Connoisseurs of live radio performance have a great deal on their plate today, and you have us to thank for it.
Seattle singer/songwriter (and star of the year’s most controversial ad so far) Perfume Genius performs live on hometown station KEXP today at 2:00PM EST/11:00AM PST. Listen at 90.3FM or online at kexp.org, and pre-order the new Perfume Genius album, Put Your Back N 2 It, here.
Also this afternoon, Girls return to the World Cafe studios to play some songs from last year’s world-beating sophomore album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The show starts at 2:00PM EST/11:00AM PST, and can be heard at 88.5FM in Philadelphia, or online at xpn.org. Can’t catch the session when it airs? It’ll be on NPR’s website later in the day, and you can also find out when your local public radio station airs World Cafe at this link. And while you’re here, you might as well pick up a copy of Father, Son, Holy Ghost for yourself, or for a treasured friend.
We’ve gone on a bit about this Saturday’s completely bonkers all-ages Ceremony show at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge (which is now SOLD OUT), but what we haven’t told you until literally this very moment is that tomorrow, February 3, WNYU’s New Afternoon Show will be hosting a live performance by Rohnert Park’s finest. They’ll be playing songs from their upcoming album, Zoo (pre-order here), and maybe some golden oldies for good measure. Tune in to 89.1FM or listen online at wnyu.org at 5:00PM EST.
Au revoir, to “Soul Train” creator Don Corneilus, who made his exit from this cruel world earlier this morning. While “Soul Train”‘s status as the the longest, continuously running first-run syndicated program in television history will no doubt be cited in Don’s obits, it was his star turn as independent label magnate Mo Fuzz in Bill Fishman’s 1988 comedy, “Tapeheads”, that provided a fledgling Matador Records with a genuine role model.
Every Chinese New Year since 2006, Fucked Up have released a 12″ single inspired by the beasts of the Chinese Zodiac.
The latest single will be Year Of The Tiger, out February 7.
Listen to the four existing Zodiac singles via the widget above, and the new one on release date.
2006: Year of the Dog (Blocks Recording Club) buy
2008: Year of the Pig (What’s Your Rupture? and Matador) buy
2009: Year of the Rat (What’s Your Rupture?) buy
2010: Year of the Ox (Merge) buy
2012: Year of the Tiger (Matador) preorder
Clocking in between 10 and 20 minutes apiece, Fucked Up’s Zodiac singles contain their most ambitious work, along with numerous and surprising guest musicians, ranging from Zola Jesus and a Toronto string quartet on Year of the Ox to Jim Jarmusch and Austra’s Katie Stelmanis on Year of the Tiger.
Bull Moose: A college drinking game where you’re only permitted to drink beer from the left hand. If caught drinking from the right hand and someone yells, “Bull Moose” you are required to finish what is left of your beer.
OR
Bull Moose: One of New England’s best record outlets and a wholly independent music chain. For this week’s installment of this ground breaking series, we talked to Bull Moose’s Chris Brown about his stores, the future and bull semen.
1. Tell us briefly about your store.
There are ten Bull Moose stores in Maine and New Hampshire. We try to let each store fit its surroundings, so each Bull Moose has its own vibe and a different selection. We have a little more metal here, more video games there, etc. The stores near shopping malls are a little spiffier than the funky downtown stores. It’s important to let our customers determine what we sell and how the stores look. Over the years, Bull Moose has grown to include movies, video games and even books.
2. What got you into the independent record store business?
Retail is in my blood – my great-great grandfather had the John Deere dealership in Lyons, KS. He sold plows, implements and bull semen. I wanted to own a comic book store when I was ten. Of course, I was very involved in music, both as a performer and as a collector as a kid. By the time I was a teenager I wanted to be Keith Emerson or own a triple-story classical music store in Albany, NY. I applied at a couple of record stores back then and finally was hired at Bull Moose. I worked there in college and then went off to be a rock star. I was ready to give up that dream around the time that the owner of Bull Moose asked me to come back. 4. How have things been going from a business perspective?
Very well. 2011 will be Bull Moose’s best year ever.
5. What do you think spells the survival for an independent record store today?
Flexibility.
6. What are some of the coolest thing labels have done with you? Instores? Promotions? Sales?
First, Record Store Day because RSD incorporates everything that ever was cool about a record store, artists and record labels. Next would be the Live at Bull Moose CD series. Instores are awesome but usually only 200 people experience them. It’s wonderful to be able to share quality recordings of in-stores with thousands of people.
7. Why do we need record stores?
We need music stores the same way that we need plumbing. Pipes and music stores are the best way to get something essential into your home. A good music store is like a good faucet. You can have hot water, cold water, or whatever temperature you want. You decide.
Stores are the best place to buy music because stores are the home of the album. I’m not talking about LPs, necessarily. I’m talking about 35-60 minutes of music that is supposed to be good all the way through and hopefully move the listener. Singles are great, but it takes a full album to change your life.
9. Who are your top 3 favorite bands right now?
I’ll limit my answer to artists who released a new CD in 2011 – Graveyard, Tony Brown, The Modern Airline (my sister’s band)
No time for too much detail, but here are some recent dishes.
Chicken arroz caldo, Filipino comfort food from Jun-Blog. I made the chicken stock from scratch yesterday. I scoured the city fruitlessly (NPI) for calamansi, and even bought rangpur limes from Eataly, but ended up using regular limes as Jun recommends.
