Matthew Sweet, old & new

WE'VE BEEN WAITING: Nirvana’s Nevermind wasn’t the only hugely influential album to see the light of day in the fall of 1991. The bone-dry, caterwauling sonics of Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend opened up a wild and picturesque new terrain for restless singer/songwriters to inhabit and explore, while also pretty much reinventing power pop—and it was loaded with memorable songs, starting with the title cut, “I’ve Been Waiting” and “Divine Intervention.” (If you don’t believe it, just ask Karen Glauber or Bud Scoppa.) Next month, Sweet will play his much-beloved LP from top to bottom in a series of shows across the country, including three shows (10/31, 11/1, two on 11/2) at N.Y.’s City Winery. He’ll also sample from his latest album, the boldly experimental yet deeply personal Modern Art, which hits next Tuesday (9/27) on Orchard-distribbed Missing Piece. You can stream the album on Rdio, and in a way-cool move, it’s also streaming with Matthew’s commentary. Additionally, a live acoustic sampler containing three classics plus a version of Byrds-y new single “She Walks the Night” is downloadable for free from Noisetrade. (9/23a)