Matthew Sweet
Encyclopedia
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American
alternative rock
/power pop
musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia
music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s. He continues to release albums and tour.
which resulted in his first recording on a battle of the bands LP produced by a local radio station. Sweet set off to Athens, Georgia
in the early '80s after graduating from Lincoln Southeast High School
in 1983 to attend college and join the vibrant Athens music scene
, most famous as the home base for R.E.M.
and The B-52's
. In 1983, Sweet collaborated with R.E.M. member Michael Stipe
under the name Community Trolls
as well as being in Stipe's sister Lynda Stipe's band Oh-OK
, and that year also formed the power-pop duo, The Buzz of Delight
with drummer David Pierce (Oh-Ok). They released an EP Sound Castles on DB Recs later that year.
In 1985, he was signed to a solo recording contract with Columbia Records
. One album, Inside, was released by Columbia in 1986 to good reviews, but limited success.
Sweet was then picked up by A&M Records
where he released his second album, Earth (1989), again without commercial success. This period marked a personal and professional low point for Sweet, as A&M lost interest and his marriage failed.
Sweet quickly recovered and formed a new band including Richard Lloyd, Robert Quine
, Greg Leisz
, Lloyd Cole
, and Fred Maher
. The new group spent 1990 assembling Sweet's next work, originally titled Nothing Lasts.
and released in October 1991. This album featured a classic set of pop-rock songs, was considered by many to be an artistic breakthrough, and quickly garnered impressive U.S. sales (spawning a Top 10 single with the title track). The video for the title track was aired on MTV
, MuchMusic
and Night Tracks
and features Japanese animation
, of which Sweet is a fan. The animated clips in the video for "Girlfriend
" are taken from the movie Space Adventure Cobra
, and the video for "I've Been Waiting" uses clips of the Urusei Yatsura
character Lum Invader
, of whom Sweet has a tattoo.
Sweet's follow-up album, 1993's Altered Beast
, was a more diverse and less immediately accessible album than Girlfriend; the album divided fans and critics who had mixed reactions to emotionally intense and brooding tracks like "Someone to Pull the Trigger" and "Knowing People." A second single, "Time Capsule", became a music video classic directed by Douglas Gayeton. The highly conceptual work featured extreme closeups of Sweet singing while supine
on the grass. As he performed, his body was slowly covered with cockroaches that ultimately wrapped his body with twine. The final shot showed him pinned to the ground in a literary homage to Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels".
In 1995, Sweet released 100% Fun. The album mixed bouncy pop style with darker lyrics, including a leadoff track, the self-deprecating "Sick of Myself."
Sweet's international success has been somewhat limited by his fear of flying
; however he gained a significant following in Japan
and his 2003 album Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu, was initially a Japan-only release.
In early 2002, he formed the supergroup
The Thorns
with Shawn Mullins
and Pete Droge
. He released a new album of solo material, Living Things
in late 2004, though the material on the album was recorded in 2002.
In April 2006 he partnered with Bangles
rhythm guitarist-vocalist Susanna Hoffs
to release a collection of 1960s classics, titled Under the Covers, Vol. 1
featuring their take on such widely known 1960s hits as "Monday, Monday
" and "The Kids Are Alright
". The album represented a return to the accessible and melodic approach associated with Sweet's early breakthroughs.
Sweet's album, Sunshine Lies
, was released on Shout! Factory
on August 26, 2008. Accompanying the CD and download formats of the album is a 2-LP set featuring four previously unreleased songs.
On July 21, 2009, Sweet and Susanna Hoffs released their second collaboration Under the Covers, Vol. 2
, which features covers of songs from the 1970s by such artists as Fleetwood Mac
, Carly Simon
, Yes
, Todd Rundgren
, and Rod Stewart
.
In April, 2010, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre
staged the world premiere of the musical play "Girlfriend," which used songs from Sweet's album of the same name, crediting Sweet with music and lyrics. The title of the play is ironic because its two characters are gay boys in their late teens.
Sweet's most recent album, Modern Art
, was released on September 27, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
/power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia
Music of Athens, Georgia
The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New Wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie rock groups...
music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s. He continues to release albums and tour.
