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06.23.2011

Matt Duke Premieres "Love You Anymore" Video!

We've had some fantastic video coverage in the past two weeks from our very own Matt Duke, and in case you missed out - check them below! He just released his offical video for "Love You Anymore" - the haunting tale of love, loss, and the struggles in between - on Consequence Of Sound's video site read more

03.29.2011

Matt Duke's New Record ONE DAY DIE is Now Available Today!

We here at Ryko are incredibly excited to be releasing the highly anticipated new record from Matt Duke today, titled One Day Die. This southern NJ native has packed 11 of his most intelligent & introspective songs into one truly unique disc. If you'd l

01.29.2011

Matt Duke's New Single "Needle and Thread" Available Now!

Matt Duke’s new single "Needle and Thread" just released last Tuesday - January 18th! This track is from his upcoming sophomore album One Day Die, which is set to drop March 29, 2011. Be sure t

10.28.2010

Matt Duke & TFDI Hit The Road

Matt Duke, Philadelphia-based rocker and gifted songwriter, is embarking on his Totally F*ckin' Doin' It Fall 2010 Tour with Tony Lucca and Jay Nash to continue their "bromance" that began last year.

Prior to heading out on tour, Matt will be performing Peter Gabriel's Soread more

06.28.2010

Matt Duke Playing in NYC

Matt Duke will be in New York tomorrow, June 29th, playing a show at Rockwood Music Hall. Also on the bill is Ian Axel. Check out Rockwood's website for tickets.

10.22.2009

Matt Duke at CMJ 09

If you are in the New York City area, be sure to catch Matt Duke this Friday

07.13.2009

Relix Hangs with Ryko Artists, Matt & Leslie

Matt Duke and Leslie Mendelson recently visited the Relix offices to each play some songs off of their brand new releases, Acoustic Kingdom Undergroun
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Matt Duke and Leslie Mendelson recently visited the Relix offices to each play some songs off of their brand new releases, Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP and Swan Feathers. Check out the rad footage below.

Matt Duke: "Kingdom Underground" from Relix on Vimeo.

"Easy Love" by Leslie Mendelson from Relix on Vimeo.

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07.06.2009

Matt Duke - Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP - Out Now!

Matt Duke took your favorite songs off of his debut Rykodisc release, Kingdom Underground, stripped them down to intimate acoustic performances, and put them onto his brand new EP, Acoustic Kingdom Underground. It's out <
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Matt Duke took your favorite songs off of his debut Rykodisc release, Kingdom Underground, stripped them down to intimate acoustic performances, and put them onto his brand new EP, Acoustic Kingdom Underground. It's out NOW and only a click away at Amazon and iTunes.
Matt hits the road later this summer with Jay Nash and Tony Lucca so check back soon for dates!

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01.30.2009

Matt Duke Remembers John Updike

This past Tuesday, January 27th, presented us with the passing of renowned American contemporary novelist John Updike. His most famous work is known as the Rabbit series, for which he won two Pulitzer Prizes. The Rabbit series (consisting of the works Rabbit Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit Is Rich, Rabbit At Rest, a
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This past Tuesday, January 27th, presented us with the passing of renowned American contemporary novelist John Updike. His most famous work is known as the Rabbit series, for which he won two Pulitzer Prizes. The Rabbit series (consisting of the works Rabbit Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit Is Rich, Rabbit At Rest, and Rabbit Remembered) affected millions of readers, including Ryko's Matt Duke.

In honor of John Updike's sad passing, Matt is offering a free download of his song, "Rabbit," inspired by Updike's Rabbit Run: "Rabbit" by Matt Duke

Below is a video clip of Matt Duke performing "Rabbit" live, with a note he shared with us reflecting on the beloved novelist:

“I received the news the day after Updike's death just before my final showcase here in the UK. My list of people to meet in my lifetime is quickly dwindling what with his death and the death of Kurt Vonnegut just a year or so ago. So, selfishly, I was initially upset that I would never get to shake his hand and wish him well - congratulate him on his success and tell him how much I was looking forward to reading the follow up to “The Witches of Eastwick.” Though I have been inspired and influenced by so many musicians and bands throughout my life, there is something a bit more special to the appreciation I have for writers and journalists and those that can engage an audience simply by putting words down on a page. It's something I can only dabble with through lyrics and songwriting and even then I have the crutch of a melody to draw people in and, hopefully, pique their interest. Writers do not have that advantage and have to work even harder to stir people's imaginations and keep them invested in their stories by whatever means necessary. Updike, someone that many, like myself, believe to be one of America's greatest writers, was not only capable of drawing up unbelievable character portraits, story-lines and landscapes in his novels, but did it with vivid imagery and poignant dialogue that had great attention to detail. It was never quite clear who was the protagonist or antagonist - each character had his/her own set of vice and virtues and made them easier to relate to simply because they seemed human. He went to great pains leaving no stone unturned when exploring every small town, sprawling countryside and deteriorating urban development and through such exhausting detail created places that I could almost effortlessly escape to in my own imagination. Like any brilliant writer, the moments he could capture so eloquently on paper would stay with me long afterward like some fabricated memory of my own.

The “Rabbit” series presented the American tragedy that is Harry Angstrom and I, like so many others, found an unnerving kinship with him through his plight. I've always considered myself an escapist to a degree and perhaps that is why I've chosen the lifestyle that I have, but I'm also not ignorant to the idea that such wishful thinking and longing can at times be quite debilitating. With “Rabbit,” it's reassuring to find such a man, growing closer to middle age, to still look back fondly on his past, question what he has become and dream for more - it feels like ambition and its where I first started to empathize with the character. Then you realize that beneath it all lays a man who just cannot seem to stomach the idea of sleeping in the bed he's made and then follows a series of unfortunate circumstances exacerbated by his selfishness and immaturity. But even as his situation grows more and more bleak thanks to, in part, his egocentricity and lack of accountability, you still empathize with “Rabbit” even if it does feel a tad perverse. He is human and we've seen him walking our streets, washing our windows, crunching numbers in our corporate offices, playing music in both our enormous arenas down to our hole-in-the-wall, acoustic cafes. Updike did a fantastic job of drawing out the elements of human nature that we would much rather overlook and it not only made for a heartbreaking story, but also, for me, an unlikely parable of sorts that manages to put life into perspective without preaching anything of morality. The “Rabbit” series, “Rabbit, Run” in particular, served as inspiration for the gentle, acoustic track that breaks up my record “Kingdom Underground.” When it comes to songwriting, it's a rare and wonderful thing when a song takes on a spirit of its own and evolves somewhat effortlessly. As I sat down at my desk with a guitar in hand, I looked to the right at my bookcase and caught a glimpse of the “Rabbit, Run” title on the spine of the book - that was the beginning and end of it for me. It was as if memories of me from the past coupled with the ones I could clearly remember of Harry Angstrom's took hold of my subconscious and, like something divine in the artistic sense, wrote the song that would become "Rabbit". John Updike is one of only a few writers that have ever had such a profound impact on my life, let alone my career in songwriting. For all of his contributions and what he has meant to the world of arts and literature he will be sorely missed; for how well he captured the essence of human nature and restless spirit of man, there are many that strive to be like him and even fewer that get anywhere close; for what his writing has meant to me personally, he is irreplaceable."

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