As mentioned in this space a few weeks ago, on March 20 we’lll be releasing Lee Ranaldo’s first song-based solo full-length, ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ on LP, CD and digital formats. While we’ve cited the songcraft, the “shimmering and melodic tapestry of sounds” the assembly of ‘a terrific new band right under our noses’, none of that does much good until you’re given a hint exactly what we’re shouting about. And without further technical difficulties ado, here’s “Off The Wall”
We’re taking preorders for ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ starting today at the Matador Store. In the days ahead, tour dates for the Lee Ranaldo Band will be unveiled in this space. And other spaces.
With all due respect to our friends at Sub/Pop, Columbus Discount, HoZac, and I don’t know, two dozen other labels who’ve tried it, we’re rolling out a limited edition 7″ subscription series in early 2012. A number of years back, some bright Matador exec came up with the title ‘Singles Going Home Alone’ for a proposed compilation album of the label’s early one-off, long out of print singles (Mark Eitzel, Chain Gang, The Schramms, The Pastels, Fire In The Kitchen, etc.) A few of the artists we approached politely declined (or impolitely told us to fuck off and die) and rather than repair the shattered relationships, we shelved the title. Until once fine day last October when Robby Morris suggested we do a bunch of one off singles AGAIN, only this time we’ll try not to alienate all of the participants.
We’re planning on 6 singles over the course of 2012, but if we’re having fun with this, there’s no reason we won’t have another batch lined up for 2013. The in the series will be the long-rumored split 7″ between Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (left) and L.A. Guns (right), with the former covering the latter’s “Wheels Of Fire” and Tracii & Co. tackling the latter’s “Gorgeous George”. We’ve waited nearly 23 years to tell the world L.A. Guns are Matador Recording Artists, and finally we can say it at parties without lying.
(photo by Zac Sprague)
Edition #2 will be a couple of new songs from Austin, TX’s OBN III’s whose most recent ‘The One & Only’ LP (Tic Tac Totally) has made no shortage of 2011 top ten lists. Well, the good ones, anyway. There’s a longish interview with frontman/dictator Orville Neeley in the latest issue of Maximum Rocknroll…and if that sentence seem a tad out of place on the Matablog, well, keep in mind we just said we’re putting out a record with L.A. Guns. Surprises are relative.
Single #3 will be a new 7″ from NYC’s THE MEN, whose amazing 2nd album, ‘Leave Home’(Sacred Bones) is (again) one of the current year’s finest. It would be the height of hyperbole to claim this record hasn’t left our turntable, though it would be completely truthful to say it has on some occasions, rolled across the room and supplanted whatever else we thought about putting on.
We’ll reveal the identities behind singles 4, 5 and 6 pretty soon. If you wait until then, however, you run the not-so-small risk there won’t be any left.
- what you get: 6 subscription only 7″es every other month in 2012, plus a special secret bonus item, a tote bag and 10% off all year long on the Matador Store (which cannot be combined with other discounts)
JANUARY 17 – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks / L.A. Guns
MARCH 20 – OBN III’s
MAY 22 – The Men
JULY 10 – TBA
SEPTEMBER 11 – TBA
NOVEMBER 6 – TBA
- prices (all inclusive of shipping – each 7″ will be shipped out separately for release date):
$45 US
$55 Canada
$70 rest of world
Alright. Let the thoroughly off-the-mark speculation about the next 3 singles commence.
(trusty 2011 Matador ballot counters voice displeasure over management cancelling a game that required them to drink 27 shots each time Total Control received a vote)
The whole year-end Best-Of thing has gotten completely out of hand. For starters, I hear Sub Pop published theirs on Labor Day. Spin’s list featured 4 albums from the same NYC indie in their top 11 ; even Vladimir Putin thinks there’s something screwy going on. Still, even though such polls reek of patronage and self-congratulation, some traditions die hard around here. And without further ado, we present the 2011 edition of “Hey Check Us Out, We Like Cool Stuff”. It is our fervent hope that after scanning these lists, you’ll never again question our cultural superiority find a hidden gem or two thoroughly ignored by the mainstream media. Or failing that, you won’t resent us too much. On behalf of the entire Matador Records family, we thank you for making 2011 one of the least litigious in our history, and here’s hoping 2012 is equally crammed with joyous milestones (weddings, births, elective plastic surgeries). Though I’d settle for a new Cat Power album. Lists after the jump ;
You might think we’re a pretty arrogant bunch at Matador Records and Filmworks. We used to be, at least until everything we knew about showbiz was piledriven into the pavement (GET IT?) by a group of young men from Minneapolis who I’m pretty sure will go down as the biggest thing to hit that town since Owl City Trip Shakespeare. We’ve already blown our 2012 signing budget on Ceremony and The Young, so it’ll be up to another enterprising label (Fat Possum, we’re looking right at you) to take full advantage of the musical equivalent of this friendly label throwing a big meatball right down the middle of the plate. You’re welcome!
