Grand (Matt and Kim album) explained

Grand
Type:studio
Artist:Matt & Kim
Cover:Matt-and-kim-grand-2009.jpg
Released:January 20, 2009
Genre:Dance-punk, indie rock, indie pop, lo-fi
Length:29:19
Label:Fader Label Universal
Prev Title:Matt & Kim
Prev Year:2006
Next Title:Sidewalks
Next Year:2010

Grand is the second album release from the band Matt & Kim, recorded entirely in the Vermont home where Matt grew up.[1] It was released on January 20, 2009, on Fader. The album was named after Grand Street where the duo live.[2]

Critical reception

Kevin O'Donnell of Rolling Stone remarked on the lo-fi, frantic recording style of the duo and called the results sometimes "exhilarating", then asked "What's missing?" He answers: "Killer melodies to give some weight to their arty moves."[3] Billboard said that "even though Grand is a bit toned down from Matt & Kim's first albums, it maintains the spunk, high energy and carefree attitude that caught people's attention in the first place."[4]

Music videos

A music video was made for the songs "Lessons Learned" and "Daylight". In the video for "Lessons Learned", Matt and Kim are seen getting out of a van in Times Square. They start to walk down the sidewalk, gradually taking off their clothes, until they are both naked. They then stand in the sidewalk looking at the skyscrapers while pedestrians look on in surprise. They are then attacked by the police, but they run off and escape. Right after "escaping", Kim is hit by a bus that she did not see coming.

"Lessons Learned" won the award for Breakthrough Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ryan Dombal. Matt & Kim's Matt Talks Selling Out, Joy, Rick Rubin. Pitchfork. 2009-01-19. 2009-01-21. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090119221900/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/148535-matt-kims-matt-talks-selling-out-joy-rick-rubin. 2009-01-19.
  2. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=16043 Daylight Songfacts
  3. O'Donnell, Kevin (March 5, 2009). "Grand: Matt and Kim". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. (1073):78. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  4. Leebove, Laura (February 7, 2009). "Grand". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 19, 2014.