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Phillip Gutgesell

@themerchmap

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Highlighting your favorite band’s merch
Publication:@thematmagazine
Owner: @philldog99
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🪲The Garden’s super limited & super sold out (2017) U Want The Scoop is the most beautiful vinyl the band ever put out! The orange translucent record is etched with slogans on the back and has a sparkly center on the B-Side. It’s INCREDIBLE in person🍊

We’re highlighting some of our favorite releases from The Garden, because their Epitaph era, 2015-2020, is their best 👯(like, objectively the best tours, [Mac DeMarco, Machine Girl, Iceage], best albums, easiest time to get their merch everywhere or see them live)

We also have this sealed insanely limited rare orange long out of print vinyl in the link in our bio for purchase in our store. Mint, stored and sealed for years from 2017.

Now is a great time to be a fan because they’re doing big interviews again, their music is incredibly accessible, and you can easily see them live on big national tours like opening for The Strokes at the start of the album tour (and for more info on that, check @matmagshows)! You can even get their physical media without going to their live shows!

All the Epitaph releases are being looked at in new light, and this one remains one of the best.

Hits like “Clay”, “All Acess” provide anthems for the band, spawning the famous, “Life is a Puzzle that you’ve got to Enjoy” line mentioning their best and most prominent side projects.

We analyze the release in the link in our bio, and for REAL FANS we do a super deep dive on the release on our paid substack for @thematmagazine, provide info on the expanded and often forgotten lore of some of their songs (ALIEN BUSINESSMEN 👽) and just nerd out.

Anyway, life is a puzzle, go enjoy that shiz because Epitaph 2.0 is a reawakening for Wyatt and Fletcher fans everywhere! 🧩

#wyattshears #flethershears #thegarden #thegardenband #vadavada taken in Orange County, California by @themerchmap

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2 months ago

🪲Mantis-core! Some of our favorite artists love the bug, and it’s featured prominently on some great releases. For example, the third slide was one of our top albums of the year so far. We’ll have more on U Want The Scoop later, because it’s a ridiculously fun EP, but for now, check the link in our bio for the 2026 review of Courtney Barnett’s Creature of Habit!

Article for @thematmagazine

Make sure to see the bands on their upcoming tour! (West coast for The Garden, worldwide for Courtney)

What’s been your favorite album of the year so far?

Check the link in our store for the limited orange translucent version of U Want The Scoop? 🍊 we ship worldwide ✈️

#thegardenband #wyattshears #fletchershears #vadavada #mantis

🪲So much going on with this release!🤖

First compilation CD by The Garden, OBI strip, Big Love release, super limited.

These were available at ONE show (The Smell in Los Angeles, March 27th, 2014), and Fletcher and Wyatt said they were only given 20 copies from the label. People were waiting to purchase this since a previous festival didn’t have any space left for the band’s merch booth, so they sold out immediately at this event. To this day, the compilation remains one of the most exclusive releases from The Garden.

Our owner, @philldog99 was lucky enough to get 3 copies for manning the booth that night (it was such a chaotic show!) and the twins were saying how they needed to get larger presses done from then on because there was so much demand, and so few released.

Do people get OBI strips signed very often? That’s our favorite version of these autographed albums! Love the early and quick doodles (Everything has a Face!) by the way.

This was also the last time Phill was involved with the band in regard to their merch booth, as they’d go on to do their first Japanese shows. June 6th Astro Hall Tokyo, and Big Love June 7th. They said he was welcome to tag along, but that would involve everyone sleeping on floors, and other various sketchy situations. Additionally, he had already planned a trip to Australia around the same time. Unfortunate, but quite a missed opportunity in retrospect!

The international tour was also the first taken in Yogibo Meta Valley by @themerchmap

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4 months ago

🪲The Garden are back on Epitaph! What do you think of Bootleg now that it’s been out for a few weeks?

We’re highlighting some of our favorite releases from The Garden, because their Epitaph era, 2015-2020, is their best 👯(like, objectively the best tours, [Mac DeMarco, Machine Girl, Iceage], best albums, easiest time to get their merch everywhere or see them live)

Now is another great time to be a fan because they’re doing big interviews again, their music is incredibly accessible, and you can easily see them live on big national tours like opening for The Strokes at the start of the album tour (and for more info on that, check @matmagshows)! You can even get their physical media without going to their live shows!

Above, we highlight one of our favorite physical releases ever for the band, the iconic U Want The Scoop EP. All the Epitaph releases are being looked at in new light, and this one remains one of the best.

Hits like “Clay”, “All Acess” provide anthems for the band, spawning the famous, “Life is a Puzzle that you’ve got to Enjoy” line mentioning their best and most prominent side projects.

