Our Annual Orgy of Self-Congratulation, Grandstanding & Overconsumption : Matador Artists & Staff Select Their 2016 Favorites

December 19th, 2016 at 4:34 pm by Gerard

(above : Brandon Victor Dixon of Broadway smash, "Hamilton" reads a prepared statement imploring Matador ownership to reissue the Unsane back catalog in 2017 for the good of the nation)

Around this time every year, your under appreciated conscientious editor attempts to coax a list of favorite recordings, books, television programs, life events, etc. out of the label’s artist roster and our show business pals. In the past, the exercise has been an trying process, fraught with nagging, teeth-gnashing and no shortage of hesitant participants, some of whom actually changed labels or places of employment or their identities to avoid the task. Even worse, we continue to overlook persons currently recording for or working for the record label -- go figure.

For some historical perspective, here’s last year’s selections. Questions or comments about our predictable tastes and/or inexplicable omissions are welcome (but it's totally ok if you keep it to yourself --- just because show business people are serial oversharers doesnt mean you have to follow suit). And without further ado, let the coronations of Solange, 75 Dollar Bill and Heron Oblivion begin - GC :

Anthony Anzaldo Jr., Ceremony

21 ALBUMS
David Bowie - Blackstar
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Key
Anohni - Hopelessness
Suede - Night Thoughts
Teenage Fan Club - Here
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker



Tony Molina - Confront The Truth
Blaqk Audio - Material
Dark Blue - Start Of The World
Nothing - Tired Of Tomorrow
Terry - HQ
Marissa Nadler - Strangers
Fury - Paramount
Brian Eno - The Ship
Solange - A Seat at the Table
Super Unison - Auto
Swans - The Glowing Man
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Neurosis - Fires Within Fires

11 SHOWS
Prince - Paramount Theater, Oakland CA
Prince - Oracle Arena, Oakland CA
Echo And The Bunnymen - Regency, SF CA
Royal Headache - Great American Music Hall, SF CA
Give - 924 Gilman St, Berkeley CA
Johnny Marr - The Independent, SF CA
Drive Like Jehu - The Independent, SF CA
Fury - Sound And Fury pre show, LA CA
Tørsö - 1234GO!, Oakland CA
Morrissey - GSR, Reno NV
Masses - Melbourne AUS

RIP Bowie, Prince, Alan, Leonard, Woods, Cash and all of the victims of the Ghost Ship/Oakland Fire.

Jehnny Beth, Savages

Best record : David Bowie - Blackstar
Best film: Childhood of a leader - by Brady Corbet
Best TV series: Cosmos - with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Best cartoon: Adventure Time



Best book: Life in the folds, Henri Michaux

Best gig: Iggy Pop, The Greek Theatre, LA

Best radio show: 'Start Making Sense' on Beats1 ;)
Best Jewel maker: Simone Nunes, Beijos (Paris)
Best clothes designer: Minimarket (Swedish brand)
Best shoe maker: KMB (handmade in Spain)

Lucy Dacus

Best realizations I had this year:

1. Puffins are real.
2. Almost every venue has a disco ball.
3. Narwhals are real.

Albums that stuck with me this year alphabetically:

Andy Shauf - The Party
Angel Olsen - My Woman
Beyoncé - Lemonade



Big Thief - Masterpiece
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound
Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial
Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
David Bowie - Blackstar
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win
Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
The Lemon Twigs - Do Hollywood
Mitski - Puberty 2
Pinegrove - Cardinal
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive
Y La Bamba - Ojos Del Sol

Best movie: Moonlight

Best books I read:

"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara
"Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy
"Beauty Is A Wound" by Eka Kurniawan
"The Complete Stories" by Flannery O'Connor
"Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes
"The Empathy Exams" by Leslie Jamison
"The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
"Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson
"Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf
"My Brilliant Friend" and the rest of the Neopolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante
"The Portrait Of A Lady" by Henry James
"Savage Beauty: The Life Of Edna St. Vincent Millay" by Nancy Millford
"Tenth Of December" by George Saunders
"The Year Of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion

Best book I read published in 2016: The Lonely City by Olivia Laing


Ross Farrar, Ceremony

David Bowie - Blackstar
The World - S/T EP
Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow
Guilty of Love - Unloved
Martin creed - Thoughts Lined Up
Angel Olsen - My Woman
Moe tucker - Life After Abdication
Nameless Frames - S/T LP
Creative Adult - Fear of Life



Terry- HQ
Marbled Eye - S/T EP
Preoccupations - S/T LP
Ex Cult - Negative Growth
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Kitchen's Floor - Battle of Brisbane

Steve Gunn

Worst Greenroom: The Hope, Brighton UK. It’s a bathroom
Best Greenroom: Kegelbanan, Stockholm, Sweden. It has a sauna
Best Old School Hip Hop re discovery: Group Home - Livin’ Proof



Best Back Stage Graffiti - Prince drawing on the backstage door at 1st Avenue, Minneapolis
Best Hip Hop Podcast — Drink Champs
Best Surprise Random Record Store — Going Underground, Bakersfield California. Five of us entered the store with either a radio station, record store, or record label t shirt on. The clerk knew we were ready for business, and we all came out with a ton of stuff. Once of those instances when a record store makes you very late for soundcheck.



