyone will know. He moved closer to me. He smelled sweet. There was a faint smell of the cologne he had put on earlier that night, mixed with the chocolate cake they served for dessert and the clean smell of fabric softener. His hand tightened around mine and I knew. It was time to face my fate. I looked up from the floor and caught his gaze. He smiled. It was that same smile that brought me away to this hallway, away from my parents, away from my friends, and away from the party. It was that smile that made me question myself, intensely wish he’d like me and daydream about this very moment. He started to lean towards me. I watched him close his eyes. I did the same. I felt his warm breath get closer and his lips gently rest upon mine. It was over in moments. It went so quickly. So perfectly. I wish I hadn’t been so scared. Why was I so scared?
I followed him back in to the banquet hall, giddy and slightly embarrassed. They all knew. They had to know. I was lost, completely in love. Thankfully, we managed to make it back in time for UB40s “Red, Red Wine.” The night was nearing to an end. Just thinking about waiting to see him again at school on Monday already seemed like an eternity.
My mom called my name and instantly I snapped out of my daze.
It was so many years ago now but I remember it like it was yesterday. My first kiss. It was the beginning of my first love. Everything was so innocent. We had no idea about consequence, about pain, about a heart broken! I just loved for the sake of loving and it was incredible.
By Jeremy P. Goldstein on Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
I’ve mixed feelings about being on the tail end of the Write About Love timeline. On one hand, I theoretically had extra time to get my act together and pen something poetic, prosaic, or purposeful; on the other hand, I now need attempt to live up to some of the wondrous wordsmithery of my colleagues. Obviously, I didn’t take advantage of the former, and as regards the latter, I clearly don’t have the literary chops to match the outstanding opening salvo of Nils Bernstein, Dean Bein’s worship of wax (and perhaps ode to newly-found freedom), the familial fondness of Matt Harmon, Patrick Amory’s soul-baring recollections, or even somehow find a way to pair the seemingly disparate concepts of love and the Zip Code Rapists like my partner-in-radio-crime, Hector Montes. What could I do to standout, to not just wade in the quagmire of common composition? As I listened to the Belle and Sebastian catalog on shuffle for inspiration, “I’m A Cuckoo” and its mention of Harajuku slammed my brain out of neutral and in a rare moment of mental acuity, I had my answer: haiku. What follows is my attempt to showcase some of what I love in a mere 17 syllables per paean.
Jennifer, my wife,
brilliant, patient, gorgeous, kind.
my rock and best friend
At an early age,
sitting, reading gatefold art.
Addicted for life.
Premier League leaders.
Oh, Manchester United.
Please don’t choke this year
Fresh fish, crazy rolls
Kamakura for sushi
Bay Area choice
Same town rules drinks, too:
both Rosenblum, Hangar One
Alameda-made
A’s, Niners, Spurs, Sharks
each season, heartbreak ensues
though, support I do.
Of my culled music
The Stone Roses’ first record
remains atop heap
London in the fog
pub, gigs, football, culture, food.
Best city on Earth.
In San Diego
El Zarape is a must.
Combo number three
Bad drafts, injuries
fantasy sports, you kill me.
Yet, I play each year.
Friends and family
Time fleeting, miles apart
Still, I miss you all.
It’s one thing to write about love; it’s another to demonstrate it. On a live Mountain Goats recording from 1998, John Darnielle introduces a cover he’s about to play by admitting that he doesn’t actually know all the words to the song but he loves it so much that he’s going to play it anyway. He then dives into “Two-Headed Boy,” now a canonized classic of indie rock but at the time just the fourth song on that new Neutral Milk Hotel record. Darnielle does fuck up, multiple times, but he nails the song anyway because of the imperfections, rather than in spite of them. Every time Darnielle flubs a lyric and keeps powering through, it underlines that he loves this goddamned song and is going to share that love with you no matter what.
