Various Artists: What's Up Matador

Because it has released music from artists as diverse as Come, Pizzicato Five, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Bettie Serveert, it's difficult to think of the Matador Records label as possessing an identity. However, after delving into this 44-song, two-disc collection of singles and unreleased tracks, you may decide that it doesn't really need an identity beyond that of a label that's released some of the best music of the last eight years. With singles from, among others, Yo La Tengo, Railroad Jerk, Guided By Voices and Superchunk, disc one provides an excellent cross-section of Matador's output: It works both as a sort of "Matador's Greatest Hits" for fans, and as a sampler for the uninitiated. Disc two is a collection of unreleased tracks, including a Pavement cover of Echo And The Bunnymen's "Killing Moon." To cinch the deal, Matador has made the collection available at a price generous enough so that even the most timid music buyers will find it agreeable. Coinciding with the retrospective is a videotape of the same name, presented in the form of a very funny television special hosted by infomercial staple Bill Boggs. Written and directed by Chavez guitarist Clay Tarver, it features a seemingly sedated group of elementary-school children as the audience for an informative program that answers their questions about the music industry. The tape also features some terrific music videos and, as with the CD set, has a high entertainment-to-dollar ratio.