Best Book — Jeff Dyer - White Sands



Best Tour Outfit: Cian Nugent - Vintage Cosmos Full Sweatsuit purchased in Manchester

Live Shows:
Milford Graves, Marc Ribot, Shahzad Ismaily at the Stone. Michael Chapman - Brundel Social Club, Leeds
Bridget St. John — Church in Bushwick, Brooklyn Xloyroious White - Denver, Colorado
Louis CK — surprise set at Comedy Cellar, NYC
Most Intoxicating Song: Bob James - Angela (Taxi theme song)

Albums
Richard Bishop - Salvador Kali Re issue. (Exiled Records)
Arthur Doyle - First House (Amish records)
Velvet Underground - Legendary Guitar Amp Tapes: (Tummy Tapes)
Daniel Lanois - Goodbye to Language (anti)
Heron Oblivion - S/T (sub pop)

Best Festival- Woodsist Fest, Point Reyes California (best sets : Rambling Jack Elliot, Jonathan Richman, Jessica Pratt)
Worst Heckler - Bluebird Theater, Denver Colorado.. In between each song this very large, very stoned man kept asking if I liked Pink Floyd, and what my favorite band was.

Ryan Mahan, Algiers

Songs
YG  - “Fuck Donald Trump”
Novelist - “Endz”
Uniform - “Tabloid”

Albums
ABRA - PRINCESS
Bambara - Swarm



Ka - Honour Killed the Samurai
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
Skepta - Konnichiwa


Thurston Moore

1.
This Is Not This Heat at Café Oto:
Incredible to start the new year playing inside this extended ensemble which was actually Charles’ Hayward and Bullen each playing a solo set then all of us This Heat worshippers strapping on. We were gonna do more, like play the Barbican and ATP (the last one before it went super and finally belly up) but Hayward twisted his ankle or something doing what he does best: kill it on the kit. He got repaired by years end and we duo’d as part of Rough Trade’s 40th year anniversary series of collaborations. Free riff propulsions! Was instant lift off and we’re gonna do dis duo in Japan early next year - Hai Karate!

2.
Seeing/hearing Juliette Greco sing of love and loss and beauty and ennui on an inside terrace at The Louvre (Paris) and then meeting her majestic self later, fleetingly.

3.
Playing the cancer benefit for Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The Void Oids) singing Void Oids tunes. Lydia (Lunch – there’s only one Lydia) was mc’ing and took no prisoners, only upstaged, possibly, by Handsome Dick Manitoba who crushed a lima bean under his sneaker so it splatted directly into the person in front of his’s mouth. Crazy.

4.
Tooling down to DC to play the next night for ANOTHER cancer benefit. Ivan subsequently got out of the woods (Yes!) but this one in DC was for John Stabb (Government Issue) who just the night before, whilst the Ivan benefit was underway, succumbed to the next world calling. So we played in honor to one of the great lights of DC hardcore and beyond. It was me and John Moloney going into spirit noise improv and an honor to be amongst friends and family of Stabb sending sonic LOVE.

5.
Duoing with a few heavy cats throughout the year like Irmin Schmidt from Can who decided to play a prepared piano inside of The Louvre (spent a lotta time at this pad this year – had a three gig residency – cool zone, check it out if yr ever nearby). We played in front of original Contortions guitarist and painter extraordinaire James Nares’ NYC street-film STREET. From this the Schmidt family, who run the Spoon Records empire of Can etc asked me to put together a Can band with Malcolm Mooney (1st singer from Monster Movie) and drummer Jaki Liebzeit to do Can action at the barbican next year. YES WE CAN. Also duo’d there with Sunn 0)))’s Stephen O’Malley and the Mona Lisa lost a molar. O’Malley’s a metal head who likes art rock which feels like I’m looking in a convex mirror of my damage.

6.
Eva and I published Necrobutcher’s Mayhem memoir Death Archives in English and got to spend some quality time with this demon. Published MUSICS as well – every issue of MUSICS fanzine that Steve Beresford, David Toop, Evan Parker et al put together from the 1970s where any music besides boring rock n roll gets investigated by people who actually LOVE Rock n Roll! It’s that weird and perfect and is an indispensable primer on the rubber band that is free improvisation.

7.
Seeing live bands at festivals is always a crap shoot but it can be a guaranteed night of excellence and cosmic crush-kore when The Oh Sees heat the stage. Without fail these cats whip out the jamz.

8.
Lotta 40 year anniversary hokum around “punk” – wait till yr 50 then maybe, if we still care, we’ll gob on yr grave. Rough Trade rex is 40 as well and they been celebrating a little more focused and fun and progressive. Best yet is the 40th anniversary of Smegma – they threw down hard in Copenhagen and we were lucky enuff to catch a few sets with all original hot doggers Ju Suk Reet Meat, Oblivia, Ace, Mr Duck and youngun’ Madelyn. Spectacular free whatsis jamming into drag race rock hoodoo sonix – whatta night, spiced with Vom Grill Dennis Tyfuss singing with underpants in his mouth.



