Matador Records | News June 2003

SM & Jicks tour w/ classy, famous band
As tipped on virtually every site we like to pretend we're competing with, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks will be supporting Radiohead on the eastern leg of their August tour. Tickets go on sale this coming Saturday, June 21. (Editor's note : that's last Saturday, June 21. As in, the Saturday all the Radiohead tickets sold out).

We cannot comment on widespread rumours that Radiohead's current album, 'Hail To The Thief' is the last one they owe Capitol Records because it would kind of sleazy to suggest we're "after" the band, as though they are mere cattle to be bid on at auction. Or to imply that Capitol are likely to hit some kind of a ceiling on this album and the band need a bigger company like Matador to take them to "the next level". All of those things are unfair and just pure speculation on the part of industry observers, most of whom fail to credit Capitol Records with doing such a fine job.

The dates are as follows :

Wed 8/13 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center For The Performing Arts
Fri 8/15 Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
Sat 8/16 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre
Mon 8/18 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center
Wed 8/20 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
Thu 8/21 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
Sat 8/23 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Sun 8/24 Maryland Heights, MO UMB Bank Pavilion
Tue 8/26 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Thu 8/28 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
Sat 8/30 Vancouver, BC Thunderbird Stadium
Sun 8/31 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre

Tickets are available for all shows from Ticketmaster, and in Canada from Ticketmaster Canada, except for the Montreal show, where you should go through Admissions.com.

By the way, you don't need to be Naomi Klein to be bummed out Mansfield and Camden each have a Tweeter Center. (I hate to speak out of turn but I'm pretty sure our label's general manager wouldn't be caught dead in a Tweeter shop). The naming rights phenomena is neither new or necessarily a war crime, but does it have to be this unoriginal? The naming rights to Matador's offices are very much up for grabs, by the way (Chris' office, at least).

On the other hand, I did just sell the promotional rights to all future home movies to Clear Channel. Just in case. It would really suck to invite any of you to my home to watch these great video tapes and find out at the last minute that we couldn't hire enough off-duty police officers.

The new video for the Jicks' "Dark Wave" can be seen on MTV2 and other providers of musical entertainment on television, as well as our own site.

Dead Meadow - 'Shivering King.." just out, new tour about to begin...
Following a live broadcast on WNYU and a brief spate of London gigs ---resulting in gadzooks-style coverage from Kerrang, NME, Bang and other magazines we're trying to stay out of fights with, Dead Meadow are refocusing their attentions on the homeland with a US tour kicking next week at NY's Mercury Lounge playing with Bardo Pond (dates below). 'Shivering King and Others' is available now on CD and double LP and ranks as the most hypnotic listening experience of 2003.

On the pretty damn hypnotic in their own tip, Bardo Pond have a new album coming out in August via the All Tomorrow's Parties label. We could moan and groan about this (and trust me, behind the scenes we are doing just that) but there is no other way to put it than Bardo Pond totally rule. Great human beings and even better musicians --- we were blessed to have been associated with for as long as we were. and we'll be first in line at the record shop the day the new album is released (OK, technically this is hyperbole because no matter how anticipated the new Bardo Pond album is, there probably won't be a line. And even if there was we'd probably buy it online or burn a CDR of Lucy's copy and put a Matador logo on the Xeroxed sleeve. But you get the idea).

Yo La Tengo - surf's up (and down)
Georgia, Ira and James have just completed the western USA leg of their 'Summer Sun' tour and are on their way to the tiny village of Europe for gigs in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. Be sure to check in here sometime next week for an exclusive Quicktime video interview with Ira Kaplan, as conducted by the team behind Midnight Pajama Jam. Pay close attention, because your chance to win a custom Yo La Tengo surfboard (not actually used by members of the band) rests on your comprehension skills.

