Kurt Vile... the perfect hangover cure
Friends, Romans, Chicagoans... forget what these guys say, there is no better way to nurse your New Years hangover than with a free instore.
Stop by Permanent Records at 2pm on the first day of the new decade for a very special solo instore by Kurt Vile.
Your friends at Permanent will be providing free pizza, dark beers, big bowls of Excedrin, Bloody Marys, Mimosas and sunglasses... everything you need to beat that throbbing hangover.
Permanent Records
1914 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, Il
773.278.1744
And don't forget, Kurt is opening for The Black Keys at the Riviera on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (night).
A (Post) Hanukkah Special (Crammed Into A Few Days) : Peers & Pals Pick Their Yo La Tengo Favorites (Pt. II)
(image taken from False 45th, merch from Hanukkah 2007, and a lovely tribute to one of the more shy and retiring Jewish artists of all time)
As you might recall, we polled a number of number of medium-to-high profile Yo La Tengo fans and asked for their favorite YLT song. Said results were supposed to appear in this space during each of Hanukkah's 8 nights, but after an all too typical Matablog orgy of buck-passing, we're (ahem) a little late. Also, we suck at math : there are ten total entries instead of 8. Happy belated Hanukkah to all!
JULIA RYDHOLM, The Ladybug Transistor
“Sugarcube” from I Can hear The Heart Beating As One
I have a lot of favorite Yo La Tengo songs, but I am going to single out "Sugarcube". I love how the song kicks off with a lawless, tumbling drum fill, barrelling into the disciplined, driving, over-driven guitar chords that sustain the frame of the song. I love the song's metamorphic layers of fuzzy chords, persistent shakers, splashy cymbals, and hazy vocals with Ira's guitar solos weaving through the lot of it. I love that the song sounds like the blurry, night-windowed artwork on the back of the album. I love that the tension between the head-over-heels drum introduction and the song suddenly trying to get a hold of itself, is mirrored in the lyrics' struggle with over-the-top acrobatic desperation and trying to keep one's cool. I love that the lyrics sound like the mantra anyone really feeling something recites to reassure oneself, and wants to, but tries so hard not to plead out loud to the one they want.
GLENN MERCER, The Feelies
“Stockholm Syndrome” from I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
This song has that open-chord, campfire-strum that we often use in the Feelies. It also has a hint of a 50's vibe that appeals to me. Nice solo.
FRED ARMISEN
"Black Flowers" from I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
I got married this year, and we used this song for our first dance at the wedding. My wife loves it and I love it and James sings so sweetly on it. I asked him what the lyrics were about, and he told me that it was a message from him today to himself in the past, circa 2005. A message to hang on.
BRITT DANIEL, Spoon
“Saturday” from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
This song sends me to another place. That's powerful, huh? The first time I heard it, it was one of those preview tracks you get to download for free before the record comes out. It must have taken me an hour or two to download it and I remember writing a friend at Matador immediately after hearing it the first time and saying "This has got me excited!" I don't know, I love it. Every hazy, offhand element comes together into one creepy but magical focus that always gets me.
LAURA CANTRELL
“The Summer” from Fakebook
My favorite Yo La Tengo song is “The Summer,” it just has this lovely vibe to it, a lot of feeling packed into a few words, simple but really effective; the recording too is sweetly moody. I’ve also long been a fan of their version of Gene Clark’s “Tried So Hard,” which just precedes “The Summer” on “Fakebook” — I was pleased many years ago when I requested it at a show and they actually played it! Gene Clark might not have been Jewish, but it would be a good request for one of their Hanukkah shows!
Mission Of Burma - 3 New Eastern US Dates
(ancient flyer art swiped from The City Record. Very magnanimous of SSD to allow young hopefuls MOB on the above bill)
In addition to the already mentioned 2 night stands at the Bowery Ballroom and the Paradise, Mission Of Burma have confirmed they'll be visiting the following cities in early 2010 :
Thu, 2/18 - Philadelphia PA - First Unitarian Church
Fri, 2/19 - Richmond VA - Tyler Haynes Commons (Univ of Richmond)
Sat, 2/20 - Washington DC - Black Cat
Ticket/support band info will be posted ..when someone asks me to! Have a great weekend.
(The Sound, The Speed, The Light, LP/CD and digital album, available from The Matador Store)
("Innermost" b/w "Here It Comes" MP3/FLAC single, also available from The Matador Store)
The Decade Can't End Soon Enough (Unless You're Having Fun) - Matador Artists, Staff And Associates Remember 2009 (Before It's Done)
(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 :
O Memorable 2009!
By Jonathan Meiburg, Shearwater
- “Anio No Mba Hisoko” by Mme. Ravao & Rajoro
-“Kemayoran” by Grup Bamba Pruang
- Three young Loggerhead Shrikes, nearly fledged, Guerrero Park, Austin
- Sound of feral cats tearing down my screen door
- The Tahitian Choir II: Rapa Iti (Shanachie)
- A startled family of skunks (mom & kittens), Tornillo TX
- Tarantula Hawks (Pepsis sp.), Tornillo
- Neumann M49 microphones and 80-series Neve consoles (Tornillo and Austin)
- Laphroaig single malt
- Jackrabbit and Peregrine Falcon, Mariscal mercury mine (abandoned),TX
-Acorn Woodpeckers – Chisos Mountains, TX
- Imperial Woodpecker, stuffed and mounted - Rare Bird/Type Specimen room, American Mus. of Natural History
- Saw the bones of a bird I collected years ago in the Falklands in a little box in a cabinet in the basement of the AMNH, awaiting the distant future
-“Why Baby Why” by George Jones
- “Dambala” by Exuma
- Long-distance conversations with Mark Ohe (in Germany) and Frank Longo (in a trailer on a mountain in VA)
- Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick, rising to the task again and again
- David Thomas Broughton at End of the Road Fest, Dorset UK
- Bought the last of the surplus Enron First Class Mail envelopes from Topps Office Supply, 5th Street, Austin
- Bach Sinfonia #9 in F Minor (BMW 795), as played by Glenn Gould (if you’re speeding) and by Tatiana Nikolaieva (if you’re crashing)
- Film: The Alchemist, by Bruno Monsaingeon
- Woke up with a body temperature of 105
- Found out my hearing hasn’t suffered as much as I thought
- Marshall 195 1x12 cabinet + 1963 Fender Princeton
-“Devotional Number One” by Roky Erickson
-“Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad” by Roger Waters
- Early frost killed the lavender, and the yellowbells.
- But the almond verbena was fine.
Kurt Dahle, The New Pornographers
Best of list for 2009
KURT VILE- Childish Prodigy
What can I say I don't get out much anymore, but I sure like this record... alot.
Brian Case, The Ponys
The Horrors - Primary Colors (XL)
Times New Viking - Born Again (Matador)
Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy (Matador)
XX - XX (Young Turks)
Beak> - Beak> (Ipecac)
Nudge - As Good As Gone (Kranky)
Niesennmondi - Destination Tokyo (Small Town Supersound)
Strange Boys - And Girls Club (In The Red)
Jimi Tenor & Tony Allen - Inspiration Information 4 (Strut / !K7)
Girls - Album (True Panther Sounds)
Woven Bones - Midas Touch EP (Zoo Music)
James McNew, Yo La Tengo
Top 14 things listened to and/or looked at in/ from 2009
1. The Best Show on WFMU
2. "Delocated"
3. "Move To California," Times New Viking
4. Achewood
5. Yura Yura Teikoku live gigs
6. Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, Thin Air LP
7. "Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job"
8. Oneida, Rated O LP
9. Box Elders, Alice and Friends LP
10. Reigning Sound, Love and Curses LP
11. Why?, Eskimo Snow LP
12. Tortoise, Beacons of Ancestorship LP
13. The 13th Floor Elevators box set
14. "Steven Seagal: Lawman"
Cold Cave :
Jim Carroll
Ted Leo
Best of 2009 as of 12/15/09
JEFF: The Brotherhood live and on record in August
St. Vincent - live and on record in May
Battlestar Galactica finale in March
Hiking in Muir Woods redwoods, California in November
Learning to cook pasta like risotto in November
Us in the studio making a new record in August and September
Hard Skin in Brighton last night (12/14/09)
Finally being in a band that's on the same page enough to agree to covering Samhain in December
Early morning artcic walks on desolate beach in Rhode Island in January and February
Stuart Braithwaite, Mogwai
1 Four Tet/Burial - Moth (12")
2 Raekwon - OBFCL2 lp
3 Bill Callahan - Sometimes I wish we were an Eagle lp
4 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport lp
5 Batman and Robin - comic
6 Twilight Sad - Forget the night ahead lp
7 Missisipi Records - ENTIRE OUTPUT!!!!!!!!!!
8 Arkham Asylum - PS3 game
9 Sunn - Monoliths and Dimensions lp
10 Lil Wayne - No Ceilings mixtape
Damian Abraham, Fucked Up
Coolest things of 2009
10) Reading on the Internet that I had gotten a job with Fox News
Even though it was 100% not true it was still funny to read about.