“Please get in touch with me at the address above or contact my male secretary via electronic mail.” wrote Mr. Bickerton, though a few weeks later, he opted to send the following message rather than send a second package to my home address (thanks for that, by the way).
Dear Mr. Cosloy,
I take it the COZY promo materials I dispatched to you on the 19th of October have made their way into your hands by now. While you are doubtlessly in the process of drafting a contract worthy of a band with COZY’s limitless promise, I must urge you not to stand on ceremony any longer. Our offices here at Razzle Dazzle Ltd. have been flooded with requests from major record labels across the globe in recent weeks, including such heavy hitters as RAK, BELL, DECCA, CUBE, STATE, POLYDOR GERMANY, and RCA JAPAN. However, we would still like to give you first crack at releasing these recordings due to Matador’s reputation as a label on the cutting edge of trends in popular music. As I’m sure you are aware, the sky is truly the limit when marketing a band like COZY. Hit records are a matter of course with these boys, but the sales of merchandise aimed at their teenage fanbase (lunchboxes, dolls, posters, backpacks, trading cards, board games, chapter books. etc.) will open up a myriad of potential revenue streams for the record label lucky enough to sign them. This is to say nothing of the Cozy Variety Hour program that is being shopped around to networks at this very moment! It’s no exaggeration to say that COZY have the potential to be bigger than the Osmonds and the Defranco’s COMBINED!!!!!
Again, I implore you to act soon before this once in a lifetime opportunity slips away forever. Fortune favors the bold and dreams only come true if we have the courage to make them into reality. Let’s make some magic together.
“Songs can go a million different ways,” declares Lee Ranaldo in the liner notes for his forthcoming Matador solo album, ‘Between The Times & The Tides’, and let me be the first to accuse the Sonic Youth guitarist / not-often-enough vocalist of severe hyperbole. The kinetic, crafted results on ‘Between…’ are more in the several thousand territory, but it’s most certainly a record that will amaze even the most ardent followers of Ranaldo’s work. Joined by an all-star cast including Nels Cline, Alan Licht, John Medeski, bassist Irwin Menken and longtime associate Steve Shelley (and featuring cameos from old friends Jim O’Rourke and Bob Bert), the album is equal parts smart, confident and loose in a manner that recalls some of our favorite rock’n'roll projects…yet sounds like a fantastic new band that was apparently being assembled right under our noses.
Fresh off a Bell House date last month supporting Wild Flag, Lee and a lineup featuring Alan Licht, Irwin Menken and Steve Shelley will be playing Glasslands, Friday December 16. 2012 tour dates will announced when we have ‘em, and look forward to preorder info from the Matador Store and other outlets shortly as well.
The above clip — and building anticipation for tonight’s performance takes just a little bit of the sting out of the way we’ve been publicly outed as censors of the lowest variety.
Thanks to Jared Zoltar who graciously forwarded the photograph above…but we’ve known about it for ages. Let’s just say our medical staff didn’t think much of company ownership sampling the products for 2 months in lieu of a focus group.
July 26 marks the 5th anniversary of the Matablog’s public debut (after MONTHS of beta-testing), truly a day in that will go down in rock / internet history as the moment blogging finally came to fruition as letting you know about record release parties in cities thousands of miles away a force for social change. Over these past 5 years, the Matablog has gone from being the #7 or #8 most widely read source for news and information about this label to being somewhere in the top 3 or 4. It is, however, the number one source of information concerning whatever Patrick has concocted in his well-stocked kitchen that weekend, and if you think you’re gonna get that kind of content from Paste or Metal Sludge.com, think again.