A similar spirit permeates the Sing And Play The Matador Records Catalog 7” by San Francisco’s Zip Code Rapists. Released in 1993 on short-lived but obviously 100% real label Ecstatic Piss, Sing And Play sees the duo of Gregg Turkington (later of Faxed Head and now much better known by the name “Neil Hamburger”) and John Singer (lately packing arenas under the nom de guerre “Lady Gaga”) taking on songs by then-current Matador artists Pavement, Liz Phair, Bettie Serveert, and Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. ZCR’s reinventions of these songs are unpolished to say the least, but their love for the source material shines through nonetheless. Witness the way that Turkington out-slackers slacker godhead Stephen Malkmus by omitting whole lines from an unexpectedly poignant deconstruction of “Cut Your Hair,” or the unhinged screams that turn the playful defiance of Phair’s “Never Said” into real, disturbing menace (reminiscent of The Residents’ version of “Satisfaction,” or, more recently, Feist’s near-psychotic take on the Dwarves’ “Fuck You Up and Get High”).
The two less familiar songs on the 7” are played relatively straight but are equally moving in their profound affection for the artists and songs being covered. Turkington and Singer actually improve upon TFUL 282’s “Hurricane,” going past the original’s hazy proto-chillwave into an almost narcotic state, stripping it down to just two acoustic guitars and Turkington’s barely-there vocals. Likewise, Bettie Serveert’s “Tom Boy” uses Turkington’s bizarre delivery and the lack of any instrumentation besides the twin guitars (electric this time) to allow Zip Code Rapists to really focus on the song’s emotional core, resulting in a much more resonant version than that found on Palomine.
In the blog era, it’s easy — almost necessary, really — to be cynical about the ways in which bands use covers, remixes and collaborations to position themselves on the musical landscape or enhance their personal brands. Perhaps it’s simply that these songs were recorded in a different, more innocent time, or perhaps the sincerity on display here is simply timeless. One way or the other, Zip Code Rapists cut through the careerist bullshit on Sing And Play The Matador Records Catalog; moreover, they did so with insight, empathy, and the kind of love that, by dint of its very existence, begets more love, for both the performers and the songs they perform.
Saying you love someone or something is pretty easy, right. It’s always kinda rolled off the tongue without a second thought. There are lots of things that you “love” or you think you love, well… until you don’t anymore. The whole thing might just fade away. It can be pretty fleeting.
I’ve got a long list of things I “love” (certainly much long than this)…
I love yellow corn grits with parmesan cheese and maple syrup.
I love condiments of all kinds (but dijon mustard most of all).
I love everything bagels with cream cheese and lox from Murray’s Bagels.
I love pork chops.
I love the color brown.
I love mid-century modern design.
I love releasing music by people who I respect.
I love Neil Young, Belle & Sebastian, Bert Jansch, Unwound, Grouper, Lungfish, Polvo, Pentangle, Sun Ra and some others.
I love living on the east coast because the beach is only a short drive away.
I love my parents for giving me the freedom to become exactly who I wanted to be even when they knew I was probably making some wrong decisions at the time.
I love my wife for her never-ending patience and support. She’s also lots of fun to spend time with.
I love my sisters even though I don’t see either of them as much as I’d like.
I love New York. Growing up here was amazing and I love that we’re raising our kids here too.
I love visiting New Mexico because of how quiet it is and how big the sky is and how great the food is.
As I’ve matured I realize that ‘feeling love’ goes well beyond just being able to assign a some words to people and things. In the last five years it’s taken on meanings that I never really considered. It has more to do with feelings that are much harder to define, that are latent and perhaps unmeasurable. It’s a feeling that creeps up on you, reveals itself and even surprises you. You feel it deeply in your chest or it just keeps you awake at night.
I love my friends but I didn’t realize how much until they moved 5,000 miles away. New York has become an infinitely lonelier place without them.
I love my wife but certainly never felt it the way I did after watching her give birth to the two single most incredible dudes in the world. She’s also an amazing mother.
I love eating out but so much more when the whole family goes out to dinner and finds a dark, cozy corner to enjoy being with each other.
I love sleeping but never the way I do when one of my little guys climbs into bed with us and falls asleep on my back.
I love watching Oliver play games but much more when he loses and with a big smile he congratulates the person that just beat him.
