After a pair of albums under the group nom de plume Preston School Of Industry, Pavement co-founder Scott Kannberg, aka Spiral Stairs, makes his bona fide solo debut with an October 20 LP/CD/digital album release of ‘The Real Feel’ (OLE 858).  Following an extended sojourn in Melbourne, Spiral returned to Seattle rejuvenated at the end of ‘08, and commenced recording with a collection of pals including members of PSOI, the Posies, guitarist Ian Moore, Gersey, and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew.  Mixed by the Posies’ Jon Auer, this album is by far the most crafted and introspective of Spiral’s post-Pavement works.

In the words of associate Parker Gibbs, ‘The Real Feel’, “has a vibe similar to classic 70’s albums by Fleetwood Mac (’Then Play On’), Captain Beefhart (’Safe As Milk’), and guitar god Richard Thompson, not to mention Aussie psych rock icons Died Pretty. Comparisons aside, this is 100% Spiral Stairs rock, the same rock that made Pavement the most influential band of the 90″s (take that Hoobastank!) and the same strange, dischordant, playful and melodic Spiral Stairs rock that your parents loved.”

“This is indie rock at its best and brightest,” continues Gibbs,  “with Spiral Stairs getting back to the basics that have made him a legend in his own mind and to all of the children willing to enter his home.”  And on that somewhat troubling note, we’ll add the vinyl edition of ‘The Real Feel’ features a different running order and a limited edition bonus 7″.   Live activity throughout the continent of North America is planned for this Autumn, and we’ll surely be letting you know more about that in the days and weeks ahead.

The first track we’ve seen fit to leak from ‘The Real Feel’ is “Maltese Terrier” (MP3).  Please note no raccoons were harmed during the making of the album artwork.  Not by us, anyway.

(l-r, Coomers, Curtis, Jose. In the background – not sure, but hopefully he won’t sue)

It’s a poorly kept secret around the office and the band’s hometown but one we can finally confirm — Matador has signed the Austin, TX trio HARLEM to a multi-record, worldwide deal. 

Led by dual vocalists Michael Coomers and Curtis O’Mara (the duo switch between guitar and drums, both onstage and off), Harlem started in Tucson, AZ before relocating to Austin where they’ve generated a mountain of attention, both with their fantastic live shows and their self-issued 2008 LP/CD ‘Free Drugs’ (Female Fantasy — currently available via Matador Direct)

Pitchfork’s Roque Strew has hailed Harlem as “a marvel of cartoonishly masculine, crudely analog brevity”, while Gorilla Vs. Bear considers ‘Free Drugs’ to be “super infectious, instantly endearing”, and kindly supplying a quote that we’ll gladly take out of context, the Austin Chronicle’s Audra Schroeder has fallen preil to the album’s “anxious, stuttering charm”. I know, that all sounds highly suspicious, but anyone who’s heard ‘Free Drugs’ or witnessed Harlem laying waste to any number of shoebox sized venues (some of which, were in fact, shoeboxes) can attest, the band’s casual virtuosity is only eclipsed by their otherworldly songwriting skills.

Recently joined by bassist Jose Boyer, Harlem will be recording their 2nd album this summer for release on Matador in 2010.  

Harlem – MySpace

(cassette by Dario Robleto)

We have an old saying at Matador HQ, “the only thing predictable about Yo La Tengo albums is their high level of excellence and crazy amount of musical ground covered”.  Trouble is, even if you believe we really have an old saying that unwieldly, it doesn’t really do justice in this instance. The new Yo La Tengo CD/2XLP/digital  album ‘Popular Songs” (OLE 856-1,2) could be the bravest musical statement to date in a career full of ‘em.   Recorded in Hoboken and Nashville in early 2009 with longtime associate Roger Mountenot, ‘Popular Songs’ finds the trio of Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew at the height of their creative powers, fashioning an epic work that’s cooly confident as it is wildly adventurous.

Even for longtime followers of Yo La Tengo, the stylistic range encompassed on ‘Popular Songs’ is startling ; the band aren’t merely conversant with rock & pop subgenres stretching into the double digits, but their unselfconscious mastery of such is simply uncanny.  Without absolving you of the sacred responsibility of listening to this album from start to finish (with no commercial interruptions!) , we can say with full confidence there are portions of ‘Popular Songs’ where a cursory needle drop reveals a band that doesn’t sound instantly like Yo La Tengo — or at least how you recognized them prior to now.  In the words of Mike Wolf, “Yo La Tengo is not afraid. They walk confidently forward, into the unknown, hand in hand. And 12 (or 14) albums in, they may just be hitting their stride.” 