Beef pad prik king adapted from David Thompson. I made the curry paste from scratch, but anyone used to cooking Thai food in NYC will recognize the shortcuts used from the photo above – brined green peppercorns in place of fresh, Thai basil in place of the often unfindable holy basil (if anyone knows a source in Manhattan besides Bangkok Centre Grocery, which is often sold out, please let me know. Note that what is marked as “holy basil” in the fridge at Kalustyan’s is actually Thai basil.)
Madhur Jaffrey’s kheema, a Delhi slow-cooked ground beef dish from her first cookbook, is one of my regular favorite heartwarming dishes, and always a pleasure to make. It’s one of those meals where the various flavors waft in succession from the pan as the dish cooks, so that you gradually smell the meal in advance. It’s like eating twice. This is an easy variation she supplies after the main recipe, with peas. They’re a great, sweet & textural addition.
Kala chana (black chickpeas) made from Neelam Batra’s 1000 Indian Recipes. This is an inconsistent and difficult book for me, because I don’t cook in the quantities she recommends (frequently making a cup and half of a given paste or masala), and spices don’t always scale well. However this recipe turned out delicious.
I’ve been eating a TON of legumes, in fact, and will post more about those in the weeks to come. I’ve actually accidentally cooked vegan for a few days in a row. (I even realized I could make a full vegan meal including pasta puttanesca by substituting Marmite for the anchovies.) Anyway, if you’re into beans (and I highly recommend Russ Parsons’ no-soak method if you’re worried about all the prep time), then check out the excellent Rancho Gordo site for dried heirloom beans. Their Good Mother Stollards are meaty, earthy and with incredible depth. Expect them to take over 2 hours with the no-soak method, but boy are they worth it.
I leave you with a picture of the Good Mother Stollards below. Just some aromatics during the cooking, topped with chopped chiles. They are also great with Rancho Gordo’s “oregano Indio,” which is like Mexican oregano but more intense, with a citrusy lemony undertone.
In celebration of Ceremony’s March 6 release of Zoo, we’re happy to announce the band will be playing a few all ages California release week shows in LA, Anaheim and Berkeley.
Thursday, March 8 – Los Angeles, CA – Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock (Nails supports)
Friday, March 9 – Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction (Cold World, Skin Like Iron, Rank/Xerox support)
Saturday, March 10 – Berkeley, CA – 924 Gilman Street (Cold World, Old Firm Casuals, No Sir support)
And as previously reported Ceremony will be playing their curated NYC showcase at Le Poisson Rouge on Saturday, February 4. Now we’re very happy to announce that special guest, Pissed Jeans, will be joining Ceremony on this already insane lineup that also includes The Rival Mob, Hoax, Kim Phuc and Gods and Queens.
Last but never least the band will be making their way over to the UK for a run of shows in March.
Here’s that show info:
Monday, March 19 – Kingston – Fighting Cocks
Tuesday, March 20 – London – XOYO
Wednesday, March 21 – Bristol – Fleece
Thursday, March 22 – Nottingham – Rock City Basement
Friday, March 23 – Manchester – Moho
Saturday, March 24 – Leeds – The Well
Shortly after the March 20 release of ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ (LP/CD/digital) , Lee Ranaldo and his band consisting of Alan Licht, Steve Shelley and Irwin Menken are hitting the road in April followed by a string of shows supporting M. Ward in what we like to call venues that are less-than-intimate. Ticket details are below (at least those we have this early)
4/7 Mexico City, MEX Indie-O Fest 2012 (with Thurston Moore, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Wild Flag, Youth Lagoon, City and Colour and Antoine Reverb)
4/17 Ithaca, NY The Haunt (with Disappears)
4/18 Albany, NY Valentines (with Disappears)
(all dates below supporting M. Ward)
5/5 Portland, ME – State Theatre – on sale now
5/6 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground – on sale now
5/7 New Haven, CT – Toads Place – on sale now
5/8 Boston, MA – House Of Blues – on sale Saturday at 10am
5/11 New York, NY – Webster Hall – on sale NEXT Friday 1/27 at noon
5/12 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer – on sale now
5/13 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club – on sale now
5/15 Durham, NC – Duke Performances – on sale Monday 1/30
5/16 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre – on sale now
5/17 Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre – on sale Saturday at 10am
5/22 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre – on sale NEXT Saturday 1/28 at 10am
Bull City – or Bull Cittay, as it’s sometimes known around here – is one of our favorite stores around. Owner Chaz Martenstein is everything awesome about independent record stores. His love of new music and his devotion to his local Durham scene are second to none and his store is far too awesome for one measly post but here goes…
1. Tell us briefly about your store. Bull City Records opened up in November of 2005. I opened the shop myself (with the help of credit cards and my partner Rachael) after working in various shops in various cities and I’m currently still the sole employee. And I still love it. For almost six years, I sat up in an upstairs attic space off of 9th St in Durham, NC, but recently moved to an actual storefront on a nicely busy street just a few blocks around the corner. The shop mostly focuses on vinyl revolving around the worlds of indie, garage, psych and whatever other weirdo releases I can get my hands on. I still have CDs, but I really only stock a small selection of brand new independent releases or CD-only reissues.
2. What got you into the independent record store business?
Well, like most future record store employees, my high school years were spent flipping through the used CD bins at my local record shops. After I realized there was a whole new world outside of Tower Records and regular rock radio, I discovered Plan 9 Records, Soundhole Records and the local college radio station at the University of Richmond. I heard Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Fugazi and Superchunk for the first time and it was all downhill from there. A spark ignited in my head. There was a feeling of community, energy and experimentation embedded in this world of independent music that I’d never experienced. It was instantly addictive and freeing. A little to quickly it became obvious that I was destined to force myself into a world of tiny paychecks, but 24 hours a day/7 days a week of fun. The music world never slows down, there’s something new and amazing coming out every single week of the year. What other business can really offer that?? I wanted to be a part of that world and pass on that same electric feeling to anyone else looking for it.