Though I realize many of you would like to credit me alone for the Matablog’s wild success (and I thank each of you for the cards, letters and fruit baskets that arrived today, especially the videogram from former NY Gov. Elliot Spitzer) it couldn’t have happened without the hard work, insight, and passion for THE TRUTH the Matador and Beggars staffs bring to the table, nor without the contributions from our family of recording artists. It is my fervent hope that in the days to come, the Matablog will continue to serve as a beacon of light in the otherwise dreary world of rock biz puffery. Frankly, I’d settle for Todd Netter not referring to it as “Mata-blog”, but perhaps that’s something we can target after the 10th anniversary.
Anyhow, enough with all of that insider-baseball bullshit. There’s no point celebrating a big anniversary without a party, and this weekend Matador has Thurston Moore, Cold Cave and Kurt Vile all appearing at our Matablog 5th Anniversary Bash in Chicago’s Union Park. I realize there’s a bunch of non-Matador artists on the bill ; there might even be banners atop the stages that fail to mention the actual name of the festival, but that’s ok. Not every record label blog is magnanimous enough to share their weekend in the sun with others, but after all this time you oughta know that we’re all about inclusion. Here’s to five (hundred) more years!
For several of us at Matador Records & Filmworks, ‘Rohnert Park’, the 3rd album from Northern California’s CEREMONY wasn’t merely one of our favorites of 2010, it also represented one of those moments where we sit around in a dark room and wonder aloud, “can you imagine what these guys will do next?”
Those moments usually don’t last long. Often one of the cleaners will turn on the lights and we’ll have to explain they’ve not walked in on some kind of corporate hazing ritual. In this instance, however, the moment seemed to extend for several months, finally culminating in the worst kept secret in our version of the rock biz this spring ; Ceremony’s next full-length studio album will be a Matador release in 2012.
Big Smile’s Conor Crackford called ‘Rohnert Park’, “one of the best hardcore punk albums of the new decade, a testament to punk’s relevance in the American Apocalypse and to classic hardcore’s endurance as a form of pop in it’s own right,” a statement that feels less like hyperbole and something closer to a truism after living with that record in our heads over the past year. We’ve too much respect for what Ross, Anthony, Andy , Justin and Jake have already done and too much optimism over where they’re going than to raise the spectre of post-hardcore. For starters, that would suggest we think hardcore is done & dusted . It would imply there’s a label mandate about Ceremony’s next creative move. Both of these things are untrue. There’s gonna be a new album recorded this autumn, released in the first half of next year, and beyond that, we expect to be as surprised as you (albeit a bit earlier).
The announcement of Ceremony’s signing to Matador also coincides with the band’s swan song for Bridge 9, a 6-song 12″ EP/CD/digital EP entitled ‘Covers’. Songs by Urban Waste (“Public Opinion”), Pixies (“Nimrod’s Son”), Crisis (“Holocaust”), Eddie and the Subtitles (“American Society”), Vile (“5 to 10″) and Wire (“Pink Flag”) are reinterpreted by Ceremony on this collection of outtakes from the ‘Rohnert Park’ sessions. Bridge Nine are taking preorders starting today.
“Sick” (mp3, from ‘Rohnert Park’, courtesy of Bridge Nine)
June
Thursday — 30 — Greenpoint NY — House of Vans — with No Age, Health, Cults
July
Friday — 1 — Brooklyn, NY — 538 Johnson Ave — with Veins, Give, Zero Progress, Hounds of Hate
Saturday — 2 — Baltimore, MD — Charm City Art Space — with Joyce Manor, Sacrum, Fox & The Hound
Sunday — 3 — Philadelphia, PA — The Barbary — with Kromosom, Gypsy, Pink Coffins (3pm)
Sunday — 3 — Philadelphia, PA — Philly Punx Pinic at Blockley Pourhouse — with Kromosom, Bloodcrow Butchers, Cleansing Wave, Dopestroke, Piss Ant
Friday — 22 — Santa Barbara, CA — Sound And Fury Festival
Sunday — 24 — Rokycany, CZ — Fluff Fest
Monday — 25 — Wein, AT — Arena
Tuesday — 26 — Munchen, DE — Feierwerk
Wednesday — 27 — Stuttgart, DE — Juha West
Thursday — 28 — Zurich, CH — Dynamo Werk 21
Friday — 29 — Koln, DE — Underground
Saturday — 30 — Mol, BE — Breakout Fest
August
Sunday — 1 — Hannover, DE — Bei Chez Heinz
Monday — 2 — Hamburg, DE — Hafenklang
Tuesday — 3 — Berlin, DE — Hafenklang
Wednesday — 4 — Fredericia, DK — Fredericia Hardcore Festival
Thursday — 5 — Leisnig, DK — Sucks’n'Summer
Friday — 6 — Brugge, BE — JH Comma
Sunday — 8 —Port Lympne, UK — Hevy Fest
Here you can find the answers to such burning questions as:
- why are there two catalog numbers for the Bailter Space “Thermos” LP?
