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.
But only two of you. Contest details are here, but the gist of it is pretty simple. Our friends at eMusic are giving away two tickets to The Lost Weekend at The Palms, plus they’re springing for flights and hotel rooms. Gambling losses and legal fees are YOUR problem!
I know we keep promising more hard info about the actual event, and guess what…I’m doing it again. Next week we’ll be confirming 4 additional bands, as well as providing further details about the weekend’s schedule. Your patience is deeply appreciated, and if you have further questions, by all means, send ‘em to 21@matadorrecords.com
(Left to Right: Rachel Davies, Daniel Copeman, Thomas Fisher. Photo by Adam Kola)
It’s with considerable excitement that we’re able to reveal the addition of the Brighton trio Esben and the Witch to the Matador roster. Our first UK based signing in over 6 years, a pair of the band’s recordings — the self released ’33′ and the Too Pure Singles Club-issued 7″, “Lucia, at the Precipice” (the latter already trading for excessive sums on eBay) generated no small amount of global curiosity (not the least of which coming from our offices). Hailed by The Quietus for their “opulent mixture of brooding electronics, crackling guitars and mythological rhetoric”, though Esben and the Witch’s early work is equally brooding and beautiful, we’re pretty confident Rachel, Daniel and Thomas had only skimmed the surface of what they’re capable of. Their debut Matador EP, the limited 12″, ‘Marching Song’, is scheduled for release on October 11th (October 12 in North America), augmented by two new songs, ‘Done Because We Are Too Menny’ and ‘Souvenirs’. The band’s first full length album is tentatively scheduled for release in early 2011.
The accompanying video for ‘Marching Song’ was directed by David Procter and Peter King from the The Agenda Collective.
Esben and the Witch will make their US debut this September touring in support of Mercury Prize nominees Foals along with participating in Matador At 21 : The Lost Weekend in Las Vegas. A subsequent UK tour will begin in November.
SEPTEMBER
23 Minneapolis 7th Street Entry *
24 Chicago Lincoln Hall *
25 Detroit Magic Stick *
27 Toronto Lee’s Palace *
28 Montreal La Sala Rossa *
29 Boston Paradise *
30 Philadelphia, Johnny Brenda’s (w/Efterklang)
OCTOBER
1 New York Bowery Ballroom *
3 Las Vegas The Palms Casino & Hotel **
5 Atlanta Masquerade *
6 Tallahassee Club Downunder *
8 Houston Walters on Washington *
9 Austin The Mohawk ***
10 Dallas The Nightmare *
12 Denver Larimer Lounge *
14 San Diego Casbah *
18 Los Angeles El Ray Theatre *
19 San Jose The Blank Club *
20 San Francisco Bottom of the Hill ****
21 Portland Doug Fir Lounge *
22 Vancouver Venue *
23 Seattle Neumos City Arts Music *
26 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory (with A Sunny Day In Glasgow)
NOVEMBER
4 Paris Inrockuptibles @ La Boule Noir
10 London Electrowerkz
11 Manchester Deaf Institute
12 Glasgow Captains Rest
14 Leeds Constellations Festival
* with Foals
** Matador At 21 / The Lost Weekend
*** with School of Seven Bells
**** with Scout Niblett
We’ll be announcing a couple of additions to the lineup for Oct. 1-3 very soon. In the meantime, however, the above photograph of Matador’s Chris Lombardi, shown basking in the Palms’ Hardwood Suite, provides just a hint of what’s in store for those lucky enough to attend this sold-out event. Not shown : Tim Donaghy.
Congrats to our our London-based label manager Natalie Judge, on being named one of Billboard Magazine’s “30 Under 30″. Said list “recognizes rising young executives who are driving our business forward with their artistic and business vision”, and along with recognizes Natalie’s work on behalf of Sonic Youth and Fucked Up, Billboard adds, somewhat ominously, that said list included “Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, then 23, in 2007.” While this might not mean we’re 3 years away from a David Fincher movie about Judge being sued by half the universe (though if we are, I’d like to be played by Fred “The Hammer” Williamson), it does point to the rarefied nature of said acknowledgment. This sort of thing doesn’t happen to the people we like and respect nearly often enough, so an occasion like this, we’ll raise a glass in Natalie’s honor and consider ourselves very lucky she’s making stuff happen for us instead of someone else.
We got together last week with a few gallant lads and lassies, and we recorded the first part of the B&S TV show that we’ve been hinting at. Here’s a clip to get you in the mood. The song is from the new record, and it’s called “I Want The World To Stop”
We had a really nice day that day, thanks to everyone who travelled a variety of distances to be there! London, Manchester, Newcastle, etc, it was a good effort.
And while I’m at it, here’s a look at the real cover of “Belle And Sebastian Write About Love”. Some websites got hold of the wrong end of the stick last week (perhaps not suprisingly), but no harm done!
(some very weird stuff comes up on Google image seach when you enter “Matador 21″)
Earlier today, we sold out of our initial quantities of tickets and hotel packages for Matador At 21 : The Lost Weekend, taking place October 1, 2, 3 at the Palms Casino & Resort in Las Vegas. Said sales took somewhere between 2 and 15 minutes to complete, and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was stymied in their attempts to purchase tickets.
We’re pretty certain these tickets will sell out very quickly. At present, we cannot guarantee any additional tickets beyond this batch will be offered for public sale, but if that change, we’ll certainly let you know.
(ADDENDUM For those that were able to get tickets but not reserve a room at the Palms please look into the Gold Coast which is located across the street from the Palms Resort. The rooms are very affordable and you will be close to the action. THE EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT. THANKS TO EVERYONE.
