September 25, 1998

And CAT POWER is happening as well. BLOWING UP, I tell you!!! And now we've got a new page up for her, Cat Power Web which includes but is not limited to the following: Quicktime and RealMedia versions of her new amazing "Cross Bones Styles" video, lyrics to Moon Pix, and a most excellent Index magazine interview.

Next week: sound clips from the upcoming JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSITION record (due out Oct. 20), Acme. Stay in your seats.

September 18, 1998

OK people, fire yourselves up. Matador is proud to announce that we have signed the ARSONISTS of Bushwick (everything good comes from Brooklyn).

This computer stuff misses a lot, but these guys are amazing. Witness:

Live radio action! D-Stroy and Swel on Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito's Hot 97 show.

"Geembo's Theme" from their third and latest single, on Bobbito's Fondle 'Em Records.

"Halloween" from first single on Fondle 'Em.

"Backdraft" as-of-yet unreleased; Matador will release the 12" in January 1999.

We're now carrying two of the 12-inches in our mailorder dept, "Venom/Seed" and "Blaze/Geembo's Theme/Flashback." These puppies are $6 each, postpaid, from Matador Mailorder, 625 Broadway 12th fl NYC 10012. We don't have any firm release dates yet but expect a compilation some time around February 1999. And watch the upcoming releases page for specifics. Freestyle from the Arsonists made a web page for the group. Check it out.

More exciting signing news: UNWOUND are officially signed to Matador Europe (under license from Kill Rock Stars). The first release will be a European reissue of Challenge For A Civilized Society with one extra track. Later on there will be a 25-track "greatest hits" compilation of sorts, followed by new material.

Bailter Space have a great new CDEP, Photon, on the Turnbuckle label. A full-length, also on Turnbuckle, will be out around the end of the year.

Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon of Blur have finished work on a remix of CORNELIUS's "Star Fruits Surf Rider"....the single is coming out in two different versions in the UK on September 28. Both come as either a 12" or CD5 (no 7"). The CD of no.1 has the "Star Fruits" radio edit, the Damon Albarn remix, and "Star Fruits Blue" (the 12" has the single version instead of the radio edit). The CD of no. 2 has the "Star Fruits" single version, "Ball In Kick Off," and "Star Fruits Green." (the 12" of this one is promo-only--not for sale--and has the radio edit instead of the single version). Supposedly if you play the blue and the green versions at the same time, it sounds like you're wearing 3-D glasses, or something (?). The single will be released in the U.S. in one form or another in early 1999. I think.

Other singles to be on the lookout for: SOLEX with "You're So Square" on one side of a split CD5/7" (with Laptop on the flip), courtesy of Fierce Panda...and there's a 7"/CD5 of Sleater-Kinney's "Little Babies" b/w "I"m Not Waiting" on Matador Europe.

FUCK's Peel Session will air sometime between 8.40 and 10.30 Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the UK. Our pals at Matador Europe are taking bets to see how "Uncle John"(?) will refer to them this time (you can't say fuck on the radio in the UK..although you can on TV, for whatever reason). Last time he called them "feck" in tribute to a now defunct British sitcom called Father Ted that used that instead of "fuck." Oh, also the band will be performing all new material.

It was reported last time that Barbara Manning's new lovely was on Revolver Records, which, incidentally, does not exist. Communion is the label you want (distributed by Revolver).

Go to your local record store Tuesday and buy the new Cat Power album (limit 5 copies).

September 11, 1998

Not quite sure what to say about the new CAT POWER video but it's either the best video by a Matador artist or the worst one. Whatever, it's messed up. And amazing. Chan Marshall channels Madonna (think "Lucky Star") in "Cross Bones Style." Comedy? Parody? Sickness? We're going to have the video up in digitized web fashion in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, a few photos. Directed by Brett Vapnek, who in addition to doing Cat Power's other video ("Nude as the News") has directed stuff for Helium and Spoon.

Rick Brown and Sue Garner from RUN ON are heading out on tour with their other endeavors. Rick is one half of Les Batteries (the other being Guigou Chenevier) and they have a new album, Bell System on Rift Records. Sue will be more or less playing solo stuff. Check them out.

BASSHOLES' fifth LP, When My Blue Moon Turns Red Again, will be out on In the Red shortly. Recorded in Los Angeles back before Long Way Blues, our man Dave Martin swears this one is record of the year, etc. Jon Wahl of Claw Hammer plays harmonica and sax.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN have a track on upcoming soundtrack to The Acid Houses, the new movie based on an Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) novel. The band is also considering re-doing the score to the 70's film Car Wash... or is it that they plan on working with ex-members of the Cars? oh, it is GUIDED BY VOICES who are currently in Electric Lady w/ Ric Ocasek. Fresh from Wigstock, Ric's previous work w/ La Peste and Bad Brains proves that he is the man for GBV. No word if any super models have been dropping by the session.

Flying Nun has just released a Clean tribute album called God Save the Clean that includes, among others, PAVEMENT, GUIDED BY VOICES, and Matador escapee BARBARA MANNING. Haven't heard this one yet but Barbara's new CD out on the Communion label is a beaut. Recorded in New Zealand with luminaries David Kilgour, Robert Scott, Chris Knox, Denise Roughan, etc. etc., you'll want this one. Revolver (Communion's distribution wing) has all the details right here.

Pere Ubu vocalist David Thomas recently performed with YO LA TENGO on Scottish television. Thomas refered to YLT as "my girls", which we can't really tell you much about. But the same TV program featured a demonstration of some kinda S&M furtniture (presumably not purchased at Ikea)

LIZ PHAIR will be on Rosie O'Donnell on Friday, October 9. Write that down. No confirmation on the Liz/Rosie duet of "Fuck And Run."

625 Broadway Celebrity Elevator Sighting of The Week: Heather Matarazzo (Welcome To the Dollhouse, 54). Spotted by Russ and Conrad. Russ wrote a poem about the experience:

"Chicken Of The Sea, for Heather"

Conrad and I and two shipping guys
tuna sandwich nestled 'neath my arm
and you, but for one fleeting moment
catching wind of albacore, mayo, men
turned and left forever

New linkage:

Yo La Tengo's Annotated Discography parts II and III. Stolen from a couple issues of Yo La's Gazette.

Offsite: Pizzicato Five Song by Song Discography and Pizzicato Five Lyric Database. Now I don't have to worry about how incomplete and out-of-date our P5 discography is!