“Periodically Double Or Triple” is the first MP3 from ‘Popular Songs’.  In the days to follow, we’ll have further announcements regarding a Buy Early Get Now campaign for the album, along with Yo La Tengo’s autumn tour plans.

The second album from Seattle’s Cave Singers is coming on August 18. It is entitled ‘Welcome Joy’ and adds a world of color and nuance to the already great songs from their 2007 debut. The trio of Peter Quirk, Derek Fudesco and Marty Lund were joined on this record by Amber Webber (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust) and Ashley Webber (Lightning Dust). They recorded the album at The Hive in Vancouver with Colin Stewart.

Our first MP3 is the gorgeous, brooding, building “Beach House”:

Beach House (192k mp3)

Look out for the Cave Singers this September and October as they’ll be touring across North America with Lightning Dust. Keep your eyes peeled for details, which will be coming soon.

(photograph by Shawn Brackbill) 

We tend to start new signings entries to the Matablog with lines like “Matador Records is pleased to announce….”, but could we possibly be more redundant?  Of COURSE we’re pleased to announce blah fucking blah, are we gonna say  ”Matador Records reluctantly admits….”  or “we’re obliged to tell you…”?  

So with that in mind, we’re REALLY pleased to announce — perhaps more than ever before in label history — an addition to the label roster we currently consider to be one of the more important figures in American music circa 2009.  Philadelphia guitarist/vocalist Kurt Vile first came to our attention (and possibly yours as well) with the release of the 2008 CD ‘Constant Hitmaker’ on the Gulcher imprint  ( a label whose paw prints extend to dusty genius recordings by the Gizmos and MX80-Sound and contemporary stuff from Home Blitz and Magik Markers).  What the homemade ‘Hitmaker’ (recently reissued on vinyl by Woodsist) lacked in fidelity it more than made for in scope —– to dub the album “psych pop” barely scratches the surface of  a work that’s as impossibly catchy as it is wildly experimental. 

Subsequent exposure to Kurt’s live shows in a variety of settings, both on his own and with crack ensemble The Violators, made it abundantly clear that we’d either have to sign this guy or find someone else who sounded exactly like him.  Since the latter task proved impossible, here we are.  Having signed a worldwide, multi-album pact with Matador, Kurt Vile’s first full-length for the label, ‘Childish Prodigy’ will be released on LP/CD and digital formats in Autumn 2009.  Watch this space for more  news & music to follow.

‘The Matador Records Songbook’ is on one hand, a nod to the old Warner Bros. “loss-leader” compilation LP’s that used to bring Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman to your attention for a couple of bucks.  On the other hand, it’s also a new iTunes 15 song digital comp. for a mere $7.99. 

And to get totally freakish, if one could have THREE HANDS, the third would consist of previously released, ultra-classic material from Interpol, Belle & Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Mission Of Burma, A.C. Newman,  Mogwai, Pavement, Cat Power, Shearwater, Fucked Up, the Cave Singers, Stephen Malkmus, , Matmos,  Jay Reatard and Guided By Voices.   You can order and/or peruse the contents here.

I hope it goes without saying that full Matador / Beggars staff attendance at this event is mantadory. Thank you.

(preorder the Condo Fucks’ ‘Fuckbook’ on LP/CD)

Back in the way-back machine when Matador had our very first office (that wasn’t my apartment) we sold direct to stores in addition to selling our own singles and LP’s ; we started selling non matador records we liked, and soon-to-be matador related records. It was a way to keep the lights on with an extremely sparse release schedule (release dates? ha!) I would try to get stores to pick up these singles or albums COD, talking to folks like Bob Schick (of the mighty Honor Role) at Plan 9, Janet from Fallout, Mark Trehus at Oarfolkjokapus, Conrad Capistran at In Your Ear, Mike Lavella at Phantom of the Attic (he mailed me Quaaludes once) and Natalie Carlson at Aarons (boy she was a pain in the ass, but later I learned she was the coolest girl I ever met).