Lots of you have raised questions about our 21st anniversary event happening in Las Vegas from October 1st-3rd, both via the comments thread to Monday’s info post, and via email.
We’ve done our best to answer these questions in the following FAQ.
Remember, tickets go on sale this Friday at 9 AM Pacific via ticketfly.com, and at the two Zia Records locations in Las Vegas at 10 AM Pacific.
UPDATE: for information on how to get tickets at Zia, click here.
NEW UPDATE: The Ticketfly links are live for the three packages (tickets+hotel rooms, tickets a la carte, and tickets installment/layaway plan: HERE.
NEW NEW UPDATE: THE EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT ALMOST SOLD OUT (SEE DIRECTLY BELOW). For those who were able to get tickets but not reserve a room at the Palms, please look into the Gold Coast which is located across the street from the Palms Resort. The rooms are very affordable and you will be close to the event.
NEW NEW NEW UPDATE: VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF REMAINING TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY, JULY 10 at 9 AM PDT. More details at this link.
1.) What is the cost and how do the tickets / hotel rooms work?
The cost of the show starts at $SOLD for a three-night pass plus an additional $SOLD per night to stay at the Palms. You can have up to 4 people in one room and the option to purchase up to 4 tickets. After the initial swathe of tickets is sold out, the cost of the show goes up to $SOLD for a three night pass. You must buy hotel rooms with these tickets – sorry if that seems extreme, but it’s how we were able to make this work economically with this lineup of bands in an intimate venue. We negotiated this rate for you and it’s a good one. There will be all-night events going on at Palms, and the concept is for a familial event with label staff, artists and fans all mingling and staying at the same site.
VIP tickets are available for $SOLD. These tickets (21+ only) will get you:
- Reserved Seating at the Pearl (AT THE FRONT)
- Access to Opening Party on Friday with open bar with staff and bands
- More TBA
For Las Vegas residents, there will be 100 tickets available for $SOLD at the two Zia Records locations in Las Vegas, for locals. These do not require purchase of hotel rooms. Tickets will be awarded via lottery at both locations, so please, don’t attempt to camp out at either store early that morning or the night before.
In response to demand, we are also offering a limited number of a la carte passes for $SOLD for those who choose not to stay at the Palms. These will be available Friday, July 9th with a 2 ticket limit via the Ticketfly site only.
Once the a la carte passes and the local tickets at Zia are sold out, ALL TICKETS WILL REQUIRE THE PURCHASE OF A HOTEL ROOM.
2.) Will there be an installment plan to buy tickets?
Yes. Details will be available on the Ticketfly site. (The installment plan does not apply to the Zia tickets.)
3.) Can I purchase multiple hotel rooms at the time I purchase the tickets?
Yes.
4.) Can I purchase a ticket without a hotel room if I’m staying in someone else’s room?
No. The only tickets without rooms are the Zia tickets and the limited $250 a la carte passes. Sorry, but that was the only way we could make this work.
5.) Does the VIP package include a room upgrade?
No. You’ll have to purchase the room upgrade separately. When you get the rooms/tickets this Friday, it will tell you that you will have the opportunity to upgrade your room (as well as your ticket package, should you so desire) subsequently.
6.) Is the event all-ages?
The Pearl Theater is all-ages, however access to the Palm’s casino floor, as with all other bars and lounges, is restricted to those 21 and over. 95% of the performances are at the Pearl.
7.) What time are the shows starting / ending? What’s the running order?
We’ll be posting full schedules shortly before that weekend, but we intend to start the music early Friday evening, and concluding late Sunday evening.
8.) Will more bands be added to the bill?
A few more, yes. We’ll be making periodic announcements on the Matablog.
9.) Given the interest in this event, why wasn’t a larger venue chosen?
We were pretty keen on maintaining some level of intimacy; we’d discussed a number of different locations around the country, but sound and sightline considerations trumped our thoughts of how-to-sell-the-most-tickets-possible.
10.) Can I bring my cat?
Matador Records and Palms Casino and Resort respect all State of Nevada laws concerning service animals.
11.) What sort of additional events — parties, performances — etc. are planned for the weekend?
That’s still being determined, but rest assured that we are taking full advantage of our host venue.
12.) What sort of merchandise will be available?
A series of items commemorating the weekend will be for sale on site, as well as merch from the respective bands. In addition, we’re making arrangements with an independent record retailer to sell various vinyl and CD titles.
13.) “If I reserve a room can it be transfered to someone else?. Can I sell the room on eBay or another site to someone that wants it?”
No. You can share your room with whoever you want, but reservations cannot be resold or transferred.
14.) Will tickets be shipped or available via will call?
All tickets will be available for pickup at the Palms starting Friday, October 1. We’re trying to prevent the sort of scalper/eBay action alluded to above.
15.) “Can I record, photography or videotape the performances?”
What we’ll loosely dub “professional recording / photography / video equipment” cannot be brought into the Pearl. Point and shoot cameras are permissible, but flash photography will not be allowed.
If you require a photo pass or work for a newsgathering organization, please take that up with our publicity department. 16.) Are the seats reserved, or is the event general admission?
Regular tickets are general admission. You may watch from the standing area in front of the stage (limited capacity, first-come first-served each day), or sit in any available, non-reserved seat.
VIP tickets are reserved seats in the front.
17.) Is the Pearl accessible to persons with disabilities?
There are handicapped-accessible seats in the Pearl. Please refer any more specific questions on this topic to Palms Casino and Resort.
