Hi again! We are moving the Matinée office eight blocks away this month so things are a bit less organized than usual. It's all good though, because by the end of the month we will have consolidated stock from our former DC and current Santa Barbara offices into hopefully one ultra organized stockroom. Future orders should practically mail themselves! We have some exciting news to share before the computer packs up for the move so here goes:

Poking its head into the world in the midst of this chaos is the brand new CDEP from London superstars Pipas! Entitled the "Bitter Club" EP (matinée 052), the single features great new songs Mental, Bitter Club, Sixten, Minilife, Jean C and South (bend-able mix). The early reviews are in, with the infallible Tasty saying "quite simply, there's no one to touch Pipas at the moment for bitter sweet pop... 'Jean C' might be the best song you'll hear this year...yet another triumph for both Matinée and Pipas." The wonderful Vanity Project has also piped in, remarking "caught in the breeze blowing a Sarah/C86 delicate flower beauty toward glitchy disfigurement, they actually create something quite startling. Both the gloss and twinkle of 'Mental' as well as the cute lethargy of 'Bitter Club' showcase the duo's overriding romance and gentleness." Our friends at Friends of the Heroes concur, saying "Bitter Club contains a distinctive charm that comes from the contrast between the almost apologetic but irrepressibly exuberant nature of the band." So, another hit for Pipas, another hit for Matinée. Are you surprised? "Jean C" and "Bitter Club" are now playing on the sounds page so have a listen because this is perhaps the strongest Pipas release to date and a sign of some very good things to come.

In other top news, the March Artist of the Month is Melodie Group! With four releases, a handful of compilation appearances, and two live sets over the past four years, Melodie Group may not be the most outspoken artist on the Matinée roster but they certainly have earned a lot of respect among fans and the music press. The key is superb songwriting and the dulcet tones of Mr. Roy Thirlwall's voice. We happen to think they are brilliant...in fact if forced to make a list of the best songs EVER released on the label, "You've Got The Whole of the World In Your Mouth" and "Summerness" would both be hovering near the top which is quite impressive given that the competition is somewhere nigh on 500 songs. For those who have only heard Melodie Group's gender-bending cover of Would-Be-Goods' "Emmanuelle Béart" on the "Matinée 50" CD, there is a whole lot more to discover. To coincide with the Artist of the Month residency, we have updated the Melodie Group artist page with new text, images, and a link to a new band weblog. The page also includes a month-long poll about your favorite Melodie Group song and everyone who enters has the chance to win a special prize. On the sounds page, we have added four Melodie Group mp3s, including exclusive track "Hamlet" which was recorded at the same time as the "Matinée 50" contribution last summer. Finally, now is your chance to complete your Melodie Group collection as all releases are on sale at the mailorder this month only. We're also including free Melodie Group badges with all orders! There are two designs available...pink Raincoat or yellow logo so let us know if you have a preference.

We had a huge response to the February Artist of the Month poll, with nearly 100 votes cast for the favorite Pipas song on Matinée. "Barbapapa" took top honors (27 votes), with "Cruel and Unusual" (11), "A Short Film About Sleeping" (10), brand new song "Jean C" (9) and "Rock and/or Roll" (7) rounding out the top five. Thanks to everyone for voting. The lucky prize draw will happen this week so cross your fingers and watch your inbox for notification because somebody will win a special Pipas prize very soon.

Switching to our smashing recent releases, the praise keeps pouring in for the "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware" (matcd030) compilation. Featuring Matinée all-stars The Guild League, The Liberty Ship, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Pale Sunday, The Pines, Pipas, Simpático, Slipslide, The Snowdrops, Would-Be-Goods and The Young Tradition performing cover versions of Smiths classics, the album is on course to be one of the biggest label releases to date. In one of its final reviews, the esteemed writers at In Love With These Times (the incomparable south London webzine that wrote so many spot-on reviews of Matinée releases over the years) said "this record is a present. It has been put together with love and yes it will also send you scurrying back to your Smiths records and if you think that's a bad thing then there is little we can do for you." Meanwhile, the hip folks at Losing Today reported "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware collects together 12 swooning cover versions of old Marr/Morrissey favourites by some of the catchiest dudes around and featuring among others the delightful Pines, the Lucksmiths, Simpático and the Liberty Ship. Believe me you will not be disappointed." Finally, the ever-enthusiastic Mundane Sounds concluded "This is, hands down, the best and most worthy tribute record I've heard in years." Right on Joe! So believe these experts and the multitude of other reviews collected here. There are soundclips by Pale Sunday, The Guild League and The Snowdrops up on the catalog and sounds pages if you want to try before you buy, but come on, can you really resist this gem?

The debut album "Tide" (matcd029) from The Liberty Ship is quickly earning acclaim in all the right places. The latest converts include Splendid, which wrote "The Liberty Ship are nothing like rock stars, and that lack of attitude helps to make them one of the best acts going today. The music makes your feet tingle, then dissipates, barely remembered -- but each time you revisit it, it will seem warmer, more comfortable and more essential to your life." English e-zine Vanity Project said "Nottingham-based Liberty Ship's debut album exudes a calm and understated jolliness with chiming and jangling guitars ruling the roost pretty much all the way through," while the usually loquacious In Love With These Times summarized the album with a Joy Division reference by saying "somewhat inevitably therefore, the Liberty Ship tear us apart." The album continues to be a top seller in the Matinée shop so check out the hit "Baseball Caps and Novas" now playing on the sounds page and order your copy today!

