Matt and Kim

Matt and Kim

Matt and Kim at Hangout Music Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama on Saturday, May 17, 2014
Background information
Origin Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres Indie pop, dance-pop, indie rock
Years active 2004–present
Labels
Website www.mattandkimmusic.com
Members
  • Matt Johnson
  • Kim Schifino

Matt and Kim (sometimes stylized Matt & Kim) are an American indie electronic duo from Brooklyn, New York.[1] The group formed in 2004[2] and consists of Matt Johnson (vocals/keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums).[3] The duo is known for its upbeat dance music[1] and energetic live shows[4] which often incorporate samples from other artists.[5] Although they started their career playing shows in lofts and other close-quarters venues,[2] they have since performed at numerous festivals, including Bonnaroo, Coachella, and the Firefly Music Festival.

Since they started performing together in 2004, they have released 5 studio albums.[4] Their 2009 album Grand featured the lead single "Daylight," which was certified gold by the RIAA.[6][7] The music video for "Lessons Learned," another song on Grand, featured the duo stripping naked in New York's Times Square and won the Breakthrough Video Award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[3] Their fifth studio album, New Glow, was released in April 2015 by Harvest Records in the United States and Virgin EMI Records internationally.[8]

Career

2004-2008: Early career and initial success

Matt Johnson is originally from Whitingham, Vermont while Kim Schifino is originally from Providence, Rhode Island.[1] They met while studying at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute. Schifino studied illustration and graduated in 2002, while Johnson studied film and graduated in 2004.[9] The two began dating and moved in together after 3 months.[10] After graduation, Johnson began learning to play keyboards and Schifino learned drums. Neither had had extensive experience with their instruments prior to this. Despite their inexperience, they were urged to play live shows by fellow Pratt alumni from the band, Japanther.[9] Their early shows were primarily played at houses and lofts in the Brooklyn area,[1] but they soon branched out and began touring across the nation.[2] In 2005, they released an EP entitled, To and From, which was the their first collection of music committed to an album of any kind.[11]

The duo's first full-length studio album, Matt & Kim, was released in October 2006 on the Iheartcomix record label.[2] The album received generally mixed to positive reviews. Adam Moerder of Pitchfork referred to the duo as the "quintessential 'party' band" in a review of their self-titled debut album.[12] Matt and Kim also gained significant publicity for their music videos. The video for "Yea Yeah," which depicts the pair being hit with food from their refrigerator, has been considered one of the initial catalysts for their rise in popularity.[1] They played the Lollapalooza festival in August 2007[13] and also played the Siren Music Festival earlier that year.[11]

By 2008, the band had completed their second full-length album (Grand) and was looking for a record label to sign them.[14]

2009-2010: Breakthrough with Grand

Matt and Kim performing at Coachella in 2010.

Matt and Kim were signed to the Fader Label in late 2008, and Grand was released on January 20, 2009. The duo went on a 3-week North American tour in November 2008 to promote the album.[15] Grand was recorded entirely in Johnson's childhood bedroom in Vermont[16] and Lollapalooza.[4][14] and is named after the street the two lived on in Brooklyn.[1] The album took around 9 months to complete.[17] The lead single from the album, "Daylight," received certified gold status from the RIAA.[6][7] The song was also featured in numerous commercials for brands including Mars Bars and Bacardi[18] and TV shows like Community[19] A De La Soul remixed version of the song could be found on video games such as NBA Live 2010.[20] and EA Sports game, FIFA 10. The duo also performed the song on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[21]

In April 2009, the band released the controversial music video for the song "Lessons Learned." The video depicts the two completely disrobing in New York City's Times Square and is shot in a single take. The video was filmed during winter on a cold day.[22] The video would later go on to win the Breakthrough Video Award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[3] Also in 2009, the duo performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival[1] and the Outside Lands Festival.[23] They toured with punk band Against Me! in 2009 as well.[17] The following year, they embarked on an even more ambitious touring schedule throughout North America. They played the Coachella Festival in April,[24] the Siren Festival in July, Lollapalooza in August, and Austin City Limits in October. They also engaged in a two-month nationwide tour from September to November.[25]

2010-2011: Sidewalks and continued popularity

Matt & Kim performing October 6, 2011 at the Cricket Wireless Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California.

