Matador At 21 Delivers Epic Lineup

If there's one indie label that could possibly be construed as "major", it'd have to be Matador. Not only were they the leaders of the indie movement in the early 90's, but they also have amassed an unparalleled lineup of both current artists and alumni, to the point of almost singularly defining an era in music.

Given that, we weren't exactly shocked (although frankly, quite pleased) to see that the label's annual "Matador At..." anniversary party will feature a bulletproof selection of their very best. Read along with us on this one kids: a reunited Pavement, the always lovely Sonic Youth, Belle & Sebastian, and a (what?!?!) seemingly reunited Guided By Voices. And those are just the headliners.

Former Matador signees Spoon will also be in attendance, along with Matador's long time kings of cool Yo La Tengo, and a vast selection of the label's current roster: Girls, Kurt Vile, Ted Leo, and Cold Cave, to name a few.

Needless to say, we are incredibly stoked for the event, which takes place October 1st-3rd of this year. While we're not exactly sure why it's in Las Vegas (Cheap flights and hotels? Rock stars like to gamble?) We will say that this fest is looking like the "it" spot for the fall. If you need some inspiration, it might be exactly the thing your looking for. Yum.

Treasure Island Festival, Day 2 - Photos, Review

After the awesomeness of day one, we were more than a little excited to get back out to Treasure Island and enjoy the festival's "rock" flavored day. The fact that the TI is somewhat broken up by genre does mean that the crowds differ bit. Not enough that you could point to one factor, but definitely enough that there was a notable change in the air between the two. Sunday's crowd was definitely ready for some solid rock, and the festival definitely did not disappoint.



We started out our day checking in with local faves Vetiver. Given that we love their latest record, and highly enjoyed their show at GAMH earlier this year, we weren't exactly surprised to see the band put on a fantastic performance. That being said, it was pretty clear that the band had transcended some folks' expectations: the crowd was totally rapt, and so were we. If this band didn't already have a solid "keep an eye on them" label, they certainly do now.



From there we stopped in on probably the most hyped band this side of the globe, and caught a set from Grizzly Bear. All hype aside, these guys definitely do deliver live, so it's hard to be snarky about it. The set's dynamic was interesting, as it seemed to start incredibly high energy, and gradually mellow out. An unusual direction for a rock show to go in, but for Grizzly Bear, it seemed to work.



The Walkmen were up next, and what can we say? These guys are clearly in their prime right now. We were wowed by their shows in New York this summer, and the energy is still there. The band delivered a blazing set that was definitely riding the wave of last year's much lauded You & Me. It's really nice to see the band back on the ball after what seemed like a year or two of semi-aimlessness between records. We can't wait for the next one.



As darkness fell on Treasure Island, we made our way to Yo La Tengo's set. Suffice it to say: the band was definitely in mellow mode. For a trio who have the potential to be the loudest thing you've ever heard, it's always interesting when they pull it way back and dedicate the set to songcraft and technique. This set was exactly that, with the band clearly invested in what they were doing, and offering a fantastic night of tunage.



Then it was time for the big show. The Flaming Lips took to the stage, and proceeded to deliver their (now well known) brand of showmanship. The plastic ball was there. The lights were there. The confetti was there. And, so was the girl having the seizure in the front row. Yes, it's sad, but strobe effects were not made for everyone. Even so, the band powered through and delivered an awesome set that spanned many old favorites, and touched heavily on their latest, Embryonic. Our assessment of the Lips continues to be what is has, and always will, be: go see the show. Just go. There's really no other way to get it.

And with that, we wrapped our 2009 weekend at the Treasure Island Festival. It was as awesome as we had hoped, and continues to build on its own momentum. It's also nice to see that both Treasure Island and Outside Lands have carved out their own niche and are happily coexisting. Let San Francisco's festival-laden goodness continue!

Photos by Brian Fong
Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Yo La Tengo Drops Another Track From Popular Songs, Plans Fall Tour

We already expressed some skepticism about Yo La Tengo's upcoming Popular Songs, and now our initial skepticism is (unfortunately) being reinforced. The band has just dropped a second tune from the record, and again - it hits our ears as called-in.

Much like it's predecessor, "Periodically Double Or Triple", "Here To Fall" comes across as something of an artistic wank, with a fair bit of stereotypical production elements thrown in for good measure. Again, it may work in the context of the record, but the faux-Motown fuzz vibe just seems like the band trying, and not quite getting there.

Given Yo La Tengo's near-perfect history of not releasing a dud, you figure it would have to happen sometime. We still have some faith, and wouldn't be so silly as to call Popular Songs DOA. That being said, we're hoping these early track releases aren't indicative of the whole record. If you're digging the tracks, you can snag it early through Matador's Buy Early Get Now program - otherwise you'll have to wait for the record's September 8th release date.

Either way, the band rocks live, and you should not hesitate to catch them on their summer tour in support of Popular Songs.