9.
Banging into Rat Bastard in Miami Beach is fun in the sun without having to get yr bikini bod on, though he’s sugar free (kinda) these days and is looking svelte. He helped out by laying a Jazzmaster and some peds on me so I could jam out with Jim Osterberg in his rad man cave, then pop off a 15 minute noise prayer to Seminole consciousness at Churchills then back the next night for a sick storm by Lydia and Weasel and an invite to throwdown with Laundry Room Squelchers. Damn – USA is OK sometimes, gotta get the good freaks out and shred the rich.

10.
Thanks everyone at Matador for all the good and continued positive energy and vision!

Andy Nelson, Ceremony

Long
ANOHNI - HOPELESSNESS



Anxiety - self titled
Blood Pressure - Need To Control
Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial
David Bowie - ?
Demdike Stare - Wonderland
Essaie Pas - Demain Est Une Autre Nuit
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Kamaiyah - A Good Night In The Ghetto
Mary Lattimore - At The Dam
Mothercountry Motherfuckers - Confidential Human Source
Rakta - III
Vanity - Don't Be Shy
Will Long / DJ Sprinkles - Long Trax
75 Dollar Bill - Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock

Short
András - House Of Dad
Aphex Twin - Cheetah
Blazing Eye - Lonely Corpse + Ways To Die
CC Dust - self titled + Shinkansen No. 1
DJ Sotofett - Current 82 (12 Mix)
Eggstone - Like So
Haram - ?? ?????? "What Do You See?"
Mr. Fingers - Outer Acid
Patience - The Church + The Pressure
Porter Ricks - Shadow Boat
Primetime - Going Places
Warthog - self titled
Willow - Workshop 23
The World - Managerial Material
21 Savage & Metro Boomin - Savage Mode

But Mostly,
GAUZE @ Antiknock Shinjuku, 10th April 2016

Lee Tesche, Algiers

Top 5 staff 2016, in order
1. Shira
2. Natalie
3. Patrick
4. Gerard
5. Rian

Bri Aab, Beggars Group

Moments of 2016 and songs that remind me of them --

Yumi Zouma “Barricade (Matter of Fact) — Getting an unbelievable job
Wye Oak “If You Should See” — Going to SXSW with my best friends
ANOHNI “Why Did You Separate Me From The Earth” — Last night in Athens, GA
Marissa Nadler “Divers of the Dust” — Moving to New York
Mitski “My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars” — Living in an apartment with no kitchen or bathroom
Warehouse “Exit Only” — Falling down the stairs of Shea Stadium (only one budweiser)
Radiohead “Daydreaming” — Listening to the new Radiohead album for the first time, but having to pee so badly
Loamlands “Another Reason” / Daniel Bachman “Watermelon Slices on a Blue Boarded Plate” — My friends/family who’ve come up to visit
Fear of Men “Sane” — Sleep paralysis
Flock of Dimes “Semaphore” — Ignoring every moment I feel like a moron
Shana Falana “Cool Kids” — Strawberrita tastings on Evan and Anna’s roof
Weyes Blood “Away/Above” — Calming frustrations
PJ Harvey “Ministry of Defence” — Seeing PJ Harvey for the first time
Dinosaur Jr. “Tiny” — The anxiety go-around
Cate Le Bon “What’s Not Mine” — Hopscotch Music Fest
Angel Olsen “Shut Up Kiss Me” — Halloween in Athens
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Skeleton Tree” — Funeral of James Flannery
Kedr Livanskiy “Otvechai Za Slova (Keep Your Word)” — Carolina Beach, alone, at night — getting scared
Helado Negro “We Don’t Have Time For That” — Wilmington, NC for Thanksgiving
Mothers “Too Small For Eyes” — Going to Seattle

Book: My Private Property by Mary Ruefle

Athens, GA Halloween -- Tyler, Bri, Cecile, Walt, JJ
(Taken by Alex or Shil)



Dean Bein, True Panther Sounds

BEST OF 2016

ALBUMS:


Acrylics - Dada Minor (Papercup Music)
Baauer - aa (Lucky Me!)
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound (Domino)
Brian Eno- The Ship (Warp)
Britney Spears - Glory (RCA)
Delorean - Muzik (Phlex)
Ethereal - Final Fantasy (Awful)
Equiknoxx - Bird Sound Power (DDS)
inc. no world - As Light As Light (No World)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith / Suzanne Ciani - Sunergy (RVNG)
Katie Gately – Color (Tri Angle)
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo (G.O.O.D. Music)
Kevin Morby - Singing Saw (Dead Oceans)
Konono Meets Batida -Konono N°1 Meets Batida (Crammed Discs)
Kornél Kovács - The Bells (Studio Barnhus)
La Mafia Del Amor - Pegao en Youtube (La Vendicion Records)
MHD - MHD (Artside)
Motion Graphics - Motion Graphics (Domino)
Nails - You Will Never Be One of Us ( Nuclear Blast)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd.)
Not Waving - Animals (Diagonal Records)
Omar S- The Best (FXHE)
PNL - Dans La Légende (QLF)
Rae Sremmurd - Sremmlife2 (EarDrummers/Interscope)
Rihanna - Anti (Westbury Road)
Solange - A Seat at The Table (Saint/Columbia)
Steven Julien - Fallen (Apron Records)
Travis Scott - Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (Grand Hustle/Epic)
Various Artists - Mambos Levis D'Outro Mundo (Principe Discos)
Various Artists- Gqom Oh! The Sound of Durban (GQOM OH!)
Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth (Mexican Summer)
Whitney - Light Upon The Lake (Secretly Canadian)
Yves Tumor- Serpent Music (PAN)

