Major Matt Mason USA
Encyclopedia
Major Matt Mason USA is the performing name of Matt Roth, a New York City
-based musician
and record producer
, is active in the Anti-folk
and DIY music scene of New York's East Village
.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas
, Roth moved to New York in the early 1990s, where he received his new name, based on the action figure
Major Matt Mason
. He has established Olive Juice Music, which is a recording studio
, independent record label
, and online record shop
, headquartered in his apartment in the Lower East Side
.
Anti-folk artists he has worked with, as collaborator, producer, and/or distributor, include Jeffrey Lewis
, The Moldy Peaches
, Toby Goodshank
, Kimya Dawson
, Rachel Trachtenburg
, Brer Brian, Peter Dizozza
, The Baby Skins, Prewar Yardsale, The Leader, Dan Fishback
, Dave End, Frank Hosier, and Elastic No-No Band
.
In addition to his work as a solo performer, he is also a member of the bands Schwervon!
(a rock duo featuring Roth's longtime girlfriend Nan Turner) and Kansas State Flower. Mason has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with Schwervon!
and as a solo performer, often supporting members of the antifolk movement, such as Jeffrey Lewis
or affiliated bands (Misty's Big Adventure
), or more recently as the headline act.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, is active in the Anti-folk
Anti-folk
Anti-folk is a music genre that takes the earnestness of politically charged 1960s folk music and subverts it. The defining characteristics of this anti-folk are difficult to identify, as they vary from one artist to the next...
and DIY music scene of New York's East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas
Shawnee, Kansas
Shawnee is a city located in northwest Johnson County, Kansas, United States and is a western suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,209. Shawnee's fur trading and pioneering heritage blends histories of these Kansas Territory townships: Monticello and...
, Roth moved to New York in the early 1990s, where he received his new name, based on the action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
Major Matt Mason
Major Matt Mason
Major Matt Mason was an action figure created by Mattel, an astronaut who lived and worked on the moon. When introduced in 1966, the figures were initially based on design information found in Life Magazine, Air Force Magazine, Jane's, and other aviation- and space-interest periodicals...
. He has established Olive Juice Music, which is a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, and online record shop
Record shop
A record shop or record store is an outlet that sells recorded music. Although vinyl records and audio cassettes are no longer sold in the majority of music stores, in favour of compact discs and home video recordings products, people in some countries, like the UK, still use the term "record...
, headquartered in his apartment in the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
.
Anti-folk artists he has worked with, as collaborator, producer, and/or distributor, include Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
, The Moldy Peaches
The Moldy Peaches
The Moldy Peaches was an indie group founded by Adam Green and Kimya Dawson. Leading proponents of the anti-folk scene, the band has been on hiatus since 2004...
, Toby Goodshank
Toby Goodshank
Toby Goodshank is a musician and visual artist based out of New York City. In addition to his solo work, he performs regularly with New York City-based bands Double Deuce, the Tri-Lambs, and the Christian Pirate Puppets.-Biography:...
, Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" means "silence" or "silent".-Career:...
, Rachel Trachtenburg
Rachel Trachtenburg
Rachel Sage Piña-Trachtenburg is an American musician, radio personality, model, singer, political and animal activist and actress from New York City. Trachtenburg is most notable for her key role as drummer and backup vocalist of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, a family band consisting...
, Brer Brian, Peter Dizozza
Peter Dizozza
Peter William Dizozza is a music composer who also produces supplemental material as a writer, pianist, performer, photographer, and filmmaker. Since 2000 he has been the director of the WAH Theater at the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.Peter William Dizozza was born on September 5, 1958 in...
, The Baby Skins, Prewar Yardsale, The Leader, Dan Fishback
Dan Fishback
Dan Fishback is a queer-identified, Jewish-American performance artist, playwright and singer-songwriter, born in Washington, D.C. He lives and works in New York City, and is heavily associated with that city's anti-folk movement .-Plays:Dan Fishback has been writing and performing in NYC since...
, Dave End, Frank Hosier, and Elastic No-No Band
Elastic No-No Band
Elastic No-No Band is a musical group based in New York City's anti-folk scene. Started in the mid-2000s, the band's name was initially just a pseudonym for its current leader and main songwriter, Justin Remer. Since 2005, Elastic No-No Band has also included pianist Herb Scher and...
.
In addition to his work as a solo performer, he is also a member of the bands Schwervon!
Schwervon!
Schwervon! is a two-piece American rock music band based in New York City. The band members are Major Matt Mason USA on electric guitar and Nan Turner on drums; the pair share singing duties. They started the band in 1999, shortly after they began their ongoing romantic relationship. They have...
(a rock duo featuring Roth's longtime girlfriend Nan Turner) and Kansas State Flower. Mason has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with Schwervon!
Schwervon!
Schwervon! is a two-piece American rock music band based in New York City. The band members are Major Matt Mason USA on electric guitar and Nan Turner on drums; the pair share singing duties. They started the band in 1999, shortly after they began their ongoing romantic relationship. They have...
and as a solo performer, often supporting members of the antifolk movement, such as Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
or affiliated bands (Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure are an eight piece band from Birmingham, England. Their music is an eclectic mix of jazz, lounge, psychedelia, two tone, pop and punk....
), or more recently as the headline act.
As solo performer
- The Lobster Song/Mr. Mrs. Something (7-inch single, 1994. HC Records) (as Major Matt Mason)
- Me Me MeMe Me Me (album)Me Me Me is the first album by antifolk singer/songwriter Matt Roth using the performing name Major Matt Mason USA. The album is a completely solo effort, consisting mostly of Roth singing and playing an acoustic guitar, with occasional overdubs and reverse tape effects.The album is released on...
(1998) - Rivington '94 and the Tower Days (2001)
- Honey Are You Ready For The Ballet? (2003)
- Bad People Rule The World (2004)
- Senile Pie Strive Pip Melancholy (2007)
Compilation appearances
- Call It What You Want: This Is Antifolk (2002) - "Animal Shelter"
- Antifolk, Vol. 1 (2002) - "Rockstar"
- I Killed the Monster: 21 Artists Performing the Songs of Daniel JohnstonDaniel JohnstonDaniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
(2006) - "Mind Contorted" - Anticomp FolkilationAnticomp FolkilationAnticomp Folkilation is a 2-CD compilation album featuring a variety of artists from New York's antifolk scene.-CD 1:# Major Matt Mason USA-Tripping Yourself# Brook Pridemore-Sugar Coma # Soft Black-The Earth is Black...
(2007) - "Tripping Yourself" - Rachel Trachtenburg's Homemade World (2009) - "The Dog Song"