The Matches Band • Page 5

it's such a bittersweet experience, yes. But tells the story SO well.

 

Agreed, the director did a great job capturing everything! And it was nice hearing everything from the guys.

 

Just watched it myself and it was a much more hard hitting experience than I was expecting.

The situation with their manager was unexpected. Firstly how much the various producers from the Decomposer era seemed to have serious reservations about him, followed by the miserable third album experience for them and then that whole thing about not registering songs. That stung to see their hard worked just pissed up the wall like that.
Given all the labels interested in them (another thing totally new to me), I wonder if Epitaph was the right place. Maybe it's as simple as the music they made wasn't really right for the moment, but I can't help but wonder if the right tours and a push on the right single might have made a hell of difference.

It has left me wondering though, that if they had been signed by different label or they'd had a more professional manager, would we have got Decomposer at all? I also can't help but think that they would have been a strange act if they got big because every album is so completely different. It's hard to imagine where they'd have gone after A Band In Hope.

 

I could see Epitaph not being the right fit after re-releasing e von dahl, but I remember the label pushing Decomposer. I don’t know that FBR or Hopeless or a major would have pushed it as hard. It’s a good album, but I don’t think there was an obvious hit like chain me free to push. And the band constantly changing its image/reinventing itself made it tough to fit on tours and have an image. Unfortunately at that time it was all about package tours and fitting in some sort of lane. Not having the songs registered is truly awful.

 

All the manager stuff was especially shocking to me, someone who considered himself *very* close with how the band was operating around that time of the L3 days. It just totally rattled me the first time I saw the doc. Had absolutely no idea -- though, looking back, Miles seemed very present all the time which was ... unusual for bands, I suppose? At least to the public.

Even being very involved with this band during the 'breakout,' the doc definitely provided so much insight I was totally unaware of beforehand.

It was interesting that the DIY video for Salty Eyes shocked the label but not enough, I guess, to provide them with more backing for more stuff like that?

And, yes, looking back, I do wonder if tours with Zebrahead and Reel big Fish were really the right move if they wanted to catch on on a bigger scale ... fun shows, sure, but neither of those bands got any bigger from that point on than they were before it, if that makes sense.

 

I remember them having a fair bit of marketing on their own site for Decomposer, but I cannot remember seeing anything about them anywhere else. Although, being in the UK it was maybe a slightly different experience with how present they were in the scene. The one time I got to see them live was with Biffy Clyro, who were the completely wrong crowd for them.

I thought something like FBR might have worked. If you look at how bands like FoB and Panic! did, I could see The Matches fitting in a little better alongside them than Zebrahead and RBF. It's still a bit of a square peg in a round hole though. I can't really think of someone who I would pick as a true contemporary for them.

I think what stings the most is that they seem like 4 genuinely really nice people, who were talented, really offered something different and put in the effort and they just didn't get the rewards. It's not like they even seem bitter themselves, more shocked that anyone still cared.

 

this, 1000%. which speaks to them as people and all they went through on their path, really.

 

Just got into these guys this week. Digging E Von Dahl and Decomposer, currently watching Bleeding Audio.

 

Make sure you listen to Superman if you like e con dahl. It was on the original album, but it was not on the Epitaph version.

 

When they closed Bleeding Audio with the acoustic performance of it I was like “wait… what song is this?”

 

Oh yeah that’s right. I think YouTube only has the live full band version that I can find. I probably have an mp3 of it from back in the day.

 

One thing I wish the doc had done is shine a little more light on the band’s creative process/influences, especially because of their musical eccentricities. Like, I can’t believe Alkaline Trio and AFI didn’t get mentioned at all.

I finally placed where I recognized Shawn’s voice from though, and it was from his turn as the Doctor on Razia’s Shadow.

 

I need to try EVD again, I could never get into that album.

 

EVD was one of my favorite albums in high school

 

EVD is such a great pop punk (I think it'd be considered pop punk?) record. Decomposer is better, but there's so much nostalgia attached to EVD for me.

 

EVD is their best, Decomposer is inconsistent and has a couple terrible songs, A Band Apart is vastly understand

 

WHAT WE KNOW BOUT SEX


Drive is such a strange song, but that chorus is catchy as hell.

 

As someone who literally grew up going to L3 shows in the East Bay, I have a big ol’ soft spot for EVD. So many good memories seeing them live and I remember when they signed to Epitaph - just reading the local newspaper article about local boys making good made me feel proud for them. Love that.

With that said; Decomposer is my favorite record of theirs. I do like A Band In Hope but I do think it’s their most inconsistent record for sure (unless you count their demo 4th record thing).

 

Wonder if they’ll finally release that new record in 2023 that Shawn mentioned having done last year lol

 

I could have written these paragraphs word-for-word. haha.

 

*virtual high five*

I was just listening to Prophetic by RX this morning. Love that record!

 

I enjoy EVD, but Decomposer is my fav for sure of theirs. Not as pop punk, but so fun. A Band In Hope was such a let down that I barely gave Album 4 a listen. I also had high hopes for Maniac due to how awesome Die Rad was, but that album was a snoozefest.

 

Big same about Maniac. I will say that St. Ranger’s 2016 record “Leaves LA” is a great record from Shawn though!

 

He said a few days ago they still haven’t recorded it, but they still hope to.

 

Kickstart that shit! The Stereo released an album last year, pretty sure The Matches could too.