9) Playing in Serbia with Korn.
Any where else it the world and this would have been lame but because vit was in Serbia it was ill.
8) Kevin Shields hooking Sandy up with weed.
There are certain moments in that you could never imagine happening until you see it unfold.
7) Playing Glastonbury.
Sure we played at something stupid like 2pm on a friday but it was still one of the craziest shows we have ever played.
6) Finishing the the "Feed The World" cover.
It was touch and go for the entire process but thanks to the help of people on the record, Jon Drew, Matador and itunes it came to be... so buy it so we can give the organizations involved more money! (yes, that was a shameless plug)
5) Jeffrey Wright moshing during our Chemistry Of Common Life show.
Although I did not see this to confirm it, even if it didn't happen it is still funny to picture in your head.
4) Winning the Polaris
I still can't believe this happened but it did and Metric is bummed.
3) Being dissed by Thurston Moore
At ATP during a "Soft Focus" interview Thurston described Fucked Up as "dude-core" and while that is a super lame thing to say at least knows who we are!... kinda.
2) Touring China.
We snuck in via boat and toured for two weeks. It the most exciting tour we have ever done.
1) The Birth Of Holden
My wife and I became parents.
Peter Prescott, Mission Of Burma
in no particular order and not all music either...........fucked up-the chemistry of common living and 2 live shows i had the pure pleasure of seeing.........the coen bros.-a serious man...........explode into colors live.............. the joys of watching fellow old farts at play: jesus lizard at austin's funfunfun fest,the feelies opening for sonic youth in boston, faust in kentucky [i know,i know the kids have had it with this reunion shit and i sympathize,really,i do,so just make music better than these bands and i promise to shut the fuck up]...........this season's dexter....................erase errata live.....................reason's to watch the television at all:colbert and stewart..............pavement rising.............free converse,yay..................clinic live....................the end
Jared Phillips, Times New Viking
1. earles & jensen
'just farr the record' lp
2. times new viking
'born again revisited' lp
3. axemen
'scary' dbl. lp
4. text messaging (new for me)
5. moonshine
6. times new viking
'move to california' 7"
Jose Boyer, Harlem
Top Ten Dreamiest Buzz Band Ladies of '09
in no particular order...
Annie of St. Vincent
Vivian Girls (3)
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Pearl Harbor (both)
Natasha of Bat For Lashes
The girl from Beach House
Missy of the Love Language
Dean Bein, True Panther Sounds
Between losing a planner, having my computer stolen, and just generally having a poor memory these are the releases that stuck out this year. Thank god I can't lose my twitter page because then I'd truly be navigating the past blindly.
Cass McCombs- Catacombs
Omar Souleyman- Dabke 2020
Death- …For the world to see
Mt Kimbie- Maybes
Kurt Vile- Childish Prodigy
Spiritualized live at Primavera Sound
Joy Orbison- Hyph Mngo
Real Estate- Real Estate
Smith Westerns - Smith Westerns
Phoenix- Wolfgang Amedeus Phoenix
Julianna Barwick- Florine
Delorean- Ayrton Senna
Liturgy- Renihilation
Nguzunguzu/Kingdom/Guido/Joy Orbison Floating Points 12"s and mixes
A Orillas Del Magdalena- Coastal Cubias From Colombia's Discos Fuentes
Telepathe- Dance Mother
Honorable mentions: Dominant Legs, Kyle Hall, Micachu, Young Prisms, Bullion, Pearl Harbour, The Ballet
Looking forward to in '10: SADE, Light Asylum, Magic Kids, Joker, Salem, Starring, new Lemonade and Glasser albums and countless exciting TPS-singles. A few exciting secrets too!
Natalie Judge, Matador Records
Highs of 2009:
Don Draper
The return of The Jesus Lizard
Spiritualized at The Royal Festival Hall performing 'Ladies and Gentleman...'
Synth Britannia on BBC4
Dirty 3 with Nick Cave play in a hotel room at ATP NYC
Burberry sample sale
Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans
Sonic Youth at The Scala, London
Primavera
Beggars Boat Race - 22miles down The Thames
Dotori Sushi, Finsbury Park
Lows of 2009:
Eating Andouillette for the first and last time.
Kevin Bodenheimer, Matador Records
My Ten favorite non-Beggars Group releases of 2009
Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
Prurient - Rose Pillar
Joshua Emery Blatchley - VDSQ Solo Acoustic Vol. 1
Peste Noire - Ballade Cuntre Lo Anemi Francor
Cold Cave - Cremations
Lil Wayne - No Ceilings
Cult Ritual - Cult Ritual
Theophilus London - This Charming Mixtape
Real Estate - Real Estate
Washed Out - Life of Leisure
Ten Best Meals I ate in 2009:
Porchini Mushroom Ravioli - Il Mulino (Manhattan)
Boiled Pork & Chive Dumplings with Peking Duck Sesame Pancake - Vanessa's Dumplings (Manhattan)
Greek Schnitzel Sandwich - Schnitzi Schnitzel Bar (Brooklyn)
Deep Dish Pizza - Giordano's (Chicago)
Italian Combo - Lange's Deli - (Scarsdale)
Swedish Meatballs - Aquavit (Manhattan)
Sweet & Pungent Pork - Hop Kee (Mahhattan)
Gui Zhou Spicy Chicken - Grand Sichuan St. Marks (Manhattan)
Beef French Dip Sandwich - Phillipe's (Los Angeles)
Adam Bohl, Matador Direct
12 things that just popped in my head that I liked this year
Woods - Songs of Shame LP
Intelligence - Fake Surfers/Crepuscule With Pacman LPs
Bassholes - ...and Without a Name LP
Young Governor - Virginia Creeper 7"
Hunx - Gay Singles LP
Circulatory System - Signal Morning LP
Zero Boys - History Of...LP
TV Ghost - Cold Fish LP
Ryan Pitts and the Boy Toys 7"
Fresh & Onlys - Grey Eyed Girl/Self Titled LPs and Bomb Wombs CS
Reigning Sound - Love & Curses LP
Almost all of the Columbus Discount Singles club (almost none of Sub Pop's)
Adam Farrell, Beggars Group
Top Albums
Thee Oh Sees - Help (In The Red)
Superchunk - Leaves in the Gutter EP (Merge)
Zion I - The Take Over (Gold Dust)
Abner Jay - True Story of Abner Jay (Mississippi Records)
Big Business - Mind The Drift (Hydra Head)
Sonny Smith and the Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright (Soft Abuse)
Clipse - Re-Up Gang (Got Snow Fall 2K9 Edition) Bootleg (mediashare.com)
Monolake - Silence EP (imbalance computer music)
Death - ...For The Whole World To See (Drag City)
Drake - So Far 8 Bar'd (rapidshare.com)
Top Work Rock Moments
The Bro'd Trip(s) (props to Mike V, the #1 shotgun rider in sales)
Andy Falkous' touching opus on leaked albums
Colbert grabbing a couple verses on "This Year" in front of a studio audience
Getting to write a marketing plan for Sonic Youth (and not having them puke all over it)
Touching the Doolittle 1/2 tape demos and all other bounty at the Beggars Archive
Jeremy P. Goldstein, Beggars Group
Top-10 rekkids of 2009
1. The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love - 4AD. MBV meets OMD? A male-fronted Curve? Either way, two great tastes that taste great together. Bring on the shoegaze revival!