Yo La Tengo Fall Dates 2009
09/15 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
09/16 - Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theater
09/17 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
09/18 - Durham, NC @ Carolina Theater
09/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety
09/21 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
09/25 - New York, NY @ Roseland
10/02 - Montreal, QC @ Le National
10/03 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
10/05 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/06 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
10/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
10/09 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
10/10 - Denver at Ogden
10/11 - Aspen at Belly Up
10/12 - Salt Lake City at Urban Lounge
10/14 - Phoenix at Marquee
10/15 - Los Angeles at Avalon
10/16 - San Diego at Soma
10/17 - Santa Cruz at Rio Theater
10/18 - San Francisco at Treasure Island Festival (tickets on sale)
10/20 - Portland at Crystal Ballroom
10/21 - Vancouver at Commodore Ballroom
10/22 - Seattle at Showbox SoDo

mp3: Yo La Tengo - Here To Fall

New Yo La Tengo On The Way - Popular Songs

It's been three years since Yo La Tengo has had a new record on the market (okay, not if you count Condo Fucks), so we were psyched to hear that their latest, Popular Songs, is on tap for September. The first released track from the record is the decidedly-retro "Periodically Double Or Triple".

While the track certainly holds its own, it frankly feels a bit thin for the typical level of quality we've come to expect from the band. The arrangement is stark, and uses a repetitive organ line to drive a simple, cutesy melody. The song holds together well enough, and we dig the organ solo - it just feels a bit like the band called it in.

That being said, Yo La Tengo records are typically an album-spanning affair, so we'll keep the snap judgements to ourselves until we hear the whole thing. After all, "Mr. Tough" is damn cutesy, but in the context of I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Kick Your Ass, well....it just works. Seems we'll just have to wait and see.

Popular Songs drops On September 8th

mp3: Yo La Tengo - Periodically Double Or Triple

The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo

Last night at the Palace Of Fine Arts, conditions were not ideal for photography. Luckily, they were more than ideal for sound, and those in attendance got a fantastic show. In what could almost be considered a double bill, Jonathan Richman opened for Yo La Tengo. Both sets were good humored, fantastically entertaining, and musically rewarding.

Richman's set was ultimately a unique blend of singer-songwriter melodies, social commentary, and comedy act. It was vastly different from his output with the Modern Lovers, but pretty much a "par for the course" performance for thos familiar with his more recent work. "Par for the course" in this case was no mean feat, and Richman delivered a great set of sweet tunes. His performance was compelling enough that it even demanded an encore, which is unusual for an opener, to say the least.

When Yo La Tengo took the stage at 9:15, the crowd was more than ready for the show to start. The band opened with a great rendition of "Madeline", and then led the way through a two hour set of covers, conversation, and Q&A. The "freewheeling" format of the tour consists of the band answering questions between songs, and taking requests as well. The Q&A sessions were wildly entertaining, and a ton of fun. Ira Kaplan and James McNew were both extremely funny, and there were some great anecdotes as well.

Musically, the set stayed largely in chill out acoustic regions, with a few rocking jams here and there. There were a bunch of treats though, driven largely by request: The band played the Daniel Johnston tune "Speeding Motorcycle", as well as an impromptu version of Prince's "When You Were Mine". There were tons of old favorites in place as well, notably "Autumn Sweater". The band also continues to focus on their new album quite a bit, for which you'll hear no complaints here. "Mr. Tough" and "Black Flowers" were standouts.

Overall, the show was a blast, and a bit more personal than the Fillmore show of earlier this year. While it's great to see the band rock out in performance mode, it was also great to see this intimate show where they could be more irreverant and really let their personalities drive the show. Next stop: trying to locate James McNew's Prince covers record....!

Update:
Prince - When You Were Mine
James McNew (Of Yo La Tengo, Playing as Dump) - When You Were Mine (cover)

Yo La Tengo To Play Palace Of Fine Arts

It looks like indie-kid favorites Yo La Tengo will be making a fall return to our city of fog. The trio will be playing as "The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo", and the show is described as:

A little bit Storytellers, a little bit Unplugged, with a soupcon of their famously varied Hanukkah shows, it will feature the band playing an almost-acoustic set of songs from their entire catalog, with stories about their life as a band, and an encouraged back-and-forth with the audience.

Sounds like it should be a fun show, especially since the band has been pretty rockin' their last few stops in the city.

The show will be at the Palace Of The Fine Arts theater on November 1st. Ticket information is still listed as "TBA" on the Yo La Tengo site, but the POTFA site says this Sunday (the 30th) at 10 AM via ticketmaster. In the meantime, these mp3's from the freewheeling tour should give you a taste of the vibe.

mp3: Yo La Tengo - The Summer (Live On KEXP, Freewheeling Yo La Tengo tour)
mp3: Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home (Live On KCMP, Freewheeling Yo La Tengo tour)