The New Album Begins

[THE MAN]

From his Facebook:

The head’s a bit like a traffic jam. I’m producing the next recording, so I’ve that aspect to deal with on top of finishing up a few bits and pieces on the songwriting front – lyrics basically. Some have asked what sort of record it’s going to be. The straight answer is – a rock record. Of course, there are many different types of “rock” these days, so as to ‘what sort of rock’ - every now and then, after taking vacations into stranger climbs, I find myself gravitating back to the music of my youth – a lot of Pixies, Replacements, Husker Du, etc. I’ve always considered that, well, rock & roll. Some used to refer to it as “alt rock”. There are so many genres these days I simply can’t keep up. So let’s just leave it at – rock record – just like everything from Black Love to Ok Computer were rock records. I’m really looking forward to it actually, as instead of playing the majority of things myself I’m bringing the lads in this time to track the parts. Rough and tumble, rough and tumble. Truth be told, it’s been a while since I’ve written a collection of songs like this, so I’ve been overcome by a “throw caution to the wind” sort of attitude.

 

That said – and as some of you are aware – the time between recording and release isn’t instantaneous. It’ll be released next September, with a first single going to radio sometime in the mid to late spring. There may even be a few videos for this one as well (god I’m really too old to be on film).

 

There’s a few other announcements of note that I’m sitting on at the moment that are pretty cool, but I’ve to be patient I’ve been told – so you’ll have to stay tuned.

 

I'm excited to hear it. Glad to see he's getting a full band involved. Let the rumors begin! Here are my questions:

 

1. Will there be any co-writes or contributions from Ryan Dahle?

 

2. Who will play guitar? I assume new guy from the last tour who's name I can't remember but he was really good.

 

3. Who will drum? I'm hoping for Ian Browne but with Pat Steward on drums the last few one-off shows and his notable amounts of appearances on past records it could be either. And I really hope there are some inspired drum fills like on WLRRR or any of the MGB records matt plays a fine set of MIDI drums but nothing beats a great drummers natural feel.

 

4. Any chance of Stu or Blake showing up? I think Matt is interested to give the newer lineup a shot now.

 

5. I wonder what the other announcements will be. I assume a show in the UK at least.

[AllThatMakesUsHuman]

Another Rock Record? well I'm glad MG is making new music, but I really loved the piano sounds on Lights of Endangered Species and I was expecting another piano based album. He mentioned OK Computer, maybe an Experimental Rock Record? not like WLRRR style but more bizarre like Radiohead, that would be interesting for Matt. Can't wait

[joeposh]

Another Rock Record? well I'm glad MG is making new music, but I really loved the piano sounds on Lights of Endangered Species and I was expecting another piano based album. He mentioned OK Computer, maybe an Experimental Rock Record? not like WLRRR style but more bizarre like Radiohead, that would be interesting for Matt. Can't wait

 

Personally, I'm thrilled. I respected the ambitions of Lights of Endangered Species, but ultimately it didn't grab me. Matt said from the outset that this was a record he needed to make, and I'm glad he did -- but I welcome a return to rock, especially if it means we're back to a more traditional method of recording. WLRRR may have aged better than any of his solo records, in large part due to the fact that it was recorded live off the floor with a full band and vintage instruments. Garage Band is a great tool, but it has its limitations. The drum fills and piano flourishes generated in an actual recording session will always have more warmth and punch to them than a computer generated alternative.

 

Alt Rock, Full Band. Everything about that FB post excites me.

[Manchalivin]

Sounds great. I loved the experimentation of LOES but more of a straight up rock album could be good. Will it be done with Garage Band?

 

I find it interesting that Matt can pin down the release to a specific month already and it's almost a year away and that the single is coming out mid-late spring but the album's only coming out in September. Are the songs mostly written already? If so that was pretty quick. Looking forward to it as usual.

[AllThatMakesUsHuman]

It's MG afterall, so I can't complain when it comes to his music, be it Rock, Acoustic, Piano, etc. Matt said it wouldn't be long until he could make another album that is commercially viable, which we all know Lights of Endangered Species was not. Maybe that's why I enjoyed LOES so much, it wasn't aiming at the typical MG fanbase, I found it to be a leap into the dark (which at times can be dangerous) but the results were amazing nonetheless. I hope this new album will at least have the same grandiose style as Avalanche did. I can only speculate.

[THE MAN]

Sounds great. I loved the experimentation of LOES but more of a straight up rock album could be good. Will it be done with Garage Band?

