Everything Is Nice: The Matador Records 10th Anniversary Anthology

They Say...

Review by Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Released a few months after the CD retrospective, Matador's tenth anniversary DVD Everything Is Nice presents the definitive video experience of one of America's leading indie rock labels. The disc gathers the previously released video collection What's up Matador and more recent videos from Matador's diverse, critically acclaimed roster. Standout clips include Yo La Tengo's "Sugarcube," which features Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk and David Cross as Rock School professors trying to teach them the ways of the concept album, the trashed hotel room, and other rock-star gestures; Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's video for "Talk About the Blues," which stars Winona Ryder, Giovanni Ribisi, and John C. Reilly as Spencer, Judah Bauer, and Russell Simins; and Cat Power's "Cross Bones Style," which goofs on Madonna's clip for "Lucky Star." Pavement's appropriately rambling video for "Range Life," Chavez's Chippendales-inspired "Break up Your Band" clip, and Cornelius' "Star Fruits Surf Rider" are some of the other highlights of the collection, which also includes videos from Railroad Jerk, the Arsonists, Run On, Solex, Spoon, Helium, and Pizzicato Five. Everything Is Nice keeps the funny kids' educational show from What's up Matador and adds some other, more recent wacky promotional videos. Selected biographies and discographies for each artist and the ability to play the disc as a whole or search for a certain clip make Everything Is Nice a must for anyone who blinked when these videos aired on 120 Minutes. One of the better DVDs currently available in music genre, and a tantalizing appetizer for the upcoming Pavement video collection, The Slow Century.