Since 2006, Fucked Up have released a 12″ single on each Chinese New Year. Named after the beasts in the Chinese Zodiac, “Year Of The Tiger” is the latest in the series. The song is an progressive rock anthem featuring guest vocalists Jim Jarmusch, Annie-Claude Deschênes and Austra. It was produced by Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) during the sessions for last year’s critically acclaimed rock opera David Comes To Life. The 15-minute long track features the band’s well-known layers of guitar and roaring vocals, taken to a new level with the addition of piano, Jarmusch’s dark recitations and Deschênes’s gorgeous crescendos, in this menacing but uplifting story about the predation of predators.
The B-side “ONNO” is a 22-minute long palindromic drone. It explores new realms for the band, opening up new landscapes of space and hypnotic repetition.
The first recordings from the classic Guided By Voices lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos and Kevin Fennell hit the stores on November 22 with the Matador single from their upcoming self-released album “Let’s go Eat The Factory.” The single is called “The Unsinkable Fats Domino” b/w “We Won’t Apologize,” and you can download an MP3 of the A-side here:
On November 8, Kurt Vile will be releasing a brand-new 6-song EP on the 12″ vinyl and digital formats, entitled So Outta Reach. The EP contains 5 original songs initially recorded during the sessions for Smoke Ring For My Halo but not used for the album, which were reworked with producer John Agnello this summer. In addition, the EP contains a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Downbound Train.”
On the same day there will be a deluxe 2-CD version of Smoke Ring For My Halo with a new color cover. The deluxe CD will include the So Outta Reach EP on a second disc, all at the same price as a regular CD.
Kurt Vile hits the road again with his full band starting at Austin City Limits on Friday, September, and then continuing through to the West Coast with Bright Eyes. He then plays Northeast dates with the Flaming Lips in October, followed by blowout year-end shows in New York and Philadelphia to celebrate the EP and deluxe edition release in November:
Fri – 9/16 – Austin TX – Austin City Limits
Sat – 9/17 – Austin TX – Stubb’s – Bright Eyes (ACL aftershow)
Sun – 9/18 – El Paso TX – Tricky Falls
Mon – 9/19 – Albuquerque NM – Sunshine Theatre – Bright Eyes
Wed – 9/21 – San Diego CA – SOMA – Bright Eyes
Fri – 9/23 – Los Angeles CA – Hollywood Forever – Bright Eyes
Sat – 9/24 – Las Vegas NV – Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan – Bright Eyes
Sun – 9/25 – Santa Barbara CA – Santa Barbara Bowl – Bright Eyes
Mon – 9/26 – Reno NV – Knitting Factory – Bright Eyes
Wed – 9/28 – Seattle WA – Paramount Theatre – Bright Eyes
Fri – 9/30 – San Francisco CA – Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Mon – 10/24 – Portland ME – State Theater – The Flaming Lips
Tue – 10/25 – Rochester NY – Main Street Armory – The Flaming Lips
Thu – 10/27 – Norfolk VA – The NorVa – The Flaming Lips
Fri – 11/11 – New York NY – Webster Hall
Sat – 11/12 – Philadelphia PA – Union Transfer
Though we’re just getting started with the new year we’ve already started counting down days again here as we eagerly await the street date of the debut Esben and the Witch album, Violet Cries, out on January 31st (UK/Europe) and February 8th (US, Rest of World). We’re so eager in fact, that we’ve got a great offer on at the Matador store where you can pre-order the CD or LP for just $10 which also includes a free poster!
Whilst we’ve been arranging that the band have been busy working on a new website that is now up at www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk, offering not only a glimpse to the booklet artwork but also a free download of an exclusive remix of ‘Marching Song’ by Snorkel.
The band start their UK and European tour on January 31st, with a full list of dates below.
By Belle and Sebastian on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
We are now less than 5 weeks away from the release of ‘Belle and Sebastian Write About Love’ – so no matter how much we’d like the album to be a huge Christmas Day style surprise for everyone on the day of release, the details will start appearing on your favourite online retailers soon and no doubt bits of the music will be permeating various media outlets.