- which early Matador Yo La Tengo single almost had different catalog numbers for its different FORMATS?
- what was the name of Matador’s promo-only hip hop compilation?
- what are Matador’s three jukebox-only 7″es?
- what Matador release contains “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”?
- what do the format number codes mean?
- how do I calculate the check digit for a Matador barcode?
- what Mammoth artist did Atlantic put on a split promotional cassette with a Matador artist (without asking us)?
- what is the 1200 series? the 8000 series? the 9000 series? the ELO series?
- what True Panther releases have come out since Matador acquired the label?
The annoying thing about these signing announcements is any presumption of gravitas ; ask anyone who’s been through it — actually getting inked to Matador in and of itself isn’t actually a significant achievement (though there’s a mountain of legal fees over the course of time that suggests otherwise). Existing on your own terms, making mind blowing records that will be remembered for ages, that’s the kind of thing that’s worthy of celebration. And on that score, Kyle, Hans, Ryan and Jason (above, l-r) fashioned an impossible to ignore resume long before a certain New York record label (ok, this one) began stalking the fuck out of them.
Formed in 2005 by vocalist/guitarist Hans Zimmerman with the rest of the lineup in place by ’07, The Young’s early singles for Chicago’s Criminal IQ and Austin’s Super Secret were followed by an appearance on Matador’s ‘Casual Victim Pile’ compilation LP/CD. Though that modest output was hardly without merit, the subsequent full-length album on NYC’s Mexican Summer, ‘Voyagers Of Legend’ was nothing less than the underground rock revelation of 2010. “There hasn’t been a full-length this spot-on with mood and 1%’er hooks in years,” declared our good friend Andrew Earles, while the folks at 29-95.com prefered to drop the “P” word, insisting ‘Voyagers’ was “an implacable psychedelic rock journey.. almost cruelly evocative.” Those fortunate enough to have seen their recent shows sharing bills with the likes of Sic Alps and Lower Dens, know all too well their recorded works to date are only skimming the surface of what these guys are capable of. And now that we’ve put horrible, unfair pressure on them to produce, we’ll simply announce The Young have signed to Matador and shall begin recording their second album later this summer.
theyoungblog.tumblr.com/
On August 23, 2011, Matador will be releasing ‘Mirror Traffic‘, the 5th post-Pavement album from Stephen Malkmus and the 3rd or 4th to bear the Jicks name (depending on whether you’re looking at spines, sleeves or labels). Produced by Beck Hansen, ‘Mirror Traffic’ makes a compelling case that after some 22 years in the public eye, Stephen Malkmus’ full range of musical and lyrical capabilities had yet to be previously explored. The casual virtuosity (and staggering guitar invention) won’t necessarily come as a shock, nor will the rapier wit of one of contemporary rock’s brightest minds. But without dissing prior works that we deeply love, we can promise that ‘Mirror Traffic’ is the album that ties together Stephen’s skill-set like none of its predecessors. The recording is nothing short of gorgeous, the songs crackling with confidence. Calling this an album of the year candidate is really selling the record and the talented ensemble behind it short — what’s so special about this year, anyway?
It is with regret — and deep appreciation for one of our favorite players of all-time — that we can confirm ‘Mirror Traffic’ is the final Jicks album to feature the drumming of Janet Weiss. Jake Morris, best known to many of you as the drummer for The Joggers, will assume the same position in the Jicks for upcoming shows, which we’ll be announcing very soon. We’ll also get on with the business of previewing an MP3 from ‘Mirror Traffic’ on a date in the very near future.
(scenes from SXSW 2005 : Matador co-owner, Austin resident for all of 15 minutes politely instructs a motorist to “go the fuck back where you came from” before recognizing his dog’s veterinarian)
It’s that time of year, when the fair of city of Austin is besieged by thousands of aspiring musicians, label creeps, bloggers, tech pimps, cinema parasites and self-styled marketing reptiles, all of ‘em urinating in my front garden on their way to and from some dubious “showcase” or launch party designed to appeal to their MOST CRAVEN INSTINCTS. I watch all of this from my front porch, my air rifle sitting atop a cooler of Guyaki Yerba Matte, wondering exactly how much jail time I’d serve for shooting the bluetooth earpiece off the skull of a gentleman trying to negotiate a contract at the foot of my driveway.