As far as actual work goes, I worked my way up in the music retail business from pretty close to the bottom. I got my start while I was working in my college’s small independent bookstore in Williamsburg, VA when Barnes & Noble came in, bought it up and built a giant new building. As one of a handful of original employees, I was allowed to pick the department in which I wanted to work, so I of course picked the brand new music department. After I graduated I moved up to Cape May, NJ to kill some time and got a job working at the tiny ACRAT (Atlantic City Records and Tapes) there. That summer was a touristy blur of nothing but pop punk and Jimmy Buffet. It was a blast. From there I moved out to Boulder, CO and bugged Bart’s CD Cellar on Pearl St for about a year straight until they slipped a job my way. Bart’s was an amazing store to work in – it was always busy, it was two stories tall, my fellow employees were great and ridiculously knowledgeable in each of their own areas and Bart was one of the best bosses I’ve ever known. It was while working there that I got the inspiration to try a go at it for myself. Sadly, it was one of the shops that did not survive one of the many waves of record store closings.
3. Who are some of your favorite contemporary stores?
I’d have to probably base this on inspiration. I don’t get away from my own shop too often, but there’s an amazingly supportive group of indie record stores out there plugging away at it for the same reasons. For Bull City Records, I get daily inspiration from Harvest Records in Asheville, NC; Lunchbox Records in Charlotte, NC; Steady Sounds in Richmond, VA; Aquarius Records in San Francisco, CA; Speakertree Records in Lynchburg, VA; 1-2-3-4-Go! Records in Oakland, CA and Sound Fix Records in New York, among others. Celebrated Summer in Baltimore, MD is pretty rad too – it’s located in the back of a great book/comic shop. Oh! I also just recently visited a place out in Santa Cruz, CA called Metavinyl that was amazing! Solid vinyl shop for current indie and psych. It’s funny, even on short vacations away from my own shop, I still manage to somehow find myself in record stores every day.
4. How have things been going from a business perspective?
Things have been going pretty well actually. Moving into a ground-level space with a parking lot (and heat and A/C) has made a really positive difference. The store has a giant plate-glass window in front so it even manages to advertise itself when I’m not open. In the old second floor space, I had no way to really entice people to come in from outside. It was basically a destination-only space. With vinyl on the upswing as it is right now too, there’s finally a very real and positive hope for small shops like this to succeed and grow. It’s been a lot of fun to watch actually. The trends in music consumption and music production are always changing, which is another reason why I love this business so much. It was getting pretty hairy for a lot of folks a year and a half ago. I almost closed myself! That can really make a person cranky. So that’s definitely something to be happy about!
5. What do you think spells the survival for an independent record store today?
Customer service. Knowledge of stock. Those are the two biggies for me. At the root of it all, you really have to have a wild passion for music itself and be open to the ever-changing forms of music. If you can really figure out how to present good customer service, your love of and excitement for music can be shared with your regulars and newer customers. At Bull City Records I try to work within the niche of indie, garage and psych, so I’m constantly trying to read, listen to and explore new stuff. The fact that discovering and talking about music can still be a full-time job in this day and age is pretty amazing. Sometimes when things outside of the shop get ya down, it’s hard to remember the importance of customer service. There are days where it’s easy to slip, but you have to constantly be reminding yourself that it’s job requirement #1. Basically 100% of our stock is available for free online, so we really have to work at giving people a very real reason to come in. To me though, that’s half the fun of it! Connecting with people over this stuff is what keeps me going.
6. What are some of the coolest thing labels have done with you? Instores? Promotions? Sales?
To tell you the truth, Matador is one of my favorite labels to work with – and I’m not just saying that because you’re asking me the questions. There are a handful of indie labels out there that really act like partners with the stores who always give us more incentive to work hard or challenge us outside of our normal routine. Recently Rough Trade set up an in-store with Jeffrey Lewis when he came through town. Rather than playing songs, he set up a slideshow detailing the making of the artwork for his brand new record (which is great by the way). He even brought original ink drawings of his comic-style packaging to display. This was one of the best in-stores I’ve ever attended just because it was outside of the usual “come in and play a few songs before your full set of more songs later that day” box. It was a blast! Labels will also hold display-making contests in which we get to compete with other stores for most creatively designed display. It’s a great way for the labels to get their albums more display space and attention, while the stores are wrestling it out for hopeful credit with the label. I hope that’s not disclosing too much of a trade secret!
7. Why do we need record stores?
Wow. This is a heavy question. Like a good bookstore, it’s a breeding ground for culture I believe. Friends are made in the record store, connections are made in the record store, networking is done in the record store, a community is felt in the record store. Think about how boring and monotonous it would be if we only knew what was being pushed in the iTunes market or Pandora Station. We’d have no music to share with friends, because we’d all be seeing the same ads for the same bands! Ha! I feel that record stores must still be important and relevant to the growth and development of modern music too. There are still a bunch of new bands being formed every day who still say they’re influenced by hanging out in their local record stores. If you’ve got a good little shop in your town, chances are they’re playing some good, weird shit over their store speakers right this second! Go hear it!