18.) What is the address of Palms Casino and Resort?
It is 2 blocks west of the Strip, on West Flamingo:
4321 West Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89103-3903
(702) 942-7777 palms.com
19.) What are the rules of 5-card stud?
5 Card Stud Poker – How to Play Five Card Stud Poker, Rules, Strategy Tips
The objectives and basic strategies for playing 5 Card Stud Poker that are shown here are those generally agreed to and recommended by the experts on bet limit poker games. Understanding the rules and basics is needed to know how to play at all competetive levels. Solid intermediate and expert level poker normally requires lots of at-the-table, or online game playing experience.
Limit 5 Card Stud Poker – 2 to 8 Players, Rules
Highest hand wins || Ace plays both high and low for straights || Three raise limit per round || Cards speak
Card Distribution and Betting Procedure
Example: $2/$4 Five Card Stud games.
After all players have anted $.25 or so, (1.) Each player is dealt one card face down and one face up. The player with the lowest upcard makes an forced bet of either $1 half minimum bet or $2 full bet (player’s choice) to start the game*. The rest of the players, in clockwise order, either call the opening bet, raise it, or not call and “fold” their hands back to the dealer. (2.) All get a third card face up followed by a round of $2 betting. From this round on, the player with the highest upcard(s) is always first to check or bet. (3.) After the fourth card is dealt face up, the minimum bet goes to $4. (4.) Then the fifth card is dealt face up and followed by the final round of $4 betting. The dealer then determines the highest hand and awards the pot.
*(Note). Only for the purpose of determining the lowest upcard to bring in the betting, the card denominations are sub-divided by these suit values in decending order: Spades the highest, through Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs the lowest.
How to Play Five Card Stud
General Strategy:
Five Card Stud is mostly a game of HIGH CARDS and PAIRS. Don’t play for straights and flushes unless you have three cards to a straight flush on third street, or it looks like you might luck into a straight or flush on fourth. With only one down card, it is easier than most games to put your opponents on hands. Pay close attention to how they each play. Usually don’t start without either a pair or at least one live card that beats the board. Usually fold if you do not have at least a pair in the first three cards. Almost always fold when you are beaten on the board and do not have a good draw to the best hand.
Definitions:
HIGH CARDS – 10 thru A .
LOW CARDS – 2 thru 9
DOOR CARD – The exposed upcard of a starting hand.
LIVE DARDS – Cards that have not been revealed on the board and are possible to get.
DEAD CARDS – Cards that have been revealed and no longer in the deck.
FAST PLAY – Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.
SLOW PLAY – Just check and call along to keep other players in the game and increase the pot odds.
CHECK-FOLD – Check when you can and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept all free cards offered.
Playable Starting Hands:
ANY PAIR – Fast play low pairs to try to get heads up. Consider folding if you don’t get trips or a live upcard on third street. Bet/Call high pairs.
BOTH CARDS HIGHER Than the BOARD – ie: You hold 9 8 and there is no opponent upcard that is higher than 7.
HIGH HOLE CARD that BEATS the BOARD with ANY UPCARD – ie: You have Q down/ 6 up and there is no opponent upcard that is higher than Jack.
HIGH HOLE CARD with a HIGH UPCARD that BEATS the BOARD – An Ace up is a good hand that you can sometimes take past third street unpaired, if you have a good kicker. The high card in the hole does not have to beat the board.
Strategy Tips:
DON’T PLAY for STRAIGHTS and FLUSHES, except for three cards to a straight flush.
USUALLY FOLD if you don’t have a PAIR or better in the FIRST THREE CARDS.
Remember the folded cards so that you know which cards are “live”.
Play only live cards from the start and at least semi-live cards from the middle to the end.
Study your opponents. When he or she plays a low upcard, it is likely that the card is paired or just a loose starting hand of some sort. Does the player bluff?
Can he or she be bluffed, etc.
Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent’s upcards.
Usually don’t play low hole cards.
Don’t fall in love with your Ace in the hole. If that’s all you have, against apparent strong hands, usually fold early.
Beware of the paired door card. This often means trips, especially if it is a low pair.
Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don’t deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn’t work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are strong and need the action.
Look for reasons to fold early. When someone else gets the card you wanted or you suspect that you are unprofitably chasing a better hand – fold it up. Trust your instincts and you will usually be right.
Make’em pay to try to draw out on you when you have a good hand.
Have fun and GOOD LUCK!
“Bullet Bob” Maxwell
20.) Why is it called The Lost Weekend?
Any questions on any of the above, please comment below, or email 21@matadorrecords.com.
(FRIDAY, JULY 9 ADDENDUM : Earlier today, we sold out of our initial quantities of tickets and hotel packages for Matador At 21 : The Lost Weekend, taking place October 1, 2, 3 at the Palms Casino & Resort in Las Vegas. Said sales took somewhere between 2 and 15 minutes to complete, and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was stymied in their attempts to purchase tickets.
We’re pretty certain these tickets will sell out very quickly. At present, we cannot guarantee any additional tickets beyond this batch will be offered for public sale, but if that change, we’ll certainly let you know.
