November 20, 1998

Apologies for the delay but we've finally got a new Matador Bulletin Board together. This software doesn't have the little Matador flags like the one before but I trust people will figure that out.

Also, we've added a partial list of stores that regularly carry Matador releases.

A Burger/Ink bio is now in the house. A couple of sound clips, band photo, the works.... And two Cornelius articles from Raygun, from May 1998, and August 1998.

Elsewhere:

The Brotherhood of Structure discography and more about "Structure" artists from Cologne, including KHAN, MIKE INK, J. BURGER, etc.

A (somewhat dated) spoon article from Sponic.

JSBX interview - short thing from Amazon.com

An excellent CAT POWER interview/live performance with KCRW's Tricia Halloran, in RealAudio via UBL's bravenewworld.net, which, if you can forgive them for pissing on Huxley, might be worth checking out.

November 15, 1998

FUCK and THE FOR CARNATION each have a song on a new 12" EP, Sounds of the Geographically Challenged, vol. 3. From what I gather it's some sort of tribute to living faraway from your bandmates. Also, all four bands (Windsor for the Derby and Wino are the other two) have a member with brown hair. Contact the Temporary Residence Ltd., PO Box 22910, Baltimore, MD 21203-4910, or jdevine@mica.edu for more info; or just send them $6 right away 'cause it says here there are only about 30 left.

Corin Tucker from SLEATER-KINNEY has a new record out with her other band, Cadallaca. I met one of her bandmates, Sarah Dougher (the Crabs, the Lookers), at a party last month and she told me how to get grant money and gave me a pen. I love Cadallaca. Introducing... is the Oregon trio's debut and you can find plenty of info about 'em here. Sound clips, too.

CMJ Highlights!!!!

John: His Name Is Alive at Arlene's Grocery. Free show, which is always good. But Warren DeFever has redefined the bands style, going from the ethereal stylings of older records to a funked-up, soul laden blast of Motown energy. When played live, this created a very interesting and, at the risk of sounding un-hip, fun rock experience. The band looked like it came straight out of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. The chicks were cool, man, really cool. All in all, a well-spent 45 minutes that left me feeling pretty good for a Thursday night.

Conrad: DHR night @ CBGB. During Alec Empire's DJ set, I was hanging off to the side near Mr. Alan Licht. The place was a mad scene: kids jumping around, throwin' gang signs, drinks flying in the air. ANYWAYS, during Alec Empire's DJ set, Merzbow gets on stage. There was a drastic change in music and the singer begins screaming and rolling around on stage. Russell Simins, Dan the Automator, and Prince Paul walk in. Prince Paul was just standing there, trying to make sense of it all. SO........I go up to him and introduce myself, told him I like his production skills, yada yada yada. He had just finished his set with the Automator at the Roxy. Funny thing is, all his attention was focused on the young NYU punk rock girls (known to hang out in Washington Square park playing hacky-sack). Matter a fact, I asked him what he thought about the music. He was checking out one of these NYU type girls at the time and said, "Pretty interesting."

Dave M.: My highlight would have to be the NYU security guard at our showcase who stopped me from leaving the backstage area. When I told him that I did not have a pass he told me that I would HAVE TO STAY BACKSTAGE. I want that guy to work every show I go to.

Che: Cornelius breakin' it down with "Love Me Tender" on ye olde theremin. Trippy. (Chan Marshall telling me she saw me yell "hey baby" after one of her songs comes in a close second)

Gerard: Favorite bands I saw: Prolapse, Mogwai, Headcoats, and Roads to Space Travel. But so what, there are good shows in this city virtually every night of the week and we don't have to pay homage to trade magazines or watch companies to attend most of them.

Erica: The folk fest at Threadwaxing with (the amazing) Bert Jansch. Bridgett St. John played with this cool guy on a synthisizer who knew what he was doing. Her lyrics (and her hair) were kind of frizzy. I liked the strange tile-design art behind the stage, which I stared during droney parts.

Carrie: Loved the Arsonists and Tower Recordings and the idea of a Komar & Melamid "neo-senility" slide show if not the execution. Also, Operation Reinformation got me to stop talking; DEVO-esque and stupid in just the right way.

Dave R.: Backstage passes to the Statistics for Business, Business Law, and C++ midterms

Donovan: Riding in an elevator with Chan Marshall:

Chan: "Do you ever see any lizards in this elevator?"
Elevator Operator: "Nope."
Chan: "Hm. Well, maybe if we were in Mexico."
Elevator Operator: "Yep."

Also, Built To Spill was so loud it made my internal organs shake.... the real highlight of CMJ was watching Eddie Vedder and Tim Robbins try to jumpstart the Hovercraft van outside the Knitting Factory. Of course, Ben (Goldberg) was with me the whole time and didn't notice a thing.

