Video: A.C. Newman Live In Minneapolis

A.C. Newman played at the 400 Bar on Tuesday with The Broken West. Here is live footage of "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" and "The Palace at 4 A.M."



Watch it in HD here.



Watch it in HD here.

(Ian Anderson/Alyssa Kleven)

Patrick Amory of Matador Records Interviewed by Hypebot

Matador Records General Manager Patrick Amory was interviewed by Hypebot on his thoughts concerning the Matablog and its influence on digital sales and traffic.

"As previously posted on Hypebot, Matador Records’ Matablog doubled its traffic in under 12 months leading to an increase in online sales. The Matablog stands as one of the best examples of an independent label utilising the web to build value for its artists and its fans. Nick Crocker spoke with Matador Records General Manager Patrick Amory to find out more.

How do you select the content for the Matablog?

Patrick_amory[2] Patrick Amory: All employees, recording artists and selected friends can request a login and 99% of their content will be published. We encourage people to post both about Matador-related content (release dates, MP3 launches, radio appearances, tour dates) and anything else in which they are interested."

Continue reading HERE.

(Ian Anderson)

A.C. Newman Ticket Giveaway

*MP3: A.C. Newman - "There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve"

In conjunction with Matador Records, we are giving away two tickets to the A.C. Newman show tomorrow night at the 400 Bar. If you would to be entered to win these tickets, @Tweet us at twitter.com/MFRian about the show. We will announce the winner tomorrow morning.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Condo Fucks - "What Cha Gonna Do About It"

*MP3: Condo Fucks - "What Cha Gonna Do About It"

Call it clever, call it a stunt, call it what you will, but it is Yo La Tengo after all.

Here is the first single from the Condo Fucks (Yo La Tengo) EP that just dropped on Matador yesterday, which will be out on March 24. It's super raw, super hilarious, and I'm into it.

Here's the story via Matador:


And, here's their video for "What Cha Gonna Do About It":

Matador Releases Intended Play Sampler for Fall 2008

Download: AC Newman - "There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve"
Download: Pavement - "Cataracts"

Matablog, who today are doing a nice impression of Brooklyn Vegan for Halloween, have released the Fall 2008 edition of their Intended Play sampler. As you can imagine, it includes tracks from already released albums, as well as forthcoming ones, including AC Newman (which you can find at the top of the post), Pavement (ditto), and Condo Fucks.

Download it here.

Sonic Youth Sign To Matador

Matador released the news today that Sonic Youth have signed to Matador. Pretty wild, here is the press release.

"After rampant speculation, Matador Records can confirm the label will be releasing a new studio album from Sonic Youth sometime in 2009. Having fulfilled their contractual obligations to the Universal Music Group, Sonic Youth recently reached an agreement with Matador to release the band’s 16th album of new material in all worldwide territories, save for Japan.

While Sonic Youth’s status as one of the more innovative and influential bands of the past 30 years needs little explanation, the group’s most recent recordings for Geffen — 2006’s ‘Rather Ripped’ being their final for the label — rank amongst the current decade’s best.

For Matador, the opportunity to work in partnership with a group who’ve made such an profound impact on our roster/hometown/collective consciousness was one to jump at. Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley will commence recording the new Sonic Youth LP/CD this autumn and we look forward to sharing further details in the very near future.

Please check out sonicyouth.com for details about their many recent and upcoming pursuits, including the travelling museum exhibition “Sonic Youth Etc.: Sensational Fix”, which focusses on the multidisciplinary activities of the band since 1981, and the recently self-released CD “Andre Side Af Sonic Youth”."

- Matablog

(Ian Anderson - ian@minneapolisfuckingrocks.com)

Matador Launches Online Digital Music Store

Download: Jay Reatard - "Always Wanting More"

(Matador is) very happy to announce the newest incarnation of the Matador Store is now up and running. We embed ourselves even more comfortably in the digital age by offering digital (MP3 and FLAC) downloads in addition to a nicer, easier to navigate look and loads of other geeked-out features.