These instances just keep multiplying for me. This kind of love just continues to grow. It creeps into every pore. It’s hard to run away from. The best few words that I could find to describe it has already been called out in @jjuuddggee’s post and comes from the title of most recent Arthur Russell album “Love is Overtaking Me”. I think what illustrates it best for me is when I look into my guys’ room and see them playing together quietly. They are slowly passing toys back and forth, coloring on the same piece of paper, the older one showing the younger how something works, helping to turn something on or open it the right way. They are sharing a series of moments. Looking in on them I see them falling in love with each other. It’s that simple. They don’t know it yet but it’s growing. Love is overtaking them too. Love is overtaking us all.
It’s November 29th and the long holiday weekend we traditionally spend with people we love has just ended, it’s cyber Monday in the world of sales and it’s my assigned day to Write About Love. Like many of my co-workers I am not sure where to begin with such a huge subject. Certainly I could write about people I love, places I love , music I love, the love I share with Matador employees for Belle And Sebastian, Scotland, potatoes, Mogwai, Bordeaux and a love of dogs. The love a dog is one particular type of love that I’ve been lucky enough to experience at various points in my life since childhood . At this point in time it’s this adorable pup.
Like the other dogs I’ve known, he loves unconditionally with an unwavering loyalty and devotion. His seemingly boundless happiness enhances a good mood and erases a bad one. His desire to please and retrieve is insatiable, his intelligence and intuition remarkable and his sense of the absurd completely uproarious. Coming home to a welcoming dog never loses it’s appeal, sitting by a fire with a dog at your feet listening to Belle And Sebastian feels like a perfect moment, driving through the countryside with your dog while loudly singing along to If You’re Feeling Sinister feels like another. I love all these moments with my dog and better still he does too! Dogs rule and loving them is easy.
All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers is contained in the dog.” – Kafka
Why is today such a great day to Write About Love? We’ll get to that in a minute.
I certainly love my wife. I love my two kids more than I ever thought possible to love anything. I love my parents. I love my two brothers. (This could go on like a thank you speech, sorry if i’ve left you out… you know who you are.)
I also “love” burritos from La Taqueria on Mission and 25th. But let’s be honest, that’s not the same as that prehistoric jolt of adrenalin that probably evolved into “love”. (Though I’d be bummed if I left La Taq’s carne asada burrito alone to fend for itself on the dusted plains of the serengeti.)
Today is November 22 and a poke around Wikipedia shows that either this isn’t a great day in history for most forms of love or that anyone editing Wikipedia doesn’t hold much reverence for celebrating love.
I choose the latter, but just to be sure….
As you clickthrough to Wikipedia, for at least a brief time…. today is now officially “International Write About Love Day”. (UPDATE: The birkenstocks and socks legion of Wikipedia editors has since killed this holiday.)
Like all good things, let’s hope it catches on, @BellesGlasgow!
Well, for me, noone sings/cries the word “love” with more power than Van Morrison on “Madame George”. And no album makes me love or weep more than Astral Weeks.
The last time I wept to AW, in fact, was on a plane ride home from this. Apologies to the woman sitting next to me. It cannot be helped when you’re at high altitudes, sleep deprived, quite possibly still drunk and listening to this…“And the love that loves the love that loves the love that loves the love that loves to love the love that loves to love the love that loves.”
I love waking up late on the weekends with my love (hi, Pete); reading the paper and watching Meet The Press The Soup. I love most old things: books, music, movies, buildings, fashion, John Slattery, etc.
Sometimes I think maybe I’ve stopped loving my first love, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Then I remember, I never actually cancelled my membership in the JTT Fan Club. So technically speaking that love is still going.
I love my little brothers (see you dudes, Tuesday!) & Mom and Dad and the holidays with all of them. I love anything by or about F. Scott Fitzgerald except for this soon-to-be catastrophe.
I loved the Turner exhibit at the MET a little while back but really loved the Byron exhibit at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery back in 2003.
And speaking of Scotland; I love Scotland! Love the people, love the accent, love the music. Love the Belle and Sebastian.