 

I find it interesting that Matt can pin down the release to a specific month already and it's almost a year away and that the single is coming out mid-late spring but the album's only coming out in September. Are the songs mostly written already? If so that was pretty quick. Looking forward to it as usual.

 

If you recall, there was a good 6 or 7 months gap between the completion of LOES and it's release, I'm sure that helped shorten the writting time post release. Too bad no Warne Livesy again, he is great.

[AnOceanPearl]

Pat Steward will be returning on drums.

[Outtahere]

AnOceanPearl: Is that a fact of a rumour? I've asked Matt twice on Facebook who's playing on it to no avail.

[AnOceanPearl]

Tis a fact.

[Outtahere]

Awesome! How d'ya know?

[Young Grasshopper]

I'm up for anything Matt records, but I'm hoping the new material echos the sounds of his solo career and not the angst filled screams from the MG band like "the future is x-rated" or "Carmelina"..... it doesn't suit him at this point in his legacy IMO. I'm wishing for a transition into a "rock" style that will allow a new genius side of Matt to emerge, and although I love the Pink Floyd influences of his recent stuff, I hope he doesn't return to "the Who" guitar characteristics on WLRRR. That album seemed flat compared to the rich texture of Avalanche, and Hospital Music..... again, just my opinion, and I'm truly happy that he continues to record.

[AnOceanPearl]

Awesome! How d'ya know?

Sporadic user Finboy bought Matt's old Tonemaster amp. He lives in Calgary, I live in Burnaby, so I was tasked with picking it up. Figured I'd ask while I was there.

[eclipse]

This was to be expected after a blog entry he posted ages ago about demoing the album, where he mentioned wanting to write songs that could be done in eight tracks or less, to strip things down after LOES. Although reading this and his mention about it being more alt-rock, it'll be interesting to hear how it sounds. MGB-esque? Vancouver/WLRRR throwback? Or something different? It'll be a cool listen.

[THE MAN]

Interesting that he has that Grey Cup show in Toronto right in the middle of recording it would seem. Do you think he plans to finish recording by then, or will his original claim of wanting to record each song in a different studio in small towns come to pass? He mentioned this during his interview on the Strombo show.

[AnOceanPearl]

I don't think that's coming to pass on this album.

[Young Grasshopper]

He may be getting a little pressure (not that he gives a shit) from his label to make an album more commercial, compared to the under appreciated LOES by the casual fan. A sign of this is his declaration to make a couple of videos this time around, which is hard to imagine getting funding from his label if they gave the same (comercialy unsuccessful) creative freedom that he had during his last project. Just speculating.... it's not like I understand how it all works in the industry.

[Crusader]

As I begin recording next week, I wanted to address something that I’ve been thinking about for the last few months. As some of you know, during the recording of Lights Of Endangered Species I posted a last minute call for a female vocalist to sing a few accompanying lines in the song Non Populus. As it turned out, the young woman that was running for us on the session had the perfect voice for the part – and so it’s her that you hear on the record. What struck a chord with me about it was that it allowed someone that would otherwise never get the chance to sing on a record at that level the opportunity to do so.

 

Common practice is to either ask another artist that you know, or someone with a name, to come in and contribute their talents. In this instance, I have thought a great deal about that route, why it always has to be someone “known” so that it will ultimately create buzz, and so forth and so on. I have been pitched a few people, but am years past the point of the politics involved. So I’ve decided to give someone either unknown, or that’s locally working diligently in the industry, a shot. Unlike last time, I’m not looking for someone to sing a few lines in conjunction with my own lead vocal part, but to sing an entire verse and perhaps a chorus by themselves. There would also be some harmony parts as well, including, if things really click, harmonies in a few other songs. All of the parts are written, so it would simply be a matter of learning them and then singing them, hopefully adding ones uniqueness to the part through their performance.

 

In a perfect world, the person chosen should have a good command of range, floating in the mezzo-soprano – contralto – tenor areas. I realize that some male singers out there might be a bit perturbed, but I am only looking for a female voice for the part.

 

Lastly, I want to strongly state that I’d appreciate that my time not be wasted. If anyone that is interested hasn’t worked in a proper studio environment before, that’s absolutely fine, but they must be up to task – meaning if you’re prone to freezing up or have a difficult time taking direction and executing, then it’s best to pass.

 

For those that are interested, here’s what’s required at this stage. First, we’d prefer people from the greater Vancouver area. If we find someone that we consider exceptional that isn’t local, we would be willing to arrange travel and accommodations – but for that to happen I would literally have to have my mind blown.

