does Matador ever take suggestions from fans on who they should try signing?

[DefenderOfPants]

or how they should merge with Merge and become the best record label in the world?

just curious.

[Ladt]

Waiting for a "no" from Gerard any second now.....

[Gerard]

We just don't act on them.

every now and then someone makes a good suggestion. But these things are fraught with peril. We don't have unlimited roster space and at any given moment, Chris and myself are trying to find room & time for a band we've liked for ages. What you might think is a great fit for Matador might be a band one or both of us really hates. Or it might be a band we're happy to go see and/or purchase records by, but we'd prefer not to work with them.

they might also be a band we've never heard or heard of. In which case, your suggestion is constructive (to a degree), but we tend to take our time learning about stuff.

very often, it is the height of presumption to assume that the artists(s) in question are waiting to be signed by Matador or any label. They might have no interest in us, or perhaps they release their own stuff, or maybe they're working with a label that has its own ambitions that may or may not include being a farm team for Matador.

anyhow, you are free to suggestion anything you want but please, keep the correspondence private and off this board. I'm really tired of finding out that Anne Murray's feelings are hurt because we keep refusing to sign her.

best wishes
GC

[jarv]

gerry, errr, sorry, gerard. are you able to delineate what it is about a band that would lead you to consider signing them?

looking at your roster i'd say you have a penchant for those musicians whose artistry is offset by character traits such as addiction, ie

malkmus - pot
gbv - alcohol
interpol - hair gel

[Gerard]

"gerry, errr, sorry, gerard. are you able to delineate what it is about a band that would lead you to consider signing them?"

It isn't very scientific. The criteria is not so different from the one you might use for buying records or picking your favorite bands. The exceptions being that we can't sign as many bands as we'd like and our tastes/sensibilities etc. won't be the same as yours or anyone else's.

the bottom line is whether or not we're a fan of the artist in question. But knowing that we can work with them, get along, have some realistic goals in common, etc. also enter into things. We don't have to be best friends with the artists but having some kind of rapport beyond signing contracts / cutting checks is pretty important.


I take exception to your slanderous remarks. Interpol are not addicted to hair gel and Stephen Malkmus is not addicted to pot.

best wishes
GC

[bitterfruit]

You forgot this one:

And the guys from GBV are not alcoholics. They just like to have a good time.

[Paul]

Originally posted by bitterfruit
You forgot this one:

And the guys from GBV are not alcoholics. They just like to have a good time.

[pssst, bitterfruit...GbV was left out on purpose to make a funny joke. It's a shame you didn't get it.]

[bitterfruit]

[psst. I did get it. Sarcasm Paul. It's a shame you can't spot it.]

[Paul]

I was afraid you were going to say that. As a veteran user of non-sarcasm sarcasm, I'll keep you in my nightly prayers.

[johansen smith]

this board seems to have been taken over by Crips/Bloods-esque rivelries. I'm joining the Jets.

[bitterfruit]

Since Mr. Personality seems to be so full of himself today, I'll vote that we close this thread gracefully.

[Funk]

Don't close the thread yet! I'm still trying to figure out how Matador+Merge=the best label ever.

[Gerard]

Since neither label has ever released anything by Drunks With Guns, I think "best label ever" is pushing it.