They released their third studio album, Sidewalks, in November 2010 on the Fader Label. This was the duo's first album to not be self-produced. Instead, Ben Allen, who had previously produced albums for Gnarls Barkley and Animal Collective, was one of the co-producers.[26] Sidewalks peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200 chart.[3] In 2011, they continued touring heavily with shows in North America, Europe,[27] and at the Australian festival, Big Day Out.[28] They also supported Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance during select dates on the 2011 Honda Civic Tour.[29]

Their music video for the song "Cameras" was released in 2011 and features Schifino and Johnson engaged in a professionally choreographed fight. When comparing the budget for the "Cameras" video against the one for "Lessons Learned," Johnson noted, "We spent 10 times as much money to make this happen." They hired choreographers who had worked on films like The Matrix and The Bourne Identity.[30] The duo also performed "Block After Block" on a 2011 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[31]

2012-2014: Lightning

2012 performance by Matt and Kim at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA.

The duo released their fourth studio album, Lightning, on the Fader Label in October 2012.[4] The album took about six months to create and was self-produced in the pair's Brooklyn apartment.[3] They chose not to enlist the services of a professional producer because they wanted the album to have a distinct, "Matt and Kim" sound.[16] The duo embarked on a nearly two-month Fall tour to promote the album in the United States.[32] The lead single on the album, "Let's Go," was introduced in the summer of 2012 via a YouTube video of basketball player, Pat the Roc, exhibiting his dribbling skills.[33] The real music video for the single premiered on Funny or Die shortly after the release of the album and depicts the duo in a variety of uncomfortable or awkward portraits.[34] The band also produced a video for the single, "It's Alright," which depicts the tandem blindfolded in bed performing choreographed dance moves.[16]

In February and March 2013, Matt and Kim toured the US with Passion Pit.[35] Over the course of the year, they played numerous festivals, including the Free Press Summer Fest, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Firefly Music Festival,[36] and Lollapalooza in front of a large crowd.[4] They continued touring in April 2014 at festivals like BottleRock Napa Valley, the Silopanna Music Festival,[3] and the Hangout Music Festival.[37]

2015: New Glow and beyond

Matt and Kim performing in London in 2015.

The duo's fifth studio album, New Glow, was released on April 7, 2015 by Harvest Records in the United States and Virgin EMI Records internationally. They premiered the lead single from the album, "Get It," with an accompanying lyric video in January 2015. In February 2015, Matt and Kim released three more singles for the album, "Hey Now," "Hoodie On," and "Can You Blame Me."[38]

Matt and Kim performing on stage at Coachella in 2016, same week they recorded the EP We Were The Weirdos.

The band toured extensively upon the release of New Glow, commencing with a U.S. tour in April and May 2015,[8] then heading to London for a one-off at Heaven. More US and Canadian festivals followed throughout the summer. They returned to the UK for an arena tour supporting Fall Out Boy, including two nights at Wembley Arena and finished out the year in the US doing festivals, college shows and radio events. The band performed at Coachella as a main stage highlight in April 2016.[39]

During their stint at Coachella in 2016, the band recorded a four song EP titled We Were The Weirdos between performances.[40] The EP was co-produced by Lars Stalfors in Los Angeles and released during their second weekend performance at Coachella.[40] They announced the EP while performing on stage and also premiered one of the singles, Please No More.[41]

Musical style

Matt and Kim's music has often been described as dance-pop with pop-punk and hip-hop influences.[3] In an interview with The A.V. Club, Johnson even noted, "We considered what made the Matt and Kim sound to be our mutual love for pop-punk and hip-hop, breaking down the beat and melodies the way hip-hop does, and adding in the energy and poppiness of pop-punk." Johnson and Schifino also share a mutual love for the music of Beyoncé and Jay Z.[42] The music has also frequently been described as upbeat, enthusiastic, and energetic.[1][3][43] Others have noted that Matt and Kim songs follow a basic pattern[12] and that the music is simultaneously "elementary" and "ultra-entertaining."[30]