So – first off here is the lead track – “Write About Love” - for everyone to listen to (or, if you are one of the first 20,000 visitors, to download). We sent it off to our Twitter follower @recordingtime yesterday – and she posted about it here
We hope you like it! Along with the rest of the album, it was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year and produced by Tony Hoffer. It also features a guest vocal by Carey Mulligan. For those in the USA, the song is available on iTunes from today – if you are elsewhere, it won’t be released officially until after the album – 25th October in the UK.
If that is confusing, then things are a little more straightforward with the album! It comes out on the 12th October in the USA and Canada and the day before in the UK and most of the rest of the world -we’ll post any variations on these release dates nearer the time.
It is, of course, our third album for Rough Trade and was recorded in April and May at Sound Factory Studio B. Stuart wrote the majority of the songs and one (“Sunday’s Pretty Icons”) with Mick; Sarah wrote and takes lead vocal on “I Didn’t See It Coming” and “I Can See Your Future”; Stevie wrote and sings “I’m Not Living In The Real World”. The are also some guests – as well as the aforementioned Carey Mulligan, Norah Jones duets with Stuart on “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” and some orchestration is added by members of LA’s The Section Quartet.
The album will be available on CD, Gatefold Vinyl and digitally. The full track listing is:
I Didn’t See It Coming
Come On Sister
Calculating Bimbo
I Want The World To Stop
Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John
Write About Love
I’m Not Living In The Real World
Ghost of Rockschool
Read The Blessed Pages
I Can See Your Future
Sunday’s Pretty Icons
In addition, two bonus tracks, “Last Trip” and “Suicide Girl”, will be available as a 7 inch with the vinyl edition in most countries, and with all editions from selected retailers in the USA [including the Matador Store. Pre-order now.] A further song, “Blue Eyes of A Millionaire”, will be a bonus track with selected digital outlets. Full localised details of variations and pre-sales will all be added in due course.
Interpol‘s fourth, self-titled album is available for preorder RIGHT NOW on iTunes! Click here to pre-order, and you will receive an instant download of a brand new track: “Barricade”. You’ll also get a free download of “Crimewaves”, an exclusive track, that will only be available to those who purchase the album before the album’s street date (9/7) via iTunes.
You’ll be able to catch Interpol playing “Barricade” live on The Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday July 29.
ALSO: Interpol will be back on the road this fall!
Mon 10/18 Oakland CA Fox Theater
Thu 10/21 San Diego CA Soma
Fri 10/22 Las Vegas NV The Joint
Sat 10/23 Los Angeles CA The Greek
Mon 10/25 Denver CO Ogden Theater
Wed 10/27 Dallas TX Palladium
Thu 10/28 Austin TX Stubb’s
Fri 10/29 Houston TX Verizon
Sun 10/31 New Orleans LA Voodoo Festival
Mon 11/01 Atlanta GA Tabernacle
Wes 11/03 Washington DC Constitution Hall
Thu 11/04 Philadelphia PA Tower Theatre
Fri 11/05 New York NY United Palace
Following Pantha Du Prince’s re-work, we’re excited to unleash the lead-off track from Cold Cave‘s forthcoming remix EP, “Life Magazine (The Arthur Baker’s Not Going Back Mix)”. In this rare remix from Arthur Baker, legendary for producing Afrika Bambaattaa and New Order, we find “Life Magazine” transformed into epic, hard-hitting track poised to ignite many a dancefloor.
For those of you in New York City, Cold Cave will be playing two free outdoor shows this weekend. On Saturday (4/24), they play at Solar 1 and at Barnard College on Sunday (4/25) as part of 2010′s WBAR-B-Q, alongside Blues Control, Liturgy and Burning Star Core and others.
The last few weeks have been pretty amazing for Delorean. Their tour of the states, opening up for Miike Snow carries on to prettyuniversalaffection. With that in mind we’re happy to let you know that Delorean is going to be back stateside a LOT this summer. Here’s just a taste for NYC’ers…much more on the way! Current tour dates, including headlining date in Seattle, at the bottom of this post.