We analyze the release in the link in our bio, and for REAL FANS we do a super deep dive on the release on our paid substack for @thematmagazine, provide info on the expanded and often forgotten lore of some of their songs (ALIEN BUSINESSMEN 👽) and just nerd out.

We also have this sealed insanely limited rare orange long out of print vinyl in the link in our bio for purchase in our store. Mint, stored and sealed for years from 2017. It’s physically etched on the B-Side and it’s BEAUTIFUL!

Anyway, life is a puzzle, go enjoy that shiz because Epitaph 2.0 is a reawakening for Wyatt and Fletcher fans everywhere! 🧩

#wyattshears #flethershears #thegarden #thegardenband #vadavada taken in Epitaph by @themerchmap

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2 months ago

What’s your favorite album by The Garden? This is mostly a joke, but lowkey kinda our rankings (note there are almost no images for Puzzle/Enjoy/The Garden EPs ie Six Desperate Ballads)

We hope for an official live album one day!

How did you like their most recent release? What do you hope they do next? An international tour/festival is likely in the works, so we’re hoping for another One Strange Night/Vada Fest, or Puzzle/Enjoy touring again!

What are your favorite albums in general? My9albums are taking over social media, but we haven’t seen them on Instagram much yet! Let’s change that!

For a lot of The Garden and their side project’s releases, check the link in our bio. For the hardcore fans, check our paid substack for personal opinions, behind the scenes shots, stories, analysis, and videos of bands before they got big & much more!

For more content, check @thematmagazine

#thegarden #thegardentwins #fletchershears #wyattshears #vadavada taken in California USA by @themerchmap

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17 hours ago

Just announced! Primavera 2027 in the lead for best lineup of next year (and that’s not going to change)

The festival is our favorite annual international event, and we’ve already covered a ton of the bands booked for Spain.

Some standouts include: Snow Strippers, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Haley Williams, FKA Twigs, Turnstile, King Gizzard, Pavement, Angine, Boy Harsher, Dinosaur Jr, Diiv, Have A Nice Life, & many more!

Check the link in our bio for coverage of some of the buzziest groups above.

What do you think of the lineup? Have you seen any of the bands this year? Planning any big travel plans for 2027?

For more events & travel, check @matmagtours & @matmagshows

#phoebebridgers #julienbaker #spain #haleywilliams #boyharsher taken in Spain by @themerchmap

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2 days ago

Riot Fest has had some incredible lineups over the year! Which was your favorite? We documented EVERY single year, from 2005 until now in the link in our bio, so check it out!

Quite the change! Do you know the history of your favorite fest? Always some crazy stories, facts & origins. What’s your favorite fest ever? Riot Fest always gets us out to Chicago!

Watch for our continuing coverage of the fest by @philldog99 & @shotsbyserg.img_

#thecure #misfits #themisfits #deftones #morrissey taken in Chicago, IL by @themerchmap

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2 days ago

It’s October, which means you should go see some jesters, clowns, fools, and have yourself a time!

Mac DeMarco is on a very sold out tour right now, but has anyone been to his shows? We need a photographer for his show in Mexico City, Nov 6th, so if you are able to do that, please email us at thematmag@gmail.con

We hope Mac meets up with and collabs with Wyatt and Fletcher Shears again (pictured), but he HAS reunited with Yuki Kikuchi (this photo) in Japan! Yay!

The Garden are finishing up their last show in Arizona, Fletcher or his dad will be playing with with The Adicts at a ton of great shows (our pick is the @goldenvoice show at @thenovodtla) but you can’t go wrong with any of these events!

Have you seen any Vadaverse bands in his year? If so, how was it?

Also, insanely rare performance by Wyatt Shears’ side project ROMEOS in Los Angeles and we’ll be there all night! It’s almost sold out, so get tickets ASAP!

Tons more events for the next 30+ days, details in the link in our bio + @matmagshows for more info!

We have a ton of cool behind the scenes, never before been published & more pics on our paid substack, so think about becoming a subscriber if you’re a real fan!

Got anything fun or spooky you’re doing this October? Get on it! 👻

#thegarden #vadavada #fletchershears #wyattshears #macdemarco taken in California USA by @themerchmap

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5 days ago

🎃It’s OCTOBER, which means, WOW A LOT OF VERY GOOD EVENTS! The Garden are finishing up their last show in Arizona, Fletcher or his dad will be playing with with The Adicts at a ton of great shows (our pick is the @goldenvoice show at @thenovodtla) but you can’t go wrong with any of these events!

Did you see The Garden on this tour? If so, how was it?

Also, insanely rare performance by Wyatt Shears’ side project ROMEOS in Los Angeles and we’ll be there all night!