On a more economically level, it’s also better for your city and state’s economy to shop independent and local. Plus, it keeps local folks employed! Those are really just general reasons to shop with independent stores anywhere though. I think it’s important to remember that we basically vote with our money. Enough preaching though. We all know that already!
8. What kind of taco is your favorite?
I’ll probably catch some flak for this, but honestly I can’t get enough of the taco tripa over at my local taqueria (one of the best in Durham), La Vaquita. The runner-up is always the taco chorizo. Their torta cubana is pretty out of this world too, but I need a strong, empty stomach on days that I go that route.
9. Who are your top 3 favorite bands right now?
This is definitely not a good question for a record store employee! It changes daily. Three of my favorite bands in general until the end of time: The Replacements, The Reigning Sound, the Velvet Underground. However, some of my most listened to current bands are: Wooden Shjips, Heavy Times, Kurt Vile, War on Drugs, Hiss Golden Messenger, Ty Segall, Woods, The Beets, Mount Moriah. It’s not a fair question, so I give a not fair answer.
10. What is your favorite thing about your store? And you can’t say the customers. That’s like saying Einstein or Ghandi when asked “If you could meet one person, living or dead…”
I can listen to music all day is a good place to start. I can bring my dog to work with me every day, that’s pretty important to me. It’s really hard not to say the customers, because none of us would exist without our customers… they’re more essential than we are! I really like the small world that it presents too. The connections with labels and people you make are amazing. It’s a whole culture and spiderweb of people who just enjoy what they do on a day-to-day basis. The fact that I get to interact with idols from my teenage years is pretty heavy too – Mac and Laura from Superchunk will stop in for records sometimes and I get packages from Sub Pop addressed from Mark Arm himself! Six years later, that’s still extremely exciting to me for some reason. Don’t let those packages stop coming, Mr. Arm! The basic act of passing on new music always gives me a thrill too. Apparently that’s another hard question!
11. What are your goals for the future of your store? Long term and short.
Simply to keep the doors open and the music moving. Obviously, I would love to keep growing my stock until it overwhelms the store too. Constant new vinyl coming into the shop keeps me pretty happy. I also wouldn’t mind growing my blog into a more interactive place for discussion. I’ve got some ideas, but I’m still reeling from the excitement of my new space!
12. Tell us about the cool used and collectable action you have going on over there.
This sounds like a question coming more from Mike than from the Matador Blog. You’ll just have to stop by the store to find out! Ha!
We’re excited to show you the first video from Perfume Genius’ second album Put Your Back N 2 It (out Feb 21, pre-order here), directed by Mata-friend Winston H. Case (video credits below). Pitchfork spoke to PG headman Mike Hadreas about the video, his co-star and more.
Also, if you missed it in December, check out the first “look” from PYBN2I, the gorgeous “All Waters“.
Perfume Genius will hit the road in March and April:
March
Wednesday 21 - San Francisco, CA – Cafe Du Nord
Thursday 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater
Friday 23 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
Saturday 24 – Tuscon, AZ – Solar Culture
Monday 26 – Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
Tuesday 27 – Austin, TX – Lambert’s
Thursday 29 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
Friday 30 – Durham, NC – The Garage at Motorco
Saturday 31 – Arlington, VA – IOTA Club & Cafe
April
Monday 02 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
Tuesday 03 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
Thursday 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
Friday 06 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
Saturday 07 – Montreal, QC – Le Divan Orange
Sunday 08 – Toronto, ON – The Drake Hotel
Monday 09 – Seattle, WA -The Crocodile
Tuesday 10 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
Wednesday 11 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
Friday 13 - Denver, CO – Hi Dive
Saturday 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Tuesday 17 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
Wednesday 18 - Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret
Thursday 19 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
Video credits:
Featuring Arpad Miklos
Director / Editor – Winston H. Case
Directory of Photography – William Colby
2nd Camera Operator – John Strong
Producers – Greg Finch & Nils Bernstein
Associate Producers – Taylor Higgins, Ahbra Perry & Rye Curtis
Dolly Operator – Brad Oberhofer
Post FX – Stephen McNally
Colorist – Michael Garber
A Palo Duro Production
Thanks to Lulu Soni, Sam Heesen, Jordan Romero, Augustus Muller & Erez Avissar
As some of you already know, last week marked the 2nd anniversary of the death of Jay Reatard. The insensitive-rock-history part of me sometimes thinks of the big pile of records he’d have otherwise made in those 24 months, but most of the time I think about the guy his friends and family miss so much. This morning, we were given a virtual elbow in the ribs by the folks at Yellow Bird Project, who are hawking a Jay Reatard shirt to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The shirt features a Flying V w/ the Gibson logo replaced by Jay’s initials. So it’s subtle — you can buy one for someone who hated Jay and tell him or her what the deal is after they’ve been wearing the tee for a year. Thanks to Ruben Cox for the link.
It’s Tuesday, January 17 which means our first two releases of the New Year are out today.
First up is Intended Play, the new ultra-budget vinyl-only sampler from Matador and True Panther. The 11-song LP is $1.98 list price – you can actually order it direct for only $1.80 by clicking on the title above. It contains new tracks from THE YOUNG, CEREMONY TANLINES, LEE RANALDO, PERFUME GENIUS and STEPHEN MALKMUS – all of the above from upcoming releases except the SM track which won’t appear elsewhere, and recent hits (some of them rare) from KURT VILE, GIRLS, FUCKED UP, ESBEN & THE WITCH and COLD CAVE.