Fri Jun 4 @Piano’s New York, NY TICKETS
Sat Jun 5 @Glasslands, Brooklyn, NY
Sat Jul 17 @Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL TICKETS
Americans and Canadian’s can pick up Subiza exclusively on iTunes NOW. Subiza will be available on all other digital stores worldwide on 4/20, and physically on 6/8 but for now go to iTunes and get it. Also, you can pre-order the record from the Matador Store and get an instant download as well.
So we got more than 1200 entries to the Pavement Guess The Track Listing contest for the Quarantine The Past best-of collection. As you may recall, first prize was for the track listing closest to the actual track listing. The actual track listing is:
1. Gold Soundz (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
2. Frontwards (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
3. Mellow Jazz Docent (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
4. Stereo (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
5. In The Mouth A Desert (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
6. Two States (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
7. Cut Your Hair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
8. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
9. Here (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
10. Unfair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
11. Grounded (WOWEE ZOWEE)
12. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
13. Range Life (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
14. Date w/ IKEA (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
15. Debris Slide (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
16. Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse) (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
17. Spit On A Stranger (TERROR TWILIGHT)
18. Heaven Is a Truck (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
19. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
20. Embassy Row (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
21. Box Elder (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
22. Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence (NO ALTERNATIVE COMP)
23. Fight This Generation (WOWEE ZOWEE)
All tracks are fully remastered from the original tapes (including for the early material) and will be available on mid-priced CD and mid-priced dbl LP as well as digital album. Low-priced vinyl reissues of all five Matador LPs plus the Watery, Domestic EP will land on the same date – March 9 – and keep your eyes peeled for other interesting Pavement issues to come over the course of this year.
Winner of the first prize expenses-paid trip to NYC to see Pavement in Central Park next September is Flavio Seixlack of São Paolo, who submitted this sequence, hitting 17 out of the 23 tracks:
1. Gold Soundz (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
2. In The Mouth A Desert (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
3. You’re Killing Me (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
4. Heaven Is a Truck (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
5. AT&T (WOWEE ZOWEE)
6. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
7. Major Leagues (TERROR TWILIGHT)
8. Date w/ IKEA (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
9. Frontwards (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
10. Painted Soldiers (KIDS IN THE HALL: BRAIN CANDY OST)
11. The Hexx (TERROR TWILIGHT)
12. Cut Your Hair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
13. Range Life (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
14. Grounded (WOWEE ZOWEE)
15. Debris Slide (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
16. Spit On A Stranger (TERROR TWILIGHT)
17. Here (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
18. We Dance (WOWEE ZOWEE)
19. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
20. Box Elder (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
21. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
22. Stereo (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
23. Fight This Generation (WOWEE ZOWEE)
Second prize will be awarded to the most imaginative track listing – which will be pressed up into a limited-edition double vinyl LP for Record Store Day (April 17). We will be announcing this later this week, along with the 3 runner-up winners of complete sets of Pavement Matador vinyl.
With Tuesday officially welcoming “Love Comes Close” to the Matador canon, here’s an opportunity to check out Cold Cave’s debut masterwork in its entirety. Listen, then order the album to own forever.
Cold Cave kick off their first ever west coast performances tonight in San Diego with a string of dates to follow in California through September’s early days. They include a stop at the FYF Fest in Los Angeles with fellow Matador acts, Fucked Up, Kurt Vile and Times New Viking.
September 3 @ Soda Bar, San Diego (w/ Strange Boys)
September 4 @ The Casbah, San Diego (w/ Glass Candy, Best Coast)
September 5 @ FYF Fest, LA Historic State Park, Los Angeles (w/ Fucked Up, Kurt Vile, Times New Viking and more – set times)
The band also has a handful of special events planned in the NYC area to follow which includes a special, free performance at the Rogan Bouwerie boutique, a slot on the WFMU Fest and opening for Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr.
And it looks and sounds incredible. Heavy-duty gatefold sleeve printed at Stoughton. Two HQ-180 gram LPs pressed at RTI. Four custom Matador labels based on classic record labels of the distant past.