EP’S/SINGLES
Alexandria- Promise EP (Awful Recordings)
Ana Caprix - M6 Ultra (Self-released)
Chloe x Halle - Sugar Symphony (Parkwood)
Compton White - EP (Sweetboy)
Dark0 - Forever (XL Recordings)
Florentino - Bloodline/Sientelo (Swing Ting)
Kamixlo - Demonico/Angelico (Bala Club)
Lorenzo Senni - Persona (Warp)
Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force - Yermande (Ndagga)
MLiR - Sweidsh Lo-Life (Studio Barnhus)
Project Pablo - Beaubien Dream (Sobo)
serpentwithfeet - blisters (Tri Angle)
The Maghreban - Brooklyn (Black Acre)
Tsvi - Sacred Drums (Nervous Horizon)
Vince Staples - Prima Donna EP (Def Jam)

MIXTAPES:
070 Shake - 070 Project Chapter 1
A Boogie - Artist
ARCA - Entrañas
Blac Youngsta- Young & Reckless
Brodinski - Sour Patch Kid
Fabolous - Summer time Shootout 2
Future - Purple Reign
Hamza- Zombie Life
Jacquees - Mood
Jeremih - Late Nights: Europe
Kamaiyah - A Good Night in the Ghetto
Key! - Before I Scream
Kodak Black - Institution
Maxo Kream - The Persona Tape
NBA YoungBoy - Mind Of A Menace 3
Noname - Telefone
Ralo - Diary of the Streets 2
Tink - Winter's Diary 4
Trouble - Skoobzilla
Young M.A. - everything....
Young Thug -Slime Season 3

Sebastien Bollet, Beggars Group

Michael Kiwanuka -Love & Hate
Anderson Paak Malibu
Angel Olsen My Woman
Andy Shauf The Party
Solange A Seat At The Table



Nicholas Allbrook  Pure Gardiya
Noyades Go Fast
Kikagayu Moyo House In The Tall Grass
Noyades Go Fast
Cavern of AntiMatter void beats/invocation trex
Emily & Ogden 10 000

Steve Cross, Remote Control

Melbourne 2016

Lost Animal - Too Late To Die Young




Spike Fuck – Tomorrow We Get Healthy
Winternationale – Eulegies
Tomorrow The Rain Will Fall Upwards - ...And I Tried So Hard
Ciggie Witch - Latest Fashion
Taylor Project – Detroit
Carla Dal Forno - What You Gonna Do Now
Miles Brown - Less Than You
Big Smoke - Time Is Golden
VHS Dream – AEIOU

Rian Fossett, Matador Records



music
Roberto Musci - Tower Of Silence
Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch
Holy Smoke - Holy Smoke
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
The Double - Dawn Of The Double
Marching Church - Telling It Like It Is
Nicolas Jaar - Sirens
Kedr Livanskiy - January Sun
Lambchop - Flotus
Jozef Van Wissem - When Shall This Bright Day Begin
The Scientists - A Place Called Bad
PJ Harvey - Hope Six Demolition Project
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Exploded View - Exploded View
Dark Blue - Start Of The World
Scott Hirsch - Blue Rider Songs
Vanity - Don't Be Shy

books
Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

movies
Moonlight, The Handmaiden, Hell or High Water

Matt Harmon Beggars Group

Albums
Chris Cohen - As If Apart (Captured Tracks)
Dan Melchior - Born Under a Grey Sky (Monofonus Press)
Horse Lords - Interventions (Northern Spy)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed ltd)



Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch (Sacred Bones)
Sunwatchers - s/t (Castle Face Records)
Heron Oblivion - self-titled (Subpop)
Diiv - Is The Is Are (Captured Tracks)
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial (Matador Records)
Andy Stott - Too Many Voices (Modern Love)
Exploded View - Exploded View (Sacred Bones)
Mike Wexler - Syntropy (Three: Four Records)
Icepick - Amaranth (Astral Spirits Records)
Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids - We Be All Africans (Strut Records)
Hieroglyphic Being - The Disco’s of Imhotep (RVNG Intl.)

