08-09-2012, 13:19
online listen
first album in 10 years
don't have a thing by these guys
this listen won't change that
3 I like but that's not enough
single grew on me which is the clip
1.5 from me and a converted 2.4 from the pros at allmusic
from the album - She's So Mean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8WLa6umgdw
released Sept 4th, 2012
![[Image: 220px-Matchbox_Twenty_North_Album_Cover.jpg]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Matchbox_Twenty_North_Album_Cover.jpg/220px-Matchbox_Twenty_North_Album_Cover.jpg)
Bio - from allmusic
Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed
as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of that decade.
As their first single, "Push," climbed the charts, it was widely assumed (at least by cynical critics) that they
were a one-hit wonder, but Yourself or Someone Like You continued to spin off singles well into 1998. By that time,
the group's blend of '70s arena rock and early-'90s American alt-rock -- closer to Pearl Jam and maybe R.E.M. than
Nirvana -- had become the sound of mainstream American rock. That transition slipped underneath the radar of many
pop music critics and fans. Yourself or Someone Like You sold millions of copies without ever truly dominating the
charts -- by 1998, it had gone platinum five times; by 2000, ten times. At no time did the record top the charts,
but it was always around, a staple of modern rock, adult alternative, and Top 40 radio alike. Matchbox Twenty was
omnipresent because they managed to blend the structure and sentiment of '70s arena rock with '90s hard rock,
thereby winning a large audience by seeming simultaneously classicist and modern. They were a little more classicist
than modern, but that's the reason why they became America's most popular rock band of the late '90s -- even if
nobody quite realized they had achieved that status.
The de facto leader of Matchbox Twenty is lead singer and songwriter Rob Thomas. An Army brat born on a military
base in Germany, Thomas spent much of his childhood between his mother's house in Florida and his grandmother's
place in South Carolina. The stress of the constant movement spilled over into his schoolwork, and he dropped out of
high school at the age of 17. He spent some time wandering around the Southeast, singing in a variety of rock bands
before he made Orlando, Florida his home base. There, he met bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette, and the
three spent several years drifting through local bands before Matchbox Twenty officially formed. They rounded out
the lineup with Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar, vocals), who had previously worked at the Criteria Recording Studios in
Miami, and Kyle Cook (lead guitar), a former student of the Atlanta Institute of Music.
The band hooked up with Collective Soul producer Matt Serletic and recorded a batch of demos, which helped the band
secure gigs throughout the U.S. Soon, the band signed to Lava, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, and recorded its
debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, also with Serletic. The album was released in October 1996 to little attention,
but Matchbox Twenty continued to tour America, cultivating a fan base. They eventually landed their single "Long
Day" on several influential radio stations, which paved the way for their breakthrough hit, "Push." In spring 1997,
"Push" began climbing its way to the top of the modern rock charts, as it received heavy airplay from radio and MTV.
By the summer, the single was in the modern rock Top Ten, and Yourself or Someone Like You had reached the album Top
40 and gone gold.
As it turns out, "Push" wasn't the culmination of their work but the beginning of a somewhat surprising success
story. During fall 1997, the record picked up momentum, as "3am" became a bigger hit than "Push," propelling
Yourself or Someone Like You to multi-platinum status. Early in 1998, the group was named Best New Band by Rolling
Stone's annual reader's poll -- proof that, even if Matchbox Twenty wasn't winning critics, they were winning over a
wide, mainstream audience. The band and its debut album continued to sell at a steady pace throughout the year as
the singles "Real World" and "Back 2 Good" joined "Push" and "3am" as radio favorites. Throughout it all, Matchbox
Twenty stayed on the road, at home and abroad. They did well in foreign territories, including Canada, but they
truly connected with Australia, where they went platinum eight times; in neighboring New Zealand, the band went
quintuple platinum.
Matchbox Twenty reserved 1999 as the year to record their eagerly anticipated second album, but they didn't
disappear from the spotlight, due to the unexpected success of "Smooth," a Santana song co-written and sung by Rob
Thomas. "Smooth" was one of many songs sung by celebrities on Santana's cameo-studded comeback album Supernatural,
but it was the one chosen as the lead single. A wise choice, as it turned out, since it became a true pop
phenomenon, topping many radio charts and driving Supernatural to multi-platinum sales and many industry awards.
Throughout the second half of 1999, "Smooth" was inescapable, as it and Supernatural sat on the top of the pop
charts. Its success brought more attention to Matchbox Twenty, and Yourself or Someone Like You rocketed to over ten
million copies sold -- which now qualified it for the RIAA's Diamond Award, which is only granted to records that
have moved over ten million units. On top of that, Thomas was named BMI's 1999 Pop Songwriter of the Year, for
"Smooth" and his work with Matchbox Twenty. Early in 2000, Thomas won three Grammys for "Smooth" -- Song of the
Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
All of this success happened as Matchbox Twenty was recording their second album, again with producer Matt Serletic.