The album artwork is built around sculptures by Dario Robleto. On the front, At War With the Entropy of Nature / Ghosts Don’t Always Want to Come Back (2002) depicts a cassette made out of carved bone and bone dust from every bone in the body, trinitite (glass produced during the first atomic test explotion, from the Trinity test site in 1945, when heat from the blast melted surrounding sand), metal screws, rusty and typeset. Two other works appear on the interior gatefold and the back cover.
The album comes with an MP3 download coupon for all 12 songs – 74 minutes of music.
Click on the images for full-size shots.
If you preorder the album as part of Buy Early Get Now, you’ll get an additional vinyl LP of gorgeous, wonderful instrumental score composed and performed by Yo La Tengo for the motion picture Adventureland. This LP is exclusive to this promotion and has not been released in any form before. You’ll also get two bonus MP3s, a free poster, and other surprise extras.
You can also choose to preorder the record separately, without participating in Buy Early Get Now.
Preorder from Other Music (Buy Early Get Now version)
The Born Again Revisited preorder is up in its final incarnation in the Matastore, and it’s unfuckingbelievable. In a fit of unprecedented (and probably never-to-be-repeated) generosity, when you preorder Born Again Revisited through Matador Direct, you get:
-the new TNV single, Move to California, 7″
-the Stay Awake EP, 7″
-the Whitney poster from the band’s 2008 performance
Click here to get in on this incredible offer, while supplies last! Remember, your goods arrive on release day – Sept. 22nd – only when you preorder from the Matastore.
Buy Early Get Now #8 has officially launched in the UK. It offers the same tasty treats of an instant stream of the entire album, the Adventureland score on LP, bonus MP3s, a poster and your choice of Popular Songs on LP or CD.
For any of you Brits looking to save a little on shipping, just go to the special BEGN-UK page and order it now.
As promised, another week another Yo La Tengo video clip from their upcoming album Popular Songs. This week director John McSwain makes sure you’re getting your daily allowance of fruits – a key food group and an unlikely comedic/visual tool – as he gives us his take on YLT’s new song Periodically Double or Triple.
Please check out the latest and greatest in the Yo La Tengo video series:
Also don’t forget that Yo La Tengo’s new album is out on Sept 8th. Click here to pre-order Popular Songs or visit Buy Early Get Now for the unstoppable deluxe package.
This coming Tuesday, the limited-edition double vinyl gatefold 10″ EP from Cat Power hits the stores. Entitled Dark End Of The Street, it includes six bewitching cover songs from the Jukebox sessions and not included on that album. This would make a wonderful Christmas or Hannukah present for someone who likes gatefold covers, or cover songs, and it’s available for preorder now.
We have a lot of other deluxe packages from this year appropriate for stocking-stuffers or under-the-tree action. The deluxe 44-song, 48-page book, die-cut slipcase edition of Pavement’s Brighten The Corners, for example (and if you preorder now, you can still – just – get the ultra-limited live vinyl bonus LP, exclusive to this release). Two weeks ago we released Belle and Sebastian’s justly acclaimed BBC Sessions, with essential radio performances from their early 1996-2001 period. The deluxe version of the CD comes with a second disc containing a complete concert in Belfast from December 2001. The set includes covers of I’m Waiting For The Man, The Boys Are Back In Town and Here Comes The Sun. This is strictly limited and once it goes, it’s gone.
There’s also the deluxe version of the Mogwai’s latest, The Hawk Is Howling, which comes with a bonus DVD containing two videos for “Batcat” (including one nightmarish one directed by Dominic Hailstone of Chris Cunningham / Aphex Twin video fame), and a short documentary about the band by Vincent Moon.
And of course, last March, we released to-die-for versions of the three original Mission Of Burma albums on Ace of Hearts. We’ve banged on enough about the real all-analog mastering from the original tapes, the precious live footage from the late ’70s and early ’80s, the gatefold sleeves on the vinyl, and the books with interviews and photos and more. We’re prouder of these packages than any other reissue we’ve ever done. All three are available for a very short time longer in a vinyl bundle deal for 50 bucks.