2. Prodigy - Invaders Must Die - Cooking Vinyl. No one heard this record, really, but if this had been the follow-up to Fat Of The Land, I'd guess platinum status a few times over.
3. The xx - xx - XL Recordings. Truly amazing debut. Reminds me of Massive Attack.
4. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Slumberland. The great Slumberland label is resuscitated and issues excellent POPBAH record.
5. The Rifles - The Great Escape - Nettwerk. Supergrass for 2009? Works for me.
6. The Horrors - Primary Colours - XL Recordings. Talk about pulling a 180. Record is completely different than their debut and their newfound shoegaze attack won me over in a big way.
7. A Place To Bury Strangers -Exploding Head - Mute. I guess I'm really into the nu-skool shoegaze movement. Can you blame me?
8. Idlewild - Post Electric Blues - Cooking Vinyl. They pretty much just can't do anything wrong it my eyes. This album was a grower
9. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust - Astralwerks. A long-awaited eturn to form from Manc dreampop merchants.
10. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is...Skyscraper - Matador. Interpol side project? I don't care what you call it, Paul KILLED IT on this record.
Top-10 things that weren't rekkids.
1. Intelligentsia coffee, Chicago. As of right now, best espresso in US.
2. Manchester United winning their third title running. Losing Ronaldo and losing the Champions League final, not as awesome.
3. Blue Bottle coffee, San Francisco. SO CLOSE, but second. I think.
4. Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. This shit is so next level. Amazing stuff.
5. Moto, Chicago. One of the five most incredible meals of my life. Must be seen and tasted to be believed.
6. The architecture of downtown Chicago. Spent a fair amount of time there this year and between the Wrigley, Tribune and other downtown buildings: wow: mind-blowing craftsmanship.
7. Margherita pizza at Keste, NYC. In theory, the best pie in the 212. I vote yes.
8. The Big Island. Haven't been yet, but will be there in two weeks. Expecting lava fields to rank in my yearly top-10.
9. Stumptown coffee, Portland. These three coffee purveyors are providing far and above the expected. Destination coffee, for sure.
10. The wife. When you find The One, you gotta give her multiple shoutouts, right? Cornerstone of my life, awesome chef, and sidekick extraordinaire. And the fact that's she's hot doesn't hurt, does it?
Catherine Herrick, Beggars Group
London
- Getting the first stamp on my passport (!) and finally putting faces to the names of the lovely people at 17-19 Alma Road, One Codrington Mews and 66 Golborne Rd, and being warmly welcomed and taken care of by said people.
- Pastries in London. A flapjack from The Pantry, and an apple danish-type thing in the lobby of The K-West. Never been much of a pastry person, I just grabbed both hastily out of hunger without thinking either choice would be particularly appetizing until I took a bite. Face was subsequently MELTED-OFF in both cases.
- Jarvis Cocker at The Village Underground. I border on being a psycho fan, so this is a no-brainer to anyone who knows me.
- The Big Pink and Muse at The 02 Arena. Due to poor travel planning, Gabe and I got there just in time for "Dominos" (doh!) and got laughed at by everyone at 4AD. Then came Muse. Never really listened to them before, but it was refreshing to see such unabashed fist-pumping arena rock.
- Jay Reatard at Underworld. First time seeing Jay with the new band members. They KILLED IT.
- Atlas Sound at Cargo. Both Bradford Cox and Sian Alice Group played great sets, and I ran into The Early Years, love those guys!
- Spilling my beer all over Richard Onslow. It was an accident, and I did feel BAD about it, but... he's just so well dressed, it was KIND OF perfect.
- Being swarmed by a gang of drunken Brits decked out in Ponchos and Sombrero hats whilst ordering Margaritas for myself and Lucy Hurst.
- Some things just straddle the fine line between awesome and terrifying. Did I really dance like this in front of people at Milo's Birthday party??? Was definitely singing along to this at top volume, and it wasn't at a karaoke bar! Oh boy.
-Patrick Johnson's controversial hat. My birthday is coming up. Just sayin'
New York
10 notable show-nights in order of date
4/16 Throbbing Gristle at The Brooklyn Masonic Temple.
6/??? Sharon Van Etten (it was the weekend of Bushwick Open Studios, not sure of the exact date) in a loft in Bushwick.
7/4 Kurt Vile + Violators at Woodsist Festival (outside of Market Hotel).
7/29 Jarvis Cocker at Music Hall Of Williamsburg.
9/5 tUnE-yArDs at Music Hall Of Williamsburg.
9/26 the long awaited live debut of Courtier at Matchless followed by **** two acts whose names I don't know at Mighty Robot. If you were there can you PLEASE let me know who they were/are!???
10/16 The Horrors at Music Hall Of Williamsburg.
10/20 (more like 2:00am on 10/21, eep!) Hooray For Earth at Crash Mansion during CMJ.
10/23 Cold Cave at the Matador/True Panther CMJ Party at the Flamboyan Theater.
11/20 Bear In Heaven at Zebulon.
Jeremy Kirkland, Beggars Group
albums
10. papercuts-you can have what you want
9. animal collective-merriweather post pavilion
8 girls-album
7. the horrors-primary colours
6. the mountain goats-life of the world to come
5. the xx-the xx
4. wild beasts-two dancers
3. phoenix-wolfgang amadeus phoenix
2. yo la tengo-popular songs
1. foreign born-person to person
shows
mountain goats @ webster hall
sonic youth @ terminal 5
phoenix @ summerstage
best 7"
rainbow bridge 7"
movies
up
the hangover
inglourious basterds
Steve Knutson, Rough Trade Records
1. Alela Diane "To Be Still"
2. King Midas Sound "Waiting For You"
3. Kevin Drumm "Imperial Distortion"
4. Broadcast & The Focus Group "Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age"
5. Sound System International - King Tubby All-Stars
5. Animal Collective "Merriweather Post Pavilion"
6. Peste Noire "Ballade cuntre lo Anemi francor"
7. Lambchop "Live at XX Merge"
8. Cold Cave "Love Comes Close"
9. Grizzly Bear "Veckatimest"
10. Headless Heroes "The Silence Of Love"
11. Dirty Projectors "Bitte Orca"
13. Pere Ubu "Long Live Pere Ubu!"
14. Ancestors "II"
15. Micachu "Jewellery"
Annette Lee, 4AD
Things I've enjoyed this year (in no particular order and off the top of my head):
Efterklang @ Barbican, London
X Factor
Sushi of Shiori, London
All three ATP festivals. The hangovers afterwards were totally worth it.
Moving to a house with Sky+ and an enormous TV. End of my social life as I know it.
The entirety of SXSW
Charlie Brooker's Twitter updates
The entirety of Primavera Sound
Vodka - many varieties
Finding the rabbit hole at Glastonbury festival
Red wine
Blue steak
Deerhunter @ Scala, London
Malcolm Tucker (The Thick Of It)
Hector Montes, Beggars Group
Alphabetical (or Chronological) Lists of Favorites, 2009
albums:
John Adams - Doctor Atomic Symphony/Guide to Strange Places (Nonesuch)
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (Drag City)
Dinosaur Jr - Farm (Jagjaguwar)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (Domino)
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic (Warner Bros.)
Ben Frost - By The Throat (Bedroom Community)
Girls - Album (True Panther Sounds)
HEALTH - Get Color (Lovepump United)
The Horrors - Primary Colors (XL)
Mission of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light (Matador)
Nomo - Invisible Cities (Ubiquity)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)
Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans (Sub Pop)
Rusted Shut - Dead (Load)
Sonic Youth - The Eternal (Matador)
Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
The Veils - Sun Gangs (Rough Trade)
Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy (Matador)
The xx - xx (XL)
EPs/singles:
Abe Vigoda - Reviver (Post Present Medium)
Cold Cave - Death Comes Close 12" (Matador)
Deradoorian - Mind Raft EP (Lovepump United)
The Horrors - "Whole New Way" 7" (XL)
Mayyors - Deads 12"
Nodzzz - "True To Life" 7" (What's Your Rupture?)