The success raised expectations for the new album, entitled Mad Season, which was released in May 2000. Two years
later, the band emerged with its third album, More Than You Think You Are. With this particular record, the band
shared songwriting duties as a whole for the first time ever. Despite, or perhaps because of, the band's success and
frequent touring, Matchbox Twenty decided to take a break from recording and in 2005, Thomas released his debut solo
album, Something to Be. Featuring a more polished funk and dance-influenced sound, the album sold well and spawned
several hit songs, including "Lonely No More" and "This Is How a Heart Breaks." In 2007, the reunited Matchbox
Twenty -- with Doucette now on guitar replacing Gaynor, who left the band in 2005, and Push Stars' Ryan MacMillan on
drums -- delivered the hits collection Exile on Mainstream which included a bonus EP of new tracks. North, the
band's fourth studio album, and first official release since 2002, arrived in September 2012.
Album Review - from allmusic
Matchbox 20 never quite broke up. Rather, they simply faded away. One day, they were ubiquitous, the next, they just
weren't there and they stayed hidden for the better part of a decade, cobbling together a hits album and
accompanying tour in 2007 but taking their time crafting their fourth album. A full ten years separate 2012's North
and its predecessor, More Than You Think You Are, a decade gap that seems slightly shorter due to Rob Thomas' pair
of solo albums and also in how Matchbox 20 pick up where they left off, spending only the briefest amount of time
reckoning with pop trends that have surfaced since their last record (i.e., the disco-rock pulse of "Put Your Hands
Up" and a few groove-oriented cuts that betray the influence of Maroon 5). But that doesn't necessarily mean North
is a relic of the new millennium, sounding like everything else the band's ever done. Remarkably, Matchbox 20 has
lightened up with age, whittling away any excess and pretension, winding up with their first album that could truly
be called pop. It's a big, bright, shiny record anchored with odes to the radio and partying, its few love songs
sweet and easy, not tortured. At times, the slick muscular melodicism of North recalls prime Third Eye Blind more
than Matchbox 20 -- hooks are always pushed to the forefront, everything is wrapped in alluring gloss -- but Thomas
possesses a warm vulnerability that always alluded Stephan Jenkins, and Matchbox 20, as a whole, is coolly, expertly
professional, turning out immaculate AAA pop that still manages to have personality. True, North feels more 2002
than 2012 -- something that may hurt its commercial potential, as there are far fewer outlets for this kind of pop
in 2012 than there were in 2002 -- but Matchbox 20 has never made a record as cheerful or appealing or satisfying as
this.
Track Listing
1. Parade
2. She's So Mean
3. Overjoyed
4. Put Your Hands Up
5. Our Song
6. I Will
7. English Town
8. How Long
9. Radio
10. The Way
11. Like Sugar
12. Sleeping at the Wheel
first album in 10 years
don't have a thing by these guys
this listen won't change that
3 I like but that's not enough
single grew on me which is the clip
1.5 from me and a converted 2.4 from the pros at allmusic
from the album - She's So Mean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8WLa6umgdw
released Sept 4th, 2012
Bio - from allmusic
Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed
as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of that decade.
As their first single, "Push," climbed the charts, it was widely assumed (at least by cynical critics) that they
were a one-hit wonder, but Yourself or Someone Like You continued to spin off singles well into 1998. By that time,
the group's blend of '70s arena rock and early-'90s American alt-rock -- closer to Pearl Jam and maybe R.E.M. than
Nirvana -- had become the sound of mainstream American rock. That transition slipped underneath the radar of many
pop music critics and fans. Yourself or Someone Like You sold millions of copies without ever truly dominating the
charts -- by 1998, it had gone platinum five times; by 2000, ten times. At no time did the record top the charts,
but it was always around, a staple of modern rock, adult alternative, and Top 40 radio alike. Matchbox Twenty was
omnipresent because they managed to blend the structure and sentiment of '70s arena rock with '90s hard rock,
thereby winning a large audience by seeming simultaneously classicist and modern. They were a little more classicist
than modern, but that's the reason why they became America's most popular rock band of the late '90s -- even if
nobody quite realized they had achieved that status.
The de facto leader of Matchbox Twenty is lead singer and songwriter Rob Thomas. An Army brat born on a military
base in Germany, Thomas spent much of his childhood between his mother's house in Florida and his grandmother's
place in South Carolina. The stress of the constant movement spilled over into his schoolwork, and he dropped out of
high school at the age of 17. He spent some time wandering around the Southeast, singing in a variety of rock bands
before he made Orlando, Florida his home base. There, he met bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette, and the
three spent several years drifting through local bands before Matchbox Twenty officially formed. They rounded out
the lineup with Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar, vocals), who had previously worked at the Criteria Recording Studios in
Miami, and Kyle Cook (lead guitar), a former student of the Atlanta Institute of Music.
The band hooked up with Collective Soul producer Matt Serletic and recorded a batch of demos, which helped the band
secure gigs throughout the U.S. Soon, the band signed to Lava, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, and recorded its
debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, also with Serletic. The album was released in October 1996 to little attention,
but Matchbox Twenty continued to tour America, cultivating a fan base. They eventually landed their single "Long
Day" on several influential radio stations, which paved the way for their breakthrough hit, "Push." In spring 1997,
"Push" began climbing its way to the top of the modern rock charts, as it received heavy airplay from radio and MTV.