Songs
Ryley Walker “The Roundabout” (Dead Oceans)
Chris Cohen “Yesterday’s On My Mind” (Captured Tracks)
Woods “Sun City Creeps” (Woodsist)
Omar S "Heard Chew Single" (featuring John FM) (FXHE Records)
Mura Masa “Love$ick” (featuring A$AP Rocky)
Destroyer “My Mystery” (DJ [email protected] Remix) (Merge)
Hazel English - "Make It Better” (Marathon Artists)
Danny Brown “Really Doe” (feat Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt) (Warp Records)
Burial “Young Death” (Hyperdub)

Helen Johnson, Matador Direct

Best of 2016 & some from 2015 & some re-issues all in no particular order

Heron Oblivion – S/T LP (Sub Pop)
Glitterbust – S/T (Burger Records)
Marisa Anderson – Into the Light  (Chaos Kitchen)



Sarah Louise –  Solo Acoustic Vol. 12 (VDSQ)
Rangada – The Heretic’s Bargain (Drag City)
Dead C - Trouble (Ba Da Bing)
White Out w/ Nels Cline - Accidental Sky (Nothern Spy)
Sonic Youth – Spinhead Sessions (Goofin’)
75 Dollar Bill – Wood/Metal/Plastic/Pattern/Rhythm/Rock  (Thin Wrist)
Mary Lattimore – At The Dam (Ghostly International)
Riley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung (Dead Oceans)
Major Starts – Motion Set (Drag City)
The Renderers – A Dream Of The Sea (Bada Bing)
Jack Rose RedHorse/White Mule,  Opium Music, Raag Manifestos, S/T, I do Play rock And Roll, Dr Ragtime And His Pals – Reissues  – (Three Lobed)
Fingers  - Hide Before Dinner LP (Blackest Ever Black)
Rosali – Good Life (Siltbreeze)
Rhyton – Redshift (Thrill Jockey)
Matt Valentine – Blazing Grace (Timelag/Child Of Microtones)
Six Organs Of Admittance – Hexadic II (Drag City)
Shirley Collins – Lodestar (Domino)
Itasca – Open To Chance (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Träd, Gräs & Stenar – LP Box Set (Anthology)
Anthony Pasquarosa – Morning Meditations (VDSQ)
LightDreams  –  Islands In Space (Got Kinda Lost)
Jackson C Frank – Complete Recordings (Ba Da Bing)
Jantar – Suit Withers (SLSC Recordings)

Shows:
75 Dollar Bill – Union Pool/Troost
Nels Cline + White Out – The Stone
Laura Baird/Meg Baird – Union Pool
Heron Oblivion – Union Pool
VDSQ showcase – Pioneer Works
Bardo Pond – Union Pool
Thurston Moore & Tom Surgal – Jack
Sarah Louise – The Old School House
Jantar – Trans Pecos
The Dead C – First Unitarian Congregational Society
Cecil Taylor – Whitney Museum
Matt Valentine – Union Pool
Bunwinkies – some place in Greenpoint
Eleven Twenty Nine – Trans Pecos
Myriam Gendron – The Sump
Pigeons –  Max Fish Abasement
Ghédalia Tazartès – First Unitarian Congregational Society
Senyawa – Bridget Donahue Gallery
Anthony Pasquerosa – The Old School House
Yoko Ono with Yo La Tengo  - Bowery Ballroom
David Grubbs – some place in Greenpoint
IUD – Bridget Donahue Gallery
Renderers – The Sump
Cate Le Bon – Rough Trade

Film:
Tony Conrad: Completely In The Present

The worst of the worst 2016:
The US Election

RIP 2016:
My friend and member of Neg Fi: Ryan Walsh
Pickle & Squiggs (my two cats)
Pauline Oliveros
Tony Conrad

Sonya Kolowrat, Beggars Group

best cultural exploits of 2016 in no particular order



-Duke Riley/Fly By Night - June 17th - Brooklyn (artist, renaissance man, pigeon advocate)
He’s a genius, and I have a crush on him and everything he does. His 'Fly By Night’ event made me love New York a bit more.

-Spiritualized at Barbican London November 8th
A magical evening with Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space from top to bottom. J.Spaceman never disappoints.

-Solange - A Seat At The Table.
This amazing album is pretty much the only thing I have listened to for weeks.



-Xu Zhen (artist)
I’m sorry that I want to eat your art but it’s pretty and it looks like icing.

-Royal Headache - July 20th Music Hall Of Williamsburg
So great to finally see them live and exciting to turn people onto them

-Shellac - Oct 24 The Bell House Brooklyn
Every time I see them it is mindblowing

-Gary Numan - May 11th Gramercy Theater NY
The show was great and he is literally one of the nicest humans I have met and will ever have the pleasure of meeting.

-Other Music - RIP - second line  - June 28th
The loss of this store is hard to even write about, but the send-off was heartwarming and special and I was happy to be a part of it.

-Pere Lachaise Cemetery - Paris, France
The first thing I did on my inaugural visit to Paris a couple of months ago. Please bury me here so I don’t ever have to leave.