Their live shows have achieved a great deal of recognition for their high-energy, "riotous," and party-like atmosphere.[1][4][43] They have been known to infuse their live sets with samples or covers of songs including Ludacris' "Move Bitch"[5] and Europe's "The Final Countdown."[1] Their performance style generally stays the same regardless of the size of the venue or the crowd.[30] During shows, the band has also encouraged crowd surfing.[44]

Critical reception

Over the course of their career, Matt and Kim have received largely positive reviews from critics. In a review for Paste, Jeremy Medina called the duo's music, "impeccably crafted indie dance tunes buoyed by disarmingly catchy, bustling beats."[45] Reviewing Lightning for Consequence of Sound, Chris Coplan noted, "it’s no small feat that the duo continues to keep things intriguing, perpetually culling newer, fresher influences."[46] Their live shows have also been praised for having a "good-time loft party vibe" that is "less conventional concert and more intimate."[3]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
US
[47]		 US Rock
[48]		 US Indie
[49]		 US Heat
[50]
Matt & Kim — — — —
Grand
  • Release date: January 20, 2009
  • Label: Fader Label
  • Formats: LP, CD, music download
 165 — 24 4
Sidewalks
  • Release date: November 2, 2010
  • Label: Fader Label
  • Formats: LP, CD, music download
 30 6 5 —
Lightning
  • Release date: October 2, 2012
  • Label: Fader Label
  • Formats: LP, CD, music download,
50 13 10 —
New Glow
  • Release date: April 7, 2015
  • Label: Harvest Records (U.S.)
    Virgin EMI Records (International)
  • Formats: LP, CD, music download
 33 5 3 —
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Certifications
(sales threshold)		 Album
US
[52]		 US
Alt.
[53]		 US
Rock
[54]
2006 "5k" — — — Matt & Kim
"Yea Yeah" — — —
"No More Long Years" — — —
2009 "Daylight" 95 — — Grand
"Lessons Learned" — — —
"Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" — — —
2010 "Cameras" — — — Sidewalks
2011 "Block After Block" — — —[upper-alpha 1]
"Good For Great" — — —
"I'm a Goner" (featuring Soulja Boy and Andrew W.K.) — — — non-album single
2012 "Let's Go" — 20 42 Lightning
"Now" — — —
2013 "It's Alright" — — —
2015 "Get It" — 25 46 New Glow
"Hey Now" — — —
"Can You Blame Me" — — —
"Hoodie On" — — —
2016 "Let's Run Away" — — — WE WERE THE WEIRDOS
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Block After Block" did not enter the Rock Songs chart, but peaked at number 19 on the Rock Digital Songs chart.[55]

Compilations

Extended Plays

Music videos

In 2009 their song "Daylight" was featured in a Bacardi commercial and a Mars Bar commercial. During the first episode of Community, the song "Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare" plays, and in the credits of the second episode the song "Daylight" plays. "Daylight" appeared in the opening credits of the 2015 movie Dirty Grandpa. "Daylight" was used on the ending credits in Season 6 of the TV series Entourage and in the season 5 finale of the TV show Skins.[56] On August 26, 2009, Matt and Kim played the song "Daylight" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[57] The track is featured on NBA Live 10,[58] and as a remixed version featuring De La Soul on FIFA 10.[59] "Daylight" is also on the Need for Speed: Nitro soundtrack.[60] The song also appeared in the game The Sims 3: World Adventures; re-recorded into Simlish, the gibberish language used in the game.[61]

Their song "Cameras" was used in an advertisement for Tune Up in which they were also featured. "Cameras" was also used in the trailer for the Morgan Spurlock film The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and appears on its soundtrack album. Their song "Don't Slow Down" was used in commercials for the MTV series Underemployed and was also used in the first episode of the third Gossip Girl season. "Let's Go" was used in promos for the TV show The Mindy Project; on October 1, 2012, Matt and Kim performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[62] Their song "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" was featured in the Community pilot.[63] Their song "AM/FM Sound" was featured in the episode of Chuck, "Chuck Versus the Gobbler", and as a backing song in an episode of Covert Affairs.