Next is the first single in our new 2012 singles club, SINGLES GOING HOME ALONE. It’s an unexpected conjunction between STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS and the legendary LA GUNS, covering each other. Hear Malkmus jam on “Wheels Of Fire,” and Tracii Guns pull out the stops on “Gorgeous Georgie.” Sleeve art at the top of the post.
It’s not too late to sign up for the singles club, which gets you six exclusive limited-edition 7″es, one every other month this year, plus a special bonus record, an exclusive tote bag and a yearlong 10% discount on all items at the Matador Store, for only $45 including shipping within the US:
The next two confirmed singles are from Austin’s OBN III’s on March 20, and Brooklyn’s The Men on May 8, with subsequent the singles on July 10, September 11 and November 6.
As mentioned in this space a few weeks ago, on March 20 we’lll be releasing Lee Ranaldo’s first song-based solo full-length, ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ on LP, CD and digital formats. While we’ve cited the songcraft, the “shimmering and melodic tapestry of sounds” the assembly of ‘a terrific new band right under our noses’, none of that does much good until you’re given a hint exactly what we’re shouting about. And without further technical difficulties ado, here’s “Off The Wall”
We’re taking preorders for ‘Between The Times & The Tides’ starting today at the Matador Store. In the days ahead, tour dates for the Lee Ranaldo Band will be unveiled in this space. And other spaces.
January 12th, 2012 at 6:00 am by truepanthersounds
Brooklyn, NY’s Tanlines will release their debut album, Mixed Emotions, on our imprint True Panther Sounds on March 20th, 2012. It was recorded in various NYC home studios and mixed in Miami by legendary mixing engineer Jimmy Douglass (Timbaland, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Television, Roxy Music). Mixed Emotion’s first taste, “Brothers,” is available for download from their site or direct download below…
Anyone well-versed with New York City’s diverse music scene for the last few years knows Mixed Emotions is a long time coming. Since their first song hit the web in 2008, Tanlines – comprised of Eric Emm (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Jesse Cohen (drums, keyboards, bass) – have been steadily releasing genius dance singles with labels across the globe, including True Panther, Young Turks and Kitsune. Their live show has taken them worldwide, playing at the likes of The Guggenheim, The Whitney and more in their hometown, as well as an opening slot on Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas’s solo tour in 2009. But it was an ill-fated European tour – filled with some of the most disappointing shows of their respective careers – that ultimately led to Mixed Emotion’s genesis. The band spent long hours driving through Europe, listening to albums by R.E.M., skate punk records from the 80’s, Born in the USA, and more. As Eric explains it, “Listening to them, I became very aware of the lasting resonance of a good song. A good song transcends production trends. That’s what we were missing, and I wanted to start making songs that would have a life of their own.”
The band returned from Europe only to be greeted with a larger problem: making such songs in Emm’s studio, which was not only the place where they created, but the place where they met prior to forming the band, would be impossible; the building that housed his eight year old studio had been sold. It is ultimately this sense of starting over that helps informs some of Mixed Emotion’s most palpable moments.
Mixed Emotions is a testament to the benefits and pitfalls of life’s changes, getting older, and being pushed out of one’s comfort zone. The band that was born out of a studio suddenly had to become, well, a band. Songs were written simply on a guitar, with the band later adding their palette of electronic and organic sounds afterwards. Emm honed his voice, a confident and tranquil baritone, and focused on lyricism, something he had not done seriously in the past. He sings stories about loss, the passage of time, and the lessons and warnings of accumulated knowledge gleaned by someone who has spent an entire lifetime in music. The process stretched the duo – Cohen likened making the album to that of making a film when it was done – and Mixed Emotions is all the better for it.
Sometimes painful, sometimes transcendent, and ultimately a very precise labor of love, Mixed Emotions simply feels vivid. Songs pulse and linger, filled with percussive textures, bright, warm synths and driving kick drums to juxtapose the album’s lyrical melancholia. The record obscures and blurs the lines between synthetic and organic, real and fake, happy and sad. It is the sound of stadium pop in small spaces. And it is one of the most remarkable debut albums you will hear in 2012.
Tanlines will be playing shows across the U.S. this spring. More info to come!
Pre-Order Mixed Emotions HERE (will ship on or before release date)
(“Stick Figures In Love” ; studio version found on ‘Mirror Traffic’. Video courtesy KCRW.org)
The first stanza of North American touring in support of last August’s ‘Mirror Traffic’ skipped a number of the continent’s more glittering metropolises, and that’s obviously something Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks were eager to correct in early 2012. Plus, they get to visit Boulder, too!
2/13/2012 Salt Lake City UT, Urban Lounge
2/15/2012 Boulder CO, Fox Theatre (tickets on sale, 1/13 at noon)
2/17/2012 Omaha NE, Slowdown
2/18/2012 Columbia MO, The Blue Note (tickets on sale, 1/13)
2/19/2012 Lawrence KS , The Granada (tickets on sale 1/14)
2/21/2012 Dallas TX, Granada Theater
2/22/2012 Austin TX, The Mohawk
2/24/2012 Phoenix AZ, The Crescent Ballroom (tickets on sale, 1/13, 10am)
2/27/2012 Santa Barbara CA SOhO Restaurant and Music Club
2/28/2012 San Francisco CA Slim’s (tickets on sale, 1/15)
In support of the February 21 release of Put Your Back N 2 Itwe’re happy to report that Perfume Genius will be hitting the US & Canadian road this March and April.
See below for all tour dates and ticketing information.