Tickets for “The Lost Weekend” aka Matador’s 21st birthday celebrations at The Palms will go on sale this Friday morning at 9am, PST. Here’s the details you’ve been hassling all of us about over the last week (and don’t think we don’t appreciate it)
a) Tickets/Pricing : An initial quantity will be on sale Friday for $SOLD. .After the $SOLD tickets sell out, the price increases to $SOLD. A Ticketfly.com link will be posted on this site on Thursday, July 8th. Starting Friday, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve standard rooms at the Palms for the discounted rate of $SOLD per night (the full 3 nights of the festival, only). The rooms feature two double bed and occupancy of up to 4 persons is allowed. The above rate is only available when purchasing tickets thru us. If you are interested in upgrading to a larger room or a suite you will be able to do so after purchasing the standard room. TICKETS FOR THE 3 NIGHTS + ROOMS are being sold jointly — we’re not selling tickets to the shows separately at this time, nor are we selling tickets for individual nights.
(ADDENDUM -i) A limited number of 3-day tickets priced at $SOLD—with no Palms reservation required — will be available Friday morning at 9am PST via Ticketfly.com
ii) if, for example, you’re buying 4 tickets to the shows, the $SOLD per night hotel fee can cover up to 4 people. $SOLD over 3 nights divided by 4 is hopefully not an crazy amount to charge for rooms in a world class resort).
B) VIP tickets. A limited number of VIP packages will be available at $SOLD — details about what you’ll get for the $SOLD are forthcoming. You’ll have the ability to upgrade from the regular tickets, assuming the VIP tickets aren’t sold out.
D) MORE BANDS. OK, we’re working on it. But in addition to the 19 artists confirmed on the above poster, we can confirm the original lineup of COME — Thalia Zedek, Chris Brokaw, Sean O’Brien and Arthur Johnson — will be participating. Actually, we already know who some of the other bands are, we’re just trying to drag this out. MORE MATABLOG CONTENT between now and October!
E) Set times - we’ll post these the week before the event.
F) These shows are open to all ages. However, access to the casino floor is limited to those 21 and over.
F) WHAT ABOUT LAS VEGAS HUMANS? Las Vegas’ Zia Records is selling 50 tickets to “The Lost Weekend” starting Friday, July 9. You’ll need a Nevada I.D. Reservations at the Palms are not required to purchase these tickets.
(ADDENDUM II :
INFORMATION FOR TICKETS AVAILABLE IN LAS VEGAS
Zia Records
4225 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119-5485
702-735-4942
Zia Records
4503 W. SAHARA
LAS VEGAS, NV 89102
702-233-4942
Tickets will go onsale at both stores at 10:00am on Friday, July 9th via lottery. By overwhelming demand by Nevada Residents we will be increasing the amount of tickets available (50 X 2 = 100) . There is a two ticket limit. Nevada state ID required for purchase. Any questions please email 21@matadorecords.com
01 Success
02 Memory Serves
03 Summer Well
04 Lights
05 Barricade
06 Always Malaise (The Man I Am)
07 Safe Without
08 Try It On
09 All of the Ways
10 The Undoing
‘Interpol’ is available for preorders from the Matador Store . In additional to the venerable compact disc format (deluxe version available from us or from participating independent retailers across North America includes a poster), the album will be available in two different LP versions ; an economy-priced single LP at $13.00, and an 120 gram double vinyl edition (two 45 RPM 12″”s with large holes) at $19.00 (much like the deluxe CD, the double 12″ version will only be available from the Matador Store or from our friends at independent record shops). Matador Store preorders will receive a specially designed Interpol 45rpm adapter. A limited number (ie. one per day) of signed Shepard Fairey screenprinted portraits of Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino are being given away as part of the preorder.
As mentioned previously in this space, Matador will be celebrating the label’s 21st anniversary this October and this much we can finally confirm : there will be 3 nights of shows starting Friday October 1, and concluding Sunday October 3 at the Palms Casino & Resort In Las Vegas, NV. We’ll be dropping further hints about the amazing lineup in the days ahead, but a final announcement and information about how to purchase tickets will be made here at the trusty Matablog on July 5. Are you as psyched as we are? (hopefully yes, because we’re getting in for free).
(ADDENDUM – there’s been a bit of confusion so just to clear things up, tickets DO NOT GO ON SALE JULY 5. We’ll merely be announcing the on sale date/time on July 5. thanks – GC)
As you might’ve seen reported elsewhere, Interpol recently announced a September release date for their long-awaited, eponymous 4th album, the badly kept-secret portion of said scoop being that Matador would once again, be the band’s record label in North America after a one album stopover at Capitol Records. We’ll have more details soon about the different configurations available, pre-order info, etc. but can reveal the Alan Moulder-mixed ‘Interpol’ (CD/LP/digital) will be released on September 7, a week earlier than originally reported. Though an MP3 has already been in circulation, today marks the debut of the above video for “Lights”, directed by Charlie White.
In the wake of bassist Carlos D’s departure from the band following the completion of the new album, Paul, Daniel and Sam have augmented Interpol’s touring lineup to included David Pajo (Slint, Papa M, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) on bass and Secret Machines’ Brandon Curtis on keyboards. The new quintet will be on display starting tonight in Pittsburgh, with a number of additional dates just confirmed this morning. Though you can expect to see Interpol playing a ton of other North American cities this Autumn, the smaller club dates below are likely to sell out quickly.