 

So, at this point, please simply contact us and include the following…

 

1) An example of your work – a demo, performance, etc. It can be either audio or video. Also write a little about yourself and why you’re interested, what you’re looking for from the experience, and anything else you’d like to add.

 

2) An email address that you can be contacted at that you check on a regular basis. Waiting for a week for a reply isn’t something that we’re interested in unfortunately.

 

3) That you are free the during November and early December – time of day can be accommodated around a work schedule – that if you are free at night you’re available until late in the evening, and that you have transportation, and aren’t encumbered by time restrictions due to other engagements.

 

Once we go choose a few candidates that we feel might work, we’ll have them drop by the studio and let them listen to the track and go from there.

 

If you are interested, feel free to contact is at [email protected]

 

Best,

MG

[Manchalivin]

That's cool of him to do.

 

He begins recording next week, so I assume that means he's written the whole album already? That's a nice change from the last 2 albums where we could listen to parts of demos and whole demos and it left little surprise for the finished thing. This time I don't really have a clue what it will sound like and it's refreshing.

[AllThatMakesUsHuman]

Why was my post edited, then reposted by Crusader himself?

Edited November 1, 2012 by AllThatMakesUsHuman
merged topics

[joeposh]

He may be getting a little pressure (not that he gives a shit) from his label to make an album more commercial, compared to the under appreciated LOES by the casual fan. A sign of this is his declaration to make a couple of videos this time around, which is hard to imagine getting funding from his label if they gave the same (comercialy unsuccessful) creative freedom that he had during his last project. Just speculating.... it's not like I understand how it all works in the industry.

 

There's also the chance that he was a bit disappointed with the market penetration of the last album, and would like to see what's possible when he blows it out through more conventional methods. Matt seems to like to treat each album as a bit of an experiment, not only in how he chooses to go about composing and recording it, but also in how he markets it. We've seen him dabble in vinyl (both limited runs and more sustained offerings), dvd deluxe editions, music video contests, autographed pre-orders, pre-release streams, exclusive digital editions, etc, his interest in possibly doing a few music videos for this one seems like an extension of that.

 

I doubt this has anything to do with label pressure, since Matt has shown time and time again that he's perfectly happy to scrap things when they don't meet his vision (i.e. the Great Whales of the Sea video), but for that same reason I wouldn't get too attached to anything he mentions at this point in the process. Excited to see what comes of it regardless.

[Gomo]

I think music videos this time around will help the album. Videos in general have made a big comeback with Youtube/Vimeo and their relevance in promoting an artist, I feel, is stronger than ever. All it takes is a few shares of a link and a song can, within a few days, reach hundreds of thousands, even millions of viewers that previously may have never even heard of Matt Good. Not saying it'll definitely happen, but like I said I think it's great that a couple of videos will be produced.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Gomo

[joeposh]

I think music videos this time around will help the album. Videos in general have made a big comeback with Youtube/Vimeo and their relevance in promoting an artist, I feel, is stronger than ever. All it takes is a few shares of a link and a song can, within a few days, reach hundreds of thousands, even millions of viewers that previously may have never even heard of Matt Good. Not saying it'll definitely happen, but like I said I think it's great that a couple of videos will be produced.

 

I think that's exactly the calculation here. When Matt initially moved away from videos, it was viewed as a dying medium reserved for pop stars and rappers with mega-marketing budgets and more often than not, the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze. Now things have been largely democratized by the emergence of online video platforms, the emphasis on sharing in social networks and the increased availability of high speed internet. Artists like Psy have broken through because of inventive videos, while many indie artists have been empowered to make creative videos on low budgets thanks to a sharp uptick in the quality of consumer level cameras and the no longer existent need to pander to the standards of MTV or MuchMusic. It's a great way to get your music out to new audiences while still controlling the presentation of it, something I don't think was true even a few years back.

[Gomo]

Yeah. He doesn't even need to perform in them. A video can literally be anything and it'll still make the rounds throughout the Internet if the music's good.

[Crusader]

Why was my post edited, then reposted by Crusader himself?

 

Just merged it into this thread, I posted that message a day or so ago.

[Moonlight_Graham]

Excited for an alt-rock record. Not old-school 50's/60's like WLRRR, not rock-pop like most of Vancouver was. Both good records but I think MG really shines rock-wise in his alt roots. Songs like Under The Influence, Fall of Man, Failing The Rorschach Test...shit with some edge. He might have moved beyond that 90's alt feel & I doubt he'd want to regress (which would suck too), and alt-rock can mean anything these days, but I hope come of these songs have some grit and experimental lunacy to them.