Matthew and the Arrogant Sea

About

Matthew and The Arrogant Sea (MATAS) is an Alt Folk / Psychedelic Pop act from Denton, TX. The band has received numerous accolades and notable press from around the globe, since its inception in the early 2000s. Heralded with praise from outlets such as Daytrotter, NME, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Good Morning Texas, and NPR, alongside the exuberant praise from their national debut, Family, Family, Family, Meets the Magic Christian in 2008—being named one of the best records to be released in North Texas in the last decade. “This is the weird that comes from someone with a tuned-in brain that sidesteps the obvious and makes terrifically melodic and dense studies in idiosyncratic lives. It's the weird that you get when you're at peace with your weirdness, not the kind you get if you're completely unaware that there's anything at all odd about you. Gray seems like he could be a television and cinema junkie as well, pulling in ideas and fragments of ideas that suggest a short attention span, but one that's hungry for more content to mess around with. He sings of "Martian petting zoos” and romanticizes about standing around and holding hands as he and some her “looked at the submarines.” One of the most intriguing things that Matthew and The Arrogant Sea does is shirks generalities. No one is just coming to see someone. They're riding a broken bicycle. No one's doing anything that we normally think about, or are giving in other songs. These are very specific relics of something real and extremely graphic that happened, or tremendous musical novellas that have beginnings, middles, and ends—hearts and souls that are plump, weird and delicious.” -Sean Moeller, Daytrotter Although the lineup has changed since its earliest friends and family pairing of spirits and souls, the band is now thriving in its strongest form to date. With Tony Whitlock on Lead Guitar, Blake Vickrey on Bass and Keys, Alexander Hughes on Drums and Percussion—led by founding member, Matthew Gray on Vocals and Acoustic Guitar. The boys are back with their finest release to date, The Glooms PT. 1 is set for a late summer release, with a full set of both old favorites (like you've never heard them before), and brand new tracks that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and begging for PT. 2. The boys in The Arrogant Sea are back in full form, in a way that is sure to raise a few eyebrows, with melodies that are certain to get lodged in your head.