This Is The Last…

According to April Skies, a Jesus & Mary Chain fan site, the band has confirmed a return to the studio to record a brand new album. Although brothers Jim and William have worked on projects separately since the break-up (Sister Vanilla, Freeheat, Lazycame) this will be the first time in nine years they record together as The JAMC.

The band has also announced a handful of shows in the States:

10/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
10/22 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre #
10/26 – San Francisco, CA @ the Fillmore #
10/27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #

After catching their pre-Coachella gig at the Glass House back in April I couldn’t be happier about the tour. Although the JAMC can do no wrong by me I must admit that since that show I’ve been harboring the feeling you get when you order your favorite drink at a new bar, it goes down but only because you paid seven bucks for it and it’s alcohol. Something was missing that night; I expected to be subjected to the usual insulting aloofness of someone who’s made up of nothing but skin and cool but instead it felt as though Jim’s memory was split between remembering lyrics and whether or not he’d paid the gas bill.

It could’ve been a number of things; lack of habit, new line-up, the edge has simply dried up, maybe it’s just the fact that all reunions suck (Quinton’s words not mine) or maybe I’m just crazy. I for one am chalking it up to being out of practice, particularly because my brother saw them the very next night at Coachella and said they were phenomenal. Hopefully this time around the rust is out of their hinges and I’ll get to truly experience The Jesus & Mary Chain in all of their brooding glory.

On a positive note they did play a new song that night at the Glass House and if you’re a fan of Automatic go ahead and wet yourself.

Despite it all I’ll claim anything they do is genius but please no more Scarlet non-sense. I’d hate to have to eat my words; they’re too thick to chew.

How much do you dread hearing, “you should check out my friend’s band”? Who the hell wants to hear your girfriends brother in-law and his band of delusional balding plumbers and insurance salesmen covering Coldplay? NO ONE THAT’S WHO! That being said everyone living or visiting in the bay area come check out my friends band.

Trust me I know what you’re thinking, anytime anyone says that to me my brain goes into a type of automatic voicemail template; I have to work late, I have dinner plans, I rather eat my fingers… Who can blame me? Ever single time I’ve given in and said yes 6 months drop of my lifespan. I always leave feeling bitter, defeated and with even less hope for today’s standard of musician than I started off with.

Lucky for you I’m willing to wear the crown of king hypocrite. Made up of twin brothers Jared Mattson on guitar, piano and bass; Jonathan Mattson on drums; skateboarding pioneer Ray Barbee on guitar, this band is the future of jazz. With influences ranging from Chet Baker to the Cocteau Twins Ray Barbee Meet the Mattson 2 use their music chops and pop sensiblity to craft brilliant complex songs that aren’t meant to go over our heads but rather linger in them. Jonathan Mattson has ruined all other drummers for me as he’s become the girlfriend I hopelessly compare the rest to. While Jared and Ray create a sound so intoxicating even they get drunk. Ray Barbee Meet the Mattson 2 seem out of place in a time where music is oversaturated with scenester slime with more dedication to fitting into size 26 jeans or resembling a memember of CCR rather than mastering their instruments and sound.

The band is currently championed and managed by Filmmaker/artist Thomas Campbell and has had the privilege of working with Tortoise/The Sea and Cake’s John McEntire on a recording that is to be released within the next year on Galaxia Records.

In September of 2006 Mattson 2 collaborated with Ray Barbee at The Hangar studios in Sacramento, CA. The album was released in Japan on March 7 2007 titled: Ray Barbee Meets Mattson 2 on Galaxia Records. The American version is to be released on Galaxia Records in the near future. In April 2006 a promotional tour for their new release was made possible for Ray Barbee Meets Mattson 2 by Japanese record production company RUSH! Productions. The Japanese tour was a success and received great support from audiences at Ageha in Tokyo, Club Duo in Shibuya, and California Surf Shop in Fujisawa.

Mattson 2 continues to perform with Ray Barbee around California, and continue to collaborate with Thomas Campbell on Galaxia records. They will be playing the upcoming Galaxia Sampler at the Victoria Theater on September 15th. Show starts at 8 tickets are $10. Also on the bill are Tommy Guerrero, Gojogo, The Mumlers and The Photographic.

His Majesty Robin Guthrie will be kicking off a tour consisting of very rare once in a lifetime solo performances. The tour begins on Monday, October 17th at The Mezzanine in San Francisco. This show promises to deliver as Robin equipped with guitar, laptop and visual projections will perform songs written exclusively for this night. Along with him will be San Francisco’s very own Halou accompanied by Zoë Keating (of Rasputina). This will be the bands only performance in 2005.

After 15 years with shoegazer royalty, The Cocteau Twins, Robin continues building his legacy with both solo work and his band Violet Indiana. To give you some insight to this man’s genius in 2004 Violet Indiana was directly involved with producing and scoring the soundtrack for the Gregg Araki film Mysterious Skin. Not to mention that he was the song writing force behind the magnificent and untouchable Cocteau Twins. If you aren’t fortunate enough to find yourself in the bay area don’t worry he will also be performing In Los Angeles and London.

To find any further information on Violet Indiana visit Bella Union, incindentally he is one of the record labels founding members.

-Struck Numb