Pantha du Prince - "The Splendour" 12" (Rough Trade)
Superchunk - "Crossed Wires" 7" (Merge)
Talbot Tagora's side of the Abstract Distractions split EP (OlFactory)
Twin Stumps - Twin Stumps EP
Vampire Weekend - "Cousins" 7" (XL)
Young Governor - "Virginia Creeper" 7" & Hidden Love EP
reissues:
Mulatu Astatke - New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975 (Strut)
Comet Gain - Broken Record Prayers (What's Your Rupture?)
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms / The Good Earth (Bar None)
The Jesus Lizard - Pure / Head / Goat / Liar / Down (Touch & Go)
Red Red Meat - Bunny Gets Paid (Sub Pop)
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (Legacy)
The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines (Sub Pop)
books (read in 2009, not necessarily released in 2009):
Roberto Bolano, 2666
Dan Chaon, Await Your Reply
Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War
Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Jason, Low Moon
Michael Kupperman, Tales Designed to Thrizzle: Volume 1
Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Charles Stross, Wireless
Twitter feeds:
bellinitheband (Bellini, the band)
hodgman (writer/expert Jon Hodgman)
MataWarehouse (the Matador Warehouse)
MKupperman (cartoonist Michael Kupperman)
OGOchoCinco (Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco)
scharpling (radio personality Tom Scharpling)
THE_REAL_SHAQ (the real Shaq)
tonymillionaire (cartoonist Tony Millionaire)
truepanther (Dean Bein of True Panther Sounds)
warrenellis (the English writer, not the Australian musician)
other:
- Not having to go to court after getting a summons for "blocking the sidewalk' while attempting to leave an Oh Sees show at Glasslands (7/2)
- Catching myself before I fell all the way off a 4th-story fire escape (7/11)
- Accidentally breaking into someone's unlocked cabin, thinking it was the one we'd rented for ATP New York, and being greeted by multiple pieces of evidence that the (thankfully absent) owner of said cabin owned guns and knew how to use them (9/11)
- Seeing The Jesus Lizard three times in 2009 (9/11, 10/31, 11/16)
- Receiving a Kindle for my birthday (9/29)
- Mike Venutolo-Mantovani ordering 40 shots of whiskey at the Beggars Group CMJ party (10/22)
- WFMU station manager Ken Freedman, drunk out of his mind on live radio (and in front of a live audience) at the UCB Theatre for Seven Second Delay (12/2)
- The following text from my fiancee after Alabama annihilated Florida to win the SEC Championship: "Game over. Tebow crying. Awesome" (12/5)
- The Fisticup (http://www.worldwidefred.com/fisticup.htm), a gift from my Secret Santa (12/10)
Steve Glauber, Matador Direct
Favorite releases from the decade-clincher: 2009
Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away LP
Ganglians – Monster Head Room LP
Girls – “Hellhole Ratrace”, “Lust for Life”
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion LP
Strange Boys - …And Girls Club LP
Sonic Youth – “What We Know”
Ty Segall – Lemons LP
Condo Fucks – Fuckbook LP
Ted Leo – “The Back Seat of My Car” from Tom Scharpling’s RAM tribute album, DOG
Intelligence – Fake Surfers LP
Raekwon ft. Inspectah Deck & Masta Killa – “Kiss the Ring”
Thee Oh Sees – Help LP
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca LP
Atlas Sound ft. Panda Bear – “Walkabout”
Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”
Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
Music
T.A.S.K. - Relaxing Time is Over LP (Heart Worm) - First album from this Berlin group with members of the Stuttgart collective Metabolismus.
Polvo - In Prism 2XLP (Merge) - It really is a triumphant return though it took me two to three listens to fully embrace it. Grab the double LP which comes with fantastic Independent Project Press gatefold jacket and on heavy weight vinyl.
Sun Araw - Heavy Deeds 12" (NNF) - Heavy Deeds, indeed.
Predator Vision/Sun Araw split 12" (NNF) - This was the first SA-related release I bought... "Hey, Mandala" yeah.
Samara Lubelski - Future Slip (Ecstatic Peace) - Love everything she does but this one considerably ups the game. Co-produced by Thurston Moore.
Girls - Hellhole Ratrace 10" (Fantasy Trashcan / True Panther) - The tune that started it all. This song and the b-side make up a near perfect bite-sized nugget.
Sic Alps - A Long Way Around to a Shortcut 2XLP (Drag City) - You reissue it, I get to list it again.
Woods - Songs of Shame LP (Woodist) - Yes, I am on the bandwagon for this one, but still waiting on the next Menaguar album.
Graham Lambkin - Softly Softly Copy Copy CD (Kye) - microphone abuse, field recordings, violin drone .... makes me miss The Shadow Ring even more than I already do.
Infinity Window - Artifical Midnight LP (Arbor) - Heavy drones. "Sheet of Face" is the jam that you want to hear.
Amen Dunes "DIA" CD (Locust) - Reverb-drenched psych gem.
Tony Conrad///Genesis Breyer P-Orridge - Taking Issue LP (Dais) - Violin vs. violin. Living legends live at Issue Project Room.
Yo Gabba Gabba - Music is Awesome CD (Filter) - All I know is that show is trippy as hell, involves Biz Markie and this album keeps my son busy for 40 minutes in a row.
Live experience of the year
Soldiers Of Fortune @ Bell House 9/24/09 - scorching 21-minute version of "Wooly Bully" featuring the triple guitar threat of Pat Sullivan, Bruno Merrick and Mike Bones plus Brad Truax, Kid Million & Barry London.
Art books
"Paris 48 2 29E" by Ami Sioux (OFR) - US ex-pat musician/photographer who has friends draw a map to a favorite place which she follows and then takes a photo of. Sounds weird but very personal and affecting. Follows 2008's Reykjavik 64 08N21 54W.
"Matthew's Ghost Houses Long Gone" drawn by Nigel Peake (Nigel Peake) - Second year in a row that I've included a book from Scottish artist Nigel Peake. I can get enough of his incredible ink line drawings, subtle watercolor work and astute observations of the world around him.
Rokuro Taniuchi "Works" - I made this title up because all the text is in japanese but incredible overview of the work from this illustrator of weird, creepy and quite surreal kids books, murals, television shows and more. Only available from Amazon.co.jp and costs about $35 in shipping alone, but well worth it.
which reminds me ... ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com - my favorite site for book art, cover designs, illustrations and downright incredible images. Turned me on to Taniuchi earlier this year.
Lisa Gottheil, Beggars Group
In no order:
1. The xx -- fun since August!
2. Getting to meet and work with Jarvis Cocker. Swoon Oh. I checked 08 list and I guess I met him last year. Re-meeting Jarvis and continuing to swoon.
