Pretty Girls Make Matador

[johansen smith]

whoa, okay, for once Pitchfork (http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-02/18.shtml#story3) threw one out of left-field: you guys signed Pretty Girls Make Graves? way to go!

[TheSadDebaser]

I can't wait for the next record.

Good Health is a swift kick in the ass. And I like it.

[Craig]

That's great news. You guys are on quite a roll (starting with Interpol, re-signing GBV & the S&E reissue) Now the excellent Cat Power and Malkmus records will soon be followed by Yo La Tengo, Mogwai, New Pornographers, another GBV and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Who needs Belle & Sebastian?

[johansen smith]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is the year of (the?) Matador.

[george]

Originally posted by johansen smith
whoa, okay, for once Pitchfork (http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-02/18.shtml#story3) threw one out of left-field...

don't give those guys too much credit for the "scoop"; tiny mixtapes gone to heaven (http://www.angelfire.com/indie/tinymixtapes/) reported this a news a while ago.

[TheSadDebaser]

That site should get some sort of redirectional-URL.

[bitterfruit]

I'd never even heard of tinymixtapes.com before. And I thought that pitchfork was the only indie review site out there.

[johansen smith]

I like Lost at Sea too.

[Michael]

the tinymixtapes crew have put your words about the 'scoop' in italics and quote marks, citing you faithfully as 'George on the Matador Bulletin Board'. (It's at the top of New Releases).

[george]

Originally posted by Michael
the tinymixtapes crew have put your words about the 'scoop' in italics and quote marks, citing you faithfully as 'George on the Matador Bulletin Board'. (It's at the top of New Releases).

that's funny. now my parents need not feel shame when i return home from fighting bears in the woods of the pacific northwest.

[Gerard]

as of this writing there is no agreement between Matador and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

As much as I'd love to comment further, we prefer to shut the hell up about any negotiations we may or may not be having with a band. Watch this space (or a space like it) for details in the near future.

[tinobeat]

So does it make for weird and awkward phone calls when bands go ahead and announce things before they're confirmed or whatever it is that happened here?

PGMG: "Hello?"

Gerard: "Hey, its Gerard"

PGMG: "Oh hey, whassup GC? I'm pumped to..."

Gerard: "Shut it.."

PGMG:"wha?"

Gerard: "Listen, until we give the green light, you tell NOBODY about this little agreement, understood?"

PGMG: "um, sorry sir..."

Gerard: "Lets not let it happen again. You remember what happened to that other band that spilled the beans.."

PGMG: "what other band?"

Gerard: "You don't know cos they're FUCKING DEAD."

PGMG: "ulp"

Gerard: "now scram, we'll see you soon to talk about artwork and that shit..."

PGMG: "yes sir.. sorry sir, it'll never happen again"

Gerard: "oh, I know it won't... I know"

*click*

[bitterfruit]

Followed up by a call to Patrick:


GC: Patrick, GC here.

Patrick: Wassup Dookie?

GC: Nuttin. Chillin. Watchin' the game. Drinkin' a Bud.

Patrick: True. True.

[Gerard]

"So does it make for weird and awkward phone calls when bands go ahead and announce things before they're confirmed or whatever it is that happened here?"

well, in this case it isn't even a matter of "before they're confirmed". There isn't actually an agreement between Pretty Girls Makes Graves and Matador. Which isn't to say there won't be an agreement very very soon, but we've had enough experience with contract negotiations falling apart, people changing their minds, finding God, etc. that we've learned it doesn't make sense to announce anything until it has actually happened.

I don't think we'd be upset with a band that we're actually negotiating with announcing something --- if they're enthusiastic and want to tell people about it, that isn't really a bad thing. So in this case there's no awkward phone call (or death threats).

We do get pissed off when bands we've never heard of tell people they're signing to Matador. Or when a band we merely went to see (or walked in on and walked straight out) tells people they're talking to us when we've never met or spoken to them. That is most assuredly NOT what's happening with PGMG, but you'd be surprised how many times we hear we're about to sign Band X and it is either a band we're unaware of or a band we can't stand.


(btw, I really don't talk to anyone like that on the phone. Perhaps I should try it)

[tinobeat]

I think talking on the phone like that would be fun. however, I wield zero power over anything, ever, so there's really no opportunity for me to bust heads like that, but I live vicariously through how I imagine people I don't know act.

I do need to start calling people "Dookie" though... I'd never thought of using it as a term of endearment.

[johansen smith]

Matador isn't signing Band X? dammit!

[hstencil]

another band with X in the name would be too confusing.