At which point, I’m reminded that he’s actually a guest in my home and our conference call that I’ve been ignoring is already 10 minutes old. Where are my manners? Sure, Austin’s chock-a-block with SCHMUCKS ON THE MAKE this week, but who am I to point an accusatory finger at these lovely visitors when they provide this label with such a fabulous opportunity to hawk our wares? The following Matador artists are playing (too many times) in Austin this week. Shows marked * will require an SXSW badge or wristband for priority entry ; happily, such gigs are in the overwhelming minority compared to the open-to-the-great unwashed public events listed below. I look forward to seeing you around town this week, and thank you again for keeping Austin, TX’s property values well above the national average.
Esben and the Witch :
Tuesday, March 15, 10pm, M for Montreal Showcase, Spill, 212 E. 6th St. (SXSWi event)
Wednesday, March 16, 2:30pm Flavorpill / I Rock I Roll Day Party, Lipstick, 24, 606 E. 7th St. (RSVP)
Wednesday, March 16, 8pm, Windish Booking Showcase*, ND Studios, 501 N. Highway I-35 (5th St. and Brushy Avenue)
Thursday, March 17, 2:30pm, Pop Montreal Party, Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St.
Thursday, March 17, 6:45pm, FADER Fort, 1101 E. 5th St. (RSVP)
Friday, March 18, 3:15pm, Windish Agency Party, Emo’s Jr., 603 Red River
Friday, March 18, midnight, BBC/Huw Stephens Showcase *, Latitude 30, 215 San Jacinto
Saturday, March 19, 2:40pm, Mess With Texas, Eastside Drive, 1001 E. 6th St. (RSVP)
Saturday, March 19, 4:40pm, Dazed & Confused party, Flamingo Cantina, 515 E. 6th St.
Ted Leo (solo)
Wednesday, March 16, 10pm, Brooklyn Vegan Showcase*, The Swan Dive, 651 Red River,
Thursday, March 17, 5:30pm, Other Music/Dig For Fire present, French Legation, 802 San Marcos
Friday, March 18, 3pm, Flower Booking/Onion AV Club Party, Mohawk, 912 Red River
Saturday, March 19, 4:55pm, Mess With Texas, Eastside Drive, 1001 E. 6th St. (RSVP)
Glasser
Thursday, March 17, 10pm Pitchfork presents *, Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th St.
Friday, March 18, Rhapsody Pary, Club Deville, 900 Red River (RSVP)
Kurt Vile & The Violators
Friday, March 18, Rhapsody Party, Club Deville, 900 Red River (RSVP)
Saturday, March 19, 3:30pm, Auditorium Shores, 950 W. Riverside Drive, free, all ages
Saturday, March 19, 6pm, Waterloo Records parking lot, 600 N. Lamar Blvd.
On Tuesday May 24*, Matador will be releasing ‘Demolished Thoughts’, the 4th solo album from Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore (5th if you count 1998′s ‘Root’) and the first to be produced by Beck Hansen. Recorded in Los Angeles and Northampton, MA this past autumn & winter, with a title culled from The Faith’s “It’s Time”, ‘Demolished Thoughts’ is an equally beautiful and brooding work ; while there’s more than a few tonal similarities to some of your favorite Moore compositions from years past, the execution this time around is nothing short of staggering. No disrespect to 1995′s ‘Psychic Hearts’ or 2007′s ‘Trees Outside The Academy’ is intended on our part when we promise ‘Demolished Thoughts’ burnishes Thurston’s rep as a classic songwriter in ways we never anticipated when this album was first being talked about last year.
In addition to Moore’s guitars and vocals, other players include violinist Samara Lubelski (she of prior Moore recordings and touring, her own solo works, Metal Mountains, Hall Of Fame, Tower Recordings, Metabolismus, etc.), harpist Mary Lattimore (also heard on Kurt Vile’s latest), bassist Bram Inscore, drummer Joey Waronker and Beck.
Live performance info, a pre-release MP3 and other details to follow in this space.
