Crate Digging: Sadie Matthew, Music Supervisor

Sadie Matthew, music supervisor at Colourbox Music, discusses her top two finds.

Miloe – gaps

My frontline pick is “gaps” by the Minneapolis-based artist Miloe, released by Loma Vista Recordings.  I was drawn in by the album artwork which is quite striking, collaging naturalistic photography with a psychedelic starry background. The music turned out to be right on theme with a blend of organic instrumentation and layered bedroom-pop production. The first song “where u are” is so simple and summery it made me rabidly optimistic that this winter will eventually end and we can be outside again. One of my standouts was “rewind”; with a feature from the rapper PawPaw Rod and dreamy guitar breaks, it’s got the ultra-feel-good vibe of a Steve Lacey track. 

It’s fun listening to a musician who is influenced by artists I grew up listening to like Toro Y Moi and José González, mixing those references with playful inspiration from his Congolese heritage as well. The EP has a seamless mix of pop and indie sounds and has an easy ability to fold in beat-driven moments. It feels like I’m listening to a young artist experimenting and finding his style, and it’s a super pleasant ride to be taken along on.

Jonathan Richman - Jonathan Goes Country

For the archive selection I chose “Jonathan Goes Country” by Jonathan Richman on Craft Recordings.  Jonathan Richman is one of my favourite artists yet I hadn’t heard of this album, and country music was inexplicably one of my favourite genres as a teenager. It took me right back to being holed up in my bedroom listening to hours of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan I ripped off Limewire. 

The album is a blend of original songs and covers of classic country bops by Skeeter Davis, Porter Wagoner, and Marty Robbins. It’s lovely to hear some reworkings of older Modern Lovers tracks such as “You’re The One For Me” and “The Neighbours”, which turns a latin-flecked doo wop track into a Tammy & George style gut-renching ballad (not without a touch of Richman’s trademark humour though.) I was in heaven listening to the swoony instrumental cover of “I Can’t Stay Mad at You” written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin - the collab I never knew I needed until now. 

The best parts of the country genre suit his idiosyncratic talent for ultra-warm guitar melodies and bittersweet observations, so I shouldn’t be surprised this album exists and that it’s as fantastic as it is. The best thing about it is how much fun you can hear Richman having, which is one of my favourite things about him as an artist. Excuse me while I go dust off my cowboy boots immediately.

If you’d like to know more, or you’re keen to discover more of our repertoire, please contact: labelsyncuk@concord.com.