Tons more events for the next 30+ days, details in the link in our bio + @matmagshows for more info!

Got anything fun or spooky you’re doing this October? Get on it! 👻

We have a ton of cool behind the scenes, never before been published & more pics on our paid substack, so think about becoming a subscriber if you’re a real fan!

#thegarden #vadavada #fletchershears #wyattshears #thegardenband taken in California USA by @themerchmap

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6 days ago

For the completely uninitiated, you might recognize Carrie Brownstein from her hilarious roles on Portlandia. For the informed and ultra-hip (hey, that’s all our readers!), you’ll know Carrie from the iconic rock & riot grrrl band, Sleater-Kinney.

The group had a badass American tour featuring Liz Phair, Frankie Cosmos (both pictured in the slides above), Snail Mali, & Soccer Mommy!

@__wolfphotography__ was there in Philly (and check our upcoming coverage of 🐌✉️ for more East Coast greatness via @oliviapiscopo for @matmagscenes)

The link in our bio has details, pics, & info about the queens of 🎸 so read up & rock out.

📸 & words @__wolfphotography__
Editing @philldog99

We have a ton of cool behind the scenes, never before been published & more pics on our paid substack, so think about becoming a subscriber if you’re a real fan!

#portlandia #sleaterkinney #frankiecosmos #lizphair #riotgrrrl taken in The Fillmore Philadelphia by @themerchmap

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7 days ago

What were DIY shows like in 2014? Pretty good! For $5, you could hangout with every band all day (like, they’d just be there for the entire weekend and you could talk to them for hours if you wanted to) w/ groups like Enjoy (Wyatt, Fletcher, Slater), Vadaverse friends like Rex, Sloppy Jane (Phoebe Bridgers, Haley Dahl), The Frights, Hollows (whose singer often worked with and had Tyler, The Creator at shows like this)

Yeah. This was EVERY weekend pretty much. We were lucky enough to be there to photograph it, and were lucky enough to photograph and be at shows where the bands are still playing at selling out venues all over the world!

There were also almost no smartphones around at the time, and people were barely on social media. This reminded us of how we recently caught Phoebe Bridgers in Chicago on her album tour (very good album) and the experience is zero smart devices and zero photos (except for her team’s photog and a press seat ticket).

Yes, things were pretty good back then, but you can still experience a world before smart devices by checking out our recap of her recent show in the link in our bio, our interview with her old band, Sloppy Jane, and for the hardcore fans, check out paid substack for behind the scenes photos, recaps, deep analysis & more!

Check out your local DIY show & stay tuned for more crazy stuff from @thematmagazine

📸 & poster sourced/article edited by @philldog99, second photo (September 19th @mattgrubb.americas.waffle)
Concert recap @shotsbyserg.img_ taken in Los Angeles, California by @themerchmap

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11 days ago

What were festivals like 10+ years ago? Pretty good! Many of the bands that were rocking out international festivals back then are still playing incredibly cool and unique festivals now!

What’re your favorite bands on these lineups? Any funny low billed bands that have blown up since then? We’re looking at you, Mac DeMarco!

Another great example of a band that’s been absolutely crushing it for decades (that played tons of great past and recent fests) = Osees (3rd pic). They’ve rocked multiple years of some of the best festivals in the 🌎, and they absolutely blew @sessionssurffestival out of the water last weekend! Check the link in our bio for a recap!

Do you have a favorite unique or international music fest? Sessions was at the beach with a ton of cool sights, sounds & a full movie festival!

Great local event putting San Diego (Encinitas) on the map.

📸 @m_c__studio for us (@thematmagazine)

#macdemarco #ohsees #mybloodyvalentine #thejesusandmarychain #deathgrips taken in Encinitas, California by @themerchmap

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16 days ago

One of the most mysterious members of the Vadaverse proper, Slater, just played a DJ show (very rare) in Los Angeles, dropped a new single, and is doing an AMA on Reddit (link in our story)

Slater, longstanding friend of Wyatt and Fletcher, has been in bands with the Shears since at least 2008. Subject2Change (a garage and jam band who only ever played a few shows and had Rex Osterkamp sub in), Enjoy, and numerous random music videos and appearances for The Garden or their festivals (bring back Vada Fest/One Strange Night!) have been a big part of Nick’s life.

You can check our interview with Slater, aka Nick Beatty, in the link on our bio

For hardcore fans, check our paid substack for behind the scenes photos, need to know info, & deep dives on some of your favorite music & more

📸 voodoow0man

#thegarden #wyattshears #fletchershears #slater #vadavada taken in Orange County, California by @themerchmap

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17 days ago