June :
Wednesday, June 23 – Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre
Friday, June 25 – Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
Saturday, June 26 – New York, NY, Creators Project Party, Milk Studios
Friday, July 23 – Northampton, MA – Pearl Street Ballroom*
Saturday, July 24 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place – +
Sunday, July 25 – Baltimore, MD – Ramshead Live – *
Thursday, July 29 – Richmond, VA – The National – +
Friday, July 30 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVA – +
Saturday, July 31 – Atlantic City, NJ – Showboat Atlantic City – House of Blues – #
Wednesday, August 04 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre – +
Thursday, August 05 – Boston, MA – House of Blues – +
Friday, August 06 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights – #
Monday, August 09 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis – #
Tuesday, August 10 – Toronto ON – Kook Haus – @
Wednesday, August 11 – Pontiac, MI – Clutch Cargo -+
Friday, August 13 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave – #
Saturday, August 14 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue – *
Sunday, August 15 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre – #
Wednesday, August 18 – Charleston, SC – The Music Farm – +
Thursday August 19 – Lake Buena Vista FL – House of Blues – #
@ – on sale June 23
* – on sale June 24
+ – on sale June 25
# – on sale June 26
Today, Monday June 21*, Matador is releasing the debut full-length album (LP/CD/digital) from Seattle’s Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius. ‘Learning’ is a home recording as stark, haunting and downright jarring as any we’ve heard ; harrowing personal stories laid atop unshakable minor-key melodies, we’ve been obsessed with Hadreas’ songs for months and have a sneaking suspicion more than a few of you will have a similar reaction. Actually, a cursory trip around the the internet reveals all sorts of reactions, and while it would be tempting to cobble together the long and varied list of iconic artists Perfume Genius has already been compared to, none of that means anything compared to laying in bed listening to ‘Learning’ at 2am. If you’d prefer to go for a drive while playing the album, that’s ok, too. We’re not here to police your activity.
You can stream ‘Learning’ starting today at the Perfume Genius MySpace page. There are a pair of Perfume Genius shows in NYC next month ;
Tue, July 20 – 92Y, Tribeca, NY, NY (tickets)
Fri, July 23 – Glasslands, Brooklyn, NY (with Melati Malay) (tickets)
Look, I know you guys are the best in the business. We’re practically choking to death on gold record plaques, high chart entries and major label copy-cat campaigners trying to sweat your hottest innovations.
All of that said, I am very, no check that, MEGA disappointed that we’ve yet to introduce a scheme for one of our elite artists (Kurt Vile? Julian Plenti? Ted Leo?) nearly as exciting as THE RICHIE KOTZEN PEACE SIGN VIP EXPERIENCE. You know that expression, “freedom’s just a word for nothing left to lose?” Well, in this instance, $100.00 is just another sum that will grant you access to a Richie Kotzen soundcheck. But wait…….keep waiting…..a bit longer. OK, that’s enough waiting. THERE’S MORE!
* – A meet and greet with Richie! Come meet RIchie, have your photo taken with him and get one personal item signed.
* - An autographed, limited edition RICHIE KOTZEN 2010 PEACE SIGN WORLD TOUR COMMEMORATIVE POSTER! (In addition to your personal item, RIchie will also personalize the poster for you at the meet and greet if you’d like)
* – A RICHIE KOTZEN VIP COMMEMORATIVE LAMINATE!
* A RICHIE KOTZEN 2010 PEACE SIGN WORLD TOUR T-SHIRT.
* - A copy of Richie’s new CD PEACE SIGN
Hot stuff, eh? Keep in mind, while Kotzen’s handlers have some mild disclaimers in place, there’s no mention, for instance, of the legendary axeman placing any restrictions on what sort of personalization you’d like on your poster or signed item. So presumably, “C.C. Deville sucks, with love, RItchie” is still within bounds.
We are very honored to welcome Tex and Lucky to the Matador family. Tex and Lucky emerged on the local Atlanta music scene in December 2008, where they were contemporary to bands such as The Wig and The Babycakes, and later followed by Shiva’s Headband and The Conqueroo. The band was formed when Tex left his group The Spades, and joined up with Stacy Sutherland, Benny Thurman, and John Ike Walton who had been playing Texas coastal towns as The Lingsmen.[3] Tommy Hall was instrumental in bringing the band members together, and joined the group as lyricist and electric jug player. Ultimately Lucky joined on vocals and the rest, as they say, is history.
It has been noted that the letter “M” (for marijuana) is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.
Whether or not you share our opinion that Yo La Tengo’s ’09 epic ‘Popular Songs’ was one of the year’s most important works is neither here nor there. We’re always right about this stuff and the sooner you accept this fact, the easier we’re gonna get along. But that’s not to say we can imagine each and every musical combination that might emerge. Despite Yo La Tengo’s history of having their works reimagined by artists as diverse as u-Zig, Tortoise, Kevin Shields, Kit Clayton, Sonic Boom and Nobekazu Takemura, the following development managed to catch us — the smartest people in the history of the entertainment business — by surprise.
On June 8, Yo La Tengo will unveil remixes of ‘Popular Songs”s standout, “Here To Fall”, as conceived by De La Soul,RJD2 and Pete Rock.
Maybe you just thought The Ponys were returning to the club circuit to rehash old glories and use some old drink tickets. If so, you were WRONG WRONG WRONG. Coming on April 20 (digital) and May 25 (12″ vinyl) is the first new Ponys’ release since 2007′s ‘Turn The Lights Out’, the menacingly awesome ‘Deathbed + 4′ EP. Here’s a sneak preview in the form of “Check The Door” .