Mogwai - setting the (new) record straight
Just so everyone knows, the rumor that US editions of the Mogwai album 'Happy Songs For Happy People' (no. 181 with a bullet in this week's Billboard -- though in light of contemporary events, we want the publication to change it to "with a wizard") were to include a bonus CD was clearly erroneous and/or wishful thinking on the part of persons who cannot be trusted (ie., us). We're sorry for any confusion but we're sure you will agree that the most SILVER-looking album of all time is more than worth the cash all by itself. But for those otherwise unconvinced of the value-for-money thing, the CD versions of 'Happy Songs' do include the album's Cubase PC files for those of you seeking to remix, unmix, karaoke-ize Mogwai, etc. Unless you're using a mac, in which case you are shit out of luck (this wasn't our idea, btw. Whenever you are wondering why something disappointing happened, remember it was someone else's fault besides Matador's).

Also check out the video to "Hunted by a Freak", directed by Plates Animation, which will be available on music and video page within the next few days.

Interpol - bigger than Darko Milicic & Yao Ming combined
After a spate of US radio festivals, Interpol played a sold out show at London's Shepards Bush Empire this past Monday night, prior to making their way to Pilton, England for this weekend's Glastonbury festival. Full details about the forthcoming UK release of the "Obstacle 1" multi-format single + remixes will be available soon. If not here, then probably from another source. Let's face it, the guy writing this stuff types soooooo slowly this stuff would go up faster if he was writing on the back of a shovel.

The New Pornographers -
With 'Electric Version' and a knockout live show causing jaws to drop all over this great continent, The New Pornographers follow their recent Letterman appearance with more US dates. Please note the addition of a 3rd show at NYC's Bowery Ballroom to go along with the soldout gigs on July 11 and 12 :

THU 8/21 LAWRENCE, KS Bottleneck
SAT 8/23 LOUISVILLE, KY Headliners
SUN 8/24 PITTSBURGH, PA Rosebud
MON 8/25 NEW YORK, NY Bowery Ballroom
WED 8/27 CHAPEL HILL, NC Cat's Cradle
THU 8/28 ATLANTA, GA Echo Lounge
SAT 8/30 HOUSTIN, TX Fat Cat's
SUN 8/31 AUSTIN, TX Emo's
MON 9/1 SEATTLE, WA Bumbershoot

Blaine Thurier's video for "The Laws Have Changed" is now available on this site and all quality television sets.

Pretty Girls Make Graves -
In the run up to the 7"/CDS release of 'This Is Our Emergency" and the subsequent Matador debut full-length, 'The New Romance' (no Visage jokes, please, those guys were just trying to earn a living), we're happy to announce the following hometown instore:

September 9th, 7 PM

Sonic Boom Ballard
2209 NW Market Street
Seattle, WA 98107
206 297 2666

Robyn Hitchcock communicates with Us, and by extension, you:
"I'm playing a selection of naff 70's hits on Friday 18th of July at the
Clerkenwell Festival. The band stars Kimberley and Morris as well as Terry Edwards and Paul Noble, whose birthday it is.

"On August 9th I'm playing solo at the Eden festival on Arrowe Hill, in the
Wirral, near Liverpool.

"LUXOR, my new album is available from the Museum of Robyn Hitchcock at robynhitchcock.com, or from Vital distribution."

Khan announces:
Captain Comatose (Playhouse Records) is proud to present the official
launching of: CAPTAINCOMATOSE.COM

To celebrate this, we are hosting a WORST REMIX CONTEST through our brandnew site. That's right. Whoever we feel makes the worst, most un-listenable,piece of shit remix (to our discriminating ears, of course) will have their work featured on an upcoming 12" or a CC Remix Compilation CD!!We invite all wanna be producers, celibate DJ's, pretentious musiciantypes -- frankly, EVERYONE, to give it a shot. Every single musical and remix style will be considered -- just as long as it sucks.

So go ahead and download your favorite CAPTAIN COMATOSE ACCAPELLA from the discography page on www.captaincomatose.com and start ruining it! While you're there, check out the latest news and live dates plus a tour diary that keeps you informed of all sins committed on stage and every piece of gossip there is about Captain Comatose. Plus, downloadable sounds bites from past 12inches and our latest LP "Going Out", song lyrics, contacts and exclusive merchandise.

And don't forget, the ABSOULTE WORST REMIX of a Captain Comatose track will either be featured on a future 12" or a CC Remix Compilation CD. Go for it!

Aereogramme - Craig B. checking in :
"Hello again. For those of you who give a shit, aereogramme have just finished our two month tour of the U.S. and Europe and have had June off to catch up on sleep / sex / music / friends and all the other things you miss while on tour.

