MATTIEL — self-titled — Burger Records
scum stats: limited quantities on cloudy-clear semi-transparent vinyl, a shit ton on black
I don’t ask much of you folks. I offer up my half-baked opinions here, a link or two and hope it connects with your souls. If not…oh well.
But today, I really, 100% sincerely implore you to put the time and energy into listening to the entire debut album by Mattiel.
I cannot remember the last time I’d discovered a new record that made me feel this good. Personal and the Pizzas “Raw Pie"? Tyvek’s “Fast Metabolism”? This is HIGH praise.
The album is flawless. The Jonah Swilley/Randy Michael production team is deadly. Mattiel’s delivery, voice and lyrics are all incredibly inspired and unique and entirely hers. Her confidence is staggering. There is no comparison.
The front album cover photo…it looks badass and imbues an added layer of IMPORTANCE to everything. Someone standing on a horse confers impending greatness in my book. Like an army general ready to conquer an oncoming horde of marauders.
The “Cass Tech” song put me on the verge of tears, everything else crisp, fresh and inviting. I do not peddle in exaggerations. This is truth.
DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS RECORD!
If you at all consider yourself barely a collector, do yourself a favor, buy the colored vinyl now and thank me later.
I cannot say enough good things but it feels like I’ve already said too much. Please…on this one, just trust me. It is worth your time.
In the spirit of things, I bought an extra copy of the LP to giveaway right here. That’s what a nice guy I am. To win this beautiful LP, post a comment about the nicest thing someone has ever done for you. The best comment, as judged by me, will get this record mailed directly to their front door.
I grew up and went to college in Texas where the summers are hot and sticky. All through school, I drove an old pickup truck with what we called 260 AC: two open windows at 60 mph, no air conditioning in other words. One day I was driving home from school, it had to have been 100 degrees outside, and I ran out of gas only a few hundred feet from the gas station on Cooper Street, the main road between the highways where my school was located. Traffic was always thick, but, being young and coming from a poor small town where people take care of themselves (and don’t always think about consequences) I jumped out and started pushing my truck, one hand on the wheel and one pushing the frame inside the door, leaning into it as hard as I could. I was sweating like crazy and struggling in the heat, and I could see ahead that the ground inclined to enter the gas station. With about 200 feet or so left, some guy whipped into the gas station ahead, jumped out of his truck, ran back to me, and started pushing my tailgate. We actually gained some momentum and, as my truck hit the incline, we barely made it up before coasting into the pump. After jumping back in to brake, I thanked the guy who had just run into traffic to help me. He just shook my sweaty hand, said, “No problem, man,” got back in his truck, and pulled back into traffic. I have no idea who that guy was or what made him jump out to help a stranger in traffic in the heat of a Texas summer, but I think about that incline sometimes and wonder, if that guy hadn’t been pushing, whether I would have made it.
Procrastinating. …not procreating
I am a Burger Record subscriber, unfortunately because of procreating, I missed the white 45, but I definitely grabbed this beauty and am loving it
The first Birthday of mine with my now husband was the nicest thing anyone had ever done. I came home to a note on the door sending me on a treasure hunt throughout the place. The hunt ended in the record room with several of my favorite things as gifts(to show he listens to my ramblings of things I like) I cried! I don’t do that much in front of others. He thought I was sad,but I immediately let him know that I always treat myself good on my Birthday because no one else ever had. We had only been dating 10 months at the time. We got married four years ago and been together nine years. All my Birthdays are special in some way now.
When I was 19 I went to Miami with my boyfriend. We were going down there to help rebuild after Hurricane Andrew. Well, we for down there the man he was working for said that I couldn’t goto work because it was too dangerous for a young girl to be out on the streets work without someone with me at all times. So I stayed in the hotel the company put us up in all day. We had spent the last of our money to get there and he wasn’t paying my boyfriend. He feed the guys breakfast and lunch daily but since I wasn’t working I wasn’t getting feed. I lived off of the free popcorn in the hotel bar. One night, after about a week & a half, I went into the bar to get my nightly basket of popcorn when the bartender said, “hey put that back and come here.” I thought I was in trouble, that she was going to ask me to pay, instead, she said, “sit down. What do you want to drink?” She then proceeded to pull a plate out from under her bar full of food. She said, “I can’t watch you eat a basket of popcorn one more night. I made this for you because you definitely need a good home cooked meal.” I sat there with tears rolling down my face and ate ever last bite of food on that plate. When I was finished I gave her a hug and thanked her over and over again. It true was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.
It is a pleasant experience reading the responses from others and reflecting upon the nice actions of others to help me. Thank you for this prompting.
The nicest thing someone has done for me so far in my life is writing a recommendation letter for me so I am able to continue my studies in the Humanities at Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles.
Last month my dog was diagnosed with bone cancer… He had to get his right leg amputated. The cost of the surgery plus all the screenings have been a lot to bear on my own. My co-workers all pitched in and came up with some money to help me with sizable debt. I am not use to generosity and kindness… it was all very overwhelming.
The nicest thing anyone every did for me was provide a home for me when my house burned down… thanks for the offer of a gift… i am going to do the nicest thing i can and ask that you give it to someone else even if i win… forward…
Good God man, those vocals are amazing! The nicest thing anyone ever did for me was Cam selecting my entry for the Dead Weather Listening Party in Nashville. You gave the tour and I was right behind you. Every time we walked up a step, your cute ass was like magic for us. Along with the funny/punny commentary. And I met Jack! Best day ever!
…and then later called me all kind of names while giving birth.