(there will be plenty of time for questions, just as soon as I’m finished with my speech)
Ever notice how government officials (and/or the New York Mets) try to bury stories that don’t entirely flatter themselves on Friday nights or weekends? No? GOOD, you’re just my kind of person! In the spirit of helpfulness (and perhaps acknowledging that every member of our constituency doesn’t read popular music blogs 75 times a day), we’d like to issue the following friendly reminders ;
a) On April 26, Merge (U.S.) and Wichita (UK) will be releasing the new Times New Viking album, ‘Dancer Equired’. We’ve heard it, and no matter what hyperbole our rec. biz pals are throwing around, it’s even better than whatever they’re saying. .
b) On Feb. 22, Jagjaguwar is issuing the 3rd album from The Cave Singers, ‘No Witch’. I’ve not heard this one (damn you, Web Sharrif!), but when we’re promised the new full-length exhibits “a ferocity and bite we’ve yet to see from the band”, you can be certain I’m getting my rabies vaccination cash in order. Hope you do the same.
Though the above poster is not entirely accurate, we can finally confirm (ie. after everyone else has already reported it) the following members of the Matador / True Panther Sounds family will be appearing at The 12th Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this coming April 15-17
Interpol
The New Pornographers
Cold Cave
Delorean
Glasser
As for the rest of the bill, well, we all have our favorites, but I’d like to issue a deep personal thank-you to the organizers for NOT BOOKINGTHESE DUDES.
We’ve been touting the March 8 release of ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’ for several weeks, but at present find ourselves in a no-caffeine-necessary frenzy over the sudden availability of the album’s 2nd MP3, “Jesus Fever”
Granted, the prior version was pretty cool, but we’re far more pleased with the new sleeve for Kurt Vile’s forthcoming ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’ LP/CD/digital album (March 8, 2011). More news about this hotly anticipated album coming later this week…
Some 17 months ago, a particularly hyperbole-crazed record company functionary gushed about this imprint’s signing of “one of the more important figures in American music circa 2009″, certainly the sort of poisoned chalice a young musician would have as much trouble living down as the subject of Jon Landau’s 1974 claim in The Real Paper, “I have seen rock’n'roll future.”
We of course know that in the latter instance, Landau was referring to Paul Williams, and in the former, I was writing about Philadelphia’s Kurt Vile. Through a succession of releases for Matador, Woodsist, Gulcher, Richie and Mexican Summer (not to mention constant touring, both as a headliner an in support of a dizzying range of artists including Ariel Pink, Sonic Youth, Fucked Up, Big Star, The National, Dinosaur Jr.and others) Kurt has quickly established himself as the troubadour du jour for an increasingly large number of clued-in persons. Though initially praised in some corners for having “absorbed a lifetime’s worth of FM rock”, Kurt’s music has developed into something less genre/period-specific yet far more focused & powerful. On March 8, we’ll be unveiling the next stage in that development with the LP/CD/digital album, ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’ ; recorded by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) throughout 2010 at various studios in NYC, Hoboken and Philadelphia, the 2nd Kurt Vile full-length for Matador is easily his most ambitious work to date. Assisted by a cast including but not limited to the Violators, ‘Smoke Ring’ doesn’t merely showcase Kurt’s versatility (keep in mind, this is a guy who was once compared to Leonard Cohen, Psychic TV, Tom Petty and Animal Collective — in the same review), but truly ties otherwise disparate elements together in a way that hopefully causes everyone to seriously re-evaluate the very nature of what they consider to be a classic album.
Or failing that, the sort of album you’ll be playing very loud in the car. Or first thing in the morning. Or perhaps at 3am. We could call it a record for every mood but you might be far moodier than any of us and that wouldn’t be fair.
‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’ :
A side:
Baby’s Arms
Jesus Fever
Puppet To The Man
On Tour
Society Is My Friend
B side:
Runner Ups
In My Time
Peeping Tomboy
Smoke Ring For My Halo
Ghost Town
In the very near future, we’ll be making another preview MP3 from ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’ available, but until then, you’ll have to be satisfied with the titular track from the recently released 7″ EP, “In My Time”. We’re planning a special, limited edition version of the ‘Smoke Ring’ LP but need to keep the details to ourselves for the time being, but expect a formal announcement soon, along with information about Kurt’s 2011 live activity.