3. Having a 2 1/2 year old - she cracks me up
4. In December discovered the show "The League" . Other TV that filled my time : Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Yo Gabba Gabba (see #3)
5. Having a 'hockey boyfriend"
6. Having a real boyfriend/baby daddy
7. "Dominos'
8. Rediscovering my love for select festivals and the fun that comes with the artist pass
9. First snowfall upstate
10. Swimming in the lake in the summer
11. The Ham/Swiss/Pickle sandwich at the deli on the SW corner from our office
12. My continued adoration for "Gossip Girl" and Nate
13. My gym opened a branch 2 blocks from home. Yes, very sad this is part of my list
14. Jawbox on Fallon
15. NOFX's "My Orphan Year' Sad song
16. Seamless Web and I became very good friends
Jonathan Lang, Beggars Group
Shows
Yo La Tengo - Roseland Ballroom
St. Vincent - 92Y Tribeca
The Horrors & NIN - Bowery Ballroom
Real Estate & Titus Andronicus @ The Whitney
Releases
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion + Fall Be Kind EP
St. Vincent - Actor
Girls - Album
Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
The XX- XX
Real Estate - S/T
Washed Out - Life of Leisure EP
Tracks
St. Vincent - Marrow
The XX - Crystalized
Real Estate - Fake Blues
A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Close Chorus
Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Animal Collective - My Girls, Why Would I Want? Sky
Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension
Yo La Tengo - And The Glitter Is Gone
Washed Out - You'll See It
TV
Modern Family (ABC)
True Blood: Season 2(HBO)
Lost: Season 5(ABC)
Dexter: Season 4 (SHO)
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4 (SyFy)
Heather MacIntyre, Beggars Group
with gerard's permission, instead of living in the past, i've decided to write about thing's im looking forward to in 2010:
MUSIC:
- Magnetic Fields - Realism (Nonesuch)
- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 2010 project, (4AD)
- Harlem - Hippies (Matador),
- Cloud Nothings - Untitled 12" (Group Tightener),
- The Depreciation Guild - Spirit Youth LP (Kanine),
- The Super Vacations - Thank You LP (Shdwply),
- Four Tet - There Is Love In You (Domino),
- Jonsi 2010 LP (XL Recordings),
and most/finally: Serena-Maneesh S-M #2 LP (4AD)
MORE "B" THINGS: bike-rides, bbq, brevity, bourbon, believing, bonfires, bartering, beats, bravery, baking, and by all means, balance
FINALLY...
- Stop having the reoccurring lucid nightmare involving a shark, in the Lightning Bolt mask, in the context of a Goosebump choose-your-ending book scenario.
- Popping my "way too late night karaoke" cherry that i've suppressed for the last year and change, with staff
- Taking up smoking in order to become closer to co-workers, and overall, look cooler
- Broadening my already pathetic, extensive collection of foreign vampire movies
- The final season of LOST (it needs to end)
Robby Morris, Matador Records
(in no order)
blues control - local flavor
broadcast & the focus group - witch cults of the radio age
demdike stare - symbiosis
emeralds - what happened & allegory of allergies
little claw - human taste
cass mccombs - catacombs
salvation - of unforgiving wind 12"
shackleton - three EPs
thee oh shees - help, et al.
vladislav delay - tummaa
young governor - virginia creeper b/w & i'm a mess & english tim b/w in the heart of a harem 7"'s
Todd Netter, Beggars Group
So I could undoubtedly fill my top albums of the year with Matador/Beggars Group related albums but where's the fun in that? So here goes...
5 Bands/Albums I Listened To A Lot In 2009:
Japandroids Post-Nothing
Foreign Born - Person To Person
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Real Estate - Real Estate
Thee Oh Sees - Help
5 Bands/Albums From 2009 I Plan On Listening To More in 2010:
Obits I Blame You
Best Coast Best Coast + Make You Mine 7"s
Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains
Fuck Buttons Tarot Sport
Neko Case Middle Cyclone
5 Favorite Albums of the 2000s (admittedly nothing out of left field here and everything is from the first half of the decade but I listened to these 5 albums so much and in the end they may just be my favorite of the 2000s):
Sufjan Stevens Illnois
Arcade Fire Funeral
Boards of Canada Geogaddi
The Shins Oh, Inverted World
Elliot Smith Figure 8
5 Favorite Matador/Beggars Group Shows Of 2009:
Titus Andronicus at the Whitney Museum (July) - a rowdy show, so rowdy in fact that security had to cut their performance short by a song or two.
Yo La Tengo at the Roseland Ballroom (Sept) - band's music was accompanied by a terrific light show put on by Joshua White and Gary Painter
Mission of Burma's "Burma Day in Boston" (Oct) - Burma was properly recognized, in the form of a declaration from the City of Boston.
Jay Reatard's "Shattered Records Tour" at Le Poisson Rouge (Oct) - now that was a bill, 4-5 hours of great bands and great fun. more of a party than a show.
Camera Obscura's show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (Nov) - the very best I've heard them sound when playing songs from My Maudlin Career.
5 NYC moments for the history books (2000-09):
Sept 11, 2001
the Northeast Blackout of August 2003
the NYC Transit Strike in December 2005
the closing of the original Yankee Stadium - Sept 2008
Barack Obama's inauguration - January 2009 (ok not a NYC specific day but a pretty historic one nonetheless)
Gabe Spierer, Beggars Group
Foreign Born - Person to Person
All things Young Governor (esp. "Virginia Creeper" 7")
Atlas Sound - Logos and live in London in November
The fact that Epitaph did the Blood Brothers deluxe CD reissues. Not the albums themselves (which range from good to perfect), just the fact that this series exists. Amazes me for some reason.
Nine Inch Nails live at Bowery Ballroom
Death - ...For The Whole World To See
Girls - Dave Martin tells me, "Saying 'I told you so' is poor form." OK. Great year for Girls! Never saw it coming.
Watching The xx happen. Never saw it coming. No, really, I didn't.
Luxury - "Green Hearts" from "Yellow Pills: Prefill" comp. The first song after The xx on my iTunes, so I listened to it a lot. Power-pop magic.
The Horrors - Primary Colours and live at Music Hall of Williamsburg in October (always pretty great live, but this was like last-show-of-a-long-tour crusher-style honing-your-shit-every-night-across-America awesome)
Jay-Z live at Liberty State Park
Times New Viking - Born Again Revisited and live, always. Maybe the best band in the world, and definitely the funniest.
The Magic Kids live...Just the right side of a very thin line.
Zachary Cale - Walking Papers
Mike Venutolo-Mantovani, Matador Direct
Sound Things
Superchunk - Leaves in the Gutter EP (Merge)
The xx - xx (XL/Young Turks)
Sonic Youth - The Eternal (Matador)
Dinosaur Feathers - Fantasy Memorial EP (Self-released)
Young Governor - Virginia Creeper 7" (Self-released)
The Dutchess and the Duke - Sunrise/Sunset (Hardly Art)
Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another (4AD)
Death - For The Whole World to See (Drag City)
Wildbirds and Peacedrums - The Snake (The Control Group)
Pants Yell! - Received Pronounciation (Slumberland)
Anni Rossi - Rockwell (4AD)
Ofege - Try and Love (Academy LPs)
Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
King Khan and BBQ - The Invisible Girl (In The Red)
Woods - Songs of Shame (Woodsist)
Rainbow Bridge - Big Wave Rider 7" (True Panther Sounds)
Blue Roses - Blue Roses (XL)
Sight Things
Fucked Up at the Independent
Dinosaur Feathers at Cameo (first night of residency)
Built to Spill at Terminal 5
Future of the Left at Spike Hill
tUnE-yArDs pretty much every time I see her
Kurt Vile at The Empty Bottle
The Mountain Goats at Webster Hall
Jay Reatard at Fingerprints
Sonic Youth at Electric Factory
too many others to list...
Happy Things
The Bro'd Trip
Finding the third piece of the Sherpas puzzle
Gibson's Steaks
Tiger Woods
ET's face when she met Ibold
Practicing Sonic Youth tunes in a beer closet with Gabe
Dean's office (file under "The Appropriation of True Panther Sounds")
Eula opens for Mission of Burma
Todd Netter: Karaoke God
Chicago weekends with the Big Goober
Hours upon hours of shit talking with Helen
Sonic Youth's House of Shifting Plates and Ridiculous Juice
Youtube-ing plane crash videos in an effort to scare the shit out of myself
Ben Goldberg's Dave Martin impression
Having a Matador logo on my paycheck
The Chicago Aquarium
Beggars/Matador Saucony Team... Trivial Pursuit night especially
Jay Reatard instore tour
Playing 50 shows in one summer with pow wow!
The Fesken/Fiedler wedding... don't let anyone tell you Ex Models can't dance
Izzy finally getting used to my beard
The opportunity to work with Sonic Youth
A return to form in dick and fart jokes
Hockey Bob
Pitchfork Festival
J Mascis on stage with Built to Spill
Atlanta Jin Jin
Villanova Basketball (Top 5!!! Go NOVA!!!)
