Matador Records facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matador Records
Parent company	Beggars Group
Founded	1989 (1989)
Founder	Chris Lombardi
Distributor(s)	Matador Direct via Redeye (USA) Beggars Group via PIAS (Europe) Beggars Group Digital (global digital)
Genre	Rock, indie rock, experimental, electronic
Country of origin	USA
Location	New York City; London

Matador Records is a cool independent record label. It's known for signing bands that play indie rock music. They also work with artists who make punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic sounds.

History of Matador Records

Matador Records started in 1989. Chris Lombardi created it in his apartment in New York City. The first band he signed was an Austrian duo called H.P. Zinker. They recorded Matador's first release.

Chris Lombardi kept adding more artists. Bands like the Dustdevils, Railroad Jerk, and Superchunk joined the label. In 1990, Gerard Cosloy joined Lombardi to help run Matador. He used to manage another record label.

Growing the Label

Lombardi and Cosloy have worked together ever since. Patrick Amory joined them in 1994. He became the label's president and a partner. Matador first got a lot of attention in 1990. This was when they released A Catholic Education by Teenage Fanclub in North America.

Other early albums helped the label grow. These included Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement in 1992. Also, Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair in 1993 was very popular.

Partnerships and Independence

In 1993, Matador partnered with Atlantic Records for a few years. Later, in 1996, Capitol Records bought a part of Matador. But Lombardi and Cosloy bought it back in 1999. In 2002, Beggars Group bought half of Matador. They started helping with marketing the label's music worldwide.

Over the years, Matador Records has moved to bigger offices. Now, they have offices in both London and New York. The London office helps promote Matador artists in Europe. They have also signed artists like M. Ward, Sleater-Kinney, and Modest Mouse. Matador has helped many artists reach fans around the world. These include Yo La Tengo, Cat Power, and Interpol.

Music Sales and Awards

Matador Records is not part of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA gives awards for music sales. Matador asked them many times to remove their name from the RIAA's website. Even though they are not members, four Matador albums have sold very well. They earned "Gold" awards for selling over 500,000 copies. These albums were Exile in Guyville and Whip-Smart by Liz Phair. Also, Turn on the Bright Lights and Antics by Interpol received Gold awards.

New Labels and Celebrations

In 2009, Matador added a new label called True Panther Sounds. Dean Bein, who started True Panther Sounds, still manages it. Matador liked the label so much, they decided to work with them. Their first project together was the album Album by Girls. Matador helped promote this album a lot.

In October 2010, Matador celebrated its 21st birthday. They held a series of concerts in Las Vegas. Many famous bands played at the event. These included Pavement, Yo La Tengo, and Spoon. Artists shared how much they admired Matador. Damian Abraham from F* Up said Matador helped his band gain respect. Mike Hadreas from Perfume Genius compared signing with Matador to getting into a great school. Ira Kaplan from Yo La Tengo said Matador truly loves music.

Matador continues to sign new and exciting bands. Some of these include Iceage, Algiers, Car Seat Headrest, and Snail Mail.

Current Artists

As of April 2024, Matador works with these artists:

Past Artists

Matador has worked with many other great artists in the past, including:

See also

In Spanish: Matador Records para niños

• List of record labels