Unassuming college burb Murfreesboro, Tennessee has great hot wings and once hosted a major Civil War massacre, but its real claim to fame is the stable of excellent bands it reared in the 90s. Perhaps the best and most overlooked of the lot is Self, the brilliant pop solitaire of Matt Mahaffey. Now, in a postscript twist that seems all too deserved, the project will be joining a new set of peers — including T. Rex, Townes Van Zandt, and Al Green (!) — when Fat Possum Records reissues 1995’s Subliminal Plastic Motives on January 14.
The precocious debut sounds a bit like Bellybutton-era Jellyfish, albeit kneeled at Prince’s altar instead of Queen’s. Though most of Self’s output has been seamlessly performed, produced, and mixed by Mahaffey himself, Plastic Motives crucially benefits from the heavy guitar work of his late brother Mike, whose grungier tones helped make regional hits of “Cannon” and “So Low.” Fat Possum’s edition will mark the first time the album is available on vinyl.
Self will celebrate TONIGHT in New York with a full-band performance of the album (and, we hope, an encore or two of other Mahaffey gems), followed by a Nashville stop two days later. Tour dates and a VHS rip of the “Cannon” music video are below; you can purchase the album from Fat Possum here.
01.10.14 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater *
01.12.14 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In #
* i fight dragons, Montessori Dads
# Glossary, Montessori Dads
• Self: http://self.is
• Fat Possum: http://fatpossum.com
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