Realizing that mom is tougher than I ever could have imagined
And so is dad
Chicago rock and roll buddy Dave
Hanging out in Paul Rosenberg's Magical Warehouse of Taxis
Making fantastic records with Dinosaur Feathers & Sherpas in said warehouse
Writing a "Best Of..." list for this here site
Best of 2009
Somehow convincing these guys that it'd be in their best interests to hire me
Worst of 2009
5 trips to Chicago and not one stop at Taco Burrito King. Weak, Mike... Reeeal weak.
The fucking Giants
The fucking Mets
Jimmy fucking Johnson
Helen's fucking bike
Dave Martin, Matador Direct
New records
1. Dutchess & the Duke - "Sunset/Sunrise" Hardly Art
2. Blues Control - "Local Flavor" Siltbreeze
3. Thomas Function - "In The Valley of Sickness" Fat Possum
4. Reigning Sound - "Love and Curses" In The Red
5. Mantles - S/T Siltbreeze
6. Greg Cartwright - "Live At The Circle A" Dusty Medical
7. Tyvek - S/T Siltbreeze
8. CoCoComa - "Things Are Not Alright" Goner
9.Espers - III Drag City
10. The Mayfair Set - "Young One" Captured Tracks / Woodsist
Almost: the Clean - "Mister Pop", Vivian Girls - "Everything Goes Wrong" V/A - World's Lousy With Ideas Vol. 8, Boys Club - S/T, Heavy Trash - "Midnight Soul Serenade", Mannequin Men - "Lose Your Illusion Too", Naam - S/T, Polvo - "In Prisim", King Khan & BBQ Show - "Invisible Girl", Blank Dogs - "Under and Under"
Old Records New Again
1. Death - "For The Whole World To See" Drag City
2. Bill Fox - "Shelter From The Smoke" Scat
3. Crushed Butler - "Uncrushed" Radio Heartbeat
4. Mirrors - "Something That I Would Never" Velvet Times
5. Ivy Green - S/T Pogo
6. Ofege - "Try And Love" Academy LPs
7. V/A - "Messthetics #107: London DIY vol. 3" Hyped2Death
8. Big Star - "Keep An Eye On The Sky"
9. Thin Lizzy - "Still Dangerous: Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977" VH1 Classics
10. Betty Davis - "Is It Love Or Desire" - Sundazed
Almost: Velvet Underground 7" box, Love - "Love Lost", V/A "Where The Action Is: L.A. Nuggets" Eddy Current Suppression Ring -S/T, Nerves -"One Way Ticket" & "Live @ The Pirate's Cove" & The Breakaways "Walking Out On Love" , V/A "Total Pop Vol. 1" and a bunch of records that got reissued that are essential but I didn't get too crazy about because I already had that action (not trying to be "that guy - just old) like the Jesus LIzard, Monks, The Terminals and the Feelies
Singles or EPs
1. Wounded Lion - "Creatures in the Cave (Ballad)" b/w Parots - Gilongo
2. Mike Rep & the Quotas - "Donovan's Brain Pts. 1 & 2" Columbus Discount Records
3. Sandwich - "Assisted Living" b/w "I've Had A Few" Columbus Discount Records
4. Cave Weddings - "Bring Your Love" b/w "Let's Drive" HoZac
5. Idle Times - "Get Your Feet Off The Ground" b/w "Driving You Sad" Woodsist & "Million Miles Away" b/w "Whatever Works For You" HoZac
6. Cheater Slicks - "Erotic Woman" b/w "Can't You Hear My (Heartbeat) " Columbus Discount Records
7. Monks - "Pretty Suzanne" b/w "Monk Time" Red Lounge Records
8. Kim Phuc - "Weird Skies" b/w "Suicide Circle" Dear Skull Records
9. Mark Sultan - "Hold On" b/w "I Hear A New World" Sub Pop & "I Am The End" b/w "Catastrophe" In The Red
10. Blank Dogs - "In Here" 7" - Down In The Ground Sure it is a great record, but it was eclipsed the drama surrounding it.
Almost: The rest of the Columbus Discount Records singles club records that came out in 2009 (and Year two has been pretty great so far too). Pyschedelic Horseshit "Shitgaze Anthems" & "Too Many Hits" (even if I just listed it), Silver Shampoo 7" on Whats Your Rupture?, White Mystery - "Powerglove" "Aaron" b/w "Ye Olde Stone" on HoZac
Blake Thomas, Beggars Group
Food: Top 3 steak sambos I've had recently in NY
1. Harry's Cafe
2. Pastis
3. Estancia (Greenwich st.)
Album: The Dutchess and the Duke "Sunset/Sunrise" (sorry Dave, but the shit is good)
Video: Dinosaur Jr. - Over it
Beer: Life & Limb (Sixpoint Bengali Tiger is real tasty too)
Booze: Black Maple Hill Small Batch Bourbon
Single: R. Kelly Echo
Movie: House Of The Devil
Team: Jayhawks. Beak ‘em
Show: Kurt Vile at Mercury Lounge
Blog: Hipster Runoff
TV: Friday Night Lights is real good
Patrick Amory, Matador Records
Best of 2009, a/k/a Adieu Vieille Europe:
1. Peste Noire - Ballade cuntre lo Anemi francor CS (De Profundis)
2. Young Governor - Hidden Love 12" EP (Parts Unknown)
3. Killed By Glam comp LP (Moonboot)
4. Ash Pool - Saturns Slave 7" (Hospital Productions)
5. Arthur Russell - Come To Life 7" (just the Arthur Russell side) (Terrible Records)
6. Tyvek - Tyvek LP (Siltbreeze)
7. Mount Kimbie - Maybes 12" (played at 33rpm) (Hotflush Recordings)
8. Eight Acts Of Origin comp LP (Raging Bloodlust)
9. Messthetics #107: DIY '78-'81 London III comp CD (track 10 onwards) (Hyped 2 Death)
10. Ashdautas - Shadow Plays of Grief and Pain CD (Ixiol Productions)
11. GG King - Adult Rock 7" (B-side only) (Douchemaster)
12. Spiritual Singers - Ntsamina LP (Mississippi)
13. Aardvarck - Blööm 3 12" (white label)
14. Omar Souleyman - Dabke 2020 CD (Sublime Frequencies)
15. Ofege - Try and Love LP (Academy)
16. Cedric IM Brooks & The Light Of Saba - The Magical Light Of Saba (Honest Jon's)
17. Dodsferd - Suicide And The Rest Of Your Kind Will Follow CD (Moribund Records)
18. Legends Of Benin comp dbl LP (Analog Africa)
19. Fleetwood Mac In Concert February 5, 6, 7 1970 4XLP box set (esp 2nd sidelong version of Rattleshake Snake) (Vinyl Lovers)
20. Ouaga Affair: Hard Won Sound Of The Upper Volta 1974-1978 dbl LP (Savannahphone)
Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
Jeffrey Novak – After The Ball (LMN)
Jesu – Opiate Sun (Calo Verde)
Bad Sports – s/t (Douchemaster)
The Golden Boys – Electric Wolfman (Daggerman/Alien Snatch)
Maximo Park – Quicken The Heart (Warp)
Tommy Keene – In The Late Bright (Second Motion)
Hex Dispensers – Winchester Mystery House (Douchemaster)
CoCoComa – Things Are Not All Right (Goner)
Love Collector – “My Baby Goes Waaah!” 7? (Big Action)
John Wesley Coleman – Steal My Mind (Certified P.R.)
Tyvek – s/t (Siltbreeze)
The Mayfair Set – Young Ones 12? EP (Captured Tracks/Woodsist)
Box Elders – Alice & Friends (Goner)
Chimiks – s/t (Slovenly)
Young Governor – “Virgina Creeper” 7? (Plastic Idol)
live :
Mayyors (someone's house, March)
Gunslingers (Beerland, March)
The Muffs (Southpaw, Brooklyn, January)
Ratas Del Vaticano (Sound On Sound, May),
Gentlemen Jesse & His Men (The Earl, Atlanta, August)
Cruddy (End Of An Ear, December)
Don Howland's A Burning Bus (Murphy's, Memphis, September),
Axemen (Broken Neck, November)
Total Abuse (Cake Shop, NYC, January)
Andrew Dice Clay (Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, November)
Pierced Arrows (Satyricon, Portland. October)
Endless Boogie (Beerland/Music Gym, March)
TV Ghost (Headhunters, March),
Brutal Knights (Emo's, May)
Jesus Lizard, (Waterloo Park, November)
Spider Bags / John Wesley Coleman (The Grand, December)
but for sheer consistent brilliance, over and fucking over again, Dikes Of Holland
worst things about 2009:
the home field disadvantage(s) of Citi Field
Sound On Sound closing
best things about 2009 :
furry fire alarms!
