Matweeds Recordings – Albums and Singles
Matweeds – Hooligans In The Vestibule
CD Now Available! at Rum Bar Records
Full album CD from the Legendary Fort Apache Studio sessions. Released on March 17, 2023 and available on all popular streaming services.
In 1987 rising from the ashes of The Dogmatics and Stranglehold. Jerry Lehane and Jim Keough inspired by the Faces, and the Mick Taylor Stones they would put together the boozy, bluesy, rocking punk orchestra, MATWEEDS.
The band consisted of Dave Collins (X-DYS) on drums, Dave Fredette (Titanics,Uppercrust) on lead guitar, Richie McKenzie Hughes (Stranglehold, The Oysters) Frank Schact (Last Stand) on bass, Nate Bowditch (The Cheapskates, Mission Impossible) on Sax, John Goetchius (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dogmatics, Cherry Picking Daddies). Contributing to their live shows you had Chris Doherty (Gang Green), Mike County (The Outlets), Chris Erikson, Charlie McAndy, Dana Colley, Malachi Connolly. The Matweeds would proceed to blow the roof off every Northeast club opening up for the likes of The Ramones, SLF, and their pals the Neats. At the urging of their manager Jive King, the Matweeds would record at the legendary Fort Apache in Roxbury under the expert guidance of Paul Koldrie and Sean Slade. What we have here are the never released recordings.
Tracks:
- Stay
- I Can Feel the Fire
- Devil’s Knocking
- Fear and Whiskey
- Your Love Is Worn
- What’s Your Name
- Kiss
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From the driving opening track “Stay” through the blistering album closer “Kiss,” the band are relentless, mixing pounding drums and sleezy guitars with a remarkable horn section, all punctuated by the gruff but brilliant vocals of Keough on all but two songs. Lehane, who takes the mic on “Your Love Is Worn” (the only slow tempo track here) and “What’s Your Name,” is just as effective a singer.
Before recording these songs, the MATWEEDS would tour around the Northeast opening for punk icons like The Ramones and Stiff Little Fingers, which begs the question why this album—which is nearly flawless from start to finish—never got a proper release in the ‘80s.
Behold a veritable unearthed treasure from the heyday of Boston punk rock n' roll! Matweeds formed in 1987 from the ashes of two legendary bands: The Dogmatics and Stranglehold. This band was co-fronted by Jerry Lehane and Jim Keough and featured a star-studded cast of players from Boston's garage/punk scene.
This EP is exactly what you'd expect it to be based on the title and cover art, and it's hard to believe it went unreleased for so long. Clearly this was a band that was on to something good. No doubt, Hooligans In The Vestibule is a time capsule of the later '80s Boston rock underground. But the songs more than hold up to the passing of three and a half decades.
