The consumer is nothing but a cash cow to be milked, and if there is one industry where this statement is particularly true it’s the so-called entertainment industry. Over the past years, record companies have re-issued old music on CD, adding the occasional snippet that really nobody needs. Worst offender in this respect are record labels dealing with jazz: They have inundated the market with re-issues that cater to the freak market - those 0.1% of jazz fans who actually like to listen to about 37 unfinished takes of the same song. Given the usual lack of “outtakes”, the “pop” market has instead opted for re-issuing “remastered” CDs that sound exactly like the original albums (unless you belong to those 0.1%… you get the idea).

Matador Records has been quite the pleasant exception to this whole re-issue scam. After re-issuing Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted with two dozen extra tracks (get this, jazz fans: Two dozen extra tracks and no screwed-up takes!), they just re-issued Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain with an additional two dozen extra tracks. Well, if they keep doing this we will actually be able to ignore how Steve Malkmus, Pavement’s former front man, is turning into an “alternative” Lou Reed.