While perennial fan favs like "Tom Courtenay" and "Autumn Sweater" appear on the greatest hits collection, reinterpretations of both indie staples also appear on the Outtakes and Rarities disc, which plays out like a wet dream for the Electr-O-Pura, Painful, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and ...And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out faithful. My Bloody Valentine leader Kevin Shields lends the woozy "Autumn Sweater" an even more hypnotic element, which, in typical Shields fashion, took forever and a day to complete. Oh, and in case you were wondering if Yo La could reinterpret their own tunes, well, they can, as exemplified by the acoustic version of "Tom Courtenay", which features Georgia's subtle, sublime and absolutely enchanting vocal. Simply put, the cutting room floor for Yo La Tengo tends to be miles above most bands most accomplished works, a profound testament to their oeuvre.
"I am a cold son" Matador has always been one of, if not, my favorite label(s). Not only do they consistently release some of the best independent music in the world, they're also really freakin' kind to their fans. Back in the day they sold the super rad 2-disc compilation What's Up Matador for a mere $5, which single handedly turned me on to Cat Power, Bettie Servert, Chavez and Spoon. Unlike the major labels, Matador has embraced technology in an extremely progressive manner. Whether it's through their Buy it Early, Get it Now-Executive Package series, or the countless videos, embeddable widgets and free tracks they give away on the Matablog, the NYC label is always hooking the kids up with chronic jams.
Case in point, the Intended 2008 playlist, a .zip file of 12 tracks from Matador's hottest records of '08. With the exception of the Cave Singer's "Helen" (released in Sept. 2007), every song on this collection is as fresh as the organic lettuce at your local co-op (some haven't even been released yet!). Did we mention it's free?
1. Jay Reatard Always Wanting More (from 7″ #3, due out June 17) 2. Times New Viking DROP-OUT (from Rip It Off, released January 22) 3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Cold Son (from Real Emotional Trash, released March 4) 4. Shearwater Leviathan, Bound (from Rook, due out June 3) 5. Cat Power Metal Heart (from Jukebox, released January 22) 6. Matmos Polychords (from Supreme Balloon, due out May 6) 7. Mission Of Burma That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate (from Vs.: The Definitive Edition, released today, March 18) 8. Jaguar Love Bats Over The Pacific Ocean (from Take Me To The Sea, due out this summer) 9. The Cave Singers Helen (from Invitation Songs, released last September) 10. Dead Meadow I’m Gone (from Old Growth, released February 5) 11. The New Pornographers All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth (live) (from Live From Soho (iTunes Exclusive), released March 11) 12. Earles & Jensen Bleachy Is Back In Town, Look Out (from Just Farr A Laugh Vols. 1 & 2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!, due out April 22)
If this mix makes you want to buy the entire Matador back catalog, and it should, check out the Mid-Price Classics series, which offers classic albums like Cornelius' Fantasma and Belle & Sebastian's Tigermilk for as low as $8. A great way to build your collection without breaking your bank account.
"Just take this with you" The other day Spinner listed their list of the top 25 band logos of all time. A controversial list if ever, and so the mucks at Idolator had to chime in with an appendix(+5). Well, they both fucked up, because they left this classic band logo off the charts and I'm not gonna let it go unnoticed.For those unfamiliar, this is the logo of mid-90's reverb loving indie rockers Chavez. You know, Matt Sweeney's old band. They were pretty much the coolest, most jaded group of New York indie rockers this side of VU and the groups 1996 record (and last studio release)Ride the Fader is a ninties indie-alt rock classic on par Crooked Rain... and I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One. In fact, if you like Pavement and Yo La Tengo, you'll probably love Chavez. (That mid-90's Matador roster was so fucking bad ass.) Be sure to check out the classic video for "Unreal is Here", which plays as a faux-retrospective to the career Chavez could have had if the public wasn't so busy lapping up Brian McKnight records and inflating Teddy Riley's ego. Rock on Matt Sweeney, just stay away from Billy Corgan and anything rhyming with Swan.
