"I'm feeling restless; don't slow down!" advises Matt Johnson during Grand, the hyperkinetic follow-up to Matt & Kim's hyperkinetic debut. Grand makes good use of that advice, sandwiching 11 songs into a half-hour blast of snare hits and bouncing, buzzing synthesizer riffs. Johnson handles the bulk of the vocal duties, singing every song in a nasal, nerd-chic tenor while overdubbing his own harmonies. Yet it's the chemistry between Johnson and his partner, drummer Kim Schifino, that largely fuels the band's energy, even if Schifino's presence is somewhat muted by the album's beefed-up production (which polishes her wild percussion into tight, precise beats -- not necessarily a poor decision, but far from representative of her live musicianship). Building off the template established by the band's debut, Matt & Kim aim for the middle point between sugared melody and punked-out swagger, making room for flourishes of stomp-clap percussion, dancefloor electronics, and jingle-worthy progressions. Grand isn't as majestic as its name suggests, with only a handful of songs moving past the anxious minimalism that permeated the last album. For returning fans, though, Grand provides a familiar brand of punk music for happy people, for lovebirds, for those who wish Mates of State had more swagger and less glockenspiel.
It’s almost difficult to move for bouncy indie-pop collectives from New York these days, especially ones supposedly driven to prominence by Web 2.0. Given how it’s almost three years since their debut release, Matt & Kim seemed in danger of being swamped by this flood of sugary cheer. Thankfully, ‘Grand’ may have arrived just in [...]
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Grand is the sophomore release from New York art popsters Matt & Kim. The album is a collection of electronically-slanted garage rock tunes with a tremendous underlying pop sensibility. The bouncy back-and-forth piano rock of the opener "Daylight" demonstrates the group's ability to put just enough polish on a song. Just enough rough edge has been thoughtfully sanded off to balance the rawness
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Yesterday was a great day! Not only can we finally say PRESIDENT Obama, but Matt & Kim's newest LP Grand, came out as well. I couldn't agree more with the review over at Spin.com… "The tap-dancing keyboards and pounding drums of "Daylight" and "Don't Slow Down" soundtrack the duo's reflections on what it's [...]
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You can acquire yourself a brush fashioned from the hair of the woolly mammoth, a canvas wrapped with the finest parchment known to man and paints so exquisite that the very walls cry out for them. Then, the kid wearing a saucepan on his head equipped with a pencil and a napkin will inevitably still out-class you.
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Grand is the sophomore release from New York art popsters Matt & Kim. The album is a collection of electronically-slanted garage rock tunes with a tremendous underlying pop sensibility. The bouncy back-and-forth piano rock of the opener "Daylight" demonstrates the group's ability to put just enough polish on a song. Just enough rough edge has been thoughtfully sanded off to balance the rawness
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The El Rey doors opened at 8:00 PM. There was a line halfway around the block and a sense of urgency and excitement. Matt and Kim have developed quite a loyal fanbase over the past year, going from playing small Hollywood club King King last June, to a packed Echoplex for the F Yeah Fest [...]
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Brooklyn indie popster Matt And Kim have announced the release of their sophomore album. The 11-track Grand will be available on January 20th.They've posted a couple of new tracks on their Myspace page as well. So go check it out.Matt And Kim play Toronto on March 20th with Cut Copy.Matt And Kim's websiteMatt And Kim's Myspace
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(photo by Tod Seelie) In the past four months since Brooklyn's own Matt and Kim dropped their sophomore album, Grand, a lot has been going on to keep them busy. Never ones to relax, the couple have been out on...
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Matt Kim fans nearly brought Pier 54 down into the Hudson when they rocked RiverRocks.
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It’s almost difficult to move for bouncy indie-pop collectives from New York these days, especially ones supposedly driven to prominence by Web 2.0. Given how it’s almost three years since their debut release, Matt & Kim seemed in danger of being swamped by this flood of sugary cheer. Thankfully, ‘Grand’ may have arrived just in [...]
More >
Yesterday was a great day! Not only can we finally say PRESIDENT Obama, but Matt & Kim's newest LP Grand, came out as well. I couldn't agree more with the review over at Spin.com… "The tap-dancing keyboards and pounding drums of "Daylight" and "Don't Slow Down" soundtrack the duo's reflections on what it's [...]
More >
Matt & Kim have released their second video from their latest album, Grand entitled "Lessons Learned." It's certainly liberating, to say the least, with an ending that caught me a little off guard. Don't have Grand yet? That's a shame. You can totally purchase it @ insound dot com Technorati Us
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They already showed us they can push fun into overdrive and pump out one hell of a video (see Yea Yeah). Now for new single Lessons Learned off their Grand album, Matt & Kim decide to wander down what looks to be a very cold Times Square...naked! Check out the looks on bemused tourist faces. GOLD.Matt & Kim play the Evelyn Hotel here in Melbourne on the 1st May. Buy tickets here.See their MYSPA...
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You can acquire yourself a brush fashioned from the hair of the woolly mammoth, a canvas wrapped with the finest parchment known to man and paints so exquisite that the very walls cry out for them. Then, the kid wearing a saucepan on his head equipped with a pencil and a napkin will inevitably still out-class you.
More >
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 "Grand")