* Mp3s (256k) and FLAC (lossless) files. Can we say that they’re encoded at a higher bit rate than iTunes? Because they are.
*Sample files of everything in our digital catalog
*Digital files are fully integrated with Songbird and will put the downloads you’ve purchased directly into your Songbird “Purchased Playlist” as well as allow you to easily browse and listen to sample files.
* A download helper for both MAC and PC to improve the experience of downloading singles and albums

Holy Crap, Beavis! The Matablog post notes that this is the soft launch of their store--the full launch will be a week from tomorrow--but this is exciting news all the same. Matador might be a little late to the digital party (after all, Merge and Touch & Go got there first), but I would also imagine that they are still welcome no matter what.

Read more here.

(Jonathan Graef)

Buy Stephen Malkmus's New Album Before Its Release Date

Download Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baby, C'Mon"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Jenny & The Ess-Dog"

One of the more innovative methods of combating the record industry's never-ending woes has been Matador Records Buy Early Get Now (heretofore BEGN) promotion. Though the name and inherent premise of the project are self-explanatory, there's also much more to it than merely buying an album online ahead of its physical release date in order to get it ASAP.

No, No, No, you, the consumer, get so much more!

In addition to a streaming version of the record you purchase, BEGN gives you a whole lot more than what you get with mere CDs of the album (or, you know, when you download it on the internet).

The last entry in the Matador BEGN series was Challengers, the underrated fourth album from The New Pornographers. Those who ordered the last set got to choose from one of two editions. The "executive edition" (20 bones) included a box-set, live disc, videos, photos and artwork. While the "standard edition" (15 bones) didn't include such luxuries, but the listener still got 3 previously unreleased B-sides, a full album stream, plus advance notice on what-were-then upcoming New Pornos shows.

Challengers was number 4 in the series. Now, with the upcoming release of Stephen Malkmus's fourth post-Pavement album (and second with the Jicks) Real Emotional Trash, BEGN
begets entry number 5

From the Matablog:

Preorder the Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks album ‘Real Emotional Trash’ (out March 4) now, and a get an instant stream along with two exclusive B-sides, an entire live show and a poster.

Visit the buyearlygetnow.com website to register. You start by preordering the album from a participating retailer - click the location on the map closest to you, or just order from the Matador Store - and you will get a username and password. Go back to buyearlygetnow.com to log in, download the stream, and get your extras on the site over the next few weeks.

On March 4 you pick up the album and poster from your local retailer or receive it in the mail. Simple and straightforward.

So no box-sets like last time, but it seems like its still a pretty good deal. Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks play First Ave on March 19th.

Stephen Malkmus MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Cat Power - "Song To Bobby"

Download: Cat Power - "Song To Bobby"

Cat Power has another covers record coming out and it is called Jukebox. Matador just posted the first single from that album, titled "Song To Bobby". The album will be released on January 22nd. You can listen to the track at the top of this post.

In addition, here is Jukebox's tracklist, also posted by Matador:

1. New York (Frank Sinatra)
2. Ramblin’ (Wo)man (Hank Williams)
3. Metal Heart (Cat Power *)
4. Silver Stallion (The Highwaymen)
5. Aretha, Sing One For Me (George Jackson)
6. Lost Someone (James Brown)
7. Lord, Help The Poor And Needy (Jessie Mae Hemphill)
8. I Believe In You (Bob Dylan)
9. Song To Bobby (Cat Power **)
10. Don’t Explain (Billie Holiday)
11. Woman Left Lonely (Janis Joplin)
12. Blue (Joni Mitchell)

* original version on the ‘Moon Pix’ album
** first appearance of this song

In addition, there will be a limited-edition silver foil deluxe package with a bonus disc containing the following 5 songs:

1. I Feel (Hot Boys)
2. Naked, If I Want To (Moby Grape)
3. Breathless (Nick Cave)
4. Angelitos Negros (Roberta Flack)
5. She’s Got You (Patsy Cline)

Pretty exciting news. What do you all think of the song?

(Jonathan Graef)

Times New Viking Annouce Album Title, Release Date, Tracklist

Download: Times New Viking - "Dance Vahalla"
Download: Times New Viking - "TeenageLUST"

Late Friday, Matablog announced the official release date and album title of Times New Viking's debut album for the label. Rip It Off comes out on Jan. 22nd, and it will be Times New Viking's third record overall. Rip It Off follows last year's Present The Paisley Reich and 2005's Dig Yourself.

Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Columbus, Ohio band's lo-fi stylings (similar to Pavement, and The Fall, but with of a more noise-rock influence) can listen to two MP3s (from TNV's aforementioned previous records) at the top of this post.

What intrigues me is what the band will sound like on a bigger label. Matador is a major label, for all intents and purposes, so I wonder to what degree TNV will expand their production capacities. I guess we'll find out if and when an MP3 from Rip It Off is posted.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Pornographers Album Artwork and Release Date

Download: New Pornographers - "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism"

From Strange Glue Music comes album artwork and a release date for the Porno's fourth album entitled Challengers, the follow-up to the rightfully praised Twin Cinema record. Challengers will be released on Matador Records on August 21st, 2007. No word of what the first single will be, but as soon as we can find out, we'll let you know.

(Jonathan Graef)

The Ponys, Turn The Lights Out

The Ponys
Turn The Lights Out (Matador)
Grade: B+



(The Ponys, "Double Vision," at Schubas in Chicago. From Pitchfork)

If The Ponys ever host their own game show, it would have to be called “Spot The Influence.” Actually, a Ponys hosted game show would be a terrible idea. This is because there are, in essence, only two influences in The Ponys' sound - 60’s garage rock and the 80s and 90s shoegazer scene (think of Ride’s early EP’s).

In the hands of most bands, a sound like this would probably be the recipe for derivative disaster. It's quite impressive, then, that Turn The Lights Out - The Ponys third album and first on Matador Records - manages to be a solid rock record with more than a handful of catchy songs. This in spite of the fact that, as you're listening, you can rattle off the names of all of the bands to whom The Ponys are deeply indebted.

The odd thing about this Chicago-based group is that they can manage to be imitative and fresh at the same time, and sometimes even in the same song. For example, take the opening track, “Double Vision.”

The song features a simple two-chord progression that has ancestry in the very best of 60s garage rock. But that's not the only appealing aspect of the song. The pronounced bass line of “Double Vision” helps give "Double Vision" a little more harmonic shape and the backbeat helps toughen it up a bit, but not to the point where the band engages in tough-guy posturing.

So far, so good - if not exactly original. And then, the shoegazing part comes in. The last forty seconds of “Double Vision” becomes a frenzied session of frantic guitar solos and fuzzy guitar and bass riffs. As I was listening, I wondered why The Ponys waited until the song was almost over to take their playing game the next level. Better late than never, I guess.

A lot of Turn The Lights Out follows this very same pattern. The songs start out as tight little numbers, with simple beats, riffs and thuds before branching out into little mini-jam sessions of squawking feedback. Unlike Sonic Youth, a band whom The Ponys emulate semi-frequently (most notably, Jered Gummere cribs Thurston Moore's vocal stylings), The Ponys end up reigning in their potentially self-indulgent tendencies to bring the songs back to their original musical motifs ( “Small Talk” , “1209 Seminary" , and the aforementioned "Double Vision" are all good example of this songwriting formula).

And therein lies why Turn The Lights Out is, at times, not as satisfying as it could have been. The Ponys, for better or worse, refuse to explore any opportunity to really stretch out a song and mess around with it.

I imagine that the argument for why being concise is better could be that the songs come in at a short running time and always manage to get stuck in the head of whomever may be listening.

This is all fine and good, but don't tell me that when you listen to a song like ( “Poser Psychotic,", you don't hear the potential for some seriously mind-blowing sonic squalor and feedback.

The song practically starts out declaring its admiration for Goo on its sleeve. But unlike Sonic Youth classics like "Dirty Boots" or "Mote," "Poser Psychotic" doesn't really go anywhere. The intro is one that suggests mass panic and chaos through its noise (uh, the good kind), but then the rest of the song only offers complacency, albeit complacency that's really catchy.

If The Ponys want to make an outstanding record, and not just a really good one, they should learn to trust themselves more. They need to write six and seven minute songs where they can just completely go off their rocker. Make sure to allow only a few catchy garage-rock numbers in order to prevent things from getting too art-rocky.

It will be then, and only then, that The Ponys will make a record that isn't just an inspired hodgepodge of their influences, but rather, a classic album in its own right.

(Jonathan Graef)