Having founded seminal Memphis punk outfit Reatards at the tender age of sixteen, Jay Reatard (May 1, 1980 - January 13, 2010) was a seasoned veteran of the garage-punk scene. In the '90s Reatards turned the Memphis underground rock scene upside down with a legendary live show so over-the-top that they were banned in a number of European countries. Never content to stick to one genre, one project or one band, Jay also co-led the synth-punk Lost Sounds with Alicja Trout...
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News
14 August 2008
Jay Reatard Hits The UK and Ireland
Memphis native Jay Reatard has announced an eleven date tour of the UK and Ireland this November to promote his new album `Matador Singles 08` which is released on October 6th and features all the tracks released monthly be Jay over the past half year.
The cover art for the new album can be seen below:
...and those all important tour dates:
November 2008
16 - Green Synergy Festival, Dublin
18 - Barrowlands 2, Glasgow
19 - Deaf Institute, Manchester
20 - The Faversham, Leeds
21 - Korova, Liverpool
22 - Bodega, Nottingham
23 - The Cooler, Bristol
24 - Old Blue Last, London
26 - The Belvedere, London
27 - Banquet Records, London (in-store)
28 - Engine Rooms, Brighton
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
7 May 2008
Jay Reatard Releases Six New Singles
Recent Matador signing Jay Reatard's prolific nature dictates that he has to be kept busy with as many concurrent releases as possible. Well, two in this case, as he's releasing two brand new singles through the label on May 19th - 'Painted Shut / An Ugly Death' and 'See - Saw / Screaming Hand'.
That's not all. Reatard will follow these up with a further four 7" singles (with the number pressed decreasing each time - collector ahoy!) before the year ends with the twelve tracks compiled into a CD album afterwards for those trying to catch up.
He's also playing a number of shows in London over the coming month and you can see him at the following shows@
May 2008
13 - White Heat @ Madame Jojo's, London
14 - Upset the Rhythm @ Barden's Boudoir, London
15 - Vice Stag and Dagger Festival @ Old Blue Last, London
16 - Single Launch Party @ Puregroove Records, London
16 - Music is my Boyfriend @ Barden's Boudoir, London
18 - Best Laid Plans @ Proud Galleries, London
19 - Astoria, London (supporting Black Keys)
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
20 March 2008
Hey Toro! Matador Tracks for Free.
Matador Records have made a hot new collection of work from their roster available for download through their
website. The compilation is called 'Intended Play Sampler 2008' and features tracks from artists such as Jay Reatard, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Cat Power and The New Pornographers among others.
They've even thrown in artwork which can be downloaded, printed out and fashioned into a fine case for your burned CD.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
8 February 2008
SXSW 2008 Lineup Announced.
That big list in pink above this article represents all the acts that CDX readers should find enjoyable if any of you are lucky enough to be heading Austin-wards for this year's SXSW music conference and festival. It runs from Tuesday 11th March until Sunday 16th March and features every band from around the world that are worth their salt and on the way up to fame.
Some more famous, yet interesting, inclusions are R.E.M., Daryl Hall, Was (Not Was), Hanson, The Presidents of the United States of America, Tia 'Wayne's World' Carrera and Dolly Parton.
The list is, naturally, subject to change and can be viewed in its entirity here. As always the site will expand with exact dates, venues and times and, hopefully, a considerable collection of free MP3 files to download.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
20 December 2007
Taking Reatards To The Zoo
Memphis punk and founder of The Reatards some ten years ago, Jay Reatard (think Andrew WK with the crapness removed) has signed a deal with Matador Records and has pledged to release six 7" singles over 2008, culminating with a triumphant compilation album of the A's and B's towards the end of the year.
With any luck he'll be taking his legendarily raucous live show to these shores at some point too including some memorable festival appearances.
I'm extra happy about this as I now have a rhyme for 'leotard' in that new song I'm writing!
R K Starstedt (View Original Article)
Album Reviews
17 August 2009
Watch Me Fall
With an album cover that finds Jay peering out from a scene reminiscent of a Harry Potter movie poster (all the while looking like Meatloaf`s angry young brother) and, well of course, that adoped surname `Reatard`, you`d be forgiven for expecting the music of Jay Reatard to be an unsettling affair at best. However, Matador`s hyper-prolific young star`s songs are as poppy, insistent and childishly enjoyable as they are short (twelve songs check in at just over half an hour) and, given the speed at which he throws out releases. very highly polished. This is the first record Jay has ever written and recorded specifically for a label (`I’ve never made a record in which the label heard the songs, or anyone heard the songs, before the album was finished, so that’s kind of intense.` he said recently) and the added pressure this brings has clearly raised the quality of the final product.
Sifting through some of the high points of the album, `It Aint Gonna Save Me` appears to supplant Supergrass from their Oxford home to Memphis through a well-stocked sweet shop while `Can`t Do It Anymore` recalls Frank Black`s early solo material and joyously combines flamenco guitar with an unGodly screech. Later the brilliant `Rotten Mind` files perfectly under "Shame they dont` make `em like this any more" and `Hang Them All` is the finest impression of The Clash since Joe Strummer and the Mescaleroes.
`I`m Watching You`, however, is a complete change of pace with warming organ adding real substance to Reatard`s melodious vocal track and bold percussion. In a parallel world you`d hear it headlining Glastonbury but, for now, somewhere near the middle of the bill on one of the smaller stages will do. The exposure would only ruin the smile-inducing, shouty, sometimes sweary simplicity of so much of Reatard`s output.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
