Indie Dispatches: Matador Records in Sin City & More Summer Festivals
Matador Records Celebrates 21 Years in Sin City
Lots of chatter this week regarding the upcoming 21st birthday celebrations for legendary New York indie label Matador Records. The mini-festival, to be held October 1-3 at the Palms in Las Vegas features live sets from the cream of the label’s roster, both new and old. How many chances do you ever get to see Pavement, Sonic Youth, Belle & Sebastian,Guided by Voices, New Pornographers, Chavez, JSBX, Yo La Tengo, Superchunk, Cat Power and more over the same weekend? Though if you haven’t already nabbed tickets, you may be out of luck – Matador 21 reportedly sold out in a matter of minutes. Billed as featuring “the classic 93-96 line-up,” the initial list has one notable absentee, Liz Phair, whose Exile in Guyville album was one Matador’s first massive sellers. Mind you, after news this past week of the release of her latest, to say the least, odd album, maybe that’s not surprising. Whether or not you make it to Vegas, raise a glass and toast Matador reaching this milestone, especially in an era when record labels both indie and major, larger and smaller, have bitten the dust around them. And be thankful for the amazing music the New York indie has released.
While we are on the topic of festivals, this weekend is a busy one, as New York hosts the Siren Music Festival Saturday July 17th. Presented by the Village Voice, Siren celebrates their 10th anniversary on the Coney Island waterfront with a line-up including Surfer Blood, DOM, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Matt & Kim and Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Did we mention it’s free? Meanwhile in Chicago, the Pitchfork Music Festival stretches over three days starting on Friday 16th, featuring more bands than you can poke a stick at. Next weekend, July 23-25, Seattle is the place to be, as the Capitol Hill Block Party takes over the emerald city. This year could be the one the neighborhood fest emerges to national prominence, with the organizers assembling a stellar combination of national acts, such as MGMT, Yeasayer, Dead Weather and Blonde Redhead to complement some of the best local talent from the Pacific Northwest (Blitzen Trapper! Past Lives!).
- Cool Hand Luke
05.12.10Indie Dispatches: Down the Rabbit Hole; 10 Essential Things To Do This Week
Sleigh Bells Debut LP Out this Week on Mom & Pop; Streaming on NPR
1. Listen to the debut Sleigh Bells LP Treats that is streaming on NPR’s First Listen
2. Check out the bountiful slate of great shows coming up in LA at the Hollywood Bowl this summer – She and Him with The Swell Season (July 18), Chemical Brothers, Yacht & Chromeo (August 29), Phoenix, Grizzly Bear & Girls (Sept 18), Vampire Weekend & Beach House (Sept 26) and of course Pavement, Sonic Youth & No Age (Sept 30)
3. Be thrilled that the latest albums by the Hold Steady Heaven is Forever (Vagrant Records), The New Pornographers Together (Matador) and Minus the Bear Omni (Dangerbird) all cracked the top 50 this week
4. Wish you were in the UK hanging out in your chalet with your music friends going to the latest ATP festival
5. Watch the debut video for “What’s In It For” by Avi Buffalo
6. Marvel at the fact that 1000 people came out to the recent Broken Social Scene instore at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles and buy a copy of their new album Forgiveness Rock Record on Arts and Crafts
7. Read Mike McGonigal’s excellent oral history of seminal nineties act Galaxie 500
8. Visit your local vinyl emporium to see if there are any more Record Store Day goodies floating around (you may be pleasantly surprised)
9. Download the new track “Lights” from Interpol and rue the fact that bassist Carlos D has left the band
10. Purchase the much praised new album High Violet from The National
11. Mark down the date for the 2010 Siren Festival in your calendar (July 17!)
-Cool Hand Luke
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