Matt Mahaffey is Self. That's not to say that other people don't contribute to Self or that the band doesn't consist of others at times, but without Matt, Self would not exist. Sadly, at this point, Self barely does exist, and while that has to do with personal issues a lot of it also stems from the non-release of their fifth proper album.
Mahaffey and Self originate from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and were signed to independent label, Spongebath Records. Their first full length, "Subliminal Plastic Motives", was released in conjunction with Spongebath and Zoo Records, though they began releasing albums through Spongebath independently, posting free collections of unreleased songs and providing music for film and commercial work. Eventually, Dreamworks Records came calling and a deal was made leading to Self's first major label release, "Breakfast With Girls". The album wasn't a big seller and there was pressure from the label to deliver a hit, so Matt moved to LA to be closer to Dreamworks. He began working very closely with his A&R and other label people to choose the perfect songs for his pop masterpiece even though it was a compromise that he didn't want artistically. Nonetheless, he knew how great this could be for the band if this got him radio and video play and finished the album.
The story, as Matt told it, is the day he went to turn the final album in to the label he entered the building to find that Dreamworks had just announced it was closing the music distribution end of their organization and would not be releasing any new albums at this time. Dreamworks Records was part of the Universal Records family of labels and select bands and artists had their contracts transferred to other labels immediately. Self was not one of those bands and Universal would not relinquish the rights to the album without a significant payment which Matt did not have. As if this wasn't bad enough news, in 2005, Mike, Matt's brother and a regular contributor to the band, died unexpectedly.
Grieving and frustrated with his album's non-release, Matt started working with Jeff Turzo, previously of God Lives Underwater, as a production duo and band under the name Wired All Wrong. Matt considers the group to be an artistic rebirth, especially since his involvement in the band, unlike Self, is a partnership and he doesn't handle the production or songwriting duties on his own. Also, in Jeff Turzo he has a partner who has gone through a similar situation with the death of his friend and fellow GLU-bandmate, David Reilly.
Regardless of the success of Wired All Wrong, Self is still Matt's band and he would like to see their fifth album, "Ornament & Crime", receive a proper release. He has also tried to release a dvd of Self concerts from recent years but that has suffered similar setbacks as well. Understandably, Matt would like to see these Self-related projects released, but it looks more unlikely as time goes by, especially with Wired All Wrong becoming more successful along with his other film, television and production duties.
"Ornament & Crime" has had two leaks, the first being a collection of early versions and rough mixes, and the second being the finished album. I'm posting the finished album here today, but it should be noted that it's not believed to be mastered and the sequence may not be finalized. On top of that, if you enjoy the album as it is you should definitely download "Porno, Mint & Grime", the companion collection of outtakes and unused tracks from the O&C-era which is available for free at the EXCELLENT Self fan-site, Selfies.
It's been said on several occasions that Matt wishes the album hadn't leaked as he still hopes for it to be released in one way or another, but the longer the wait the less likely it becomes that this will happen. Nonetheless, you should definitely support Matt if you can by buying Wired All Wrong's releases or Self releases when they are available. Most Self releases are out of print, but some of them may see reissue soon, at least digitally, as two of them, including the amazing "Gizmodgery", were independent releases via Spongebath. Who knows, if there is enough support behind Matt's current releases, "Ornament & Crime" may eventually see release as at least a digital download!
Self - Ornament & Crime
01 LA Radio
02 Hellbent
03 Emotional
04 Insecure Sober
05 Pathetic
06 How Can I Make You Happy?
07 Can't Go On
08 Coming Over
09 No One Knows You
10 Grow Up
11 The Pounding Truth
12 Out With A Bang
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