Matt Friedberger's Solos series

Matthew Friedberger - Shirley

Matthew Friedberger (the Fiery Furnaces' male half) will release 6 solo albums in 2011.  The albums will be released every two months (Jan, March, May, July, Sept, Nov) via Thrill Jockey. 'Shirley' is taken from its first release, piano album "Napoleonette" out on January 25th.  In March its guitar album "Meet Me in Miramasas" recorded in France will follow as the second album. The last one with 2 exclusive full-length bonus albums features Matt and special guests on each.  Subscribers will also get an old-style "Tip On" LP box with a hand mounted photo in their last shipment. This edition is strictly limited to 700 subscriptions worldwide and will not be available digitally or on compact disc in its complete form.

His 6+2 record set, Solos in which he plays only a single given instrument per album (though not necessarily the same actual individual example of the single given instrument), is designed to illustrate the following Cretan-Lacedaemonian principle. Every group of instruments against every other group of instruments; every instrument against every other instrument; and especially, every instrument against itself, all alone. See Laws, Book 1, 626 d. This idea jibes quite well with certain notions that have often been thought constitutively American, no doubt unfortunately. Friedberger thinks it therefore illuminating to apply this principle to such a pre-eminently American music as the aforementioned R-n-R. Despite the fact that this application is no doubt already ongoing.