Early career
As a teenager in Lincoln, Sweet wrote and recorded songs on four-track cassettes, and in the ninth grade joined the band the SpecsThe Specs
The Specs was a New Wave cover band from Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring a teenage Matthew Sweet, that played together from 1978–1980.-History:Sweet grew up in Lincoln in a musical family, and as a child he learned to play multiple instruments; by his early teens he was already a very proficient bass...
which resulted in his first recording on a battle of the bands LP produced by a local radio station. Sweet set off to Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
in the early '80s after graduating from Lincoln Southeast High School
Lincoln Southeast High School
Lincoln Southeast High School is a public secondary-education school located in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. It is part of the Lincoln Public Schools school district. Opening September 25, 1955 under the direction of Principal Hazel G. Scott with an enrollment of 652 students in grades 7-12, Southeast...
in 1983 to attend college and join the vibrant Athens music scene
Music of Athens, Georgia
The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New Wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie rock groups...
, most famous as the home base for R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
. In 1983, Sweet collaborated with R.E.M. member Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
under the name Community Trolls
Community Trolls
Community Trolls was the group name of a short-lived musical collaboration between Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Matthew Sweet. In 1983, before either of them were very famous, they collaborated as part of the Athens, Georgia music scene, writing and recording three songs together...
as well as being in Stipe's sister Lynda Stipe's band Oh-OK
Oh-OK
Oh-OK was an American musical group from Athens, Georgia formed in 1981 with singer/lyricist Linda Hopper, bassist/vocalist/lyricist Lynda Stipe, and drummer David Pierce. Other members later included drummer David McNair and guitarist Matthew Sweet. The trio began practicing together at parties in...
, and that year also formed the power-pop duo, The Buzz of Delight
The Buzz of Delight
The Buzz of Delight was a band consisting of Matthew Sweet and David Pierce, which was active from 1983–1985.-Background:Matthew Sweet grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was musical from an early age, and as a teenager made 4-track cassettes of songs he wrote. Sweet was an early fan of R.E.M., as...
with drummer David Pierce (Oh-Ok). They released an EP Sound Castles on DB Recs later that year.
In 1985, he was signed to a solo recording contract with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. One album, Inside, was released by Columbia in 1986 to good reviews, but limited success.
Sweet was then picked up by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
where he released his second album, Earth (1989), again without commercial success. This period marked a personal and professional low point for Sweet, as A&M lost interest and his marriage failed.
Sweet quickly recovered and formed a new band including Richard Lloyd, Robert Quine
Robert Quine
Robert Wolfe Quine was an American guitarist, known for his innovative guitar solos.A native of Akron, Ohio, Quine worked with a wide range of musicians, though he himself remained relatively unknown in comparison...
, Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
, Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
, and Fred Maher
Fred Maher
Fred Maher is an American drummer, programmer and record producer.He was a member of Massacre , Material, Scritti Politti, Lou Reed, and is best known as the producer of I'm Talking's album Bear Witness , Lou Reed's album New York , Matthew Sweet's album Girlfriend , and Information Society's self...
. The new group spent 1990 assembling Sweet's next work, originally titled Nothing Lasts.
Commercial breakthrough
In 1990, A&M released Sweet from his contract, and he signed with rival Zoo Entertainment. The album, still under construction at the time, was retitled GirlfriendGirlfriend (album)
Girlfriend is the third album by Matthew Sweet, his most commercially and critically successful album to date. AV Club has referred to it as Sweet's magnum opus and labeled it the best power pop album of the 1990s...
and released in October 1991. This album featured a classic set of pop-rock songs, was considered by many to be an artistic breakthrough, and quickly garnered impressive U.S. sales (spawning a Top 10 single with the title track). The video for the title track was aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
and Night Tracks
Night Tracks
Night Tracks was an American television series which ran from 1983 to 1992 on SuperStation WTBS on late night weekends...
and features Japanese animation
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, of which Sweet is a fan. The animated clips in the video for "Girlfriend
Girlfriend (Matthew Sweet song)
"Girlfriend" is a 1991 single by American power pop musician Matthew Sweet, released as the lead single from his third album, Girlfriend. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart....
" are taken from the movie Space Adventure Cobra
Space Adventure Cobra
is a space-opera manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump during 1978–1984...
, and the video for "I've Been Waiting" uses clips of the Urusei Yatsura
Urusei Yatsura
is a comedic manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi that premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 1978 and ran until its conclusion in 1987. Its 374 individual chapters were collected and published in 34 tankōbon volumes. The series tells the story of Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien...
character Lum Invader
Lum Invader
is a fictional character and the female protagonist from Rumiko Takahashi's manga and anime series Urusei Yatsura. She is often believed to be the main protagonist of the series due to her iconic status. However, Takahashi has stated that Ataru Moroboshi is the main character. She is named Lamu in...
