Music Blog

If you're of a certain age at least, the first time you heard something called "indie" music (neé independent music) or something that fathered it or something that became it eventually, chances are inordinately good that Matador Records had something to do with it. While many in our neck of the woods may try to point to Sub Pop (or to a lesser degree kill rock stars or K) as king, the fact is that none can really touch Matador's legacy, both as a breaker of new bands and as a permanent home to some of the giants of the species. Consider for a second a past and/or present catalog that includes Sonic Youth, Pavement, Guided by Voices, Yo La Tengo, Spoon, Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Helium, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Silkworm, Unwound, Solex, Interpol and scores of others and its clear that their influence has been giant.

Appropriately then, it's a giant birthday party the label is throwing this weekend in, of all places, Las Vegas-- although where else would you want a surrealist 21st that features most of the acts listed above, not to mention Superchunk, The Clean, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Chavez, Girls and Kurt Vile, among others. Action kicks off tonight with Guitar Wolf and runs through Sunday night's no doubt drunken closing set from the 1993-96 Guided By Voices lineup (who'll be at the Crystal next week). So happy 21st, Matador! Mazel Tov and all of that. (But be careful, your parents don't need you coming home married and/or knocked up). Oh, by the way-- the rest of us can stream the action live all weekend long right here.

As for the Five, we'll start with a couple in the label's honor...

1- ...including the return to their stable of Belle & Sebastian. The Scots release a new album, Write About Love, on October 12th and play the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on the 19th. The latest is their first effort since 2006's terribly wonderful The Life Pursuit.
► Belle & Sebastian - "Write About Love" (email required)

2- Pavement. You may have heard of this band. Few are more synonymous with the Matador label than Pavement, beginning with 1992's Slanted & Enchanted and ending with 1999's Terror Twilight. Deluxe reissues, a compilation and a reunion have, of course, followed.
► Pavement - "Rattled By the Rush" and "Heckler Spray/In the Mouth a Desert (Live)"

3- Closer to home tonight, and part of a Friday night Swedish invasion (along with Dungen, who are at Mississippi Studios), First Aid Kit plays the Doug Fir with Ferraby Lionheart and Sea of Cortez. The sister duo first gained exposure in this country with a YouTube take on a Fleet Foxes tune and they show off those same harmonies further on the recent release The Big Black & the Blue.
► First Aid Kit - "Hard Believer"

4- There's something a little different about Pete Yorn on his self-titled new release. Maybe it's the fact that he lost the lousy major label and is now on Vagrant, and probably it has something to do with the fact that Frank Black produced the record, but I like this much more than anything he's done since his Musicforthemorningafter debut. Here's a taste..
► Pete Yorn - "Velcro Shoes"

5- Finally, another Pete and one Portland has known for a while-- The Dandy Warhols' Peter Holmstrom recently issued the first album from his side project Pete International Airport. The project includes help from a few musical friends, including The Upsidedown's Jsun Adams who lent vocals to this first single. Watch for The Dandy Warhols as one of our upcoming in-studio sessions later in the month-- they play Satyricon on October 16th.
► Pete International Airport - "21 Days"

BONUS - The dynamic Brit neo-soulster Jamie Lidell makes his way back to Portland this weekend, playing Sunday with Zeus at the Hawthorne Theater. If you've never seen him live, I'd highly recommend doing so-- it's as if his performances are each unique creations in and of themselves every time out. He stopped by our studios with his band back in June and laid down this version of "Your Sweet Boom."

 

To the weekend, then!