It was bad enough that Liz Phair had four of the fourteen songs on her new album written and produced by the Matrix, the team responsible for Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8ter Boi” and “Complicated.” But now Glorious Noise has discovered that one of our favorite rock and roll combos, the Mooney Suzuki, is currently recording with the Matrix as well! Please, someone tell us this is not true. That this is just some kind of internet rumor. Or at least tell us that once they hear the results, everyone will realize it was a ridiculous idea and scrap the tracks…
According to worldsend.com, the website of Worlds End Producer Management:
THE MATRIX were recently awarded International song of the year at the Brits IvorNovello awards for “Complicated”. They are currently producing SUGABABES for Universal Island, KEATON SIMONS for Maverick and MOONEY SUZUKI for Columbia.
The guys in the Mooney Suzuki deserve more recognition. They’ve been touring non-stop forever, and they’re one of the best live bands I’ve seen in years. I wasn’t upset when I saw them in a Coor’s Lite commercial or heard their version of that Cole Porter song in the Nike ad. Who cares about that crap? I’d rather see them on TV over Celine Dion, for Christ’s sake. I want them to get famous, I want to hear their songs on the radio. They’re great and they deserve it.
But the Matrix? Have you heard what they sound like?
I didn’t want to get upset when I heard that Mooney Suzuki signed to Columbia back in February. I tried to calm down some staunchly independent friends who were thrown into fits of rage and depression. I was still under the impression that a major label might actually sign a band because they like what they do and think they will be able to bring it to a wider audience. It seems as though I was mistaken.
Major labels sign bands so they can turn them into whatever the label execs think will sell. They become the “help,” hired to do whatever they’re told. Dress how they’re told, play how they’re told. Come to think of it, I wonder if the Mooney Suzuki will even get to play on their new album. Liz Phair only plays guitar on one track on her new album.
I know, I know. The sky may not actually be falling. But these major labels must be stopped. They should never be allowed to tell another band how to record another album or how to dress to promote it.
UPDATE: In an exclusive Glorious Noise email interview, Matrix manager Sandy Robertson told us, “The Matrix have cut 3 tracks with Mooney Suzuki already. They will be co-writing and producing their whole album when MS get off Lollapalooza.”
Additional reporting by Johnny Loftus. Read Johnny’s April 2002 article about the Mooney Suzuki: A Little Mind Distraction. You can download “I Say I Love You” (mp3) via Epitonic.
What can the Matrix possibly do for the Mooney Suzuki’s sound that Jim Diamond and Ghetto Recorders couldn’t?
Yeesh. This does not bode well for us Mooney Suzuki fans…hopefully it’s just an internet rumor.
The Matrix…ugh.
Say it isn’t so, Jake! Why didn’t you tell me about this while I was at the GloNo offices this weekend? We could have drown this missery in one more glass of PBR.
Oh the humanity!
I really want to hear an honest answer from a band who does this kind of scheiss. What is is? Is it dictated in their contract? Are they simply looking to bank? Do they somehow think that they can ride the beast and excape unscathed? The lame answers often served up in this type of fiasco are usually pat and uninteresting.
Ugh……at least I still have the Mars Volta.
Peace Out
Ha ha. Jake, I was on the velvet rope boards last night and saw you call out ryan adams as being fat!
WHAT IN THE FLYING FUCK?!!!
Holy CRAP!
Them signing to Columbia really didn’t bother me at all, BUT WORKING WITH THE MATRIX…man, talk about selling your soul…
What do we do if the Mooney releases its next album – the one that was cut entirely with the aid of the Matrix – and it’s actually pretty good? Like down beneath their pop rocks exterior shell, the types in the Matrix are huge rock fans, and only ever wanted to get as big as they are so they could have the clout to record incredible rock ‘n’ roll bands? What would we do then?
I’m not saying I think this’ll happen, but it would be sort of funny if it did.
JTL
that WOULD be pretty funny if the Matrix made it rock.
funny because it’s impossible! We all know the record is going to sound exactly like Big Audio Dynamite- lite.
It’s gonna be mad gay.
I would like to get the Matrix onto one of those electric platforms like Jimmy Woods in Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye.
