Matador Records | News December 2000

A pre-album single of “Discretion Grove” with two B-sides (“Sin Taxi” and “Leisurely Poison”) will be in stores Jan 16.
Stephen is currently planning a US tour in March/April with possible European and Japanese dates to follow.

Arab Strap — Welcome back
Thanks to a lovely licensing arrangement we’ve made with the smart & talented crew at Chemikal Underground Recordings of Glasgow, Arab Strap will once again be releasing new records on the Matador label in North America. The 4th Arab Strap album, not counting the ‘Mad For Sadness’ live thing that someone else put out, ‘The Red Thread’ on February 27. When we call this album the most intense, soul-stirring work of the band’s career, we in no way wish to disparage their previous albums or the men and women whose lives are discussed on them. When we have full track listings, samples of the art work and news about US dates... well, that probably means we’ll have read them somewhere else. But we are not above cutting and pasting, oh no.

The Soft Boys — Resurfacing in 2001
If we didn’t have enough huge already this week, check this out: on March 13, Matador will be reissuing ‘Underwater Moonlight,’ the classic 1980 album from The Soft Boys. While the band are still shifting through old photos and memorabilia, we can tell you that this package will differ significantly from Rykodisc’s last version of Underwater Moonlight (ie. Additional art, liner notes, etc.), as well as a bonus CD of previously unreleased rehearsal recordings. We’re also planning a vinyl version (though god knows how all of it will fit).

The Soft Boys’ ‘Underwater Moonlight’ lineup of Robyn Hitchcock, Kimberly Rew, Matthew Seligman and Morris Windsor are currently rehearsing for a U.S. tour in early 2001, followed by European dates.

Mr Len = Peavey Power
Mr. Len has secured a sponsorship deal with the Peavey corporation. To kick this relationship off, he will be spinning records in the Peavey booth at the Winter NAMM (National Assoc of Music Merchants) Trade Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA from January 18-21.

I had never heard of NAMM before, but this is what it says on their website:

“Twice a year, the International Music Products Association hosts the NAMM Show, the premier trade show for the music industry. The NAMM trade show welcomes retail music store buyers, manufacturers, manufacturers’ representatives, distributors and publishers of the music products industry, professional audio, sound and lighting companies and commercial recording studios. NAMM is a 100-year-old organization with over 6000 members. NAMM’s winter and summer shows regularly feature over 1100 exhibitors and over 60,000 attendees at each show.”

One of our label presidents has attended NAMM before, and says the vibe is “very Bill & Ted,” though presumably it will be less so with Mr. Len doing his thing.

Len will also be demonstrating the new Peavey mixer at the American DJ Awards show in Anaheim that same week.

Mount Florida — New, sudden, coming, soon:
“Mount Florida just returned from scaring the Dutch at their recent date in Amsterdam and are holed up in Memorybank Studios working on their forthcoming live assaults. First up is a London date on the 5th of December at The Garage with Live Human and some DJ dude called Gerard Cosloy who our sources tell us is the hot tip for next big thing. After that, there is a radio session for Radio Scotland on December 14th. They’ve asked us to do ‘a Christmas number’ but this might be problematic as we seem to recall a clause in our contract that forbids us from doing covers of ’Frosty the Snowman.’ Seeing as how no one in England will hear the broadcast, hopefully we’ll get away with it.”

Mary Timony — The non solo point of view
In news that will excite and thrill denizens of Matador’s bulletin board like nothing short of a Chavez sighting, Mary Timony tells us that Helium have begun writing and playing new material. No news yet on recording plans, but hey, you’ve got to write the songs first! Mary is also hard at work on new Spells material with Carrie Brownstein.

Solex — Split (single, calm down)
Solex can be heard on one side of a new 12" issued by the Pittsburgh label Progeria. Sharing the disc with The 1985, Solex are captured doing a version of Echo & Bunnymen’s “The Cutter,” a highlight of recent live shows. For more information see Progeria Records.

Yo La Tengo — Another Party (Tomorrow)
The sure-thing pick for band/album of 2000 have more big things lined up for next year. Yo La Tengo are now booked as part of the next All Tomorrow’s Parties event taking place April 6-8, 2001 at the Camber Sands Holiday Centre, Rye, England. Also appearing during this 3 day festival will be event curators Tortoise, ESG, Boards Of Canada, Company Flow, Cannibal Ox, Broadcast, Calexico, and the reunited Television. Tickets are now available from TicketWeb and further information is available from All Tomorrow’s Parties.

Quickspace — Live video

Quickspace are currently working on new material for 2001 release. In the meantime, you can check out live quicktime video of the band shot at the Electric Ballroom this past November 2.