I was nervous to write about love. I tweeted for advice, skyped my best friend back home, and asked around the office if anyone would switch blog days with me to give myself more time. Unfortunately neither twitter or my best friend had any helpful suggestions, and no one in the office was willing to make the switch. For inspiration, I started listening to And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out by Yo La Tengo. Is that cheesy? Does it get more romantic than “You Can Have It All”? I can’t think of a more romantic song, but please feel free to comment if you disagree – I could be convinced!
Almost four months ago (who’s counting?!) I moved to New York from Sydney, Australia. I moved because I was in love – with the city, with a boy, and with the idea of working for a company I had always admired (what’up Matador!) Things with the boy didn’t work out and this city can be unforgiving at times, and while I don’t regret my decision to move across the world, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about the people I love and the places I love that I left behind when I boarded the Qantas 747.
When I think about what I love, I think of home:
Above is a photograph my mum sent me yesterday of her and my dad’s backyard. The Jacaranda tree in their garden is dropping purple flowers over the grass, which is the first indication that Summer is on the way. There is nothing I love more than sitting in their garden in the sunshine drinking coffee while we listen to music and talk about the world. I am going home to Australia over the Christmas break and plan to do little else aside from sit in that garden for the ten days I am home! My dad and I will drink wine and listen to records, my brother will come around to chill, my mum and I will spend hours cooking and talking, and I can’t fucking wait!
This second photograph comes from best friend, Georgia. She sent this to me last weekend after an early morning swim at Bondi Beach. She and I lived together in Sydney, and we would often wake up on a weekend and grab towels and the newspapers and our housemates and our hangovers and catch the bus to the Beach (unless a friend with a car was coming with – those were the best days!) We’d stay there for hours – talking, swimming. reading, going on coffee runs. Visitors came and went and we just hung out. Some of my most loved and cherished memories are of those days.
While New York is my home, Sydney will always be where my heart is.
Darlings,
I spent a good portion of my weekend wondering what I was ever going to post on this. My first inkling was to be funny.
“Make ‘em laugh,” I thought. “Or at least try.”
But then I decided to go to the Giants-Cowboys game and after that embarrassment was in no mood for laughs (or work of any sort for that matter) so I pulled this, an excerpt from something I wrote a very, very long time ago. Dig.
“A Brief Musing On The Effects Of Perceived Love”
It is the oft-referenced darkness before dawn. The blackest part of night when sight becomes blurred due to a harrowing cocktail of lack of sleep, early-morning fog and concealing 4 a.m. shadows. This is the line that is walked only when one dares, but with enough confidence to know that they will not fall to either side. They know you will see their face, but you will have no idea what they look like. They become a sharp-edged silhouette in the rising sun, the waning moon, reminiscent of silent-film villains… boney, hunched, frail, yet daunting and horrible. It is at this moment, along this line, that we pass crevasses created by adjoining buildings a bit faster. We stay close to the walls as to not be tossed into the revealing light. We clasp our hands tight around something, anything… a belt, a purse, a waist and — if you’re lucky — a lover.
It is the instant before your lips touch hers for the first time. You’ve already come down this darkened road that you have never traveled before. You don’t know the buildings around you. You don’t recognize the ground beneath your feet. You can’t run home. It is much further now than it has ever been.
But you are thrust from the wall and you can no longer clutch your belt or your purse or your waist. You are shoved into this new light that the minutes-old sun has splashed upon the still-sleeping world. You feel like you can already recount this instant over and over, in your mind you are already telling this story to others, in great detail, how you grabbed her by the waist, the arms, the cheek and pulled her back into the darkness for one more second. How the sun chased that darkness away and how you knew, if only for an instant, that that instant, though it would soon be gone, could last forever.
She would describe her every thought to you with the edges of her lips, pressed so slightly against yours. And then the sun would wash upon both of your feet, thighs, waists, chests, arms, hands, faces and it would sweep you away into a world that would actually exist.
As you walk away, swaying drunkenly across that formerly terrifying line, you look back, straight into the eyes of that which made you tremble most, that which you found paralyzingly sexy, and you would say to it:
“Fuck you. Fuck you, look at me now. Look at how I am ok.”