April
Saturday 27 Seattle, WA The Tractor Tavern w/Disappears
Wednesday 28 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge w/Disappears, Meth Teeth
Friday 30San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill w/Disappears, Spencey Dude and the Doodles
May
Saturday 01 Silver Lake, CA Spaceland w/Disappears, Static Static
Sunday 02 San Diego, CA Casbah w/Disappears, Christmas Island
Friday 28 Austin, TX Mohawk (Chaos In Tejas fest, with A-Frames, Jeff The Brotherhood, Woven Bones)
June
Friday 18 New York, NY Mercury Lounge w/ Disappears, Woven Bones
Saturday 19 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool w/ Disappears, Woven Bones
By truepanthersounds on Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
The best part about visiting Barcelona for Primavera Sound last year was entering the fantastic and magical world of Delorean. What we had thought was primarily a remix project turned out to be an enthralling and adventurous full-on band. We were surprised by what a massive and rabid Spanish fan base they had from two previous full-lengths while retaining a relatively low profile in the rest of the world. As it happens, Delorean are at the forefront of a burgeoning community of musicians, producers and dj’s who are mining the collective Spanish dance-music heritage of Balearic house and combining it with contemporary independent pop, European techno, shades of the ecstatic Madchester sound and hip hop – a perfect soundtrack to romantic nights along the white Mediterranean sands of Barcelona. Last summer’s Ayrton Senna EP soundtracked our lives upon return to the states. Ayrton Senna and their two full-length albums however, only hint at the journey that is Delorean’s infectious and innovative synthesis of dance musics and sounds.
It’s with all this in mind that we are so proud to announce the release of Delorean’s latest album Subiza available April 20th (digital) and June 8th (physical) on True Panther Sounds, available in Spain/Portugal/Mexico on the excellent Mushroom Pillow. Named after the bucolic Basque town in which the album was recorded, Subiza is the realization of a longtime ambition and marks a clear evolution for the band. The dance-club rhythms and airy melodies they’ve toyed with in the past are fused and textured, making for a deeply obsessive, hypnotic album that retains the easy appeal of great pop music. Looking at 30+ years of club music history with fresh eyes, Delorean have made an album that is dense and soulful. Our first listen to Subiza was exhilarating, every subsequent listen is a revelation.
Jump into Subiza below, with a hi-quality mp3 and video for the album’s first single, “Stay Close”. Video directed by Weird Days. The band is currently on tour with Miike Snow. Those of you that caught them in Austin can vouch for their live set, those of you who haven’t, here’s your chance!!! They’re coming back this summer for a round of headlining dates. Delorean-Stay Close (mp3) Delorean-Stay Close (FLAC)
Pre-order the CD/LP and get an INSTANT DOWNLOAD of the entire album
Tue 3/23 @ THE MASQUERADE, Atlanta, GA *
Wed 3/24 @ 9:30 CLUB Washington, Washington, D.C. *
Thu 3/25 @THEATER OF LIVING ARTS Philadelphia, PA *
Fri 3/26 @MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG Brooklyn, NY *
Sat 3/27 @WEBSTER HALL New York, NY *
Sun 3/28 @BOWERY BALLROOM New York, NY *
Mon 3/29 @Mercury Lounge New York, NY w/Lemonade & Brahms
Friday, 5/28 – Parc Del Forum, Barcelona, Primavera Sound
Mon, 5/31 – George WA – Sasquatch Music Festival
Mon, 6/7 – Calgary AB – MacEwan Hall*
Tue, 6/8 – Edmonton AB – Edmonton Event Centre*
Wed, 6/9 – Saskatoon SK – The Odeon Events Centre*
Thu, 6/10 – Winnipeg MB – The Garrick Centre*
Fri, 6/11 – Minneapolis MN – First Avenue
Sat, 6/12 – Milwaukee WI – Pabst Theater^#
Sun, 6/13 – Columbus OH – Newport Music Hall^#
Tue, 6/15 – Toronto ON – The Sound Academy^#
Thu, 6/17 – Montreal QC – Le National^#
Fri, 6/18 – Boston MA – House of Blues^#
Sat, 6/19 – New York NY – Terminal 5^#
Mon, 6/21 – Philadelphia PA – Trocadero Theatre^#
Tue, 6/22 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club^#
Wed, 6/23 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club^#
Fri, 6/25 – Chapel Hill NC – Memorial Hall at UNC^#
Sat, 6/26 – Atlanta GA – Variety Playhouse^#
Sun, 6/27 – Nashville TN – Cannery Ballroom^#
Sun, 6/28 – St Louis MO – The Pagaent^
Thu, 7/15 – Vancouver BC – The Vogue Theatre^”
Fri, 7/16 – Portland OR – Crystal Ballroom^”
Sun, 7/18 – Oakland CA – Fox Theater^”
Mon, 7/19 – Los Angeles CA – The Music Box^”
Tue, 7/20 – Los Angeles CA – The Music Box^”
Wed, 7/21 – Tucson AZ – Rialto Theatre^”
Fri, 7/23 – Austin TX – Stubb’s BBQ^”
Sat, 7/24 – Dallas TX – The Showroom at Palladium^”
Sun, 7/25 – Tulsa OK – Cain’s Ballroom^”
Mon, 7/26 – Lawrence KS – Liberty Hall^”
Wed, 7/28 – Denver CO – Ogden Theatre^”
Fri, 7/30 – Boise ID – Egyptian Theatre^”
Wed, 8/4 – Madison WI – Orpheum Theatre^
with support from :
* = The Mountain Goats
^ = The Dodos
# = The Dutchess & The Duke
” = Imaad Wasif
(preorder ‘Together’ from The Matador Store on LP or CD before May 4 and you’ll receive a free poster plus a 7″, “The New Pornographers Play Outrageous Cherry”, featuring 3 Outrageous Cherry covers)
You know, not everyone in the music industry descends upon Austin for the SXSW Music Conference. Somebody’s got to hold the fort down. After all, these records ain’t gonna sell themselves. This is my minute-by-minute account of March 18, 2010.
