Matt & Kim (also typeset Matt and Kim) are an indie dance duo which formed … Read Full Bio ↴Matt & Kim (also typeset Matt and Kim) are an indie dance duo which formed in Brooklyn, New York, United States in 2004. The band consists of Matt Johnson (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums, vocals). They have released six studio albums: Matt & Kim (2006), Grand (2009), Sidewalks (2010), Lightning (2012), New Glow (2015), and Almost Everyday (2018).

Matt and Kim released their first album, Matt & Kim, on October 26, 2006. The album sold modestly, primarily at live shows. Many indie fans praised their music, and the two gained popularity through their many outgoing tours. Following the release of their first album, Matt and Kim began playing high profile music festivals, such as The Siren Music Festival and Lollapalooza. The duo signed with Fader Label and their second album, Grand, recorded in Matt's childhood bedroom at his parents' home in Vermont, was released on January 20, 2009. A video for one of the album's highlights, "Lessons Learned", in which the duo strips nude in Times Square, was shot during a very cold winter day in February 2009.

On November 2, 2010, the duo released their third album, Sidewalks. Co-produced by Ben Allen, Oliver Strauss and Matt, the album as a whole adopted a more refined, yet dense hip-hop influence in comparison to the previous two, while still maintaining the upbeat and party-esque style they are known for. Matt and Kim headlined two U.S. tours in support, in Fall 2010 and again during May/June 2011. They also played numerous festivals including Australia's Big Day Out, Japan's Fuji and V in the UK. In addition, they played at many American colleges, worked extensively through Europe and South America and, in Fall 2011, they supported Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance on select dates. Although not officially released as a single, the song "Good for Great" received significant airplay in some markets, and was ranked #65 on Boston station WFNX's Top 101 of 2011 list.

On June 22, 2012, Matt and Kim issued a brand new track, "Let's Go" as a digital single, meanwhile, the band put finishing touches on their fourth full length album, Lightning, released on October 2, 2012. The single, "Let's Go", peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. On June 25, 2012, the duo uploaded a video to their YouTube channel featuring ball handler Pat the Roc performing basketball tricks as "Let's Go" plays in full. Then on September 4, 2012, the duo released a lyric video for another new song on the album, "Now". On October 1, 2012, "Overexposed", "Not That Bad", "Much Too Late", "Ten Dollars I Found", "Tonight", "It's Alright", "I Said" and "I Wonder" were released on YouTube as official first listens. Matt and Kim premiered their official music video for "Let's Go" via the Funny or Die website in November.

The full-length album got a digital/CD/vinyl release on October 2, 2012 and the band began their official US Fall Lightning Tour the next day in Burlington, Vermont. On February 5, 2013, Matt and Kim kicked off their US tour with Passion Pit. While on tour, the official music video for "It's Alright" was released on February 25, 2013, featuring Matt and Kim in a choreographed dance routine in bed. In March 2013 Matt and Kim wrapped their US tour and performed at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida before heading to Australia for a three-week tour at the end of April.

In May, Matt and Kim announced their touring schedule for summer 2013, starting with a show at the Great GoogaMooga in Brooklyn, NY on May 18, 2013. In June, Matt and Kim performed at Free Press Summer Fest, Sandy Parts Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, Summerfest and Party in the Park. In July, they played at the Keloha Music & Arts Fest and the Forecastle Festival. In August, they played at Lollapalooza in Chicago. In October, they played at Corona Capital, in Mexico City.

On January 13, 2015, Matt and Kim released the single "Get It" in promotion of their fifth album. Along with this, they also released Spring tour dates, an album pre-order, and a lyric video to accompany the single. "Get It" received mixed reviews from fans as it ventures away from their past DIY sound. On February 10, 2015 Matt and Kim released the promotional video for the single "Hey Now" through their official VEVO Youtube account. On February 24, 2015, the band released "Hoodie On" through their official VEVO account. On April 7, 2015, Matt and Kim released the full album and held an in store performance at Amoeba Music's Hollywood store to celebrate.

Good Ol
Matt & Kim Lyrics

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Show me the sidestreets in your life
Train yards like boneyards sharpened knives
Sidewalks are unassuming fields
Concrete and cracks won't cut you deals
Lost teeth like white jewels of some kind
Petty theft for penny crimes
And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare

Riding trains to the end of lines
Still we've got nothin but time
The skyline looks brighter tonight
Lets go smash out every light
Your left foot in front of right

And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Matt & Kim's song "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" speak to the idea of finding beauty in the less-than-glamorous parts of life. The verses describe a world of "sidestreets" and "train yards," where "sidewalks are unassuming fields" and "concrete and cracks won't cut you deals." Despite this bleak setting, the song finds something vital and exciting in the grit and chaos of city life.

The chorus hammers this point home with the repeated line "Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare." Here, the image of a nightmare becomes something to revel in, to embrace as a kind of twisted celebration. The sense of danger and unease that might be associated with a nightmare becomes a source of energy and defiance. It's a fitting message for a song that sees beauty in the unexpected and overlooked corners of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Show me the sidestreets in your life
Share with me the hidden, less traveled paths that have led you to where you are today

Train yards like boneyards sharpened knives
The industrial areas of a city can be dangerous and menacing, like sharpened knives waiting to cut unsuspecting victims

Sidewalks are unassuming fields
The places we walk every day may seem plain and unremarkable, but they hold their own mysteries and stories

Concrete and cracks won't cut you deals
The obstacles we face in life won't give us any breaks or special treatment

Lost teeth like white jewels of some kind
The things we lose, even the seemingly insignificant ones, can have a strange value to us

Petty theft for penny crimes
People resort to committing small, low-value crimes out of desperation or necessity

And we yell Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
We scream out in frustration and fear, like in a classic, terrifying nightmare

Riding trains to the end of lines
Traveling aimlessly, with no particular destination in mind, just for the sake of going somewhere new

Still we've got nothin but time
Despite our lack of direction, we have the luxury of time to explore and discover

The skyline looks brighter tonight
Even in the midst of confusion and uncertainty, there can be moments of hope and beauty

Lets go smash out every light
Let's destroy the artificial brightness and distractions that blind us from seeing the true world around us

Your left foot in front of right
Take things one step at a time, keeping a steady and balanced pace

And we yell Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
Similar to earlier, we scream out in frustration and fear, like in a classic, terrifying nightmare

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KIMBERLY ANN SCHIFINO, MATTHEW WESLEY JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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