By the summer, the single was in the modern rock Top Ten, and Yourself or Someone Like You had reached the album Top
40 and gone gold.
As it turns out, "Push" wasn't the culmination of their work but the beginning of a somewhat surprising success
story. During fall 1997, the record picked up momentum, as "3am" became a bigger hit than "Push," propelling
Yourself or Someone Like You to multi-platinum status. Early in 1998, the group was named Best New Band by Rolling
Stone's annual reader's poll -- proof that, even if Matchbox Twenty wasn't winning critics, they were winning over a
wide, mainstream audience. The band and its debut album continued to sell at a steady pace throughout the year as
the singles "Real World" and "Back 2 Good" joined "Push" and "3am" as radio favorites. Throughout it all, Matchbox
Twenty stayed on the road, at home and abroad. They did well in foreign territories, including Canada, but they
truly connected with Australia, where they went platinum eight times; in neighboring New Zealand, the band went
quintuple platinum.
Matchbox Twenty reserved 1999 as the year to record their eagerly anticipated second album, but they didn't
disappear from the spotlight, due to the unexpected success of "Smooth," a Santana song co-written and sung by Rob
Thomas. "Smooth" was one of many songs sung by celebrities on Santana's cameo-studded comeback album Supernatural,
but it was the one chosen as the lead single. A wise choice, as it turned out, since it became a true pop
phenomenon, topping many radio charts and driving Supernatural to multi-platinum sales and many industry awards.
Throughout the second half of 1999, "Smooth" was inescapable, as it and Supernatural sat on the top of the pop
charts. Its success brought more attention to Matchbox Twenty, and Yourself or Someone Like You rocketed to over ten
million copies sold -- which now qualified it for the RIAA's Diamond Award, which is only granted to records that
have moved over ten million units. On top of that, Thomas was named BMI's 1999 Pop Songwriter of the Year, for
"Smooth" and his work with Matchbox Twenty. Early in 2000, Thomas won three Grammys for "Smooth" -- Song of the
Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
All of this success happened as Matchbox Twenty was recording their second album, again with producer Matt Serletic.
The success raised expectations for the new album, entitled Mad Season, which was released in May 2000. Two years
later, the band emerged with its third album, More Than You Think You Are. With this particular record, the band
shared songwriting duties as a whole for the first time ever. Despite, or perhaps because of, the band's success and
frequent touring, Matchbox Twenty decided to take a break from recording and in 2005, Thomas released his debut solo
album, Something to Be. Featuring a more polished funk and dance-influenced sound, the album sold well and spawned
several hit songs, including "Lonely No More" and "This Is How a Heart Breaks." In 2007, the reunited Matchbox
Twenty -- with Doucette now on guitar replacing Gaynor, who left the band in 2005, and Push Stars' Ryan MacMillan on
drums -- delivered the hits collection Exile on Mainstream which included a bonus EP of new tracks. North, the
band's fourth studio album, and first official release since 2002, arrived in September 2012.
Album Review - from allmusic
Matchbox 20 never quite broke up. Rather, they simply faded away. One day, they were ubiquitous, the next, they just
weren't there and they stayed hidden for the better part of a decade, cobbling together a hits album and
accompanying tour in 2007 but taking their time crafting their fourth album. A full ten years separate 2012's North
and its predecessor, More Than You Think You Are, a decade gap that seems slightly shorter due to Rob Thomas' pair
of solo albums and also in how Matchbox 20 pick up where they left off, spending only the briefest amount of time
reckoning with pop trends that have surfaced since their last record (i.e., the disco-rock pulse of "Put Your Hands
Up" and a few groove-oriented cuts that betray the influence of Maroon 5). But that doesn't necessarily mean North
is a relic of the new millennium, sounding like everything else the band's ever done. Remarkably, Matchbox 20 has
lightened up with age, whittling away any excess and pretension, winding up with their first album that could truly
be called pop. It's a big, bright, shiny record anchored with odes to the radio and partying, its few love songs
sweet and easy, not tortured. At times, the slick muscular melodicism of North recalls prime Third Eye Blind more
than Matchbox 20 -- hooks are always pushed to the forefront, everything is wrapped in alluring gloss -- but Thomas
possesses a warm vulnerability that always alluded Stephan Jenkins, and Matchbox 20, as a whole, is coolly, expertly
professional, turning out immaculate AAA pop that still manages to have personality. True, North feels more 2002
than 2012 -- something that may hurt its commercial potential, as there are far fewer outlets for this kind of pop
in 2012 than there were in 2002 -- but Matchbox 20 has never made a record as cheerful or appealing or satisfying as
this.
Track Listing
1. Parade
2. She's So Mean
3. Overjoyed
4. Put Your Hands Up
5. Our Song
6. I Will
7. English Town
8. How Long
9. Radio
10. The Way
11. Like Sugar
12. Sleeping at the Wheel