Manny Pacquiao
Trailer Space
Yo La Tengo & Times New Viking, Tour Revisited
As the year comes to an end and the spirit of revisiting things takes us over, we've come across the following comment that Jared Phillips (Times New Viking) made to Pitchfork back in January 2008 when discussing life on the road:
I don't know where the best place we've played would be. Probably one of those places that we played with Yo La Tengo that we'll never get to play again [ laughs ]. Those were all pretty fun but, you know, if it ever happens we'll be 40 years old by the time we play in a place that big again.
So I guess we'd just like to be the first to say happy 40th to TNV because this coming January good times are rolling through towns from Michigan south to Texas. That's right like any good combination (chocolate and peanut butter immediately comes to mind), Yo La Tengo and Times New Viking have decided to revisit the road and live performance format together this coming January. If you're in one of the towns below be sure to catch what should be the chocolate and peanut butter of live shows, for the early part of 2010 at the very least. Tickets are on sale now!!!!
Fri, Jan 22 / Pontiac, MI / Crofoot Ballroom
Sat, Jan 23 / Madison, WI / Barrymore Theatre
Sun, Jan 24 / St. Louis, MO / The Pageant
Tue, Jan 26 / Lawrence, KS / Granada Theatre
Wed, Jan 27 / Tulsa, OK / Cain's Ballroom
Thu, Jan 28 / Houston, TX / Warehouse Live
Fri, Jan 29 / Austin, TX / Antone's
Sat, Jan 30 / Dallas, TX / Granada Theatre
Yo Spain & Portugal ! March 2010 YLT Dates
Photo swiped from *the get up kid*'s Flickr, used without permission
New Yo La Tengo dates, freshly announced today :
Wed 10 Mar SPAIN, VALENCIA SALA MIRROR
Thu 11 Mar SPAIN, MURCIA AUDITORIO VICTOR VILLEGAS
Sat 13 Mar SPAIN, MADRID SALA RIVIERA
Sun 14 Mar PORTUGAL, LISBON AULA MAGNA
Mon 15 Mar PORTUGAL, PORTO CASA DA MUSICA
Tue 16 Mar SPAIN, SANTIAGO SALA CAPITOL
Thu 18 Mar SPAIN, BILBAO SALA ROCKSTAR
Fri 19 Mar SPAIN, BARCELONA SALA APOLO
A Hanukkah Special (Crammed Into A Few Days) : Peers & Pals Pick Their Yo La Tengo Favorites (Pt. I)
(the above tee --- designed by Stephen Hunking, based on an original work by Raymond Pettibone, marked Yo La Tengo's December '08 eight night stand in Hoboken, and is still available)
Yo La Tengo are taking a rare year off from their annual Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's ---they're in Japan right now --- and as a result, we polled a bunch of famous name YLT fans and asked them to pick their favorite song from the trio's vast back catalog. Ideally, we'd planned to roll one of these out each night for 8 days (get it?)....but then the Beggars Group Holiday Party happened....and we all lost our wallets, keys, laptops and senses for a few days. So we'll start with 5 today, alright?
CLINT CONLEY, Mission Of Burma
“The Race Is On Again” from 'I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Am Going To Beat Your Ass'
To me this song is typical of YLT finding their way into a quiet corner of the Indie-sphere that hasn’t been raked over by the hordes, and is theirs alone. Sweet and beautiful melancholia . With chord changes that feel fresh every time I hear them.
BRIAN TURNER, WFMU/The Mad Scene
“Deeper Into Movies” from 'I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One'
Some YLT songs kinda crack open more and more instrumentally, spiralling up to a total frothing pot of epic noize but never obliterating the fabric of the song and how it's structured. This one is definitely one of the ceilings in that realm; there's vocal unity and a swoony melody with a repeated mantra that pokes through as the chaos builds, and it's really lovely. Anarchic but centered, never forgetting the song and its progression. It's almost like the Beach Boys backed by a Sonny Sharrock-fronted Rallizes Denudes or something insane that shouldn't work but does perfectly.
DAVID KILGOUR, The Clean
“From A Motel 6” from 'Painful'
I’ve had the pleasure of playing this with Yo La Tengo a few times. They gave me the job of the slide, which I gleefully took. A unique song from a unique band. Of course I’m biased, but who ain’t?!
DAVID CROSS
“Big Day Coming” from 'Painful'
My all time favorite YLT song (for now) is Big Day Coming. And the fact that there are two of them only doubles my pleasure. That's saying quite a bit too as I have over fifty-seven favorite YLT songs. And that, for reasons I won't go into here, Yo La Tengo will forever be associated with severe stomach cramps and extreme nausea and I STILL love them very much.
KURT WAGNER, Lambchop
"Wizard's Sleeve" from'Short Bus : Original Soundtrack'
The title still haunts me like a Halloween movie. Sure, I have many other favorite YLT songs, but play this one for me and I'll most likely not recognize it. To me, that really speaks volumes to the special nature of this particular song.
The Golden Archipelago Limited Edition Dossier
In conjunction with the release of Shearwater’s new album, The Golden Archipelago, singer Jonathan Meiburg and designer Mark Ohe have created a beautiful, full-color, 75-page, 8 x 10.5” dossier as a companion piece that you can obtain only through Kickstarter.com
The dossier is a visual guide to the world of the album, primarily composed of photographs and documents collected by JM from islands and other singular places around the world. Among its pages are the national anthem of Bikini Atoll, the story of a charming and fatally obsessed German aviator and explorer, notes from the daily life of a remote Aboriginal village occupied by missionaries, and photographs from an island Jules Verne considered "The End of the World," where endangered animals remain unafraid of humans. It also features production credits and full lyrics for The Golden Archipelago and its B-sides.The dossier’s loose, numbered pages will come packaged in a personalized, numbered, heavy-duty envelope fastened with a string tie.
Included here are some images from the dossier. You can also view these images here
And as previously posted, The Golden Archipelago CD (February 23) comes packaged with a redesigned 50-page booklet that is a set of extracts from the dossier. LP pre-orders via our store will ALSO receive a copy of this CD-sized perfect bound book.
Visit here to pledge and learn about the Kickstarter project.
And check out the "damn near perfect" (thanks Pitchfork!) mp3 for Castaways here
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - New U.S. Dates
(photo taken from musicazul's Flickr stream)
In the two weeks since we announced the details surrounding the March 9 release of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists' 'The Brutalist Bricks' (LP/CD/digital album), we've been swamped with questions --- some of them of the angry, hectoring variety that I associate with bad breeding --- regarding the band's touring plans. As such, you'll be pleased to see a very busy slate of 2010 tourism for Ted kicks off in March 11 at Cleveland's venerable Grog Shop, with many more dates to be announced in the weeks and months ahead.
3/11/2010 Cleveland OH Grog Shop
3/12/2010 Pontiac MI The Crofoot
3/13/2010 Chicago IL Bottom Lounge
3/14/2010 Madison WI High Noon Saloon
3/15/2010 Minneapolis MN First Avenue
3/19/2010 Seattle WA Neumo's
3/20/2010 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge (21+)
3/21/2010 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge (all ages matinee)
3/23/2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
3/27/2010 Los Angeles CA Troubadour
4/4/2010 Atlanta GA The Masquerade
4/5/2010 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle
4/7/2010 Philadelphia PA First Unitarian Church
4/8/2010 Washington DC 930 Club
4/9/2010 New York NY Irving Plaza
4/10/2010 Boston MA Paradise
"Even Heroes Have To Die" (192k MP3)
(preorder 'The Brutalist Bricks' from The Matador Store)
Yo La Tengo - "Live at Moog"
Yo La Tengo launch the brand-new "Live at Moog" series on Paste.com.