In 2013 "It's Alright" from the Album "Lightning" was used in the teaser of CS50 fair 2013 which is a course offered by Harvard on-campus and online as well as for free on edX and is attended by millions from all over the world. In 2014, "It's Alright" was used in a Buick car commercial.

Also in January 2015 their single "Get It" appeared in the series promo for the FXX show "Man Seeking Woman" [64]

In February 2015 their song "Don't Slow Down" was used in a commercial for Acura, and in October 2015 a series of advertisements for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines featured the song "Get It". Since 2016, "Let's Run Away" has been used to advertise the google Pixel smartphone.[65]

In May 2017 their song "Can You Blame Me" was featured in the movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul".

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooper, Tim (2 October 2009). "Matt and Kim - Lo-fi popsters are walking on sunshine". The Independent. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Schneider, David (7 May 2007). "Matt and Kim: MATT AND KIM BOTH SING mom and pop synth shop". The Deli Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Wasik, Jessica (29 May 2014). "Matt and Kim light up the indie-rock scene like ‘Lightning’". AXS. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Levinson, Lauren (4 August 2013). "Lollapalooza 2013: Matt & Kim Just Want to Go on Tour with Beyoncé". Elle. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 Birnam, Ian (12 March 2013). "Concert Review: Passion Pit, Matt & Kim, Icona Pop". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Q&A With Matt & Kim". OurStage. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 ""Daylight" Gold (December 15, 2010)". RIAA. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Geslani, Michelle (13 January 2015). "Matt and Kim announce new album, premiere "Get It" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  9. 1 2 Tomford, Scott (29 January 2009). "Exclusive: Matt and Kim, the College Years". Flavorwire. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Hutchins, Tom (30 April 2013). "FEATURE: WHY MATT & KIM ARE THE BEST COUPLE EVER". We Talk, You Die. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  11. 1 2 Chase, Ted (30 May 2008). "Matt & Kim : Live". QRO Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  12. 1 2 Moerder, Adam (8 January 2007). "Matt & Kim". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Bonyata, Tony; Billy Sparks (7 August 2007). "Third times a charm for Chicago's Lollapalooza". Concert Live Wire. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  14. 1 2 Shearer, Jim (30 June 2008). "TALK: Matt & Kim". IFC. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Maher, Dave (3 November 2008). "Matt and Kim Announce Grand New Album, Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Cleo, Madison (15 March 2013). "Matt and Kim are the coolest people at SXSW". Death and Taxes. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  17. 1 2 Surgeoner, Rachel (April 2009). "Matt and Kim interview". Four Thousand. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  18. ↑ Minato, Charlie (13 August 2012). "10 Hit Songs You Only Know Because They Were In TV Commercials". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  19. ↑ Friedman, Philip (17 October 2012). "TV Soundtrack: Community Season 1, Ft. Matt & Kim, Surfer Blood + More". Indie Shuffle. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  20. ↑ Breihan, Tom (8 September 2009). "Check Out Matt and Kim's "Daylight" Remix Featuring De La Soul". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  21. ↑ Breihan, Tom (27 August 2009). "Watch Matt and Kim on "Kimmel"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  22. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (30 April 2009). "Director's Cut: Matt and Kim's "Lessons Learned"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  23. ↑ Tichy, Mark (15 September 2009). "Matt and Kim Rock Outside Lands’ Solar Stage". mtvU. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  24. ↑ Moser, John J. (29 April 2010). "Making conversation with Matt & Kim: Dance/punk duo say they play what they like". Lehigh Valley Music. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  25. ↑ Eanet, Lindsay (29 June 2010). "Matt & Kim Embark on Huge Tour". Paste. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  26. ↑ Collum, Chris (16 November 2010). "Indie-punk duo expands its upbeat sound on ‘Sidewalks’". The Observer. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  27. ↑ Chell, Lux (1 April 2011). "Interview - Matt and Kim". the girls are. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  28. ↑ Armitage, Matt (10 June 2011). "Interview: Matt and Kim". Juice Online. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  29. ↑ Schoonmaker, Vaughn Trudeau (6 September 2011). "Matt And Kim Amped To Open Blink-182, My Chemical Romance Tour". MTV. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  30. 1 2 3 Elmusa, Karmah (30 May 2011). "Over-the-Top Pop: Matt and Kim". Mother Jones. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  31. ↑ Lapatine, Scott (27 July 2011). "Matt & Kim Visit Fallon". Stereogum. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  32. ↑ Battan, Carrie (30 July 2012). "Matt & Kim Announce Fall Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  33. ↑ "Matt and Kim Attend Basketball Practice in 'Let's Go'". Rolling Stone. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  34. ↑ Coluccio, Alyssa (10 October 2012). "Matt and Kim Release "Let's Go" Music Video". Purevolume. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  35. ↑ "Indie Superstars Collide: Matt and Kim Announce Tour With Passion Pit". Fuse. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  36. ↑ Reese, Nathan (August 9, 2013). "Matt & Kim Talk Brooklyn, Lollapalooza, And The Joys Of Bloomie's". Refinery29. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Marc D. (May 17, 2014). "Matt and Kim bring Brooklyn beats, giant beach balls and lots of fun to Hangout Fest". The Birmingham News. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  38. ↑ Geslani, Michelle (24 February 2015). "Matt and Kim premiere new song "Hoodie On" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  39. ↑ Baltin, Steve (18 April 2016). "matt and Kim Open Up At Coachella". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  40. 1 2 Baltin, Steve (24 April 2016). "Matt and Kim Release We Were The Weirdos EP, Recorded During Coachella Week". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  41. ↑ Kim, Michelle (24 April 2016). "Matt And Kim Surprise Releases New EP At Coachella". The Fader. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  42. ↑ "Matt and Kim". The A.V. Club. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  43. 1 2 Roffman, Phillip (3 October 2012). "Interview: Matt Johnson (of Matt and Kim)". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  44. ↑ Firecloud, Johnny (13 August 2013). "Outside Lands Day 3: RHCP, Matt and Kim, Foals & More Deliver a High-Energy Finale". CraveOnline. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  45. ↑ Medina, Jeremy (21 January 2009). "Matt and Kim: Grand". Paste. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  46. ↑ Coplan, Chris (2 October 2012). "Matt and Kim – Lightning". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  47. ↑ "Matt & Kim Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  48. ↑ "Matt & Kim Album & Song Chart History - Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  49. ↑ "Matt & Kim Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  50. ↑ "Matt & Kim Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  51. ↑ "Upcoming Releases - HITS Daily Double". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  52. ↑ "Matt & Kim Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  53. ↑ "Music Charts, Music News, Artist Photo Gallery & Free Video". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Matt & Kim – Chart History: Rock Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  55. ↑ "Matt & Kim – Chart History: Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  56. ↑ "Skins - Music - Kyle's episode 8 blog". E4.com. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  57. ↑ Archived August 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  58. ↑ Archived March 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  59. ↑ Archived July 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  60. ↑ "Need for Speed NITRO Goes Gold". Ea.com. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  61. ↑ "The Sims 3 World Adventures Gets an All-Star Soundtrack - PC News at IGN". Uk.pc.ign.com. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  62. ↑ /10:35c. "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | NBC". Latenightwithjimmyfallon.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  63. ↑ Greenblatt, Leah. "What's That Song?: Cool Tunes in Recent Ads", Entertainment Weekly, June 12, 2009, p. 61.
  64. ↑ "Man Seeking Woman | "Love - Official Trailer" Ep.0 Sn.1". Fxnetworks.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  65. ↑ "Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines TV Commercial, 'This Is Not a Cruise: Come Seek'". Royal Caribbean International. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
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