, of whom Sweet has a tattoo.
Sweet's follow-up album, 1993's Altered Beast
Altered Beast (album)
Altered Beast is the fourth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Released by Zoo Entertainment in 1993, the initial response to this record was cool compared to Girlfriend, with Rolling Stone writing that the album was "[f]rustratingly uneven," with "inspiring moments; the problem is...
, was a more diverse and less immediately accessible album than Girlfriend; the album divided fans and critics who had mixed reactions to emotionally intense and brooding tracks like "Someone to Pull the Trigger" and "Knowing People." A second single, "Time Capsule", became a music video classic directed by Douglas Gayeton. The highly conceptual work featured extreme closeups of Sweet singing while supine
Supine position
The supine position is a position of the body: lying down with the face up, as opposed to the prone position, which is face down, sometimes with the hands behind the head or neck. When used in surgical procedures, it allows access to the peritoneal, thoracic and pericardial regions; as well as the...
on the grass. As he performed, his body was slowly covered with cockroaches that ultimately wrapped his body with twine. The final shot showed him pinned to the ground in a literary homage to Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels".
In 1995, Sweet released 100% Fun. The album mixed bouncy pop style with darker lyrics, including a leadoff track, the self-deprecating "Sick of Myself."
Later 1990s and 2000s
Sweet would issue a few more albums in the second half of the 1990s and maintain a devoted core audience, but received little critical acclaim or chart success.Sweet's international success has been somewhat limited by his fear of flying
Fear of flying
A fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane , or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also sometimes referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia....
; however he gained a significant following in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and his 2003 album Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu, was initially a Japan-only release.
In early 2002, he formed the supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
The Thorns
The Thorns
The Thorns are an American acoustic rock band formed in 2002 as a project of Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge, and Shawn Mullins.The band toured the United States and Europe throughout 2003, in support of their eponymous debut album.-Discography:...
with Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single, "Lullaby", which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.-Career:Mullins was born in...
and Pete Droge
Pete Droge
Pete Droge is an American alternative/folk rock musician from Vashon Island in Washington State's Puget Sound. His debut album Necktie Second, released by American records in 1994, featured the tongue-in-cheek "If You Don't Love Me ", , as well as the songs "Sunspot Stopwatch" and "So I am Over...
. He released a new album of solo material, Living Things
Living Things (album)
Living Things is the ninth studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via RCAM Records in 2004.-Track listing:# "The Big Cats of Shambala"# "You're Not Sorry"# "Dandelion"# "Push the Feelings"# "In My Tree"# "Cats Vs...
in late 2004, though the material on the album was recorded in 2002.
In April 2006 he partnered with Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
rhythm guitarist-vocalist Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
to release a collection of 1960s classics, titled Under the Covers, Vol. 1
Under the Covers, Vol. 1
Under the Covers, Vol. 1 is the first collaboration between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. Released by Shout! Factory in 2006, the album contains 15 cover versions of favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s. The album was a result of their mutual love for...
featuring their take on such widely known 1960s hits as "Monday, Monday
Monday, Monday
"Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100....
" and "The Kids Are Alright
The Kids Are Alright (song)
"The Kids Are Alright" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the seventh track on the group's first album, My Generation . It was not released as a single until more than six months after it first appeared on the LP, first in the United States, and in the UK the following...
". The album represented a return to the accessible and melodic approach associated with Sweet's early breakthroughs.
Sweet's album, Sunshine Lies
Sunshine Lies
Sunshine Lies is the tenth studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via Shout! Factory on August 26, 2008...
, was released on Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
on August 26, 2008. Accompanying the CD and download formats of the album is a 2-LP set featuring four previously unreleased songs.
On July 21, 2009, Sweet and Susanna Hoffs released their second collaboration Under the Covers, Vol. 2
Under the Covers, Vol. 2
Under the Covers, Vol. 2 is the second collaboration between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. Released by Shout! Factory on July 21, 2009, it contains 16 cover versions of favorite songs from the 1970s....
, which features covers of songs from the 1970s by such artists as Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
.
In April, 2010, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It was founded in 1968, as the East Bay’s first resident professional theatre. Michael Leibert was the founding artistic director, who was then succeeded by Sharon Ott in 1984. The company runs seven...
staged the world premiere of the musical play "Girlfriend," which used songs from Sweet's album of the same name, crediting Sweet with music and lyrics. The title of the play is ironic because its two characters are gay boys in their late teens.