"Live at Moog" brings bands into the Moog Music Factory in Asheville, North Carolina, and lets them play with analog toys in service of the bands' original material.
Check the session out here.
This Christmas just got 10% better
If you're anything like us you probably haven't started your holiday shopping yet, and it's a good thing you haven't. Now you can get your friends and family something they will really love and take advantage of a 10% off sale valid through December 15th at the Matador store. Just make sure to enter code 'holidaze' at checkout.
Coming April 6 : Harlem - 'Hippies'
(photo by Pooneh Ghana)
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 ;
"Friendly Ghost" (192k mp3)
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.)
Fucked Up - Do They Know It's Christmas? benefit single, featuring Yo La Tengo, GZA, Tegan & Sara, Ezra Koenig, Bob Mould and more
If all goes well, on iTunes you'll be able to purchase Fucked Up's star-studded cover of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? All proceeds will go to benefit three organizations in Canada working to bring to end to the epidemic of missing and murdered native women.
UPDATE: it's available! Go HERE
The song is a tongue-in-cheek take on the '80s classic written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, and features vocals from Yo La Tengo, GZA, Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend), Bob Mould (Husker Du), Tegan & Sara, Andrew W.K., Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), David Cross (comedian) and Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene).
Fucked Up's frontman Damian Abraham, a.k.a. "Pink Eyes", says "it's hard to find a balance between the song being a fun, playful holiday classic and the reason we're putting it out, to benefit organizations dealing with a deadly, serious issue." Since 1980, there have been 520 known cases of missing or murdered Aboriginal women across Canada and many believe the true number to be significantly higher. If compared to the rest of the population their death and disappearance rate would be equivalent to over 18,000 Canadian women and girls missing or murdered. Approximately 50% of the murders and disappearances have occurred during or since 2000.
The three groups that will receive 100% of the proceeds from sales of this song are Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Montreal), DTES Power of Women Group (Vancouver) and Sisters in Spirit (Ottawa).
The recording of this track was funded in full by a portion of the $20,000 award Fucked Up received for winning the Polaris Music Prize for their recent album, The Chemistry of Common Life.
‘Do They Know It's Christmas?’ should be available from iTunes on Tuesday December 8, and will be released as a 7" single with an unreleased Fucked Up song on the b-side in February 2010.
Fucked Up are also releasing a compilation of their many rare singles recorded between 2002 and 2009, Couple Tracks, accompanied by a two-song limited-edition 7" and in stores on January 26.
Times New Viking - "Born Again Revisited" video
Today we offer the excellent new video for "Born Again Revisited" from Times New Viking's like-titled fourth full-length album (buy it here, do it right now, it's their best yet. In this season of opinions and assholes - everybody's got 'em - I'll say it's EASILY one of the best records of the year).The band just finished an adult-sized US tour (take note pretenders to the pavement), with more dates to follow in the new year.
Directed by Pelham Johnston and Brandon Reichard, without further ado - "Born Again Revisited":
Jeffrey Jensen - Live. In Person. On Stage.
(above : one of NYC's most beloved icons/public figures. And on the left, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe)
Jeff Jensen, one half of the terrorist telephonic duo that brought you the monumental comedy recording, 'Just Farr A Laff (Vol's 1 & 2)', will be making a rare stand-up appearance tomorrow night at Brooklyn's Bruar Falls. You know the old saying, "how do you get to Bruar Falls?" To tell the truth, I've never heard that saying, but here's a google map link.
Cold Cave live on KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic, today at 11:15AM PST / 2:15PM EST
[caption id="attachment_7095" align="alignnone" width="523" caption="(photo by Jayme Thornton)"]
[/caption]The gentlemen and lady of Cold Cave just capped off a great run of West Coast tour dates with two shows in Los Angeles. They'll be back in more frigid northeastern climes soon, but before that they'll be making an appearance on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15AM PST / 2:15 EST. Angelenos should listen at 89.9FM; Non-gelenos can join the party at kcrw.com.
Cold Cave just released the limited edition Death Comes Close 12" EP. Both it and their full-length debut, Love Comes Close, are available at our webstore.
Seafood risotto
This turned out so well that I'm actually going to post a recipe - something I don't usually do, because I generally cook from cookbooks and posting recipes is a copyright violation, even if they've been tweaked. This one I really made up, triangulating of course from established recipes, my own experience making (non-seafood) risotto, and available ingredients.
Before anyone makes risotto, I recommend that they consult "Desperately Resisting Risotto" by John Thorne in Pot On The Fire, for covering basics, concepts and exploding myths (you don't have to stir the whole time). As always it's also an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
I tried to buy fish stock today and failed. So I ended up making my own. I'd bought 1/2 lb wild shrimp from Mexican, unpeeled, and about 5 large Atlantic scallops. I peeled and deveined the shrimp, reserving the shells, and put the shells and half of one of the shrimp to boil in 5 1/2 cups water, 2 bay leaves, 2 smashed cloves garlic, 1 coarsely chopped small onion, and whatever fresh herbs and vegetables I had lying around. In this case it was supermarket flat-leaf parsley, and the last surviving herbs out in the garden: sage and chervil, plus half a zucchini, coarsely chopped. I added 1/2 cup dry vermouth and a splash of dry sherry, brought the whole thing to a boil, skimmed foam, and then kept it gently boiling over medium heat until the stock reduced to 2 cups, and strained it, and then put it back on the heat at just under a simmer. I also brought 5 cups of water to boil in the kettle.
Meanwhile I chopped the scallops into about 5-6 pieces each and the shrimp into 3 pieces. I also chopped a few shallots finely until I had about 3/4 cup (be prepared to tear up - onions are nothing compared to shallots in that dept), and some more fresh sage from the garden. The shallots and sage were then set to saute in 5 tbs well-heated good olive oil. When golden and transparent (4-6 min), I added 1 cup carnaroli rice, and stirred until the rice was toasty-smelling and the tops of the kernels transparent (2-3 min).
Next I added 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a Sancerre) to the rice and stirred until it evaporated, and then started adding 1/2 cup boiling stock at a time to the rice, and stirred / left it sit until it evaporated, then added more, for about 20 minutes. When the stock ran out, I started adding 1/2 cup water. In the middle of this process, I added a relatively small amount of salt and freshly ground pepper. At 20 minutes, you need to start tasting the rice kernels to see that they are done - a subjective process, because some people like more al dente risotto and some like it more well done a la regular rice. Towards the end of the 20 minutes I heated up another 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauteed the shrimp and scallops in them until opaque - 3 minutes at most - and added them to the rice, cooking the mixture for another 3 minutes or so and seasoning well with salt, freshly ground black pepper and some freshly ground Italian dried red peppers as well.
Serve in heated bowls. Sprinkle freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley on the top and serve.
Jay Reatard - "There Is No Sun", Live At Criminal Records
Things got a little out of hand during a Criminal Records (ATL) instore earlier this week when dozens of shoppers were whipped into a frenzy by one of the more controversial, polarizing performers of our era. But enough about Wyclef Jean's visit to Euclid Avenue, Jay Reatard's performance yesterday was yet another public demonstration of genius-level songcraft. And there's more to come along the tour route. ('Watch Me Fall' - available on LP, CD and digital files from The Matador Store)
Cold Cave in LA this weekend, get a limited-edition mixtape
image poached from Johnny Hanel's flickr
Los Angelans, make note:
At this weekend's Cold Cave shows, the first 100 lucky attendees will receive a limited edition cassette tape with a mix curated by Cold Cave's Wes Eisold and manufactured in conjunction with the folks at FYF Fest. Rumor has it that these cassettes contain a very special demo recording by Cold Cave but we can't confirm or deny that. You'll just have to find out for yourself. Each cassette is hand numbered and will only be made available at these shows.
Friday, December 4th (TONIGHT!)
Cold Cave
Abe Vigoda
Former Ghosts
@ Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Blvd.
LA, CA 90041
&
Sunday, December 6
Cold Cave
Nite Jewel
@ Echo
1822 Sunset Blvd
LA, CA 90026