"Anyway, we will be playing some dates throughout Europe in July and some of them are with The Rollins Band in support of the "West Memphis Three". (If you dont know anything about this then check out www.wm3.org or better yet, watch the HBO documentaries if you can and gape in horror at a modern day witch hunt).

"We also have a new e.p. coming out on a yet to be decided date. Its called liver and lungs and was partly recorded in hotel rooms and our lovely white coffin of a van. It has two new songs and a cover version of Michael Jackson's "thriller". Hopefully Michael will hear it, invite us on tour and then i can make full use of the wind machine he has on stage to blow my ginger pubes around while i lay down some "Dirty Licks"(TM). That should scare the shite out of bubbles #3. Thats the idea anyway.

"While on tour we read- Vernon God Little / Aerosmith ( ! ) walk this way / The good faeries of New York / An Andy Kaufman book and a few scud mags to torture ourselves.

"We listened to and are still listening to- Every possible Led Zeppelin track ever released on every format, Tomahawk , Rilo Kiley , Nina Simone, Tool , Nostromo , Oh My God , Four Tet , Mastadon , Bonnie Prince Billy ( i thought the last album was a stinker but its totally grown on me like a fungus.Its beautiful dammit !)

"Much love to anyone who takes notice of our movements and music.

"cheers

"craig b - a e r e o g r a m m e-"

M. Ward
Forthcoming global dates:

Sat- Jun 21 Sydney, AUS - Hopetoun
Wed- Jun 25 Perth, AUS - Rosemount hotel
Thu - Jun 26 Adelaide, AUS - enigma / studio 22 recording
Fri - Jun 27 Melbourne, AUS - Rob Roy w/ Lou Barlow
Sat - Jun 28 Melbourne, AUS - public office

more AUS dates TBA with and without Lou Barlow/Folk Implosion

M. Ward & A Band of Four

Sun-Jul-06 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre w/ Rilo Kiley
Tue-Jul-08 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall w/ Rilo Kiley
Thu-Jul-10 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre w/ Rilo Kiley
Fri-Jul-11 Seattle, WA Graceland w/ Rilo Kiley
Sat-Jul-12 Olympia, WA Capitol Theater w/ Rilo Kiley
Tue-Jul-15 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court w/ Rilo Kiley
Thu-Jul-17 Denver, CO Climax Lounge w/ Rilo Kiley
Fri-Jul-18 Lincoln, NE Duffys Tavern w/ Rilo Kiley
Sat-Jul-19 Omaha, NE Sokal Downstairs w/ Rilo Kiley
Sun-Jul-20 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar w/ Rilo Kiley
Mon-Jul-21 Chicago, IL The Abbey w/ Rilo Kiley
Tue-Jul-22 Detroit, MI Magic Stick w/ Rilo Kiley
Wed-Jul-23 Columbus, OH Little Brothers w/ Rilo Kiley
Thu-Jul-24 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud w/ Rilo Kiley
Fri-Jul-25 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church w/ Rilo Kiley
Sat-Jul-26 Cambridge, MA TT The Bears w/ Rilo Kiley
Sun-Jul-27 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom w/ Rilo Kiley
Wed-Jul-30 Washington, DC Black Cat w/ Rilo Kiley
Thu-Jul-31 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle w/ Rilo Kiley
Fri-Aug-01 Columbia, SC TBA
Sat-Aug-02 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge w/ Rilo Kiley
Sun-Aug-03 Gainesville, FL Common Grounds w/ Rilo Kiley
Mon-Aug-04 St. Petersburg, FL State Theater w/ Rilo Kiley
Tue-Aug-05 Orlando, FL The Social w/ Rilo Kiley
Thu-Aug-07 Houston, TX Fatcats w/ Rilo Kiley
Fri-Aug-08 Denton,TX Rubber Gloves w/ Rilo Kiley
Sat-Aug-09 Austin, TX Emos w/ Rilo Kiley
Tue-Aug-12 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture w/ Rilo Kiley
Wed-Aug-13 Tempe, AZ Modified W Rilo Kiley
Fri-Aug-15 San Diego, CA Epi Center w/ Rilo Kiley
Sat-Aug-16 Pomona, CA Glass House w/ Rilo Kiley

For those living in places where we actually release M. Ward records, Matt will be supporting and playing with Beth Orton in the UK at the end of August through September. Dates to follow.

