On Tuesday August 4th MySpace will debut “Waiting For Something”, a short documentary about Jay Reatard.
Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz, “Waiting For Something” explores in detail Jay’s personal history and his roots in Memphis music, and also gazes forward at an artistic journey not yet written.
Jay Reatard’s new album Watch Me Fall comes out on August 4 (on vinyl) and August 18 (on cd and digital). The second promo MP3, entitled “Wounded,” wraps layers of Tall Dwarfs-ish acoustic guitar around a typically complex Jay song structure. In two and a half minutes it builds to an ironically celebratory refrain. We challenge you to get this one out of your head after listening to it a couple of times.
The is the first chance most of us have had to see Jay perform material from the upcoming “Watch Me Fall” (pre-order it here). The guys perform first-single “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me”, and also kick out a pretty killer version of “My Shadow”.
On August 18, Matador will be releasing the long-anticipated new LP/CD/digital album from Jay Reatard, ‘Watch Me Fall’. Excepting last year’s pair of singles comps for Matador and In The Red, this is Jay’s first album since 2006′s ‘Blood Visions’, and it’s a self-produced full-length that more than lives up to the sky-high standards previously set. Earlier this year, Jay described the making of ‘Watch Me Fall’ to labelmate Andrew Earles :
“This new album has been challenging. It’s the first time I’ve written and recorded an album specifically because a label wants to release it. I’ve never made a record for a record label. I’ve always finished my recordings and then a label is decided on. When I made ’Blood Visions’ I had no idea that it was going to see the light of day. And I’ve never made a record in which the label heard the songs, or anyone heard the songs, before the album was finished, so that’s kind of intense. That’s what singles are for; I always considered my singles as a glimpse between the albums. Labels always had the previous single as an example of where I was going at the time, or of what the next album might sound like. In this situation, people at the label are hearing the songs before the album has been finished, but I try not to let it distract me, I’m trying to go about this process in a way that’s the closest to how I would have done an album in the past. A lot of bands these days, they approach the making of an album like it’s collecting songs, they don’t think about how all of the songs are going to work together. They sequence their albums on iTunes, wondering what songs sound best next to each other rather than putting them together as they were written. That’s not an album.”
“It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” is the first MP3 from ‘Watch Me Fall’, and provides only the slightest hint of the album’s depth. A stronger hint = giving away the store, but you’ll be hearing the new songs this summer when Jay visits the following places :
Fri June 12 - Los Angeles @ The Echo with Thee Oh Sees + Earthmen and Strangers
Sat June 13 - San Francisco @ The Independent with Thee Oh Sees + Earthmen and Stangers
Mon June 15 - Seattle @ Crocodile Cafe with Thee Oh Sees
Tue June 16 - Vancouver @ Biltmore
Wed June 17 - Portland @ Dante’s with The Oh Sees + Nice Boys
Fri June 19 - Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar with Digital Leather
Fri June 26 - Chicago @ Bottom Lounge with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sat June 27 - Detroit @ Magic Stick with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sun June 28 - Cleveland @ Grog Shop with TV Smith of the Adverts
Mon June 29 - Toronto @ Mod Club with TV Smith of the Adverts
Tue June 30 - Montreal @ La Sala Rossa with TV Smith of the Adverts
Wed July 1 - New York City @ Stuyvesant Oval, FREE
Thu July 2 - Brooklyn @ Music Hall of Williamsburg with TV Smith of the Adverts
Fri July 3 - Allston, MA @ Harper’s Ferry with TV Smith of the Adverts Sat July 4 – Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brenda’s with TV Smith of the Advert
Sun July 5 - Washington DC @ Black Cat with TV Smith of the Adverts
Tue July 7 - Asheville @ Orange Peel with TV Smith of the Adverts
Wed July 8 - Knoxville @ Pilot Light with TV Smith of the Adverts
Thu July 9 - Nashville @ The End with TV Smith of the Adverts
Fri July 10 - Memphis @ Hi-Tone Café with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sat July 11 - Oxford MS @ Proud Larry’s with TV Smith of the AdvertsIn addition, Jay will be making his first South American appearances on June 2 (TD Eventos, Sao Paulo, Brasil) and June 2 (Excursionistas Athletic Club).
Tomorrow will see the start of this year’s Primavera Sound festival, in Barcelona Spain. Set on the sea front on the edge of Barcelona, the festival has stages curated by Pitchfork, ATP and Vice amongst others.
This year Matador has a total of 6 bands in attendance at the festival. Surely a record? If you’re attending, be sure to Sharpie these times on your hand now:
(in alphabetical order)
Dead Meadow – ATP Stage – Thursday 28th May 00:15
Fucked Up – Ray Ban-Vice Stage – Friday 29th May 00:30
Jay Reatard – Ray Ban-Vice Stage – Thursday 28th May 00:30
Shearwater – Pitchfork Stage – Saturday 30th May 18:15
Sonic Youth – Estrella Damm Stage – Saturday 30th May 01:00
Yo La Tengo – Estrella Damm Stage – Thursday 28th May 21:45
A prize will be awarded to anyone that manages to get a photo of all of the above in the same place at the same time.
We’ll be making a major announcement pretty soon regarding Jay Reatard’s just-completed new album. Prior to that, you’ll have to settle for this extensive pile of tour dates. Did you think you’d get to see TV Smith touring the USA in 2009? Us neither.