And be sure to check out Put Your Back N 2 It track, “All Waters” here
Wed 3/21 – Cafe Du Nord – San Francisco, CA – Tickets
Thu 3/22 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA – Tickets (on-sale Jan 9)
Fri, 3/23 – Casbah – San Diego, CA – Tickets (on-sale Jan 13)
Sat 3/24 – Solar Culture – Tucson, AZ (no advance tickets)
In collaboration with Hardcore Gig Volume and Le Poisson Rouge, Ceremony have put together what’s bound to be one of the most insane shows of this nascent year… matinee style. Ceremony will be performing songs from their forthcoming album ‘Zoo’ (including “Hysteria“) as well as your favorites. More info, and a reveal on the special guest soon.
Rohnert Park, California’s CEREMONY will be releasing their fourth album, entitled Zoo, on March 6, 2012. Working with producer John Goodmanson, the band have refined their jagged sound while continuing to pursue themes of exurban alienation and confinement. Their previous three albums on the Malfunction and Bridge 9 labels are widely seen as the most compelling, unusual and progressive hardcore of the last five years, and we are incredibly excited to be working with them.
L-R: Anthony Anzaldo (guitar), Ross Farrar (vocals), Jake Casarotti (drums), Andy Nelson (bass, guitar), Justin Davis (bass)
(photo by Ceremony)
Back in December, we announced the 7″ of “Hysteria,” the lead track on the album, backed with the non-LP Urinals cover “I’m A Bug.” Now you can listen to an MP3 of “Hysteria” here:
Also coming out on March 6 will be the second single from the album, “Adult” backed with the non-album original song “Start Over.” You can preorder it separately, or as part of one of the complicated bundle deals below.
The first 300 copies of Zoo will be on red vinyl exclusively for webstore preorders, and the first 200 copies of “Adult” will be on clear. These have already sold out. Orders going forward will get black vinyl.
Look for an announcement very soon: there’s going to be a special NYC event happening in early February.
Cold Cave have announced a string of dates along the west coast. Check them out in these smaller-than-usual venues.
Jan 13th – Los Angeles – Slow Motion @ Medusa Lounge
Feb 3rd – San Francisco – 120 Minutes @ Elbo Room
Feb 10th – Seattle – Second Sight @ Electric Tea Garden
Feb 12th – Portland – Rotture
In other Cold Cave news, Wesley Eisold’s book of poetry Deathbeds will see a repress on his own publishing imprint, Heartworm in an edition of 1000. You can grab it here.
Since 2006, Fucked Up have released a 12″ single on each Chinese New Year. Named after the beasts in the Chinese Zodiac, “Year Of The Tiger” is the latest in the series. The song is an progressive rock anthem featuring guest vocalists Jim Jarmusch, Annie-Claude Deschênes and Austra. It was produced by Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) during the sessions for last year’s critically acclaimed rock opera David Comes To Life. The 15-minute long track features the band’s well-known layers of guitar and roaring vocals, taken to a new level with the addition of piano, Jarmusch’s dark recitations and Deschênes’s gorgeous crescendos, in this menacing but uplifting story about the predation of predators.
The B-side “ONNO” is a 22-minute long palindromic drone. It explores new realms for the band, opening up new landscapes of space and hypnotic repetition.
Today we’re psyched to tell you that OLE-981 is the Matador Records & True Panther Sounds’ 2012 Intended Play Samplerhits shelves on January 14. This (insanely) budget-priced vinyl sampler showcases new tracks and now-classics from the Matador/True Panther syndicate circa 2011-2012, and much like the Cherry Red sampler from which this LP finds inspiration, is destined to rank at #1 on all music retail charts.
Revisit your favorites from 2011, and get a preview of 2012 from your friends at Matador Records and True
Panther Sounds for under two dollars!
1 THE YOUNG – Don’t Hustle For Love*
2 KURT VILE – Life’s A Beach
3 GIRLS – My Ma
4 CEREMONY – Hysteria*
5 TANLINES – TBA
6 LEE RANALDO – Off The Wall*
7 FUCKED UP – Into The Light
8 ESBEN & THE WITCH – Hexagons II
9 PERFUME GENIUS – All Waters*
10 COLD CAVE – Confetti (edit)
11 STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS – Polvo*
* unreleased
Pre-order it HERE or find it in your favorite vinyl retailer on 1/17)
…or Chase ATM’s. Grisly footage of what used to be the Mars Bar, locale of some fantastic first dates (and just as many last dates, I’d imagine). Photo swiped from EV Grieve, chroniclers of a once vibrant neighborhood being turned into, well, something that might still be fun if you’re either under 22 or a millionaire (preferably both).
Welcome back, pals. How was your Christmas? Get everything you wanted? Get that $7 check from grams? We know you’ve got that and some other Christmas money stashed away and you’re just wondering, “Where should I spend it?” Well if you’re reading this from the Austin area, here’s a hint:
1. Tell us briefly about your store.
We (Dan Plunkett & Blake Carlisle) opened End Of An Ear in May of 2005. We’re located on S. 1st Street near Boshai’s convenience store. We wanted to create a record store that focused on genres that we felt were ignored and more obscure music that we championed, but also be a regular kind of shop that carries all of the popular new releases. We also wanted to have a place that focused more on vinyl and featured lots of higher quality used stuff. We also carry books, magazines, DVD’s, VHS, and stereo equipment (used and new).