Sweet's most recent album, Modern Art
Modern Art (Matthew Sweet album)
Modern Art is the eleventh studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via Missing Piece on September 27, 2011 and is available as a CD, 2-LP vinyl set, and digital download...
, was released on September 27, 2011.
Discography
- 1984 – Sound Castles – DB RecordsDB RecordsDB Records is a record label owned by Danny Beard. The label's headquarters reside in the Wax N Facts record store in the Atlanta, Georgia neighborhood of Little Five Points.-History:In 1978, Danny Beard helped some friends in an Athens, Georgia rock band...
- 1986 – Inside – Sony Records
- 1989 – EarthEarth (Matthew Sweet album)Earth is the second album by alternative rock singer/songwriter Matthew Sweet. It was released by A&M Records in 1989.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Matthew Sweet; except where indicated# "Easy"# "When I Feel Again"# "Wind and the Sun"...
– A&M RecordsA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:... - 1991 – GirlfriendGirlfriend (album)Girlfriend is the third album by Matthew Sweet, his most commercially and critically successful album to date. AV Club has referred to it as Sweet's magnum opus and labeled it the best power pop album of the 1990s...
– Zoo Entertainment. Later re-released as a Legacy Edition. - 1993 – Altered BeastAltered Beast (album)Altered Beast is the fourth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Released by Zoo Entertainment in 1993, the initial response to this record was cool compared to Girlfriend, with Rolling Stone writing that the album was "[f]rustratingly uneven," with "inspiring moments; the problem is...
– Zoo Entertainment - 1994 – Son of Altered BeastSon of Altered BeastSon of Altered Beast is an EP by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Released following Altered Beast in 1994 by Zoo Entertainment, it contains live & alternate versions of various Sweet songs.-Track listing:...
– Zoo Entertainment - 1995 – 100% Fun – Zoo Entertainment
- 1997 – Blue Sky on MarsBlue Sky on MarsBlue Sky on Mars is the sixth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was Sweet's first album since his debut that did not feature contributions from legendary guitarists Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd...
– Zoo Entertainment - 1999 – In ReverseIn ReverseIn Reverse is the seventh album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released on Volcano Records in 1999. While not known as one of his most impressive albums via sales, it does attempt some unconventional tracking...
– Volcano RecordsVolcano RecordsVolcano Entertainment is an American rock record label founded in 1996 best known for reissuing albums by Scotti Brothers Records and releasing albums by Tool, 311, Survivor and "Weird Al" Yankovic... - 2000 – Time Capsule: Best of 90/00Time Capsule: Best of 90/00Time Capsule: The Best of Matthew Sweet 90/00 is a compilation album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released by Volcano Records in 2000, and consists of songs from his Volcano recordings. Sweet's albums from Girlfriend to In Reverse are spotlighted here, thus covering his...
– Volcano RecordsVolcano RecordsVolcano Entertainment is an American rock record label founded in 1996 best known for reissuing albums by Scotti Brothers Records and releasing albums by Tool, 311, Survivor and "Weird Al" Yankovic... - 2002 – To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew SweetTo Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew SweetTo Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet is a compilation album by Alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Released by Hip-O Records in 2002, it is a compilation of early Sweet recordings.-Track listing:# Southern...
– Hip-O RecordsHip-O RecordsHip-O Records is a record label, currently part of Universal Music Group, which specializes in reissues and compilations. Their Hip-O Select label is currently in the midst of releasing the Complete Motown Singles, a series of fourteen box sets which include both sides of every 45 from Motown... - 2003 – Kimi Ga SukiKimi Ga SukiKimi Ga Suki * Raifu is the eighth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. Originally released as a "thank you" to Japanese fans in 2003, it received a United States release in 2004...
– RCAM Records - 2004 – Living ThingsLiving Things (album)Living Things is the ninth studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via RCAM Records in 2004.-Track listing:# "The Big Cats of Shambala"# "You're Not Sorry"# "Dandelion"# "Push the Feelings"# "In My Tree"# "Cats Vs...
– RCAM Records - 2006 – Under the Covers, Vol. 1Under the Covers, Vol. 1Under the Covers, Vol. 1 is the first collaboration between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. Released by Shout! Factory in 2006, the album contains 15 cover versions of favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s. The album was a result of their mutual love for...