Sat Apr 18 - Memphis @ Goner Records (Record Store Day, 5:30pm), FREE
Thu May 28 - Barcelona @ Primavera Festival
Thu June 11 - San Diego @ Casbah with Thee Oh Sees + Earthmen and Strangers
Fri June 12 - Los Angeles @ The Echo with Thee Oh Sees + Earthmen and Strangers
Sat June 13 - San Francisco @ The Independent with Thee Oh Sees
Mon June 15 - Seattle @ Crocodile Cafe with Thee Oh Sees
Tue June 16 - Vancouver @ Biltmore
Wed June 17 - Portland @ Dante’s with The Oh Sees + NIce Boys
Fri June 26 - Chicago @ Bottom Lounge with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sat June 27 - Detroit @ Magic Stick with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sun June 28 - Cleveland @ Grog Shop with TV Smith of the Adverts
Mon June 29 - Toronto @ Mod Club with TV Smith of the Adverts
Tue June 30 - Montreal @ La Sala Rossa with TV Smith of the Adverts
Wed July 1 - New York City @ Stuyvesant Oval, FREE
Thu July 2 - Brooklyn @ Music Hall of Williamsburg with TV Smith of the Adverts
Fri July 3 - Allston, MA @ Harper’s Ferry with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sun July 5 - Washington DC @ Black Cat with TV Smith of the Adverts
Tue July 7 - Asheville @ Orange Peel with TV Smith of the Adverts
Wed July 8 - Knoxville @ Pilot Light with TV Smith of the Adverts
Thu July 9 - Nashville @ The End with TV Smith of the Adverts
Fri July 10 - Memphis @ Hi-Tone Café with TV Smith of the Adverts
Sat July 11 - Oxford MS @ Proud Larry’s with TV Smith of the Adverts
As if a Live Pavement LP, a Sonic Youth/Jay Reatard 7″ AND a Sonic Youth/Beck 7″ weren’t enough, we’re spreading the love with some live instore performances. If you live in or around Memphis or Columbus, be sure to check out Jay Reatard or Times New Viking kicking it RSD style.
(Picture taken from http://jp917.blogspot.com/)
Jay Reatard Live Instore
Saturday April 18 (known aliases: Record Store Day)
Goner Records 5:30pm
2152 Young Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee
(Picture taken from http://wexarts.org/wexblog/?m=200702)
Times New Viking Live Instore
Saturday April 18 (known to his friends and loved ones as Record Store Day)
As Gerard posted a couple months ago, Matador will be celebrating Record Store Day with three exclusive, limited-edition vinyl releases.
Pavement Live in Köln LP Jay Reatard / Sonic Youth split 7″ Sonic Youth / Beck split 7″
- The Pavement concert was recorded in Köln in 1998 and is a NOT the live LP included with the recent Buy Early Get Now campaign. The cover image is similar but in a different color.
- The Jay Reatard / Sonic Youth split features demo versions of songs from their upcoming albums (late August and June 9 respectively): Hang Them All and No Garage.
- The Sonic Youth / Beck split features each band covering the other: Pay No Mind (from Mellow Gold) and Green Light (from Evol).
Each is strictly limited to 2500 copies… and… pay close attention… there are extremely limited colored vinyl, numbered copies of each one, distributed randomly out there. We’re talking in the double digits.
To find the Record Store Day retailer located nearest you, visit the Record Store Day homepage. There are also exclusive releases from other labels to celebrate indie retail and help keep record store communities alive. Good luck and good shopping.
So Jay’s got his own website. Ordinarily, I’d say that’s about as interesting as telling you Chan Marshall has a new cell phone (perhaps less interesting if Chan’s cellphone has GPS and video capabilities). However, jayreatard.com features a) a free download of a new song, “You’re Gonna Lose”, b) details about the Shattered Singles Series and Shattered Subscription Club, c) an awesome digital storefront including the new 14 song collection ‘Greatest Messes’ ($7.99). There could be no better time to max out your credit card or that of a loved one.
(above : Empire Records‘ Anthonly La Paglia consoles a tearful Renee Z. after the cancellation of the Chain Gang in-store)
In honor the 2nd annual Record Store Day, we’ll be releasing the following limited edition vinyl titles, only available at independent retailers taking part in RSD.
OLE-864-7 Jay Reatard “Hang Them All” 7″ b/w Sonic Youth – “No Garage”
OLE-865-7 Sonic Youth – “Pay No Mind” (Beck cover) b/w Beck – “Green Light” (Sonic Youth cover) 7″
OLE-855-1 Pavement Live In Germany LP
We’re making 2500 each of the above. After they’re gone, as the Bard Of Hookset, NH might’ve said (if he collected records), tough fuckin’ shit.
Anna Ives is the very young, very adorable daughter of Zac and Amy Ives. Zac is co-owner of Goner Records, the singer for Final Solutions, and a flat-out great guy. The Goner Records BBS is currently holding an auction while Zac, Amy, and Anna are in Boston, where the latter is receiving specialized radiation treatment. The auction is to help offset the Ives’ mounting hospital bills. I’m here to encourage Matablog readers to either bid on some of the great finds that have made it to the block, and to offer their own donated items for auction. All of the needed information, including Anna’s story, can be found HERE.
Remember that contest we ran over the holidays? The one where you could win every 7″ in our Jay Reatard Singles Series plus an autographed copy of the Beck split? For most it was a minor waste of time- but one randomly selected person actually won this thing!
Congratulations to Matt Elliot of Newfoundland, Canada! Enjoy the records!
Matter of fact, the whole show was so good, Rhapsody is making it available to own.
Starting on December 23rd, those people who purchase MS’08 from the Rhapsody MP3 store will also get an audio download of the ENTIRE SHOW FOR FREE. And I’m telling you, it sounds unbelievable.
Stop by Rhapsody Rock’s video page (http://rhapsodyextras.com/rrnyc/) now to see more videos from the show (including performances from Mission of Burma, King Khan & BBQ and the Duchess & the Duke), and download the album and the live jams on the 23rd because you have to have it, just for you, just forever. I’m not kidding, it’s that good.