Patrick Amory’s Listening Pile:
Wizz Jones — The Legendary Me (Village Thing)
Faraway Folk — Seasonal Man (RA)
Faraway Folk — Time And The Tide (RA)
The Peak Folk — The Peak Folk (Folk Heritage)
Jancis Harvey — Distance of Doors (King)
Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick —
Then Two Came By (Fontana)
Hedgehog Pie — Hedgehog Pie (Rubber)
Spirit — The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (Epic)
This Heat — Health and Efficiency (Piano)

In The Wisdom Of Harry’s Travelling CD case
Grandadddy - The Sophtware Slump
Steve Reich - Music For 18 Musicians
Thomas Brinkman - rosa
Sack Und Blumm - Shy Noon
Anthology Of American Folk Music Volume One
Derek Bailey - Domestic & Public Pieces
Have A Cigar, My Friend - Japanese Cheap Compilation
Mix Tape Vol 1 - Vacant Lot Records
DJ Clue - NYC 2000 Let The Games Begin
Source Mix - Instrumental CD
Matmos - The West
Oval - Systemis

MC Paul Barman
rhymes for hair snare

there, there
Carebear
fair share
air fare

RECORDS I LIKE by Mr. Len
1) MoonRappin - Brother JackMcDuff
2) If 6 was 9 - Jimi Hendrix
3) Bird in the Hand - Ice Cube
4) Sparrow - Marvin Gaye
5) Tomcat - Muddy Waters
6) No Head No Backstage Pass - Funkadelic
7) Just Hanging Out - Main Source
8) Bags Groove - Milt Jackson
9) Dear Ladies - Taj Mahal
10) Prophets of Rage - Public Enemy
11) That Nigger’s Crazy - Richard Pryor

Eduardo Ramos, Trama
Now that’s brazilian!

Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - The Blue Trees
High Llamas - Buzzle Bee
Grenade - Heartless EP
International Airport - Nothing We Can Control
Drumagick - Ai Maluco!
Harmonia 76 - Tracks & Traces
Silver Jews - Dime Map Of The Reef 7"
Yo La Tengo - Danelectro
Lafayette - III
Broadcast - Extended Play Two

Dave Martin, Matador Records
1) Deadly Snakes "Love Undone"
2) Monks "Let’s Start A Beat" Live at Cavestomp
3) Brother JT "Maybe We Should Take Some More"
(CDR of upcoming release.)
4) OOIOO "Gold & Green"
5) Scorched Earth Policy "Keep Away From The Wires"
6) Tav Falco & The Unapproachable Panther Burns "Panther Phobia"
7) Great Plains "Length Of Growth" Dbl CD
8) Sun Ra "Cymbals", "Crystal Spears", "When Angels Speak Of Love," "Pathways To Unkown Worlds," "Friendly Love" & "Lanquidity" reissues
9) Six Organs Of Admittance "The Manifestation" LP & new 7" + those old records too.
10) Rutt’s Hut, Clifton, New Jersey

Lesser
Listening party (in no real order):
live Rapeman bootleg: dated 3.11.98, Festival Dvorana
eyehategod: devine name of suffering
Blind Willie McTell: 1927-1935
SigueSigueSputnik: Flaunt It
About 200 Bhanga remix MP3s
Live shortwave scanning - streamed from http://livescanner.cjb.net/
Strip Club - Luke Skywalker Compilation

Current listening chez Twitch (Mount Florida)
Outkast - Stankonia
La Revolucion de Emiliano Zapata
Various - Disco, not Disco
Dynamo - 23 Degrees
Dettinger - Oasis
Him - Our Point Of Departure
Various - New Orleans Funk
Hugo Montenegro - Cha Cha’s for Dancing
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
Lee Perry - Super Ape

In NYC warehouse
(Gary’s rotation and favorites 2000):
1. Sham 69 "Angels With Dirty Faces" 2 CD anthology set (Castle Music)
2. KADENA (Gary’s band) rehearsal tapes
(Sundance Studios, NJ)
3. Mos Def & Talib Kweli / Black Star (Rawkus Records)
Protest of the Year:
-Anti-IMF/WB Summit, Washington DC April 15-16, 2000
Best "Reunion" tour I missed:
-Cocksparrer, CBGB’s NYC
Best solo performance:
-Susie Ibarra, YLT concert Irving Plaza, NYC

Doug Nyce’s
“If You Don’t Got This, You Need to Get It List”
Prodigy (Mobb Deep) "HNIC" (Loud)
Large Professor "Blaze Rhymez" (Matador)
Planet Asia "The Last Stand" (Mona)
People Under The Stairs "Tour Guide" (OM)
MF Doom/MF Grimm
"No Snakes Alive"/"Break em off" (Brick)
The Creators feat. Mike Zoot "Hoes and Dough" (Bad Magic)
Lee Morgan "Taru" (Blue Note)
Monty Love "You want what we got" (The Illest)
Playstation 2 (nuff said)
Madden 2001 (PS2)

Donovan’s Top 10, November 2000
1. "Junkyard Wars" marathon on The Learning Channel
2. My new Apple Pro Mouse
3. Pumpkin pie
4. Laura Cantrell "Not The Tremblin’ Kind"
5. Spink "FreeEp"
6. Actionslacks "The Scene’s Outta Sight"
7. Lou Ford "Alan Freed’s Radio"
8. Delgados "The Great Eastern"
9. Lorette Velvet "Rude Angel"
10. Radio 4 "The New Song and Dance"

Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
The Infesticons - Gun Hill Road (Big Dada)
Wire - "12XU" 7" (pinkflag.com)
Jan Jelinek - "Tendency" 12" (scape)
Arab Strap - "Rocket, Take Your Turn" (Chemikal Underground/fukd)
The Fall - Unutterable (Eagle)
Donnacha Costello - Growing Up In Public (Force Inc.)