There’s no shortage of publications, blogs, label websites, etc., running their own screwy lists of 2010′s top recordings, events, etc. How is Matador’s annual entry any different? Well for starters, our lists are much longer. Thanks for indulging us this year, folks. The Best Of The Bests Ofs, right after THIS : (more…)
Earlier today, someone representing a band I’ve not heard of before (that’s not meant as a diss, btw, there’s plenty of good bands I’ve not heard of) forwarded the following bit of correspondence. If you’re in a band, please be advised that a) “gerardacosloy@gmail.com” is not my email address, b) I have no family in Columbus (though I have great respect for Ron House) and c) I would never in a million years tell anyone “you have a great sound and seem to really capture a crowd.” Thank you.
Greetings from the East.
I caught (NAME REDACTED) in Columbus last night. I’m not from the area, just visiting family for the holiday.
I’ll cut to the chase.
You’ve got a very impressive band in your house.
They have a great sound and seem to really capture a crowd.
Anyway, this is not my typical protocol for a business-related matter, but I didn’t get a chance to meet the band before they left the show last night.
I’d love to schedule a meeting, and talk about getting these guys a 2 album record deal.
Can you pass me their information along with any contracts related to (NAME REDACTED) & the band?
If I don’t hear back, I’ll try to call the phone number listed on your website. Is that info up to date?
Thank you.
As you might have read elsewhere, the Matador Records catalog will no longer be available via eMusic as of November 18.
This is unfortunate, but as eMusic has brought more major labels into the fold, they have changed the terms on which they deal with labels, some of which we have found impossible to accept, in our own interests, those of our artists, and ultimately those of their fans.
We’re grateful for the support Matador has received from eMusic in the past.
Matador’s catalog will continue to be available via many other great sites and stores. We encourage you to visit them.
(from left to right, Thomas Fisher, Daniel Copeman, Rachel Davies. Photography by Adam Kola)
On the heels of their recent “Marching Song” 12″ EP and first US tour (culminating in tonight’s show at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory), Esben and the Witch will be releasing their debut full-length LP/CD/digital album on January 31, 2011 (February 8 in North America ). The Brighton trio, recently nominated for a Q Award, found themselves nearly drowning in plaudits following “Marching Song”‘s release “teetering on the edge of explosive emotion”, raved one observer, while the assessment, “thoroughly mesmerizing” came to mind for another.
And while the currently available “Marching Song” 12″ is as impressive as advertised, ‘Violet Cries’, recorded by produced by the band’s Daniel Copeman, easily ranks amongst the more audacious and ambitious debut albums, whether in recent memory or in this label’s very long run. While we’re occupied petitioning retailers to add an “Uneasy Listening” bin card to their sales floor, here’s just a hint of what you’re in for next February ;
“Warpath” [192kbps mp3] (from ‘Violet Cries’, OLE 939)
Esben and the Witch will be touring Europe and North America in early 2011 ; though if you’re based in one of the relevant cities below, you’ll not want to miss out.
Remaing 2010 Tour dates
26th October – The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
- – - – - – - – - – - -
4th November – Paris, La Boule Noir
10th November – London, Electrowerkz
11th November – Manchester, Deaf Institute
12th November – Glasgow – Captains Rest
14th November – Leeds - Constellations Festival
27th November – Le Guess Who Festival, Utrecht – Netherlands
That didn’t turn out so badly, did it? From our perspective the paying customers and bands at last weekend’s Matador 21 celebrations at The Palms (NOT SHOWN ABOVE, sheesh!) had a great time. So did we — ridiculously so. I think I can speak on behalf of Chris, Patrick and Martin when I say the 72 whirlwind was equal parts humbling, gratifying and inspiring — the overwhelming majority of performances were scorchers (feel free to rate ‘em yourself in the comments area) and we couldn’t have been more psyched to be surrounded by such a crazy bunch of friends, old and new, from around the world. That so many of you went to such lengths to attend this event is not something we’re gonna forget for a very long time.
We’ve got a mountain of people to thank and if I’ve left anyone out, please take it easy on me BECAUSE MY HEAD STILL HURTS FROM SUNDAY. To our co-promoter, FYF Fest (Sean Carlson, Phil Hoelting, Mariko Jones) gracias for believing this could actually work. To our hosts, The Palms Resort & Casino, you couldn’t have been more gracious or helpful (especially when you removed the “PRIME RIB SPECIAL” text and replaced it with “MATADOR 21 : SOLD OUT” on the marquee). Though the auspices of MySpace Music, millions of viewers around the globe were able to see Mitch Mitchell nearly get his lights punched out some amazing shows. Altamont – thanks for the cool tote bags (and for not cursing us, with, y’know, Altamont-esque vibes) , Incase, thanks for the iPhone cases. Sailor Jerry, Miller and Black Star — despite nearly killing a few of us, we’re thanking you as well.
