BELTBUCKLE Beltbuckle 7 inch 1993

 

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Belt Buckle Review

by Jason Ankeny

Talk about odd couples: Bringing together lo-fi paragon Lou Barlow and chamber pop maestro Eric Matthews, the one-off Belt Buckle definitely skews closer to Barlow's end of the musical spectrum, specializing in noisy, lurching pop melodies (albeit with a '60s folk-pop influence that seems to denote Matthews' input in the project). Of the four songs that make up the single, the two side-enders -- "Pocket Skylab Love" and "Girl Who Reads" -- are brief, abrasive throwaways firmly in the early Sebadoh mode; much better are "Judas Suicide" and "Mary Hair," which belie the stark simplicity of their four-track origins with moody, spacious arrangements and surprisingly complex vocal harmonies. It's not going at the top of either Barlow's or Matthews' resumé, but fans of both will want to track it down anyway.

 

Tracklist

A1		Judas Suicide
A2		Pocket Skylab Love
B1		Mary Hair
B2		Girl Who Reads

ERIC MATTHEWS It's Heavy In Here 1995

Uploaded by Sean

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Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

 

The work of Eric Matthews was a direct reaction to the lo-fi recording practices so prevalent throughout the alternative music scene of the 1990s; while many of the decade's artists trafficked in a defiantly ragged, do-it-yourself aesthetic, Matthews' records grew out of orchestral theories and practices, and revelled in the stately elegance of warm harmonies and lush arrangements. A native of Gresham, OR, Matthews was born in 1969 and fell in love with the symphonic pop of the Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach, and the Bee Gees at an early age; John Williams' score for Star Wars steered him into orchestral music, and he picked up his first instrument, the trumpet, while in elementary school.

After attending a San Francisco conservatory to hone his craft, he moved to the Boston area to further pursue his songwriting and performing. There he met Sebadoh's Lou Barlow and Bob Fay, and under the name Belt Buckle, they teamed for a four-song EP in 1993. Through Fay, Matthews also struck up a friendship with Richard Davies, an Australian-born singer/songwriter best known for fronting the cult band the Moles. Together they formed the duo Cardinal, a forum for Davies' wry songwriting and Matthews' arranging skills and instrumental talents (which now included a mastery of piano, organ, harpsichord, and marimba), and released a stunning self-titled debut in 1994. Internal difficulties resulted in Cardinal's brief lifespan, however, and Matthews soon resurfaced as a solo artist. In 1995, he issued his debut, It's Heavy in Here, an ornate, complex collection highlighting his emerging vocal and composing skills. The excellent Lateness of the Hour followed in 1997. It was his final album for some time, however. He finally returned in 2005 with a mini-LP titled Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit and a full-length, Foundation Sounds, late the following year. The Imagination Stage followed in early 2008. 

 

Tracklist  

1	Fanfare	2:53
2	Forging Plastic Pain	3:14
3	Soul Nation Select Them	3:21
4	Faith To Clay	2:21
5	Angels For Crime	3:01
6	Fried Out Broken Girl	3:27
7	Lust Takes Time	2:40
8	Hop And Tickle	2:56
9	Three-Cornered Room	3:06
10	Distant Mother Reality	2:18
11	Flight And Lion	3:38
12	Poisons Will Pass Me	2:36
13	Sincere Sensation	2:54
14	Fanfare (Reprise)	2:18

 

CARDINAL self titled 1994

Thanks to Sean for this upload

 Discogs

 

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny
 

Originally a one-off project from singer/songwriters Richard Davies and Eric Matthews, Cardinal came together in 1994 following ex-Moles frontman Davies' relocation from his native Australia to the U.S.; he wrote and sang all but one of the songs that comprised Cardinal's self-titled debut, while Matthews arranged the compositions, layering them with ornate strings, horns, and pianos inspired by the lush, baroque sounds of late-'60s pop. While Cardinal was released to great acclaim, internal strife quickly split the duo apart, and both Davies and Matthews embarked on solo careers. An unlikely reunion in 2011 produced their sophomore follow-up, Hymns.

Tracklist 

1	If You Believe In Christmas Trees	3:56
2	Last Poems	2:40
3	Big Mink	2:48
4	You've Lost Me There	4:24
5	Public Melody #1	1:31
6	Dream Figure	2:59
7	Tough Guy Tactics	2:24
8	Angel Darling	2:51
9	Singing To The Sunshine	2:42
10	Silver Machines	3:53
11	Forest Theme	0:43
12	If You Believe In Christmas Trees (demo)	3:52
13	Willow Willow	2:42
14	You've Lost Me There (demo)	5:15
15	Outtake	0:13
16	Tribute To A Cow	1:26
17	Tough Guy Tactics (demo)	2:28
18	Say The Words Impossible (demo)	2:43
19	Poolside '75	1:46
20	Sweatshirt Gown	1:21
21	Say The Words Impossible	3:26