And into the sunrise, a Lover’s cowboy, you would walk, heel-to-toe, heel-to-toe, letting the worn leather on the bottoms of your boots spell it out for everyone to hear, “I’m ok. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to get me down, motherfuckers.”
I’ve been asked to follow Nils’ awesome post that kicked off the “Matador Employees Write About Love” series yesterday. I thought I would start with the above Pitchfork TV clip from Vegas, cuz I fucking LOVED Battle Of The Bands at Matador 21.
OK. Well, love has actually been a big theme for me this year, so this should be easy right? Um.
I tell you, I love a Belle and Sebastian song called “I Love My Car”. It’s originally from the “I’m Waking Up To Us” EP, and you can own it as part of the unimpeachable Push Barman to Open Old Wounds collection.
Oh you know what I really love? I love my dog. The GOOOOOOOSE! I also love a painting of my dog that my friends Shana and Timcommissioned as a wedding gift. I just got it today:
I love Twitter. I’m at 99 followers RIGHT NOW. Just saying…
I love the internal debate happening to decide whether or not this is the appropriate forum to discuss how much I love my wife. Maybe set the website public now, Pants.
I love the Mannequin Men Hozac singles club single “Hobby Girl”. Both sides. And I love that Dave Martin was able to get me a copy even though I’m not in the club (thanks Dave and Hozac).
I love that I’ve spent an hour on this post and no one can yell at me about it (thanks Nils!).
I love rock ‘n roll. Put another dime in the jukebox, baby.
We employees felt a bit left out, being prohibited from entering the Belle and Sebastian “Write About Love” contest. After all, we love too. We love hard. So we thought we’d write about love anyway, one of us per day, to spread the love, and hopefully inspire Mr. Murdoch along the way.
Of love, the great Robert Creeley said: “what is it that/is finally so helpless/different, despairs of its own/statement, wants to/turn away, endlessly/ to turn away.” How does one even grasp it, let alone put it into words? Every time I play Kurt Vile, I get flushed and my heart speeds up. The first time I walked into that Clyfford Still room at the Met, my legs gave out. Last month a fucking PEACH made me tear up (it was a really good peach). I still love this damn iPhone. And then there’s that Sam Riley guy that played Ian Curtis… but I digress. Maybe writing about love is like dancing about archi-blah blah. Creeley’s mentor of sorts, William Carlos Williams, said: “I have learned much in my life from books, and out of them about love.” One review of the Belle album simply said, “well duh.” But do Mogwai write about love with their heartwrenching instrumentals? I think yes. What about when you go see Salem, and you’re like, wow, this is so incredibly bad, maybe it’s good? Maybe I love this hateful rapegaze? The mind reels. But maybe you just know it when you feel it. Late at night, when the lambent moon casts its velvet glow over the Manhattan skyline, the ’96 Bordeaux casts a velvet glow of its own, Belle is on the stereo, and you by my side, I’m reminded of Williams’s mentor of sorts, Ezra Pound: ”What thou lov’st well shall not be reft from thee/What thou lov’st well is thy true heritage.”
Jeez you people are psyched!! And we couldn’t be happier. But we have received a fair amount of questions pertaining to this contest so here you go. Hope this covers it.
Q: Can I enter more than once?
A: Each code is good for one entry, so yes as long as you have more than one valid code than you can submit multiple entries.
Q: Will I retain ownership of my entry?
A: Nah. Everything submitted becomes property of Matador. Of course, the winner will be credited on the record (and thus thoroughly blogged about and locally hi-fived).
Q: MY CODE ISN’T WORKING!!!!!! MY LP DIDN’T HAVE A CODE INSIDE!!!!!!!
A: Deep breath. Email store@matadordirect.com and we’ll replace it.
Q: I live in Belarus. Can I enter?
A: Belarus is actually AWESOME. But sorry, no. The contest is open to U.S. and Canada only.
Q: Can I log on to the website more than once?
A: Yes. Your code is not marked as “used” until you submit it with an essay. Meaning you can enter your code, log in, collect your thoughts, spell check, have a coffee and then go back and submit your entry.
Q: What is the deadline for the contest?
A: January 1st, 2011… or 1/1/11… or New Year’s Day 2011. However you wanna look at it.