Listening Favorites and other things :

Lyle Hysen, Beggars Group
TOP 5 Matador Bulletin Board posters:

Dayne1234
bitterfruit
Mr. HCI
johansen smith
Futureman

Euvin Weeber, Beggars Group
Mogwai at Southpaw June 17
Www.shawks.net
Www.atomfilms.com
Running Over Dixie Chicks CD's in my John Deere riding lawn mower cause I
believe Anita Hill
Comets on Fire (Everyone ask Ben about Comets!)
The string on the Matador Bulletin Board about Patrick's sound/space station
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
The Dead Meadow live experience
www.cnn.com
Curtis Mayfield S/T
Sonic Youth Dirty Deluxe Edition
Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won and DVD
Fender Telecasters
Big Muff's
Vox Wah Pedals
Reason sequencing

David Shepard, The Wisdom Of Harry / Ellis Island Sound / State River Widening
I've been in southern Spain on a record production mission. The debilitating effects of extreme heat, incompatible plug sockets, melting hard disks and three hour lunches assuaged by the following:

Ivor Cutler - 'I'm Going In A Field'
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man - 'Mysteries'
Esmerine - 'Red Fire Farm'
Gavin Bryars - 'The South Downs'
The Pastels - 'Flora's Theme'
Serge Gainsbourg - 'New York - USA'
Beck Hansen - 'Round The Bend'

Not a lot of Spanish music, frankly. However, I loved the little tune the mobile knife-sharpener played to alert the dull-bladed locals of his imminent presence... A five note celeste chime 'slicing' through the torpid afternoon air...

And when I got home my faulty fridge had turned into a bulging, bursting glacier... I like my metaphors obvious.

Dave Martin, Matador Records
1. Swamp Rats Disco Still Sucks Get Hip It is unreal that this has taken so long (Gregg Kostelich was been trying to get this thing happening when I worked at Get Hip- circa 1992 or 1993) to be released, but you can all thank your lucky stars that it has. Not only do you get the 100% must have tracks from the singles, but they have also managed to unearth some unreleased jams. One of them "Hey Freak" has to be heard to be belived. There are some records that are just essential and this is one of them.

2. Rocket From The Tombs - Live and on WFMU Hands down the most fun I have had at a show since seeing the King Brothers. Even better than I could have hoped for. A quick run down: Cheatah Chrome: Man this guy has come through the other side just fine. Great guitar playing and a crazed "you have to hear hear it" rasp of a voice. David Thomas: Even w/lots of sitting down during the set he was his usual kinda grumpy, but kinda likeable self. Craig Bell: When he sang "Muckraker" his voice seemed almost normal in comparison to Cheatah's. Steve Melman: The token "young" guy and he did a great job. Tons of energy, even going so far as some double bass drums in a few songs. Never overplayed though. Richard Lloyd: Well, they let him be Richard Lloyd (lots of solos). Fantastic.

3. Jacks 2nd Live Show LP (Orange Doubledome). The Jacks were a 60's band from Japan who sang mostly in Japanese and didn't seem as fixated on America as the rest of the bands of the time (so those hooked on Phonics, Kitsch fans don't have much going for them here.) What you get is a pretty nice boot of this super rare, fan club only LP. If you are expecting tons of over the top, crazed action you might be a bit perplexed. What you get is an amazingly tight set of most of their hits with flashes of over the top guitar and vocals. Very Japanese, very amazing.

4. Bassholes From The Treetops DBL 7" (Dead Canary) Two 7"s of new material from Don Howland and Bim Thomas. Great new jams, Joy Division rewrites and even an Iggy & the Stooges cover (huh?). Good to have them back.
5. LA Drugs 12" & Live (Twisted Village). I'm pretty sick of everyone falling all over each other to label themselves "No Wave" when they should be labeled "boring." This LA Drugs outfit is another matter though. Not too much in the way of musical aptitude, but damn if they don't twist it all into warped, enjoyable little songs. That Sandra has a way with words too: "I'm not a nerd, I'm just on dope."