This was how Matador Direct got started. One of the first singles we carried was the very first Chunk single, pre-Matador, right when they had to change their name to Superchunk. The band hand colored 200 of these individual sleeves, and I kept this one. Pretty sweet indeed

(all SY photos in this post by Chris Habib)

As announced previously, the new Sonic Youth double LP/CD/digital album, ‘The Eternal’ is coming out on June 9. However, the album will be available to those taking part in Matador’s Buy Early Get Now campaign on April 28.

Along with your preorder of ‘The Eternal’ on LP or CD, you’ll get an instant stream of the album when BEGN launches on April 28, and later (either picking it up at your fave local record store or through the auspices of the U.S. Postal Service) a bonus limited edition live LP* culled from Sonic Youth’s July 4, 2008 show in Battery Park at the River To River Festival, which will contain an exclusive poster. Additional MP3’s will be delivered via the BEGN site before or after the album’s physical release date (June 9).

The album can be preordered from a trusted local retailer starting March 24 or directly from Matador on April 28.

A separate but equally thrilling variation on Buy Early Get Now for our friends in the United Kingdom and other territories will be announced in this space shortly.

*- while supplies last

Though we’re keeping a rather tight lid on the musical contents to ‘The Eternal’ between now and late April, there’s a somewhat truncated preview that’s just been posted at Newsweek.com.

Unbeknownst to some of you, we sometimes distribute records for non-Matador labels here at Matador Direct. That means that Dave, our co-head of sales at Matador Direct, cherry-picks his favorite records and gets them out to stores. This often means that some really rare, amazing vinyl comes through our doors that mailorder customers don’t get a chance to pick up. Those dark days are over!

We just launched a new section of the store for Dave to pick his favorite distributed items to make available for mailorder. Most of these are limited edition so we’ll be adding and deleting items as they appear and disappear from our stock. Right now, we have the first two releases from the new Captured Tracks imprint (run by Mike Sniper of Blank Dogs), an incredible African music reissue, the Nodzzz LP, No Bunny, and a rare Rob’s House 7″/DVD set. Get them while you can.

Dave’s Record Corner

(album artwork features a painting by John Fahey)

Oh boy.  All sorts of potential problems with this one.  Where do we start with the apologies?   To the estate of Peter Ivers….sorry.   Wicked Witch? WE’LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

(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.

A career-spanning live EP, recorded last October in Brooklyn, NY. Available to own or rent at Rhapsody.

Amazing performances and exquisite recordings.

Legendary New London, CT trio the CONDO FUCKS returned to the stage last March after a long absence from the tri-state area’s concert circuit, and the results of a secretive Hoboken rehearsal recording session 35 is being released in March of ‘09 by Matador as the LP/CD, ‘Fuckbook’.

Eschewing such Condo Fucks originals as “Fuckin’ Gary Sandy” and “Let’s Get Rid Of New Haven”, the threesome instead tore thru covers of Small Faces, Richard Hell, Beach Boys, Electric Eels, Troggs, Slade and Flamin’ Groovies classics in the style that previously won them so much acclaim from the Nutmeg State’s music journalists and radio programmers so many years ago.

In the go-go 1990’s the Condo Fucks  released 4 titles on the Matador label, some of which were prominently advertised on the inner sleeve of Yo La Tengo’s ‘I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One’.  Sadly, we cannot provide the media with promotional copies of these records as they are very, very rare.

The Condo Fucks are Georgia Condo (drums), Kid Condo (guitar) and James McNew (bass).   A full tour of major Connecticut nightspots is planned upon ‘Fuckbook’’s release.  Though the band are somewhat “old-school” about the modern social networking phenomena, there’s an unofficial myspace page launching very soon.

(l-r James McNew, Kid Condo,  Brooklyn’s Magnetic Field, March 28 2008)

(“Whatcha Gonna Do About It” - mp3)

The promotional video for The Unsane’s “Body Bomb” from the album ‘Total Destruction’ seemed, at the time, like a rather pricey (ie.  more than $10) way of making a clip guaranteed to receive zero MTV play, the fine efforts of Chris, Pete, Vinnie and director Richard Kern aside. 