(with Susanna HoffsSusanna HoffsSusanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
) – Shout! FactoryShout! FactoryShout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label... - 2008 – Sunshine LiesSunshine LiesSunshine Lies is the tenth studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via Shout! Factory on August 26, 2008...
– Shout! FactoryShout! FactoryShout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label... - 2009 – Under the Covers, Vol. 2Under the Covers, Vol. 2Under the Covers, Vol. 2 is the second collaboration between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. Released by Shout! Factory on July 21, 2009, it contains 16 cover versions of favorite songs from the 1970s....
(with Susanna HoffsSusanna HoffsSusanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
) – Shout! FactoryShout! FactoryShout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label... - 2011 – Modern ArtModern Art (Matthew Sweet album)Modern Art is the eleventh studio album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released via Missing Piece on September 27, 2011 and is available as a CD, 2-LP vinyl set, and digital download...
– Missing Piece
Compilations
- Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon - Coyote Records - 1985. Under the name "The Jacks," Sweet, Chris StameyChris StameyChris Stamey is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. After a stint playing with Alex Chilton, and a brief partnering with Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, he formed The dB's, whose stewardship he would share with Peter Holsapple.In 1977 in New York, Chris founded the...
, and Don Dixon contributed a reworking of the dB'sThe dB'sThe dB's are a jangle pop/power pop group who came into prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
song, Ask for Jill, to this Hoboken anthology, with Sweet on lead vocals. - In 1993 contributed to the AIDS-Benefit Album No AlternativeNo Alternative-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
produced by the Red Hot OrganizationRed Hot OrganizationRed Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
with his song "Superdeformed". - A cover of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, performed by Matthew Sweet, is included on the 1995 tribute albumTribute albumA tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph SallRalph SallRalph Sall is a record producer, music supervisor, composer, songwriter, and screenwriter. He is the president of Bulletproof Entertainment, a company involved in several facets of the entertainment industry, including film, television, comic books and graphic novels, music, internet and live...
for MCA RecordsMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. - The 1998 film Can't Hardly Wait and its subsequent soundtrack features Matthew Sweet performing "Farther Down"
- Wild - 2007, from The Bigtop (soundtrack) (2008)
- Sweet performs a cover of "This Moment" by Victoria Williams on the tribute album for her, Sweet Relief.
- Sweet performed a cover of Walter Egan's "Magnet & Steel" for Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It can be found on the 1998 release Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Album.
Other work
- Sweet appears briefly as an extra walking by the camera in the film Terms of Endearment.
- Sweet has contributed numerous tracks to compilations and soundtracks, ranging from the CarpentersThe CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
tribute album If I Were A Carpenter to covering Tom Petty's classic "American Girl" for the popular 1980s compilation High School Reunion — a tribute to those great 1980s films, and to soundtracks for Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire Slayer (film)Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992 American action/comedy/horror film about a Valley girl cheerleader named Buffy who learns that it is her fate to hunt vampires. The original script for the film was written by Joss Whedon, who later created the darker and more acclaimed TV series of the same name...
(song: "Silent City"), Brain CandyBrain CandyBrain Candy is a feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy troupe. Directed by Kelly Makin, filmed in Toronto, and released in 1996, it followed the five season run of their television series, which had been successful in both Canada and the United States.The five man team plays all...
, The Baby-Sitters ClubThe Baby-Sitters Club (film)The Baby-Sitters Club is a 1995 family film directed by Melanie Mayron. It is based upon The Baby-sitters Club series of novels and is about one summer in the girls' lives in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut...
and Can't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
, as well as "Superdeformed" to the AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album No AlternativeNo Alternative-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
and "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" to the compilation Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits. - Sweet provided guitar, bass and/or vocals on a number of tracks on Lloyd ColeLloyd ColeLloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
's albums Lloyd Cole (1990), Don't Get Weird on Me Babe (1991) and Bad Vibes (1993), as well as bass on Cole's recording of "Chelsea Hotel," on the Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
tribute album I'm Your Fan. - Sweet co-produced the Velvet CrushVelvet CrushVelvet Crush is a power pop band from Rhode Island that achieved prominence in indie-rock circles in the early- and mid-1990s. The band broke up in 1996 but re-formed in 1998 and have continued to record, releasing their most recent album in 2004...
albums Teenage Symphonies to God and Free Expression and co-wrote two songs on the latter. - Sweet and Jules ShearJules ShearJules Mark Shear is a US singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Pittsburgh in 1952. Although he has had only one minor hit as a performer , he has recorded almost 20 albums to date...
collaborated to write the title track for Everything's Different NowEverything's Different NowEverything's Different Now is the third and final studio album by the American band 'Til Tuesday, released in 1988. .-Track listing:1. "Everything's Different Now" – 3:56...