Shira Knishkowy, Matador Records

in alphabetical order, the 23 albums i listened to and loved the most in 2016:
a tribe called quest - we got it from here… thank you for your service
adam torres - pearls to swine
andy shauf - the party
anohni - hopelessness
badbadnotgood - iv
big thief - masterpiece
black mountain - iv
case/lang/veirs - case/lang/veirs
frank ocean - blond(e)
hiss golden messenger - heart like a levee
hope sandoval and the warm inventions - until the hunter
horseback - dead ringers
lambchop - flotus
leonard cohen - you want it darker
lets eat grandma - i, gemini
lvl up - return to love
nicolas jaar - sirens
pinegrove - cardinal
the avalanches - wildflower
the caretaker - everywhere at the end of time
true widow - avvolgere
whyte horses - pop or not
william tyler - modern country



the book that made me cry the most and i’ve made everyone in my life read:
a little life by hanya yanagihara

the classic novel i’d oddly never read but finally did this year and loved:
in cold blood by truman capote

Andy Larsen, Matador Direct

LPs:



Kamaiyah - A Good Night In The Ghetto (Self Released)
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker (Columbia)
Midnight Mines - If You Can’t Find A Partner Use A Wooden Chair (Mystery Plane Tapes)
Rakta - III (Iron Lung)
Puce Mary - The Spiral (Posh Isolation)
Demdike Stare- Wonderland (Modern Love)
Wymond Miles - Call By Night (Sacred Bones)
Hieroglyphic Being - The Disco's Of Imhotep (Technicolour)
Sote - Hardcore Sounds From Tehren (Opal Tapes)
Pet Shop Boys - Super (x2 Recordings)
Mika Vainio - Mannerlaatta (Ideal)
Nots - Cosmetic (Heavenly)
Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä (Svart Records)
Anxiety - Anxiety (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Lolina (Inga Copeland) - Live In Paris (Self Released)

Shorter:
3D - Vortex #1 (Nada Nada Discos)
Barcelona - Pueden Ser Ellos (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Copeland & Gast - Sisters of Control (All Bone)
Good Throb - Good Throb (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Umfang - Riffs (1080p)
CC Dust - Shinknsen No. 1/New Ways (Mystery?Club)
In School - Cement Fucker (Self Released)
Primetime - Going Places (La Vide Es Un Mus)

Past:
Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Guebru S/T (Mississippi)
Irma Thomas - The Soul Queen of New Orleans (Not Now Music)
Suzanne Ciani - Buchla Concerts 1975 (Finders Keepers)
Jungle Nausea S/T LP (Water Wing Records)
The Morning Glory - The Morning Glory (Self Released)



Viven Goldman - Resolutionary (Staubgold)
Angry Angles - Angry Angles (Goner)
Milkshakes - Revenge - Trash From The Vailts, Thee Knights of Trashe, After School Session, Talking 'Bout reissues (Damaged Goods)

In person:
Inga Copeland, Trans Pecos
Casual Sexists, Pianos
Esplendor Geometrico, Rough Trade NYC
Death Side, Le Poisson Rouge

Last year's records that never left my turntable:
Maki Asakawa - S/T (Honest John's)
Roy Merriwether - Nubian Lady (Nature Sounds)
Black Time - Aerial Gobs of Love (Förbjudna Ljud)

John Miller, True Panther Sounds



This remix of Rihanna's Needed Me song by 19 year old rapper Queen Key brought me joy from summer onward
Ana Caprix - M6 Ultra

Robby Morris, Matador Records

75 Dollar Bill - Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock (Thin Wrist)
Arbor Labor Union - I Hear You (Sub Pop)
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd.)
Exploded View - S/T (Sacred Bones)
Dark Blue - Start Of The World (12XU)



Masayoshi Fujita and Jan Jelinek - Schaum (faitiche)
Tim Hecker - Love Streams (4AD)
Heron Oblivion - S/T(Sub Pop)
Scott Hirsch - Blue Rider Songs (Scissor Tail)
Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch (Sacred Bones)
Nicolas Jaar - Sirens (Other People)
Jackie Lynn - Jackie Lynn (Thrill Jockey)
Cass McCombs - Mangy Love (Anti-)
Roy Montgomery - R M H Q: Headquarters (Grapefruit)
Angel Olsen - My Woman (Jagjaguwar)
Joanne Robertson - Wildflower (Escho)
Terry - Terry HQ (Upset The Rhythm)
The Double - Dawn Of The Double (In The Red)
Vanity - Vain In Life (Katorga Works)

Abby Rubin, Beggars Group

Albums of 2016
Weyes Blood - A Front Row Seat To Earth
Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch
Nerftoss - Crushed
Kiki Hitomi - Karma No Kusari
Anna Meredith - Varmints
Solange - A Seat At The Table
serpentwithfeet - blisters
Powell - Sport
Ka - Honor Killed The Samurai
Terry - Terry HQ
Schoolboy Q - Blank Face EP
Exploded View - Exploded View
Nicolas Jaar - Sirens
Aphex Twin - Cheetah EP
Kevin Morby - Singing Saw
Frank Ocean - Blond
Underworld - Barbara, Barbara, We Face a Shining Future
David Bowie - Blackstar
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here...Thank you 4 Your Service
Vivian Goldman - Resolutionary (reissue)
Eagulls - Ullages
Babyfather - "BBF" Hosted by DJ Escrow



Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Guebru (by recommendation of Andy Larsen of Matador Direct). *This record is something special*

Best Shows & Moments
1.Sun Ra Arkestra in Union Pool backyard
2.serpentwithfeet in San Diamano Mission Church
3.The Cure, MSG
4.Weyes Blood in the Russell Park Church, a healing show the day after the election results
5.Going to see Brian Jonestown Massacre at Webster Hall on the same night Insane Clown Posse played downstairs, sneaking into ICP, lightly moshing with juggalos while it rained faygo
6.Tibet House Benefit with Philip Glass, Iggy Pop, FKA Twigs. Iggy Pop performed a spoken word poem to his parents over a string quartet playing Philip Glass compositions making for one of the most surreal moments of my life.
7.Purple Rain in the the theater right after Prince's death, cheers and tears everywhere
8.ESG @ Baby's All Right
9.PJ Harvey @ Terminal 5
10.Lush @ Terminal 5
11.Saturday Night Live with The xx and Kristen Wiig, watching from the audience, laugh-crying

Books
Clothes, Music, Boys - Viv Albertine
A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

GONZALO SCHIAFFINO - (Everlasting Popstock)

2016 in Songs

Albums

DAVID BOWIE - Blackstar
STEVE MANSON - Meet The Humans
SAVAGES - Adore Life
ALTERED HOURS - In Heat Not Sorry
P.J. HARVEY - The Hope Six Demolition Project
RADIOHEAD - A Moon Shaped Pool
MYSTERY LIGHTS - The Mystery Lights



VAPORS OF MORPHINE - A New Low
SUUNS - Hold / Still
CAR SEAT HEADREST - Teens of Denial
JAYHAWKS - Paging Mr. Proust
MUDCRUTCH - 2
GABO FERRO - El Lapsus del Jinete Ciego
RAIME - Tooth
TIJUANA PANTHERS - Ghost Food EP
NIGHTBEATS - Who Sold My Generation
NICK CAVE Skeleton Trees
KEVIN MORBY - Singing Saw
ALLAH-LAS - Calico Review
KING CREOSOTE - Astronaut Meets Appleman
NATURAL CHILD - Okey Dokey
LEONARD COHEN - You Want It Darker
RYLER WALKER - Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS - Until The Hunter
CLEAR PLASTIC MASK - Nazi Hologram
ALLELUJAH The Death And Life Of Captain Nathan Baker
WEYES BLOOD - Front Row Seat To Earth
MONOCERO - Varias Formas de Inestabilidad
FUNDE - Funde

Shows

PATTI SMITH @ Noches del Botánico (Madrid)
THE CURE @ Barclays Center (Madrid)
SUUNS @ Primavera Sound (Barcelona)
RADIOHEAD @ Primavera Sound (Barcelona)
TY SEGALL AND THE MUGGERS @ Primavera Sound (Barcelona)

TV

Shameless
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead

Books

La Verdadera Historia de Frank Zappa. Memorias (The Real Frank Zappa Book)

Claire Taylor, Beggars Group

Favorite Records of 2016 (not including releases within the label family).

…and in no particular order -- except Spacin’ at #1...



Spacin’ - Total Freedom
Chris Cohen - As If Apart
Heron Oblivion - ST
Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light
Fleetwood Mac - Mirage deluxe reissue
Angel Olsen - My Woman
William Tyler - Modern Country
Terry Allen - Juarez + Lubbock (on everything)
75 Dollar Bill - Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
Cass McCombs - Mangy Love
Cian Nugent - Night Fiction
Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like a Levee

Blake Thomas, Beggars Group

Album: Big Thief - Masterpiece
Sandwich: Balaboosta - Schnitzel



Movie Trailer: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Highlight: Meeting Bill Self
Song: Car Seat Headrest - Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales
Burger: Robertas
Movie: Don’t Breathe
Meal: Raoul’s - Steak au Poivre
Booze: Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon
TV Show: The Americans (But really it’s Fargo from late 2015)
Beer: Greenport Brewery - Leaf Pile Ale
Looking Forward To: Kansas at Kentucky hoops, i’m going.

Sarah Wilson, Beggars Group

Just a few favourites of 2016 here (avoiding anything Beggars – too much choice)

Can only hope the shitty global mess pushes people to make some great art on 2017, ‘cos we’re gonna need it!



