It’s great to see so many people in love with the new album ‘Seconds’ (matcd053) from Sweden’s The Electric Pop Group! We happen to think it’s pretty amazing too but acknowledge our natural bias so it’s always good to have affirmation from independent sources like the brilliant Erasing Clouds concluding “The Electric Pop Group’s full-length Seconds is one of the best I’ve heard in years (and I hear a lot of them, believe me).”

In other recent review action, Pop Matters called the album “perfect stuff for those needing a something-like-the-Smiths fix” and Indie-mp3.co.uk declared it “an album which, from the opening bars of the first track, has grabbed me hook, line and sinker and I have played almost nothing else over the past few weeks.” Delusions of Adequacy concluded “the Electric Pop Group continues to impress by bringing us ten brilliant new tracks,” while Russell’s Reviews wrote “the sound of skinny boys swaying and fringes flopping in the wind—lots of tender guitar lines and sumptuous melodies to drawn you in and get you hooked.”

Please see the catalog page for full reviews and other release details, and check the sounds page to score a free download of lead track ‘Not By Another’. If you haven’t already, you may want to pick up the band’s 2008 ‘Sunrise’ EP (matinée 067) as it features four songs not on the album and they’re ace as well.

The Electric Pop Group will join Northern Portrait in Denmark next month for the Copenhagen Popfest and is lining up additional European dates so watch here or check the band’s Myspace for details. We are hoping to bring them to America sometime soon as well!

The lineup of the always brilliant Indietracks Festival in England is taking shape and we are very excited that our very own Pale Sunday are among the featured artists this year! The band is getting plenty of good attention following the release of the ‘Shooting Star’ EP (matinée 073) in January and some of our favorite recent quotes include Pennyblack Magazine calling the EP “a cracking collection of songs” and All Music Guide reporting “the group still has the same wistfully jangling feel that will endear them to fans of classic groups like the Razorcuts.”

Despite hailing from Brazil, the band receives loads of favorable comparisons to classic Scottish pop groups. In reviewing the EP, In Love With These Times wrote “the title number is newly confident, a strident, riproaring popsong which combines the necessary “we’re back!” feel with a whiff of mid-period BMX Bandits,” while Brill Dream concluded “this is pop sunny side up, joyfully reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub and even the early pop prowess of Super Furry Animals. Try listening to the sun soaked title song without the smells of BBQ’s and freshly cut grass wafting up your nostrils.”

Full release details and more reviews can be found on the catalog page, and there’s a free download of ‘Shooting Star’ up on the sounds page so have a listen. Pale Sunday’s debut single ‘A Weekend With Jane’ (matinée 049) and album ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) are having a bit of a sales renaissance thanks to the new single so if you didn’t discover them on original release now’s a great time to catch up so you can sing along at Indietracks!

Danish hitmakers Northern Portrait continue to impress with the debut album ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ (matcd054) generating smashing reviews all across the globe!

In recent press action, the esteemed Magnet Magazine wrote “swoon-worthy and charming, Northern Portrait is twee at its finest and Criminal Art Lovers is indie pop for the literati and fans of the Smiths,” while the always spot-on In Love With These Times concluded “Criminal Art Lovers sounds much as you thought and probably hoped it would, a patchwork quilt of mesmeric jangle, of lyrical ache and longing, of masterly song arrangement sugared with generous dabs of knowingly Mozza-esque vox.”

Meanwhile, the respected Pennyblack Magazine christened it “a fantastic album,” while Subpopstar concluded “Criminal Art Lovers proves massive budgets aren’t required to achieve stunning results,” and Indiefy suggested “forget those poor fools who still harp on about The Smiths comparisons and immerse yourself in an album which will still be standing tall at the end of the year. Fantastic stuff!”

Finally, top download merchant emusic recently selected Northern Portrait in its ‘Artists to Watch in 2010′ feature, writing “more than any year in recent memory, 2010 has already seen the arrival of a boatload of intriguing new talents, including Northern Portrait’s aching update of the Smiths’ sunny jangle.”

The catalog page has a bounty of great reviews and other release details, and the sounds page is featuring a free download of album highlight ‘New Favourite Moment’ right now so go get it!

We’ve just sold through the first pressing of ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ but a repressing is already on its way so don’t despair if you haven’t picked yours up yet. Unfortunately we can’t say the same for the band’s debut single ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ (matinée 068) as that one is now completely sold out. We still have about 100 copies left of the second EP ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ (matinée 070) so get that while you can.

Northern Portrait is headlining the Copenhagen Popfest next month and planning additional live dates this summer. Stay tuned for details on live action and an ace new single as well!