The latest release from The Windmills - their third album "Now Is Then" (matcd028) - is also turning lots of heads lately. Our lovely hosts IndiePages, after a thorough analysis of the album, concluded "Favorite Windmills record to date. Just about all the songs here are gems, but 'Beach Girls 1918' is easily the band's best song yet!" Meanwhile, Pop Matters offered this piece of advice: "The Windmills have returned with another album that still has all the greatness of previous records without repeating themselves too often. If you like British pop, or just outstanding yet meticulous pop in general, do yourself a favor!" We happen to think The Windmills are one of the most talented bands going today so if you have not yet discovered their magic, head straight to the sounds page and have a listen to album cuts "Now Is Then," "Something Spring" and "Summer Snow," and then imagine eight more equally brilliant songs waiting for you on the album. We suspect you'll make the right move. The Windmills rule, OK?

We knew the "True Love Waits, Volume 2" EP (matinée 048) from south London duo The Pines would be an instant favorite among Matinée fans, and the word continues to spread among press types too. In reviewing the single, Vanity Project recently wrote "An unexpected delight. Five just wonderful examples of modern folk behaviour with wry, intelligent lyrics and an uncomplicated musical style reminiscent of Camera Obscura." Splendid commented "In a world that offers little consolation to the shy, quiet and bookish, records such as this should be celebrated, while Losing Today concluded "simply gorgeous as if you needed telling." Check out "Anita O'Day" now playing on the sounds page. We'll be chatting up The Pines for more recordings sometime soon.

Still squarely in the coming soon category is the excellent "This is Farewell" CD (matcd031) by San Francisco quintet The Fairways! The band was one of Matinée's first associations, releasing their debut "Darling Don't You Think?" single (matinée 009) nearly four years ago. We are still perfecting the artwork for the new album, but the tracklisting is now set as follows: 1. Don't Call Me Dear, 2. The Back Of Her Hand, 3. Catch That Man, 4. Starstruck, 5. Winter Song, 6. Nowhere To Go, 7. Little White Lies, 8. Fine Day, 9. Emily, 10. Goodbye California, 11. This Is Farewell. You can preview three tracks on the catalog page now. We will announce release details in the April update. Brent Kenji of the band is also busy finalizing recordings for the debut album from his new band The Young Tradition, so stay tuned for news on that as well.

Also in the coming soon category is the welcome return of London quartet Would-Be-Goods! The first release since their magnificent "Brief Lives" (matcd017) album in 2002, the band is finalizing artwork on a brand new fourth album "The Morning After" (matcd032) as we speak. In keeping with "Brief Lives" and prior albums "Mondo" and "The Camera Loves Me," the songs from this new album tell a story of the colorful characters so abundant in the world of Would-Be-Goods. Although we are still deciding the final tracklisting, songs include: 1. Pantomime Devil, 2. Morning After, 3. Big Cat Act, 4. Bluebeard, 5. Le Crocodile, 6. Too Old, 7. What Adam and Eve Did Next, 8. I Broke the Spell, 9. Miss La-di-dah, 10. Innocent Abroad, 11. Dear St Valentine and 12. The King of Lace. We previewed "Morning After" on the recent autumn sampler (matinée 051), and have just added "Miss La-di-dah" to the sounds page so have a listen and get ready for a splendid release this spring!

The new "Sleepydust" CDEP (matinée 053) from English trio The Snowdrops is also progressing nicely. Following 2003's magnificent "Mad World" 7" (matinée 029) and celebrated contributions to the "Matinée 50" and "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware" (matcd030) compilations, The Snowdrops have returned to the studio with an abundance of songs vying for a spot on the new four track EP. So far they have completed the brilliant title track, which showcases Keith Girdler's magnificent voice, the sophisticated instrumentation of Dick Preece, beautiful melodies from the unparalleled Pam Berry, and a decided influence of prime era Pet Shop Boys. We have added the song to the sounds page to get you excited about this new release, and will confirm the release date and other details shortly. Hooray for The Snowdrops!

As reported in previous updates, other Matinée bands currently in the studio include Lovejoy, Harper Lee, The Guild League, Pale Sunday, The Young Tradition, Gregory Webster, and Airport Girl, so 2004 is shaping up to be our best year yet!

In mailorder news, we have repressed the sold out "Where Were We? compilation (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths and "A Cat Escaped" (matcd021) from Pipas, so if you were looking for a copy we now have fresh supplies. Harper Lee's "Go Back To Bed" (matcd009) is currently sold out, but we will repress it shortly. Several more singles are very close to selling out too, but these will not be repressed so order now if you want something.

We are moving the week of March 20th and will have sporadic email access through the end of the month as Verizon figures out how to provide DSL service at the new address. Apologies in advance for any delays. The post office box will remain the same. We'll leave you with the results of the February hit parade, which prove that a little artist of the month discount goes a long way encouraging sales. Now, get along and complete your Melodie Group collections today!

10. Harper Lee - Everything's Going To Be OK CD
9. Pipas - A Cat Escaped CD
8. The Liberty Ship - Tide CD
7. The Windmills - Now Is Then CD
6. Various - Matinée 50! CD
5. Various - The Matinée Autumn Assortment! CD
4. Pipas - A Short Film About Sleeping 7"
3. Brighter - Singles 1989-1992 CD
2. Pipas - Bitter Club CDEP
1. Various - Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware CD

Until next time,

Jimmy
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