2. What got you into the independent record store business?
Being music lovers and collecting records mainly. Dan had done a record label/magazine (ND), and had previously co-owned another Austin record store (33 Degrees) for 8 years. We wanted to try and become a place that put a magnifying glass on the types of records that were being overlooked. We also wanted to eventually become a place that was filled to the brim with an ever-rotating inventory of used records.
3. Who are some of your favorite contemporary stores?
Jive Time in Seattle, Friends Of Sound and Breakaway in Austin, Vinyl Edge in Houston. Academy in NYC, Double Decker in Allentown, PA, Armageddon Shop in Providence, RI and Boston, MA, Record Surplus in LA, Grimey’s in Nashville, Stinkweeds in Phoenix, Jackpot and Mississippi in Portland, to name a few. A lot we need to visit.
4. How have things been going from a business perspective?
We are still growing and this year will be our best year yet. We are in a lucky spot in Austin where there are several major music fests such as SXSW, ACL, Chaos in Tejas, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Pachanga and several others that help bring attention to the shop. A lively and supportive local scene and just a general flow of people who are interesting and seeking out good music.
5. What do you think spells the survival for an independent record store today?
You have to stay on your toes. Besides DVDs, CDs, vinyl etc we expanded into selling new and used turntables, receivers and other audio equipment.. We also want to do more with books which we have done well with.
6. What are some of the coolest thing labels have done with you? Instores? Promotions? Sales?
We have been lucky to have a lot of cool instores: Band of Horses, Beirut, Cave, FM3, Peter Walker, Thurston Moore, Gary Wilson, The Bats, Ted Leo, Peelander Z, Exene Cervenka (and birthday party), Pierced Arrows, Rorschach, Tiny Vipers, Homosexuals, Colin Stetson, Jad Fair, Suisho No Fune, Eagle Twin, Nadja, Veronica Falls, Renderers and more that I’m forgetting.
We have done a few label features and sales such as Numero, National, Light in the Attic, VP (classic reggae titles), SPV (Krautrock titles), 4AD, Finder’s Keepers, etc.
As far as promotions, we have done giveaways via Twitter and Facebook such as free records, autographed goodies, free tickets, or get into a soundcheck and those kind of things.
7. Why do we need record stores?
Because living in a computer-only world is a sick, depressing idea. Don’t you get bored of iTunes, Amazon, Facebook and being on a computer in general? We do, and by having our store we try to reinforce the notion that going out in public, talking to people, sharing thoughts/opinions are integral steps to living an interesting and meaningful life.
8. What kind of taco is your favorite?
Anything from: Taqueria Amy’s, El Primo, Taco-Mex, Habanero, Tamale House, Maria’s, or Arranda’s. We’re into Al Pastor, Barbacoa, Carne Asada, Brisket Tacos, Lengua, Chorizo/egg, Migas plate from either Maria’s or Tamale House. Also, any food from Curra’s is amazing. Trust us we’ve lived here forevs.
9. Who are your top 3 favorite bands right now?
It would change by the second – but for now in this instant lets say: Total Control, John Maus, and Mist.
10. What is your favorite thing about your store? And you can’t say the customers. That’s like saying Einstein or Ghandi when asked “If you could meet one person, living or dead…”
Being in an old, weird building from the 60′s that’s kind of like a strange compound, and being able to live and work in an enviornment that has such a unique and historical past. We like the fact that occasionally the opportunity comes up where we can physically expand the shop, which we’ve done a few times and plan to do again in the future. The shop space itself is like an ongoing project.
11. What are your goals for the future of your store? Long term and short.
Short term – Keep improving our inventory/selection and the way the store looks.
Long term: To have Scott Walker or Robert Wyatt do an instore with an open bar and a feast catered by a kick ass Indian restaurant.
The Young are taking a short break from putting finishing touches on their 2nd album — and first for Matador — with a bunch of shows on the West Coast. Around the time of Matador’s 21st anniversary shows in Vegas going on sale, we received brutal, vicious criticism from locals who felt their cultural hotbed was routinely being passed over by our touring bands. OK, then. The Young are playing Vegas’ Beauty Bar (perhaps the place where the term “truth in advertising” originated) and I fully expect several hundred of the city’s most passionate music fans to be in attendance.
(I also believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and that the Planet Of The Apes movies are a prophecy).
Here’s the full schedule :
Wed 1/4 – Yucca Tap Room, Tempe, AZ
Thu 1/5 – Soda Bar, San Diego, CA
Fri 1/6 – Cellar Door, Visalia, CA
Sat 1/7 – Bottom Of The Hill, SF, CA
Mon 1/9 – The Satellite, Los Angeles
Tue 1/10 – The Smell, Los Angeles
Wed 1/11 – Beauty Bar, Las Vegas, NV
Thu 1/12 – Solar Culture Gallery, Tucson AZ
Fri 1/4 – Mohawk, Austin TX (with Balaclavas)
Sometimes over here at Matador HQ we like to try wacky shit like making videos featuring famous funny guys or buying a single Soda Stream for 15 people to use and then wonder why it runs out of gas after a day and a half.
But this time we’re doing something a little more simple and a lot more awesome.
As you already know, Girls are playing Terminal 5 on Saturday January 14. As you probably know, tickets are disappearing faster than (insert Kardashian wedding joke here). So just for you, NYC, we’ve teamed up with some of the best independent records stores in the Big Apple to offer a FREE TICKET when you purchase a copy of Father, Son, Holy Ghost (while supplies last, of course).
Simple as that. Buy the new album at regular price, get a free ticket to the show at Terminal 5.