"Say Cheerio to Books Now/ The Only Thing to Read are Faces" There aren't many things I can remember from when I was 14. Buying Belle & Sebastian'sThe Boy with the Arab Strap is one of them. The band, formed by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David while at Stow College in Glasgow, Scotland, had already released two beloved records across the pond on Jeepster Records. Matador had already re-issued the wickedly kick ass If You're Feeling Sinister, but The Boy with the Arab Strap was the first time my insanely young ears heard the groups ravishing harmonies and melancholic melodies. I remember this because the first time I listened to the record was on a disc man during the famed Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show starring the world renowned Rockettes. If you'd heard "Ease Your Feet in the Sea" while a hundred leggy women in sequined leotards did the can-can you'd probably remember too. Needless to say I didn't become a lifelong fan of the Rockettes that night, but I did start a ten year love affair with the best thing to come from Scotland since tartan and single malt Scotch Whiskey.
Not everyone felt the same way about The Boy with the Arab Strap. In fact, most wrote it off as another case of a band's third record being mediocre at best. Those loons at Pitchfork even went as far as saying the album was a parody of itself and compared it to the man juice that hangs from Ben Stiller's ear in There's Something About Mary. Then they went and gave it a 0.8.
While the record is by no means a masterpiece in the sense that If You're Feeling Sinister is, it is an artistic statement more concerned with experimental growth than regurgitating the same old hooks and harmonies that catapulted them to precious indie stardom in 1996. The album, which is divided into two sides even on CD, is centered by the spacey spoken word of "A Space Boy Dream", which is easily the worst song on the record. But that's ok, it's song number 7 on a record where songs 1 through 6 are charming and hummable and with fun little poetics like "Soberly without regret/ I make another sandwich." For some reason when Stuart Murdoch coo's those words I feel as if I'm listening to Kerouac, or one of his absurdist beat cronies. "A Summer Wasting" has justified every lackluster summer evening I've spent drinking and playing and waiting for the sun to rise before going to sleep, while "Seymour Stein" plays like a Dear John letter to the famous record exec, an apology for missing a dinner meeting ("I heard dinner went well/ You liked Chris' jacket/It reminded you of Johnny/Before he went electronic"). "TBWTAS" contains the best recorder solo in recorded history. Oh yeah, and an ass load of hand claps to keep you happy even when the songs are oh-so sad.
If you're still not convinced, then peep this video below and chew on this line for a bit: "We all know your soft cause we've all seen you dancing/ We all know your hard cause we've all seen you drinking from noon until noon again."
P.S.- In case you were wondering, an Arab Strap is a sexual device for retaining an erection.
"Honey Let Me Be Your Salty Dog" Indie-folk chanteuse Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, just announced a release date for her highly anticipated follow up to 2000's Covers. The record, coincidentally titled Covers II will see the light of day on January 22nd, 2008 by way of her longtime label Matador. Not only does Chan have one of the most enchanting voices I've ever heard, she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever laid eyes on (Chanel kingpin Karl Lagerfeld thinks so too, he featured her in Chanels Spring runway show). In the spirit of giving I hereby share two of my favorite Cat Power covers, the hauntingly beautiful, albeit abridged, version of the Velvet Underground's "I Found A Reason," and Chan's version of the traditional tune "Salty Dog." She's also on the I'm Not There Soundtrack doing one of my favorite Dylan songs "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" (Chan has covered the Bard before. "Kingsport Town" appears on Covers and "Knocking on Heavens Door" on Speaking for Trees). Catch the lovely Ms. Marshall in the 'sick' video for "Lived in Bars" below.
all songs are posted because we love them and think they make the world a better place. they are for sampling purposes only (duh). if you like what you hear, buy the record or see the concert!!! if you own the copyright to anything that appears on this site, contact us.