9:30 am: I’m here 30 minutes early because I had to be up and at the DMV by 8 am. Wondering who in Austin is still up drinking from last night. Office is eerily quiet.
10:30 am: Still the only one here… I think.
11:18 am: Chase a dog around the office in an attempt to remove a mail order package from his mouth. Sorry J. Roger from Phoenix… let me know if your corners are bent.
11:43 am: IMing with my cousin about who it would be creepier to get hit on by (if we were girls): The Fonz or Alex P. Keaton.
12:12 pm: Make a list of fake band names. Entries include: The Shittybutts, Sweet Love, Mike Watt’s Sweaty Socks, The Super Falcons, The Burnin’ Blazin’ Mississippi Madmen (feat. Dennis DeYoung), Tugboat Crash, Doucheslayer, Cocks-A-Fire, Wicked Neptune.
12:32 pm: Get a call from Kris Chen who is either drunk or psyched. Or both.
12:35 pm: Mentally count all the people I know who are at SXSW.
12:42 pm: Get a phone call from mom to tell me that Red River is “off the fuckin’ hook.”
12:45-1:40 pm: Stared at a paperclip.
1:45 pm: Ride the elevator a couple of times.
2:00 pm: Download a program that makes my digital photos look like Polaroids. Psyched.
2:03 pm: Realize that 99% of the fun of Polaroids is waiting for the pictures to develop. Bummed.
2:12 pm: Debate telling coworkers about my plans to time-travel.
2:45 pm: Watch #2 seed Villanova squeak out an embarrassing overtime win over #15 seed Robert Morris. Almost call the university to demand a refund of my tuition.
2:50pm: Sit in Patrick’s chair. Try to sign a bunch of cover bands. No one buys it.
3:01pm: Check the Bro’d Trip twitter account to see if Adam is going on without me.
3:05: Decide to take my own Bro’d Trip… to the deli.
3:25-3:55 pm: I think I just took a nap.
4:05 pm: Think about taking up cigarettes again.
4:06 pm: Think about taking up grass again.
5:00 pm: Look up Facebook profiles of girls who dumped me in high school.
5:10 pm: Look up Facebook profiles of kids I beat up in high school.
5:30 pm: Use a Google application to determine the distance of my nightly jogging route. Feel great that it’s 1.2 miles. Immediately feel awful that I felt great over 1.2 miles.
6:15 pm: Count the emails I’ve received today: 16. New all-time low.
6:25 pm: Laugh out loud at email #17 from one of our SXSWers that simply reads “Fuck you.”
(an airplane full of musical tourists, overcome with emotion knowing they’ll soon be greeted with just-raised-drink prices, t-shirts reading “don’t move here” and multiple opportunites to see Love Collector)
Y’know, if I had a quarter for every person who has asked me, “Gerard, we’re so thoroughly enjoying Matador’s ‘Casual Victim Pile‘ compilation, where and when can we see those ridiculously talented bands in Austin this week?”….i’d be a very, very poor person. BECAUSE NO ONE HAS ASKED ME. That’s ok, however, I’m more than happy to supply a long, though possibly incomplete list.
Matador’s ever cynical Patrick Amory describes the above honor as “a scam” but I prefer to accept the award in a gracious manner. You think someone’s calling up Mexican Summer trying to sell them a plexiglass plaque with a faux-presidential seal? What’s Downtown’s trophy case looking like? EAT OUR DUST, entertainment business, if some aspiring con men w/ a certificate in rudimentary photoshop think we’re rich and self-obsessive enough to pay for this kind of bullshit, we’re gonna take it as a compliment. You love us, you really love us!
Vol. II? Please tell me this will advance to some KBD-type status where someone else can do the future editions (and thus contend with the bitching and moaning from pals & relatives of the generic bands who didn’t make the cut). Love the cassettes, though.
While this week’s release of Matador’s 19-band Austin/Denton compilation, ‘Casual Victim Pile’ has met with mostly favorable notices, some have rightly raised the question, “where’s the inflammatory, entirely unnecessary attacks on other genres / scenes etc.?” So with that in mind, we commissioned Denny Schmickle to design (and Obsolete Industries to print) a limited edition poster for next week’s 3-night stand at Beerland. Please, if 60 of these managed to completely obscure the entrance to the Saxon Pub, rest assured this was purely the handiwork of an overzealous street team.
That said, a limited quantity of the above poster will be free with paid admission ($5) to next Thursday’s NIGHT ONE featuring Follow That Bird!, Dikes Of Holland, Kingdom Of Suicide Lovers, The Distant Seconds and The Persimmons. On the subsequent Friday (Woven Bones, The Young, Wild America, Flesh Lights, Elvis, The No No No Hopes) and Saturday (Harlem, The Golden Boys, Bad Sports, Love Collector, The Stuffies, Lost Controls) nights, Alan B will be playing records between sets and our good friends from End Of An Ear Records will be peddling LP & CD copies of ‘CVP’.
(Jose, Coomers and Curtis dealing with the elements at Fun Fun Fun last November. pic taken from Pooneh Ghana’s Flickr page)
In addition to a mid February trio of shows in New York City and a Feb. 6 appearance as part of Matador’s Casual Victim Pile revue at Austin’s Beerland, Harlem are pointing their compass in a western direction at the end of the month, previewing selections from their forthcoming ‘Hippies’ LP/CD/digital album. Or so we hope. We’re not really in the business of dictating repertoire, mostly because it’s embarrassing when we get the song titles wrong (admittedly, this doesn’t happen so often with Harlem, but keep in mind, they’re pretty new on the label). A video for “Friendly Ghost” will be unveiled pretty soon, once we’ve received a thumbs-up from the extremely powerful Ghost Lobby that tends to control most of the entertainment business.
