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MySpace Music Presents An Oral History Of Matador Records

8:43 a.m. · September 30, 2010 · by Nick Neyland

Matador Records, home to Pavement, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Interpol, and a huge range of indie rockers past and present, is celebrating its 21^st birthday in style this weekend. But if you’re not heading to Las Vegas to join in the celebrations at this show (see mouthwatering flyer below), then you might want to consider this opportunity to get lost in a lengthy article on the label’s history.

Yes, MySpace Music has put together an oral history of Chris Lombardi and Gerard Cosloy’s joint venture, which stretches right back to their origins in an H.P. Zinker single released in 1989. Liz Phair, Jon Spencer, and Bob Nastanovich from Pavement are among the artists who join the label heads in a fond look back at Matador's legacy.

Parts one and two are up so far (here and here) with the concluding part three set to run tomorrow, just prior to the Las Vegas celebrations. “I associated Matador with the coolest people I knew,” recalls Phair. “Wanting to be on Matador was like saying you wanna go to Harvard in the indie scene.” You said it, Liz.