Well, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. After all, it is Mooney Suzuki and they do rock hard…maybe they’ll end up rehabilitating the Matrix or something.
There’s a great interview with the MS on the new “Creem” (no comment) where they say, “We spent a day recording Electric Sweat and going back and making less correct notes, making wrong notes in the solos and stuff.” I can’t imagine how they’re going to deal with the Matrix who record everything into ProTools with a click track and auto-tuning. There are no wrong notes when you auto-tune! Right?
http://www.creemmedia.com/BeatGoesOn/MooneySuzuki/Coachella.html
“We spent a day recording Electric Sweat and going back and making less correct notes, making wrong notes in the solos and stuff.”
That comment alone makes me think they may be a bunch of posers. Making “wrong” notes in the solos? Neil Young doesn’t make “wrong” notes. Have we been hoodwinked by these guys?
I’m with you, DKP. Why the hell would a band go back through and muss up its own recording, effectively producing a “stonewashed,” “vintage” version of itself? And why would they then fully admit it, as if we’re all supposed to think that’s fine?
I’ll be the first one to support the Mooney as a live act; you can read my testimonials on this site as proof. But James’ comment is pretty damn screwy. It’s one thing to emulate your 1960s R & B and bar band heroes. It’s another entirely to meticulously construct your music to sound like it, rather than simply rocking the fuck out of it to do so (as I’ve seen the band do live many times).
I’m starting to get really confused and pissed about this whole MS/Matrix thing – it’s fucking with the fabric of rock ‘n’ roll as I know it.
JTL
This is pretty disgusting news, but I didn’t think Electric Sweat was nearly as good as People Get Ready, and therefore didn’t have soaring hopes for any third album. Maybe the Mooneys need songwriting help…Though they certainly should have sought it elsewhere.
I’ll restrict myself to hoping that their live act won’t suffer.
i’m with you guys. going back and adding less correct notes, wrong notes in the solos? sounds like a god damn maraschino cherry!
I mean, not to drag or rehash, but maaaan o man…Jonestown Kool Aid fo’ sheezy, y’all. You’re right, Ryan, it reeks of cherry and food coloring. :)
Poop. It’s poop, plain and simple. I cannot believe they woul admit that if it is true. Shoot oneself in the foot.
people, people, please. let’s think rationally. i can personally vouch for the mooney suzuki’s total respect for their sound and influences and absolute professionalism. they do not “hoodwink” and they will not tear apart the “fabric of rock and roll”. i know these cats–i’ve toured with them for months both pre- and post-columbia signage. i’m sure whatever decisions they make will only affect as much as, say, your mom switching up the car pool. let’s give the mooney’s a little more credit. fer chrissakes, at least HEAR the trax before you piss yourselves. and they’re also sarcastic mofo’s so take any nonsense you read in interviews or on websites with a grain of salt, aight? aight. peace.
Truthfully those cats are no better than all the bandwagon-jumping new-metal acts who were faithfully aping the Korn sound five years ago. Mooney Suzuki merely have (arguably) “hipper” record collections. It’s cabaret, not rock ‘n’ roll.
what kind of music are they? i dont have the attention span to read that whole article.
Their soul was hi-jacked long before the Matrix intervened. If you bought the act prior then maybe you should re-examine your soul too.
the Mooney SUzuki are pretty crappy from the stuff ive seen and heard…
>these major labels must be >stopped. They should never be >allowed to tell another band how >to record another album
Yeah, God forbid a band be allowed to reach a level of success where they can survive.
In the long run, the more popular they become, the more power they have in the long run, the more likely they are to eventually expose whatever they want to do to a much larger audience.
But I wouldn’t expect a supacool rock critic like yerself to get that. It wouldn’t play well with all your supacool friends.
I got an idea. Go listen to Gregg Alexander’s Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too project. Listen to it four times and listen closely to what he’s saying…then get back to me, okay?
Oh, and who the hell are you to tell these talented artists they have to stay dirt poor forever to maintain their cred. Get a life bro.
Man, seeing this again just makes me sad again. Especially because the resulting album proved to be so bad. Where have these guys gone, anyway? Number One!