Mattiel
“Count Your Blessings” b/w “Whites of Their Eyes”
Burger Records
white vinyl…limited? eh, I don’t know. It’s sold out on her Bandcamp. Black vinyl still available
Another flat out stunner, proof positive that there’s never a shortage of compelling music out there.
Was hipped to this by the Burger Records mailing list. Burger puts out SO MUCH STUFF that it is incredibly hard to parse. My simplified way of doing so is only paying attention to what they put out on vinyl and that seems to work for me.
The video dropped into the email list is for “Whites of Their Eyes” and shows suitable artistry coupled with a four-on-the-floor glam basic drum attack with trebly fuzz attack. Seems like it should be commonplace and easy to do, but based on the number of records that cross my desk that disappoint, well, there’s a disconnect somewhere. Combined with an interesting video…man, my time at TMR has only heightened my awareness that an INTERESTING video is increasingly difficult to do. When the audio and visual both knock it out of the park…bliss.
I immediately went to the Burger website and ordered the single. I emailed my wife and said “I think you’d really like this artist…seems like she could be your missing twin cousin"
Her response, hours later, was “you’re right.”
Early Monday a 12” mailer arrives from Burger.
“Wow, quick arrival,” I think to myself, "not the kind of delivery I was expecting from Burger.”
I open it up to find the following message…
“Hey Ben!
Hope all is well!
I’m send you & Jack a present. Mattiel met Jack a while back & she cites his influence w/press
We really want y’all & the world to enjoy! Thank you for caring much love & respect!!!
xo, Lee Rickard”
Inside the package was two copies of the Mattiel single and two copies of the test pressing of her LP.
Burger sent all of this before I’d even HEARD the music, and the instant I had heard the music, I bought it, not knowing that it was already on its way to me for free.
Clearly, this is destiny.
And the a-side is solid, light Winehouse soulful vibes with tasteful horn accoutrements. There’s a Jonah Swilley in the credits and I’m curious as to whether or not he’s the brother of Jared from the Black Lips. The production here is aces, really helps keep this from veering off to pastiche which is a bigger challenge than one may think. You don’t just put on a black tie and all of a sudden have credibility working R&B music. There’s a bit more to it than that.
Overall, a crazy good two-sider further re-affirming my faith in the youth and the rock and roll underground. Also, old-style tip-on sleeve for a 7” shows that someone out there cares. This thing FEELS important on top of actually BEING important.
So since I’m now flush with extra copies of the single, let’s do a contest below. Post a comment. Best one wins a copy of the 7-inch mailed directly to their home or place of business. “Best” is completely subjective to me.
My instinct was to post something ripe with sarcasm or oozing with intellect…
Then I watched and listened to the videos on the post…
New plan time.
Time to change the world.
Armed with all the money I could scrounge, including the coins that came from busted up and angry looking piggy banks, I jumped into my Expedition and smudged black war paint under my eyes. Rawr.
If one were to change the world, how would one start? One would start with the youth.
Elementary school. Okay.
Remove black war paint. Good idea.
Walking in, listening to the roar of small children, I cut to the left and shared my impassioned speech with the principal. Game on.
Now armed with the keys to open the children’s imaginations and expand the horizons to their own capabilities, I handed out guitar picks and drum sticks.
“You’ll learn what to do with these, and it will be awesome.” That was said in my best James Bond… why the heck did it come out sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger???
I gently asked the children to put down their phones and gadgets, I stood upon the highest table in the cafeteria (it was still fairly short), and I took my moment to make my speech.
“There’s music out there that is not just synchronized pop, meaningless lyrics, vocals that were enhanced by computers, or songs that was written by 15 people wearing suits. There’s soul out there; there’s passion, meaning, and good old blood sweat and tears that’s in some of the greatest music that you’ll ever hear. Janis, Jimi, The Dylan, The Stones, The Stripes, The Soledad Brothers…. and then there’s new artists that are coming along. Mattiel was a girl growing up in rural Georgia, and now she’s blowing minds. Take what you’ve been given; picks, sticks, your appetite for knowing what’s out there, and your desire to be creative geniuses. Change the world, kids. Change the world.”
Even the police that escorted me out of the building seemed to share my enthusiasm.
And now as I type out the last bit of this long narrative, I am pleased. Music changes lives. Music pushes us to be better people, it holds our hands through the hard times, it gives us a reason to dance like idiots.
It doesn’t all have to be computerized self-proclaimed hits with no substance. I would drop artists names, but I don’t want to have to apologize on Rolling Stone….
;)
Change the world, kids. Change the world.
[insert best comment here]
I will count my blessings if I see the whites of her (drawn) eyes
I’m Larry. This is my brother Darryl. This is my other brother Darryl.
Oh no album yet just the seven inch, my bad.
She’s got a great voice. I’m going to get the album regardless, so you can spar me your 7 inch and your judgement Blackwell. Unless you like my comment in which case I’m happy to use your approval to supplement and prop up my tenuous notion of self.
Amazing pick!
How many Lowe’s can a Rob Lowe rob if a Rob Lowe could rob Lowe’s?
thank you Thomas… i had wondered briefly but then i went ahead and followed the link to the next track for a real treat to listen to her work with a fully orchestrated arrangement on incrowd….. such sweet music wiith a flair for subtlety …. the track is called Send it On Over to Me ….. Whites of Their Eyes may well be the strongest track for Mattiel as a solo artist but you will find nothing more akin to fine brass in pocket than Send it on Over to Me on that InCrowd Production in someones livingroom
Fuck Yeah!!!