History, however, has a funny way of sorting things out.  Thanks to the patronage of Mike Judge’s Beavis & Butthead, the “Body Bomb” video ended up being seen by a wider audience than the occasionally “120 Minutes” spin might’ve garnered. And more importantly, the clip’s explosive subject matter guaranteed the star turn from Cop Shoot Cop’s  Jack Natz would forever place Kern’s former Black Snakes bandmate on a Do Not Fly list.

(work crews feverishly prepare for the announcement of just what we’ve been watching and eating in 2008)

Every December I send out a rambling, somewhat desperate electronic message to the Matador artist roster (well, most of ‘em) along w/ label staff and our Beggars’ colleagues, begging for their favorite people/places/things/records/memories from the year about to conclude. We’ve got our longest list of best-of’s so far, though keep in mind, if Gabe and Dave’s submissions were edited, we’d be back to our mid ’90’s brevity all over again. Read ‘em and weep, after the jump – G.C.

(more…)

..nor do we have any qualms about brutally exploiting the fine people willing to help us out. Photograph by Miwa Okumura.

First things first : we have no news regarding new Belle & Sebastian dates or recording. If we did, trust us, it would’ve been leaked to Pitchfork already. That said, on November 18 we’ll be releasing a double CD/double LP collection entitled ‘The BBC Sessions’, with one disc comprising radio sessions (duh) recorded from 1996-2001, and disc two culled from a December 2001 gig.  More news and/or MP3 leakage to follow, promise.

Disc One – Radio Sessions:

01 The State I Am In (Mark Radcliffe Session; 07/96)
02 Like Dylan in the Movies (Mark Radcliffe Session; 07/96)
03 Judy and the Dream of Horses (Mark Radcliffe Session; 07/96)
04 The Stars of Track and Field (Mark Radcliffe Session; 07/96)
05 I Could Be Dreaming (Mark Radcliffe session; 12/96; abbreviated version)
06 Seymour Stein (Evening Session; 07/97)
07 Lazy Line Painter Jane (Evening Session; 07/97)
08 Sleep the Clock Around (Evening Session; 07/97)
09 Slow Graffiti (Evening Session; 07/97)
10 Wrong Love (later recorded as “The Wrong Girl”) (Evening Session; 07/97)
11 Shoot the Sexual Athlete (John Peel session; 05/01)
12 The Magic of a Kind Word (John Peel session; 05/01)
13 Nothing in the Silence (John Peel session; 05/01)
14 (My Girl’s Got) Miraculous Technique (John Peel session; 05/01)

Disc Two – Live in Belfast (12/21/01):

01 Here Comes the Sun
02 There’s Too Much Love
03 The Magic of a Kind Word
04 Me and the Major
05 Wandering Alone
06 The Model
07 I’m Waiting for the Man
08 The Boy With the Arab Strap
09 The Wrong Girl
10 Dirty Dream #2
11 The Boys Are Back in Town
12 Legal Man

The new Mogwai album ‘The Hawk Is Howling’ can be heard from start to finish, starting today at the band’s MySpace profile.  If you’re not into MySpace, be advised we thought about streaming the album from random Linkedin profiles of persons who sent us job applications, but it was suggested that would kind of stupid if we wanted many people to hear it.  Besides, y’know, aspiring rock biz professionals.

After rampant speculation, Matador Records can confirm the label will be releasing a new studio album from Sonic Youth sometime in 2009. Having fulfilled their contractual obligations to the Universal Music Group, Sonic Youth recently reached an agreement with Matador to release the band’s 16th album of new material in all worldwide territories, save for Japan.

While Sonic Youth’s status as one of the more innovative and influential bands of the past 30 years needs little explanation, the group’s most recent recordings for Geffen — 2006’s ‘Rather Ripped’ being their final for the label — rank amongst the current decade’s best.

For Matador, the opportunity to work in partnership with a group who’ve made such an profound impact on our roster/hometown/collective consciousness was one to jump at.   Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley will commence recording the new Sonic Youth LP/CD this autumn and we look forward to sharing further details in the very near future.

Please check out sonicyouth.com for details about their many recent and upcoming pursuits, including the travelling museum exhibition “Sonic Youth Etc.: Sensational Fix”, which focusses on the multidisciplinary activities of the band since 1981, and the recently self-released CD “Andre Side Af Sonic Youth”.

http://www.sonicyouth.com
http://www.matadorrecords.com