Ben: 1) Bert Jansch (c.f. Jesper's comments) 2) Learning what a Donkey Punch is from Kelly at KJHK 3) Knowing that it was a waste to even attempt going to Mercury Lounge since they never honor the badge system anyway. 4) Paska, Finnish a cappella screamer, signing the 7" to my girlfriend: "To Amy, Ben's forcoming (sic) ex something or another" 5) Lambchop, playing with Yo La Tengo, members of Neutral Milk Hotel and Mac from Portachunk. 6) As always, the Canadians!

Mike J (of the Lynnfield Pioneers): Cornelius is going to be soundchecking for the next couple hours, so naturally you get a little bored and maybe a little hungry too, what the hell, so you go upstairs where the food is, and the meat tray is all filled with these rolled up little cigar-shaped pieces of roast beef, and they're drying out already, with the edges all splitting and turning burgundy-colored, while the rest of it is all pink and fatty. And the cheese tray next to it has these big round discs of provolone that are curling up and darkening like dying plants. And you can forget about the cheddar, it's got that whole dried play-doh thing happening. And then there's about 16 boxes of chamomile tea, which you could really, really use, but no hot water, and the only cold drinks are like Slice and Mello Yello, so you end up settling for mustard sandwiches on Wonder Wheat and a glass of melting ice, and you're down in the dumps a bit about it, but then you find yourself suddenly brightening when you look up and see Cornelius standing there, in front of that meat tray, ready to make a choice.

November 6, 1998

Matador is pleased to announce two new acts: JEGA and KHAN. Jega is the project of Dylan Nathan, a native of Manchester, England. He has two 12"s on the Skam label (home of Boards of Canada) to his credit, and his most recent album, Spectrum, came out in the UK on Planet µ Records, which is Mike Paradinas' (a.k.a. µ-ziq) label. Matador will license Spectrum (double LP/CD) from Planet µ for North American release in February 1999. Our version will have a bonus track or two. Promise.

Khan is one of the stage names of German/ Turkish/ American musician/svengali Can Oral [see also Khan & Dr. Walker, 4E] , who also happens to run the Temple Records store in New York. We'll be releasing a new album in April 1998 and a compilation after that. More info on Khan's musical geneology, etc. will follow.

Make a Wish Fund Winners Dept.: YO LA TENGO recently recorded a psychedelic version of The Simpsons theme for an upcoming episode in which Homer "discovers" hippies. The theme will run during the credits at the end of the show so listen up on Novemeber 15.... and in other Yo La news, Jad Fair and Ira Kaplan will be guest DJ'ing and performing a couple songs on Gaylord Fields' show on WFMU, 91.1 fm on Saturday, Nov 7 from 5-7 pm. Internet types can hear it over the web here.

Jad Fair and Yo La Tengo (from Strange But True)
"Helpful Monkey Wallpapers Entire House"
RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au
"Principal Punishes Students with Bad Impressions and Tired Jokes" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au

The new CHRIS KNOX album, Yes!!, is coming out now on Matador Europe. Chris' "Not Given Lightly" single has also been re-released on Curveball Records in conjunction with the reissue of the fab and exclusively Flying Nun soundtrack to the film Topless Women Talk About Their Lives, also on Curveball. Flying Nun, conveniently, has a page of info up about Yes!! right here. Yes, indeed.

Chris Knox (from Yes!!)
"The Sweaty Hide of Circumstance" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au
"Pesticide" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au

Matador Europe has also just put out (licensed from Up Records) Modest Mouse's The Lonesome Crowded West. Up Records has a nice page up for the record, which they put out in the U.S. The page lacks, however, sound clips, so here you go:

Modest Mouse (from The Lonesome Crowded West)
"Heart Cooks Brains" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au
"Bankrupt on Selling" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au

Rounding out the trio of new Matador Europe releases, there's the new beaut from David Kilgour (The Clean), David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights. You may remember Mr. Kilgour's two previous Flying Nun albums, Sugarmouth (1994) and Here Comes the Cars (1991)...but regardless, the third should not disappoint. See the Flying Nun page for the press release and a goofy photo.

David Kilgour (from David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights)
"Off My Mind" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au
"My One" RealAudio 5 | .qt | .au

A RUN ON update from Rick Brown. And a short cat power interview from the toronto sun

Office news: Gerard, Lyle, Patrick, Christina, Donovan, and Gillespie all have new cell phone numbers, Helen bought a calculator, the copy machine still sucks, and I'm pissed about the toaster.

Joke of the Week time. Thanks to intern-in-the-field David Rappaport, we've been graced with this press release (below) sent to college radio from Vanilla Ice's record label:

Yes, by all means, hate him for a better reason. Or better yet, don't hate him at all and save your hostility for someone who MATTERS.

Until next time....