, the third and final album by 'Til Tuesday'Til TuesdayTil Tuesday was an American New Wave band formed in Boston in 1982. Its original lineup was bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman.-History:...
. Sweet and Shear also collaborated on Sweet's album Earth, which also included collaborations between Sweet and Shear's then-wife, Pal ShazarPal ShazarPal Shazar is a US singer/songwriter. She was a founding member, with Andrew Chinich, of the 1980s New Wave pop group Slow Children, and married one of the band's producers Jules Shear in the late 1980s....
. - He has also co-written at least one song with the Jayhawks, "Stumbling Through the Dark," on which he sang backing vocals, and has provided backing vocals on at least one other Jayhawks song, "Sixteen Down." In addition, the Thorns recorded a Jayhawks tune, "Blue."
- Sweet collaborated with DeleriumDeleriumDelerium is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act, Front Line Assembly...
on a song called "Daylight" from their 2001 album PoemPoem (album)-Track listing:All songs written by Bill Leeb and all lyrics written by respective vocalists unless otherwise noted.There is also a misprinted European edition with the US tracklist. Only a few thousand albums were published this way...
. - Sweet was the bassistBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
of Ming TeaMing TeaMing Tea is a band formed and consisting of:*Mike Myers *Susanna Hoffs *Matthew Sweet...
, a band featured in the first Austin PowersAustin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
movie, with Susanna HoffsSusanna HoffsSusanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
and Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
. - Sweet appeared as himself in an episode of Cartoon Network'sCartoon Network (United States)Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
hit TV series Space Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network... - Sweet was namechecked in Kōsuke FujishimaKosuke Fujishimais a Japanese manga artist.Born in Chiba, Japan, he first came to public attention as an editor of Puff magazine, his first job after completing high school. Fujishima originally intended to be a draftsman, but took the editorial role after failing to get a drafting apprenticeship...
's long-running mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Ah! My Goddess during a storyline about the male lead, Keiichi MorisatoKeiichi Morisatois the major character in the popular manga Oh My Goddess! and in the anime of the same name and is voiced by Masami Kikuchi. His name is often abbreviated as "K1" .- Description :...
, and his encounter with Schrodinger's Whale (a play on Schrödinger's CatSchrödinger's catSchrödinger's cat is a thought experiment, usually described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that might be...
, this was a whale that existed in a five-dimensional quantum state). Keiichi taught the whale Sweet's song Millennium Blues, and the whale learned Missing Time by itself, thus ensuring (albeit inadvertently) that the species would survive by having a call that they would be able to locate each other by. - Sweet interpreted a cover version of Magnet and Steel (Walter EganWalter EganWalter Egan is an American rock musician, best known for his 1978 gold status hit single "Magnet and Steel" from his album Not Shy, produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut of Fleetwood Mac fame...
) for Sabrina The Teenage WitchSabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
TV Series Soundtrack in 1998. - Sweet worked with Anton FierAnton FierAnton Fier, , is an American drummer, composer and bandleader. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.Fier was an early member of The Lounge Lizards and The Feelies. He was in The Lodge , worked with Pere Ubu, was briefly in the Voidoids and founded The Golden Palominos...
's Golden Palominos in 1986, Blast of Silence CD, reissued in 1998. - In 2001, he co-wrote the song "Underneath" with the re-emerging rock band HansonHanson (band)Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
. The song appeared on Hanson's 2004 album Underneath. - Sweet provided backing vocals on the title track from Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
' 2002 album Hard Candy. - "Girlfriend" is featured in CrossroadsCrossroads (2002 film)Crossroads is a 2002 comedy-drama road film directed by Tamra Davis and starring American recording artist Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning...
. - Cover version of "Girlfriend" is featured in Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
. - Cover version of "Girlfriend" is downloadable content for Guitar Hero III MobileGuitar Hero III MobileGuitar Hero Mobile is a series of rhythm video games in the Guitar Hero series, adapting the normal console-based gameplay which uses a guitar-shaped controller to match notes of popular rock music songs to work with the face buttons on advanced mobile phones, including BlackBerry devices and those...
. - Sweet performed "Ballad of El Goodo" on the 2006 Big Star tribute album, Big Star Small World.
- Recently, Sweet composed the music for the opening and closing of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.