6. Michael Yonkers Band Microminiature Love CD Reissue (Sub Pop). Sub Pop comes through with their best record since the first Mudhoney 7". You may remember me raving about this record a while back when it came out on the Minneapolis De Stijl label. Anyway this is a long lost album recorded in 1968 that absolutely destroys. You must check this out. The CD also has 6 totally unreleased songs that are excellent as well (and hopefully will come out as their own LP too.)

7. Brother J.T.3 Hang In There Baby CDR The new Brother JT 3 album could be even better than the first two (both on Drag City) which were both fantastic. Like those ones these lean toward JT's song oriented side of the brain, but that isn't to say there aren't a few surprises or freak outs in store. One extra special moment is "Head Business" which is the best pro acid song I've heard in ages.

8. Bardo Pond On The Ellipse CD (A.T.P.) This could sort of be a reversed Lapsed or Set And Setting. Where those albums front loaded the sludge blues damage On The Ellipse eases into the action with a flash here and there but it isn't until the album closer "Night Of Frogs" that you're up to your neck in the sludge. Nevertheless it is a fine trip.

9. Noagxt Turning It Down Since 2001 (Load) I'd never heard a record by this Kjetil Brandsdal guy, but the liner notes (by professional grouch Stefan Jaworcyzn) made me buy this. Excellent, sludgy, instrumental, quasi-metal but with a viola instead of a guitar. That sounds like a gimmick when you read it, but it's cool. Trust me.

10. The Modey Lemon Phil sent me a CDR of the new album, but it only played through one speaker on the stereo and then crashed my computer when I tried to play it on there. I'm so into them that I then tried to play it on the computer again. It crashed.

Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
The Animal Collective "Campfire Songs" (Catsup Plate)
Jackie O'Motherfucker "Change" (Ecstatic Peace / U-Sound)
Dan Melchoir "The is Not the Medway Sound" (SmartGuy)
The Oranges Band "All Around" (Lookout!)
Hall of Fame "Paradise Now" (The Social Registry)
Comets on Fire "Comets on Fire" reissue (Alternative Tentacles)
Manitoba " Up In Flames" (Leaf / Domino)

Sujan Hong, Beggars Group
1. Jose Reyes getting called up to the Mets
2. Jose Reyes getting his first career hit in his first at-bat.
3. Jose Reyes getting his first career stolen base.
4. Jose Reyes hitting first career homerun - a grand slam.
5. Jose Reyes' winning smile.

Patrick Amory's favorite things at the moment
1. The New Pornographers - "The Laws Have Changed" video (dir. Blaine Thurier)
2. Tickawinda - Rosemary Lane (Pennine LP)
3. Neil Gaiman - American Gods (Harper Torch paperback)
4. Mike Davis - Dead Cities (New Press hardback)
5. Brahms - Variations et fugue sur un theme de Haendel - Yves Nat (Les discophiles francais LP)
6. Becca Ottman's prog comps (Ottman CSS)
7. Beethoven - 'Archduke' Trio - Cortot Thibaud Casals - recorded 1928 (HMV LP)
8. QOTSA performance at Coachella
9. The Fruit Machine - The Wall (American Music Makers 45)
10. VMPS 626Rs (ribbon loudspeakers)

Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
Cex - Being Ridden (Temproary Residence)
Loren Chasse - Hedge Of Nerves (Anomalous)
Wire - Send (Pink Flag)
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won / DVD (Swan Song)
Radiohead - Hail To The Thief (Capitol)
The Oranges Band - All Around (Lookout)
The Bug - Pressure (Rephlex)
The Clean - Syd's Pink Wiring System (Cleano)
Cobra Verde - Easy Listening (Muscletone)
Donna Summer - This Needs To Be Your Style (Irritant)
Seachange - Learn To Lose (Gringo)
Noxaght - Turning It Down Since 1991 (Load)
Chicken Legs Weaver - Nowhere (Wishbone)
Styrofoam - I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing (Morr Music)
Former Metro Stars coach Carlos Queiroz's new job. I could make an analogy about Howard Johnson replacing Joe Torre, but it doesn't really do anyone justice.