There are also a few deluxe copies of Cat Power’s Jukebox left with the gatefold foil digipak and second CD. Then there’s just about every vinyl release from this year, nearly all printed at Stoughton and pressed on RTI HQ180 vinyl. Single LPs here and double LPs here.
A date with a member of Pavement at Ikea…it may be obvious, but lets all agree it’s original. Here’s the deal, if you think your home needs an upgrade, submit a photo at imeem and write a short essay on why you derserve to win a shopping spree at ikea. Winner will be joined by a member of Pavement on their $500 Ikea shopping spree. Swedish meatballs are on us. To enter, just submit your photo and essay here.
Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition is out December 9th and available for pre-order.
We’re happy announce Pre-Order is now up for Mogwai’s new album “The Hawk Is Howling.” If you order now, you receive $1 off of either the LP or CD and a free poster! Order HERE
In addition, we’re offering a special Mogwai BUNDLE deal. You can get all four Matador Mogwai albums (including The Hawk Is Howling) plus a free poster for the insanely low price of $36! The bundle will be shipped around street date. Click HERE to purchase!
The next 100 people to pre-order my COMING SOON record HERE WITH ME (on CD or LP) will receive a signed record jacket!!
Matador has ordered 100 extra LP sleeves which I will sign with SILVER SHARPIES for extra beautiful-ness! They will be neatly trimmed to look like a record flat – suitable for framing!
Several people have expressed to me how much they love the new album cover and so I made this suggestion to Matador and they agreed. They said, “Great idea, Jennifer!” You see, this is how great music business relationships work.
So, don’t miss your chance to own a piece of JO’C/Matador history.
The fourth single in Matador’s series of limited-editions by Jay Reatard is a split 7″ with Atlanta’s Deerhunter. The A-side is Jay covering Deerhunter’s “Flourescent Grey,” and the B-side is Deerhunter covering Jay’s “Oh, It’s Such A Shame.”
The cover photo, taken by our own The Judge at May’s All Tomorrow’s Parties in Camber Sands, can be seen above.
OLE-819 will be in stores on July 22.
Our webstore preorder time and date will be: BASTILLE DAY — Monday, July 14 at 3:00 PM EDT.
Remember, if you miss the preorder, check your local stores. You can also buy the single digitally (MP3 or FLAC) from the webstore. And all six 7″es will be compiled on an LP/CD to be released this fall.
Here is the summary of the singles so far:
#1, See/Saw / Screaming Hand — April 8
#2, Painted Shut / An Ugly Death — May 20
#3, Always Wanting More / You Mean Nothing To Me — June 24
#4, Flourescent Grey (Jay Reatard) / Oh, It’s Such A Shame (Deerhunter) — July 22
July-August tour dates:
Sun 7/13 – Baltimore MD – Sonar
Mon 7/14 – Philadelphia PA – Johnny Brenda’s
Tue 7/15 – Brooklyn nY – Prospect Park (w/ Spoon)
Thu 7/17 – Providence RI – Lupo’s (w/ Spoon)
Sat 7/19 – Chicago IL – Pitchfork Late Night Show (w/ King Khan and the Shrines, Cheap Time)
Sat 7/19 – Chicago IL – Pitchfork Festival
Mon 7/21 – Minneapolis MN – Triple Rock
Tue 7/22 – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
Fri 7/25 – Seattle WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
Sat 7/26 – Vancouver BC – Commodore Ballroom
Tue 7/29 – San Francisco CA – The Independent
Wed 7/30 – Los Angeles CA – Echo
Thu 7/31 – San Diego CA – Casbah
Fri 8/1 – Mesa AZ – Hollywood Alley
Sun 8/3 – Austin TX – Red 7(w/ Cheap Time)
Mon 8/4 – Dallas TX – Club Dada
The second 7″ in Jay Reatard’s singles series for Matador Records & Filmworks, “Painted Shut” b/w “An Ugly Death” will be available for pre-order at 3PM Eastern Time. As with the last record, quantities are extremely limited so we can only honor one copy per order.
This record features features artwork by Mike Sniper.
