 "where is the real, everything is nice, a classic seattle hip hop cd released in 97" | 2007-06-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A317VXM95IOJE3 |
| anyone reading this should try to get their hands on a 10 year anniversary copy of the real "everything is nice", released in march 97.you know they bit that title! |
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 "Matador Comp #2" | 2005-11-30 |
| - Reviewed By kws2323 |
| The second of Matador's compilations features 2 CDs of old material and 1 CD of previously unreleased songs from great artists like Pavement, Cat Power, Chavez, Modest Mouse, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney, Guided by Voices and Boards of Canada. The best two new songs from Disc 3 made it onto subsequent Pavement and Cat Power releases, respectively. All three of the Matador comps are packed with dozens of good songs at a single CD price and strongly recommended for new fans. |
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| "Great music for really cheap" | 2005-08-12 |
| - Reviewed By miss_bianca_of_the_rescue_aid_socity |
| The tracks on this look like a collage radio play list!!!!! You got THE best in underground rock/Folk/Pop all in One cd. If YOU like good underground (Not that stuff that passes for rock these days) Then buy this. |
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| ""Everything" really IS nice" | 2005-04-17 |
| - Reviewed By la_solinas |
I owe a debt to Matador Records' "Everything Is Nice" compilation,. It was through these three discs that I was originally introduced to many of my now-favorite bands, including Solex, Nightmares on Wax, Pizzicato Five, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, and many others.
But enough of reminiscing. "Everything Is Nice" was a tenth anniversary collection of many of their best bands, originally released in 1999. (They've since released a fifteenth anniversary collection. Only four more years til we get a twentieth). It's not only a good cross-section of the best and most timeless work here, but also a fun listen, and a good introduction to some good music.
Several indie-rock staples were signed onto Matador over the years, and they are given places of honor: the gone-but-never-forgotten Pavement, excellent Guided by Voices and Modest Mouse, as well as other outstanding bands like Mogwai, Cat Power, Sleator-Kinney and Yo La Tengo. Often these bands get more than one song.
But Matador also gives the spotlight to lesser known bands and artists. For example, the ultra-creative Cornelius and Japanese pop band Pizzicato Five, the swipping beats of Jega, fuzzed-out chords of Bardo Pond, and chilled-out grooves of Nightmares on Wax. There's also the quirkiness of Solex, electronic tsunami of VOID, sped-up hip-hop of the Arsonists and Non Phixion, the mellow keyboard of Mary Timony, and the danceable beats of Khan.
Okay, sprinkled here and there are a few duds. I have to admit that Chavez is not my favorite -- I can only take a few explosive chords at a time, unless Billy Corgan is playing them. However, those few songs are overshadowed by the excellent -- sometimes ingenious -- music that surrounds them on all sides. Pop, electronica, rock, hard-rock, experimental -- it's all here.
While Matador plays it safe to some degree, with a little of everything (as well as their best bands) that has been most popular for them, they also include some less conventional songs, such as Cornelius's dizzying "Count Five or Six," or the grimy, bare rock of Unwound's "NO TECH!" Neither is really pretty or catchy, but they are definitely compelling.
I'll admit it -- I have a soft spot for this tenth-anniversary collection, since it kicked me into my present love of music. And for those investigating the best bands never (or at least rarely) seen on MTV, this is an ideal springboard. |
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| "Matador does another one" | 2002-08-07 |
| - Reviewed By fenrisbooks |
| As a follow up to the first Everything is Nice - this newest of Matador compilations features some pleasant new music to enjoy. Running the spectrum from Pavement with two quite nice songs (including an alternate version of Grounded which is, in many ways, better than the original) to the always pleasing Boards of Canada hit Roygbiv and the flash in the pan Burger/Ink - there is almost certainly something for everyone here. And with three discs for under twenty dollars, it's hard to go wrong with this purchase. I could have done without some of the Arab Strap and Bardo Pond songs - but once again, something for everyone. |
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| "A great sampler for a great price.....everything is nice..." | 2000-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By tallman1962 |
| Three CD's with some of the most interesting bands from the last decade....Pavement, of course, JSBE, Mogwai ("X-Mas Steps" great track that...try listening to this when it's raining...), Chavez, Guided by Voices, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney(who are on Matador in Europe...)and more. But it's the ones who maybe have not exploded over in these states yet that are surprising...namely, Unwound (okay, yes, so maybe they are now making a name for themselves...with a dangerously weird track with growled wordless vocals), Cat Power (both tracks awesomely sparse and haunting...), Solex (Dutch version of Pizzicato 5 maybe?), Bardo Pond (weaving and crunching guitars in a sea of noise...brilliant and groovy...)and of course, the goofy and genius Lynnfield Pioneers (shades of 60's meltdown, funk and god knows what else...). Get it-- it's cheap and it's genius. |
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| "The best indie pop in one little package" | 2000-07-13 |
| - Reviewed By sonicbuum |
| Not all of the bands included in this box set are great, but as a sampler/retrospective it works. I applaud Matador for doing something like this for the fans, when it would have been 10 times easier not to do anything at all. Even if you don't like Cat Power that much or think Mogwai are self-indulgent, it doesn't matter. You get Guitar Wolf, Modest Mouse, Bardo Pond, JSBX, Cornelius and (seemingly) hundreds of others. You can't go wrong, especially when you stop to consider that if a major label had done this it would cost you about $40. Buy it. Enjoy it. Be happy. After all, Everything is Nice. |
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| "A great compilation, a great jumping point" | 2000-02-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39CZZQ4AAIROS |
| This is a great starter album. I had heard of about a third of the artists on here, but now I'm very interested in hearing more of some of the more obscure ones. (I'd also like to add that, as a dancer, this is a great set to put on and improv with for a few hours) |
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| "Very Inexpensive Sampler of a Wide Variety of Music" | 2000-02-17 |
| - Reviewed By craiglarson |
| As in the other reviews, I'll say that one of the things which attracted me was the incredibly low price. You get 3 brand new CDs for almost the price of one used. And the variety of styles and groups represented is another plus--I've read about a lot of these groups in the pages of _Alternative Press_ and _CMJ_, but this is the first time I've had a chance to hear them. There's hiphop and techno and guitar-based rock. You can't beat a deal like this! |
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| "AHHmazing" | 1999-12-15 |
| - Reviewed By losingsoul |
| What a deal! 3 Cd's for 9.99 where I got it.. and the music is incredibly well chosen..Pavement (of course)..Cornelius and Pizzicato Five both contribute songs that teach you how to count and freak out at the same time..Mogwai's epic "Christmas Steps"..10 minutes of looking out the window trying to decide if you should off yourself or not to some truly beautiful guitar work..Arab Strap's "Here We Go" tells you where your relationship is going bluntly, spooky drum machine barely spoken/sung vocals, more beautiful guitar work..Guided By Voices in pristine pop form (as always)..The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion flippin' out like a pancake..cool psycho drama from Red Snapper,Nightmares on Wax and Solex..and finally, the glorious "RoyGBiv" from Boards of Canada, two and a half minutes of uplifting instrumental beauty that I've listened to about 15 times since yesterday when I bought this.It's worth your time and can't be ignored. |
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