River Tiber – Indigo
Frank Ocean – Blond
Kevin Morby – Singing Saw
Preoccupations – S/T
Kelsey Lu – Church EP
Nick Cave & The Badseeds – Skeleton Tree
Angel Olsen – My Woman
Solange – A Seat At The Table
Larry Young In Paris – The Ortf Recordings

Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records

albums
Roy Montgomery - RMHQ (Grapefruit)
75 Dollar Bill - Wood Metal Plastic Pattern Rock (Thin Wrist)
Chook Race - Around The House (Trouble In Mind)



Counter Intuits - Monosyllabilly (Pyramid Scheme)
The Double - Dawn Of the Double (In The Red)
Tyvek - Origin Of What (In The Red)
E - E (Thrill Jockey)



Outer Spaces - A Shedding Snake (Don Giovanni)
Arthur Doyle - Room (Amish)



Heavy Metal - LP (Static Shock)
Wussy - Forever Sounds (Shake It)



Quin Galavis - My Life In Steel & Concrete (Super Secret)
Spray Paint - Feel The Clamps (Goner)
Ultimate Painting - Dusk (Trouble In Mind)
Stefan Christensen & Friends - Empty Plateaus (Loki)
Stefan Christensen - Israel (It’s More Of The Same) (C/Site)



Jennifer O’Connor - Surface Noise (Kiam)
Los Lichis - Dog (Feeding Tube)
Teal Grapefruit - Cry Pink Process (cassette)
Tommy Keene - Showtunes II (TKG)
Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band - The Rarity Of Experience (No Quarter)
David Nance - More Than Enough (Badabing)
Centre Negative - Emotion Is Cringey (Ever/Never)
Grady Runyon - Solar Guitar (Loki)
Nathan Bowles - Whole & Cloven (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Foster Care - Sterilization (Total Punk)

not albums :

Glam Fail - “Cyclone Rodney” 7” (Ever/Never)



Whipper - "Shit Love" / "White Glove" / "Chase The Rainbow" 7" (Aarght)



Bad Sports - Living With Secrets 12” (Dirtnap)



Gate - Saturday Night Fever (MIE)

reissues :
Dow Jones & The Industrials - Can't Stand The Midwest 1979-1981 (Family Vineyard)
Träd, Gräs och Stenar - Djungelns Lag / Mors Mors / Kom Tillsammans box (Mexican Summer)
The Proletariat - Soma Holiday (S-S)
Colin Newman - A-Z / Not To (Sentient Sonics)

live
Watery Love with Mary Lattimore, King’s Barcade, Raleigh, September
Chook Race, Beerland, Austin, October
Scientists, The Lexington, London June
Mystic Inane, Don Pedro, Brooklyn, August
Life Stinks, Beerland, Austin
GW Sok / Action Beat, Barracuda, Austin
Radioactivity. Everytime. everywhere.
The Ex, WNYC, Winter Jazzfest, January
Teal Grapefruit, Max Fish Abasement,NYC April
Richard Pinhas, Farewell Books, Austin, October
Iggy Pop, Austin City Limits taping, March
The Chills, Monty Hall, Jersey City, April
The Rebel, Hotel Vegas, August
Sauna Youth, Beerland, Austin, September
Reigning Sound, Barracuda, Austin, December
Burmese, Beerland, September

small screen :
“Atlanta”
“The Night Of”
“Rectify”

fangs for the memories :
Aquarius Records, Spray Paint, Bartolo Colon

OUT NOW: CAR SEAT HEADREST - "DRUNK DRIVERS / KILLER WHALES (SINGLE VERSION)"

December 2nd, 2016 at 12:36 pm by Rian

Not to be overshadowed but what some outlets chose to write about in the Car Seat Headrest news department this morning, there is a NEW version of "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales (Single Version)" out today on digital services.

This alternate version of the Teens Of Denial standout track was previewed earlier this week when the band performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (with some help in the horns department from The Roots).

STREAM/DOWNLOAD:
http://smarturl.it/DrunkDrivers_Single

BUY 'TEENS OF DENIAL' 2xLP/CD: 

Matador Store http://smarturl.it/TeensOfDenial_LP

Find your local indie: http://features.matadorrecords.com/indieretail/

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/TeensOfDenial_a

CAR SEAT HEADREST ONLINE: 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Car-Seat-Headrest/143033959103037

Tumblr - http://carseatheadrest.tumblr.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/carseatheadrest

Instagram - https://instagram.com/notcarseatheadrest

Kurt Vile - New Dates In January & February

December 2nd, 2016 at 9:00 am by Gerard

(thanking Doug Pederson in advance for not suspending Connor Barwin)

In addition to previously confirmed year-end shows in Dallas, Austin, Boston, NYC and Philadelphia, Kurt Vile and The Violators have announced the following January and February dates, with tickets on sale today (with the exception of Tampa)

Thursday, January 26 - Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville VA*
Friday, January 27 - Haw River Ballrooom, Saxaphaw NC*
Saturday, January 28 - 40 Watt, Athens GA*
Sunday, January 29 - Music Farm, Charleston SC*
Monday, January 30 - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra FL*
Tuesday, January 31 - The Social, Orlando FL*
Wednesday, February 1 - The Ritz Ybor, Tampa FL* (on sale Monday)

Saturday, February 4 - El Plaza Condesa, Mexico City, DF

* - with Luke Roberts



Kurt Vile Online

VIDEO : Car Seat Headrest - "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales" from "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon"

December 1st, 2016 at 9:26 am by Gerard

Courtesy NBC, here's a clip of Car Seat Headrest's first-ever visit to "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" from last night (November 30), performing "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales"


(photo by Natalie Judge)
Car Seat Headrest Online:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
Instagram