For Volume 3 of our groundbreaking featurette, we dug in with Sharod Bines and Bradley Ellison, the two Floridians who run Retrofit Records. These guys rule and apparently have the kind of taste that would fit right in at Matador HQ. I dig them because they say “motherfucker” a lot.
That photo down the bottom there that’s Sharod and Bradley with a special friend. They’re clearly radical dudes.
1. Tell us briefly about your store. SB: Retrofit Records is located in Tallahasee, Florida, in the heart of downtown Tallahassee. Our store is about 950 square feet. Within our small space we host in-store performances, community events like BBQs, potlucks, listening parties, and anything else fun that we can think of! About 95% of our stock consists of new and used vinyl, while the remainder consists of about 60-80 CDs (at any given time), shop related apparel, a few publications, vinyl accessories, and new record players.
2. What got you into the independent record store business? SB: A love for music and the need to contribute in a bigger way to our city’s music scene. That, and we’re the only record store in town where you can find new and current released music. Before we opened it was a little embarassing when a band came through town and would ask us to direct them to the nearest record store and we’d have to tell them none exist. Now that we’re open, we just direct them to our shop! BE: Honestly, it also felt necessary for us (instead of anyone else) to start the store. We, to put it bluntly, are music nerds, and our knowledge of music is a little more intense and comprehensive than many other people in our town. So it really came down to who would be capable, willing, and knowledgable enough to present and sell music to our town. Plus, It’s a handy tool for instructing and recommending albums to people based on maybe one band that they are into. 3. Who are some of your favorite contemporary stores? SB: Radio-Active Records in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Vinyl Richie’s Wiggly World in Orlando, Fl, and Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA BE: Aquarius Records
4. How have things been going from a business perspective? SB: So far things have been great! I don’t come from a retail background at all (never even worked a register before now hah), so I was definitely nervous about opening a record shop. However, we actually lucked out, as in, we opened a week after major construction concluded on the main thouroughfare where our shop is located, and we opened a week before fall semester classes started, which really has helped sales and word of mouth regarding the shop. Even one of the universities interviewed us and put the article on the front page of their “Arts & Culture” section, which was really nice! So far this year has been great for us! We’re hoping 2012 goes just as smoothly. BE: Some people have questioned our logic and asked aloud “why start a vinyl store when music sales are on the decline?” We’ve proved the naysayers wrong pretty quickly by succeeding at our mission.
5. What do you think spells the survival for an independent record store today? SB: SUPPORT within the community! I can’t stress that enough. Considering that we’re the only contemporary record store in our city, we’d like to hope that people would treasure something like what we’re doing, and would want us to succeed and therefore inspire others within the community to create their own cultural exchange, no matter what form it comes in, be it music, art, culinary, etc… That being said, a large part of the onus lies with us. Part of our job as a record store is to inform and educate the public/scene on what’s available. You know, not just what’s cool or new, but what’s out there beyond mainstream radio and TV. BE: The size and focus of a store is also important. There’s no way a store can survive if it becomes bloated and tries to appeal to everyone’s slight whim. We saw a store in town fall apart by trying to grow and grow – Vinyl Fever RIP – but let’s face it: with the rise of the Internet, plus with the dreck that passes for mainstream music, most people no longer see the need to buy records. But there are always music fans out there, willing to dig and listen to new things. By keeping small, you can provide a more diverse collection of music and you don’t compete with chain stores in any way. 6. What are some of the coolest thing labels have done with you? Instores? Promotions? Sales? SB: At this point we haven’t done as much as we would like to with labels, in fact we want to do a lot MORE! Maybe the labels are waiting to see if we’ll be around in a year, or maybe they just want us to buy more inventory haha. It’s cool though, the labels we work with send us the usual schwag (posters, promos, limited edition stuff, etc..), which we more than appreciate. Some labels don’t send us anything! Either way, we’ve hosted some really fun in-store shows and events with the likes of Nobunny, Shannon & The Clams, Moon Duo, Jacuzzi Boys, Cheveu, Paul Collins Beat, etc… Oh yeah, almost forgot Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, OFF!) came by the store and bought a bunch of records, which was pretty cool!
7. Why do we need record stores? SB: Who doesn’t need a hang spot where you can listen to awesome records?! BE: Why do we need to breathe? Why do we need to love? Because otherwise, life would be life would merely be a dull, inescapable throbbing pain.
8. What kind of taco is your favorite? SB: I don’t eat tacos often, but I’m a pretty straight forward guy. So I’ll have to go with the original: ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese. BE: Oh my god! The taco, you see, is imperative to life. I prefer using tempeh and vegetables (done the same way that typically comes in a fajita), adding some guacamole and melting some cheese on the motherfucker. And before you ask, yes it’s in a hard shell. Goddamn, maybe I should start a Mexican food cart.
9. Who are your top 3 favorite bands right now? SB: The Spits, Yussuf Jerusalem, and Davila 666! BE: How cruel, cutting it down to three. Anyway, lately I’ve been obsessing over Sun City Girls, Dungen, and The Bug.
10. What is your favorite thing about your store? And you can’t say the customers. That’s like saying Einstein or Ghandi when asked “If you could meet one person, living or dead…” SB: Fulfilling one of my dreams! ..and the pride of ownership. It feels really nice to work hard for something and then see it come to fruition, there’s nothing like it. BE: Swag. No but for real, it’s what i’ve wanted to do since I was a kid.
11. What are your goals for the future of your store? Long term and short. SB: Retrofit Records world domination?! BE: Surviving and thriving motherfucker!