I’m sorry but there is no arguing this point. Not even from those of you just getting home from Las Vegas.
What makes it so cool, you ask? Maybe the fact that you could have the chance of a lifetime when Belle and Sebastian releases a 7″ next year of a song that was WRITTEN ABOUT YOU!!!!!!
Inside every copy of Belle and Sebastian’s new album Write About Love is a unique code which you will enter here and then write 300 words about love, in any sense of the word. Why you love. Who you love. What you love. Where you love. Anything. Just write about love.
Then Belle and Sebastian will pick a winner (henceforth referred to as “Lucky”) and Stuart Murdoch will fly out to Lucky’s hometown, hang out with Lucky for an afternoon, and write and record a song about Lucky which will then be released on an exclusive Belle and Sebastian 7″ later in 2011.
First off, if these changes have left anyone disappointed or inconvenienced, we’re truly sorry. I’ve been watching videos of the guys in the BP commercials all week trying to strike the right tone for this post, and wouldn’t you know it, MY VIDEO CAMERA IS BROKEN. Bullet dodged.
On the bright side, hey, DEAD MEADOW are playing. The opening VIP gala is still happening at 4pm Friday in the Hardwood Suite with dj sets by Ted Leo and myself. Same room becomes a VIP lounge Friday and Saturday nights, plus late night dj action on Friday (James McNew, Dean Bein) and Saturday (Dave Martin, Robby Morris). Here’s the live entertainment schedule of events. Much like real life, everything is subject to change.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1st
THE PEARL
Pavement: 12:00am – 1:00am
Sonic Youth: 10:40pm – 11:30am
Fucked Up: 9:35pm – 10:15pm
Chavez: 8:30pm – 9:10pm
Guitar Wolf: 7:30pm – 8:10pm
Doors: 7:00pm
MC : Jeff Jensen
LATE NIGHT PARTY IN PALMS BALLROOM (LIMITED CAPACITY)
Fucked Up Vs. Ted Leo and The Pharmacists: 1:30am – 2:30am
(One stage. Two bands. At once. They’re supposed to take turns, song by song…but who knows?)
Doors: 1:00am
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2nd
THE PEARL
Belle & Sebastian: 11:45pm – 1:00am
Spoon: 10:25pm – 11:15pm
Superchunk: 9:20pm – 10:00pm
Cat Power: 8:15pm – 8:55pm
Perfume Genius: 7:55pm – 8:15pm
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: 6:50pm – 7:30pm
Come: 5:45pm – 6:25pm
Girls: 4:40pm – 5:20pm
Doors 4:00pm
MC : Bob Nastanovich
MATINEE IN THE PALMS BALLROOM (LIMITED CAPACITY)
Dead Meadow: 2:30pm – 3:15pm
Harlem: 1:30pm – 2:05pm
Doors: 1:00pm
LATE NIGHT PARTY IN PALMS BALLROOM (LIMITED CAPACITY)
Cold Cave: 2:25am – 3:15am
Esben and The Witch: 1:30am – 2:00am
Doors: 1:00am
THE PEARL
Guided By Voices: 11:30pm – 1:00am
Yo La Tengo: 10:10pm – 11:05pm
Liz Phair: 9:50pm – 10:10pm
The New Pornographers: 8:40pm – 9:25pm
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists: 7:35pm – 8:15pm
Shearwater: 6:30pm – 7:10pm
Doors: 6:00pm
MC’s : Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster
MATINEE IN THE PALMS BALLROOM
The Clean: 4:30pm – 5:15pm
Times New Viking: 3:30pm – 4:05pm
Kurt Vile: 2:30pm – 3:05pm
Doors: 2:00pm
By Belle and Sebastian on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
We are now less than 5 weeks away from the release of ‘Belle and Sebastian Write About Love’ – so no matter how much we’d like the album to be a huge Christmas Day style surprise for everyone on the day of release, the details will start appearing on your favourite online retailers soon and no doubt bits of the music will be permeating various media outlets.