Transmission‘s Graham Williams and Johnny Sarkis performed tireless troubleshooting duties just hours after opening a new venue in Austin, TX. David Scheid became “THE FIXER” in ways that had no impact on Sunday’s NFL schedule, but heroically assisted our efforts over the weekend in ways we can barely quantify. I’ve already thanked Nils Bernstein, Gabe Spierer and Adam Farrell privately, so I’ll not embarrass them by citing their brilliant work in this public space. Winston Case’s excursions into the Matador video vaults might’ve exposed him to asbestos, bed bugs and VIDEO MADNESS, but such sacrifices kept us entertained between bands. Archivist Jesper Eklow and former design geniuses, Mark Ohe and Frank Longo, helped assemble many of the fantastic materials that were on dazzling display over the course of the weekend. We thank Zia Records and Origami Records for setting up show in the lobby, and patiently answering my inquiry about that “fuck you” song I’ve heard so much about (weirdly, that record wasn’t for sale).
Our masters of ceremonies for the weekend were thrown to the lions and somehow emerged unscathed ; Jeffrey Jensen, Bob Nastanovich, Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster, thank you so much for sparing all 2300 ticket holders the “humor” of Jay Mohr. On the DJ front, we commend Mike Haliechuk, James McNew, Dean Bein, Rusty Clarke and Dave Martin for supplying excellent pre-recorded entertainment. Karaoke Underground made their Las Vegas debut late Saturday and Sunday nights and with assistance from such members of the Matador roster as Ted Leo, Sandy Miranda, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, showed the Matador at 21 attendees what Austin residents have known for ages (ie. K.U.’s shows-are-tops, so thanks, Kaleb & Hannah).
An attempt to do something on this scale wasn’t gonna be without hiccups — or wild coughing spasms. But by the time Guided By Voices had concluded their 30 song set early Monday morning, we felt like The Lost Weekend was everything we’d hoped for and a little bit more. You might feel otherwise, and perhaps someday there will be an open forum of some sort where you can freely express your dissent. Until that day arrives, however, everyone who wasn’t there will just have to trust me when I say Matador At 21 Was A Blast (and now I need a cold washcloth). To the people who care so much about our artists and label, thank you for sharing it with us.
The majority of this weekend’s sets from the Pearl will be part of a live video/audio stream presented by MySpace Music starting Friday evening. Though the lineup for the webcast is subject to change, we can confirm that although they’re not included on MySpace’s currently published schedule, Sonic Youth and Cat Power are both participating. Apparently it’s gonna be viewable on iPhones and iPads as well, which should lead to a complete breakdown of socially acceptable behavior in homes and businesses across the world this weekend.
Harlem (above, left) are playing the Palms Ballroom Friday after Fucked Up vs. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists ; Dead Meadow (right) are playing the same room late Saturday after Esben and the Witch and Cold Cave. We’re NO LONGER featuring a Saturday afternoon Harlem/Dead Meadow matinee.
It’s a long story but we came to the conclusion a 1:30pm start time on Saturday was a bad bad bad deal for the participants and everyone who’d been rocking Friday night combined. Our apologies for any inconvenience. Also, the event is now officially totally sold sold.
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As of this writing, there’s a handful of tickets remaining for this weekend’s festivities at the Palms ; late Friday we determined a portion of seats we’d previously reserved for artists, families and friends could be make available to the public. Now that we’ve pestered those who came up short in the last lottery, there’s still a few left (appox. 30 pairs). These tickets are marked as “preferred seating” and do not include access to the VIP opening party on Friday, or any of the afterparties in the Hardwood Suite — sorry, but we’re at capacity for those events.
We will be releasing a small quantity of GA tickets for Matador 21 next week by lottery. Winners will be picked at random and notified on Tuesday, September 14th at 9:00am. Winners will have 24hrs to purchase their tickets. If they fail to do so, a new winner will be selected the following day at 9:00am. All winners will be given the option to purchase 2 tickets at $250 each + service fees and taxes. This is your last chance (we hope!) to be part of the greatest weekend in human history
To enter the lottery please send an email to 21@matadorrecords.com with the title, “21 LOTTERY” in the subject line of your message.