Thu, 2/18 – Phoenix AZ – Trunk Space (tickets)
Fri, 2/19 – Los Angeles CA – L’KEG Gallery
Sat, 2/20 – Los Angeles CA – Spaceland (tickets)
Sun, 2/21 – San Diego CA – Casbah (tickets)
Tue, 2/23 – San Jose CA – Blank Club (tickets)
Wed, 2/24 – San Francisco CA – Cafe Du Nord – Noise Pop (tickets)
Fri, 2/26 – Portland OR – Dantes (tickets)
Sat, 2/27 – Seattle WA – Funhouse (tickets)
Wed, 3/3 – Santa Cruz CA – The Crepe Place (tickets)
Thu, 3/4 – Costa Mesa CA – Detroit Bar
Fri., 3/5 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress (tickets)
(Preorder ‘Hippies’ on LP or CD for 15% before April 6 from The Matador Store – poster included)
In addition to their previously mentioned February 6 show at Beerland as part of the Casual Victim Pile festivities, Harlem are heading to the greater NYC area for what our pal Cronos might call “a promo tour” in mid February. Other activities that week may or may not include radio sessions, meetings with foreign dignitaries and a visit to one of those “Fame” high schools (but only if we can obtain permission first).
Wed, 2/10 – Mercury Lounge (early show) (tickets)
Fri, 2/12 – Monster Island (with Frankie + The Outs, The Siberians)
Sat, 2/13 – Union Pool -(with Jemina Pearl)
‘Hippies’ (LP/CD/digital album) is in stores and/or available via popular download services April 6.
(top, bottom : insanely great comp. of Austin/Denton talent, entry point to cathedral of sophisticated entertainment)
For a couple of months now we’ve been in semi to full-on promo blather mode about our ‘Casual Victim Pile’ compilation 2XLP/CD, out January 26. As promised (with some gracious assistance from Austinist and WOXY) all of the comp’s 19 bands —- save for Tre Orsi (outta town) and The Teeners (split up) — are taking part in a 3 night series at Austin’s Beerland. Lineups below don’t necessarily reflect the running order (though they might), but we’re hopeful with a $5 cover each evening you’ll get your money’s worth.
Persons living outside the Central Texas region are fully encouraged to fly in for the event —- you’re welcome to stay on my couch at one of Austin’s many economically priced hotels. And keep in mind, the following Sunday is Super Bowl XLIV, and there’s almost certainly going to be a huge party at my house one of Austin’s many generic sports bars/taverns.
Failing that, four of CVP’s leading lights are playing Denton, TX on Sunday, January 17. Bad Sports, Tre Orsi, Follow That Bird! and Dikes Of Holland are joined by Teenage Cool Kids at Rubber Gloves. The following Monday is Martin Luther King Day, and if you’re hoping to make the trip from Austin, you can always catch a ride with me Greyhound ($28.40 roundtrip). But you can figure out your own travel plans – what am I, Expedia? ‘Casual Victim Pile’ is still available for preorders from The Matador Store, double vinyl for the discount price of $15.30, single CD for $8.50
(sure, we’re allowed to have an annual holiday party, but who’s supposed to pay for the cleanup?)
Once upon a time — when the bulk of our internet activity was longer than 140 characters — the Matador website feature periodic news updates (almost all of ‘em brutally late in arrival), along with an informal selection of staff and roster listening favorites. Said feature fell by the wayside when we made the fateful transition to the Matablog some 3 1/2 years ago. But fuck it, it’s the holiday season, and what better way to embrace the spirit of sharing than with a ferocious onslaught of grandstanding, oneupmanship and elitist self-fellatio?
But enough about our plans for Matador’s 21st Anniversary celebrations. Without further Freddy Adu, here’s an impressive array of ’09/decade favorite records, events & things from some of your most beloved Matador artists and the people who enable them. Dig in, after the jump :
As mentioned some months ago, the Austin, TX based trio Harlem had their summer vacation canceled by Matador Records and they ended being forced to work long hours at Costa Mesa’s Distillery in an effort to produce a worthy followup to 2008′s ‘Free Drugs’. Apparently, there are laws against this kind of thing and eventually, the band had to return to their glamorous lifestyle of making club gigs seem like living room shows (and living room shows feel like club shows with better furniture and cheaper drinks).
Now that the dust has cleared, however, the resulting 16-song pop meisterwerk, recorded with the assistance of Mike McHugh, reveals the triumvirate of Coomers, Curtis and Jose in fine fettle. The gents really “knocked it out of the park” as ice hockey fans are so fond of saying, but we remain hopeful, if not confident this album will have great appeal even for those of you who’ve never laced ‘em up. Harlem’s 2nd album, ‘Hippies’ hits North American record shops, farmers markets and digital storefronts on April 6 on the always popular LP, CD and MP3/FLAC configurations. Here’s a taste ;
Though Harlem’s early 2010 dates will be announced soon, we’d be remiss in not mentioning they’re playing Austin’s Emo’s tonight in support of labelmate Jay Reatard, and again on December 17 at the Mohawk with Crystal Antlers. There’s more news to follow very soon (pre-album 7″, videos to make, travel plans to book, tire pressures to check, etc.)