So – first off here is the lead track – “Write About Love” - for everyone to listen to (or, if you are one of the first 20,000 visitors, to download). We sent it off to our Twitter follower @recordingtime yesterday – and she posted about it here
We hope you like it! Along with the rest of the album, it was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year and produced by Tony Hoffer. It also features a guest vocal by Carey Mulligan. For those in the USA, the song is available on iTunes from today – if you are elsewhere, it won’t be released officially until after the album – 25th October in the UK.
If that is confusing, then things are a little more straightforward with the album! It comes out on the 12th October in the USA and Canada and the day before in the UK and most of the rest of the world -we’ll post any variations on these release dates nearer the time.
It is, of course, our third album for Rough Trade and was recorded in April and May at Sound Factory Studio B. Stuart wrote the majority of the songs and one (“Sunday’s Pretty Icons”) with Mick; Sarah wrote and takes lead vocal on “I Didn’t See It Coming” and “I Can See Your Future”; Stevie wrote and sings “I’m Not Living In The Real World”. The are also some guests – as well as the aforementioned Carey Mulligan, Norah Jones duets with Stuart on “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” and some orchestration is added by members of LA’s The Section Quartet.
The album will be available on CD, Gatefold Vinyl and digitally. The full track listing is:
I Didn’t See It Coming
Come On Sister
Calculating Bimbo
I Want The World To Stop
Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John
Write About Love
I’m Not Living In The Real World
Ghost of Rockschool
Read The Blessed Pages
I Can See Your Future
Sunday’s Pretty Icons
In addition, two bonus tracks, “Last Trip” and “Suicide Girl”, will be available as a 7 inch with the vinyl edition in most countries, and with all editions from selected retailers in the USA [including the Matador Store. Pre-order now.] A further song, “Blue Eyes of A Millionaire”, will be a bonus track with selected digital outlets. Full localised details of variations and pre-sales will all be added in due course.
First of all, we know you’ve been waiting patiently for the information below, and we sincerely apologize for the length of time it took to get it together. But if wanting to put together an even sicker bill than previously announced is a crime, PLEASE LOCK US UP.
1) 50 additional pairs of tickets priced at $250.00 per person (not including taxes and fees) will be available via a public lottery sometime next week. We’ll announce the details here and on the 21 site beforehand.
2) Details regarding a limited number of room upgrades will be available at that time.
3) We regret to announce that at present, our supply of VIP tickets has been exhausted. If that situation changes, we’ll let you know.
4) As rumored in a bunch of places (including this very blog), we’re very happy to confirm the following additions to The Lost Weekend Bill ; Liz Phair, Times New Viking, Esben and the Witch, Perfume Genius, The Clean, MC’s Jeff Jensen, Bob Nastanovich, Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster, and a late Friday evening presentation by Austin’s Karaoke Underground. The rough schedule can be found below, and is very much subject to change :
Friday:
4 PM: Gala opening party, Hardwood Suite (VIP ticketholders, limited capacity)
MAIN STAGE (The Pearl):
doors open 6 PM, first band (Guitar Wolf) on at 7 PM
Pavement
Sonic Youth
Fucked Up
Chavez
Cold Cave
Guitar Wolf
MC : Jeff Jensen
2am onwards : Superchunk/Fucked Up/bands TBC, Hardwood Suite (VIP ticketholders only, capacity limited)
2am onwards : Karaoke Underground at Little Buddha (open to all ticketholders, space permitting)
Saturday:
MAIN STAGE (The Pearl):
Belle and Sebastian
Spoon
Superchunk
Cat Power
Perfume Genius
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Come
Girls
MC : Bob Nastanovich
2am : Esben and the Witch, Harlem, Key West Ballroom (open to all ticketholders, space permitting)
Sunday (MATINEE, in Key West Ballroom, open to all ticketholders, capacity limited):
The Clean
Times New Viking
Kurt Vile
Sunday evening :
MAIN STAGE (The Pearl):
Guided By Voices
Yo La Tengo
Liz Phair
The New Pornographers
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Shearwater
MC’s : Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster
Matador at 21: The Lost Weekend takes place at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas from October 1-3, 2010. This event is sponsored by MySpace Music, Altamont and Incase.
My turn to 
