Hello popfans … it’s time for the 12th annual Matinée fanclub poll! Every year we survey our loyal fans to see which new releases made you smile and reward voters with shop discounts and free records in the process. The polls are open for the next two weeks so if you haven’t ordered one of our eleven 2013 releases yet there’s still time before votes are due.

The album of the year contenders for 2013 are ‘Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt’ (matcd063) from Azure Blue, ‘Our Hearts Beat Out Loud’ (matcd065) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Ta!’ (matcd066) from Northern Portrait, ‘Some Like It Pop’ (matcd067) from Bubblegum Lemonade, ‘Cartography For Beginners’ (matcd068) from The Lucksmiths, and the label compilation ‘A Sunday Matinée’ (matcd064).

The 2013 single of the year contenders are the ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ 10” (matinée 086) from Northern Portrait, ‘Have You Seen Faith?’ 7” (matinée 087) from Bubblegum Lemonade, ‘At Arkaroo Rock’ 7” (matinée 088) from The Steinbecks, ‘Long Drag’ 7” (matinée 089) from Math and Physics Club, and ‘Real Tears’ 7” (matinée 090) from Seabirds.

We are also collecting votes for song of the year, best artwork, favorite Matinée artist, and favorite Matinée albums and singles of all time so please take a moment to vote for your favorites! Simply entering earns you a 20 percent discount off any order through the end of January, and one lucky voter will be selected to receive $50 of free Matinée merchandise. The poll closes January 5th, so please complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!

To celebrate such a fantastic year, we have created a 2013 Hit Parade playlist on Soundcloud featuring a bumper 40 tracks from our 2013 releases and you can listen to it here:

We are sketching details of our 2014 release schedule now including new recordings from The Steinbecks, The Electric Pop Group, Seabirds, Cats On Fire, Strawberry Whiplash, Northern Portrait and more so check here for exclusive news and previews of forthcoming releases. Happy holidays and thanks for all your support again this year!

Our love for Australian band The Lucksmiths takes us back to the very early days of Matinée Recordings when we were still based in Washington, D.C. in a stately rowhouse on Capitol Hill. Those days were magical times with indie bands coming through town every month or so and our three stories of accommodation made Matinée HQ the perfect resting spot for road-weary travelers.

I still remember the first time The Lucksmiths pulled up outside my house with Mike Babb of Drive-In Records on the day of their very first show in Washington in September 1998. We were about to launch our first co-release—the now legendary ‘Untidy Towns’ 7” single (matinée 004)—and we spent the little time we had before the show sitting around my dining room table folding records sleeves and adding inserts with all the details of our new release and the forthcoming gems on our respective labels. The lucky 500 of you who own that single can rest assured that at least one Lucksmith probably touched your record at some point that afternoon.

Little did I know at the time it would be the first of fifteen releases the band would have on Matinée leading up to their farewell single ‘Get-To-Bed Birds’ (matinée 077) in 2010. Over the years there were plenty of other record stuffing parties and opportunities for us to witness live performances in the United States, England, France, Spain, and Australia including shows in our new home state of California.

We are now absolutely thrilled to have a sixteenth Lucksmiths release for the Matinée discography and an answer (at last!) to all the people over the years that have asked which release to get first from the band. But first, a little more background is in order…

Having started out as high school friends in a bayside suburb of Melbourne, the Lucksmiths trio were officially set on foot in 1993 and made short work of winning the hearts and livers of student share-houses the city over. Sixteen years and countless albums, world tours and one extra member later, the band called it a day. By this time, their reputation as one of the most influential indiepop acts of the past decade was assured.

With many Lucksmiths albums now long out of print, fans old and new can play catch-up with the new double-CD collection ‘Cartography For Beginners’ (matcd068) which traces the band’s history from their legendary ‘First Tape’ through the final strains of their last posthumously-released single ‘Get-To-Bed Birds.’

Featuring live favourites ‘Under the Rotunda,’ ‘T-Shirt Weather’ and ‘Sunlight in a Jar’ (and with the entire tracklist chosen by the band members themselves, of course!), ‘Cartography For Beginners’ is the final word in Lucksmiths mix tapes — the perfect jangly travel companion, the ideal soundtrack to a first kiss (in the rain), and certainly the mantle ornament of choice for any inner city share-house.

Available in a handsome six panel matte finish eco-wallet with vintage photographs and liner notes by Australian labelmate and frequent touring companion Darren Hanlon, this perfect ‘beginner’s guide to The Lucksmiths’ is a co-release with our good friends at the Lost And Lonesome Recording Company in Australia so reduce your carbon footprint by ordering from them if you’re closer to Melbourne than Santa Barbara.

The official release date for the album is December 10th but we are taking preorders now and will start shipping copies a few days in advance. You can see the astonishing tracklisting on the catalog page. Many of you know most or all of these songs already but to have them all in one place is pretty cool and you have to admit, it’s the perfect gift for at least one music-loving friend in your life, no? Here is a sampling of the 35 hits your friend is about to discover:

Our penultimate release of the year is a handsome collection of non-album tracks released by adored Danish band Northern Portrait over the past six years, including songs from sold out EPs, vinyl-only singles, and compilation appearances.

Northern Portrait debuted in 2008 with two very well received EPs—‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ (matinée 068) and ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ (matinée 070)—both of which sold out almost instantly upon release. Following their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ (matcd054) in 2010, the band released two vinyl-only singles—the ‘Life Returns To Normal’ 7” (matinée 076) and the ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ 10” (matinée 086)—and contributed exclusive tracks to three Matinée compilations.

Ta! (matcd066) compiles the 15 tracks from these releases into one handy collection. The songs from ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ and ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ have experienced a complete revitalization with the band returning to the basic recordings, hitting the re-set button, and remixing them to bring out nuances and details that were inaudible on the initial EP releases. Early favorites ‘I Give You Two Seconds To Entertain Me’ and ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ remind us of the thrill of hearing Northern Portrait for the very first time, while ‘Waiting For A Chance’ and ‘Our Lambrusco Days’ perfectly showcase the brilliant enhanced orchestration of the remixed versions.

Tracks from the vinyl singles and compilations have been remastered for this album and demonstrate the richness of Northern Portrait’s more recent recordings, from their especially jangling Christmas song ‘Leave The Trees Alone’ to the accomplished hits ‘Happy Nice Day’ and ‘I Feel Even Better’ from their recent 10” release.

A wonderful opportunity to revisit Northern Portrait songs from their first six years, Ta! is a cohesive album that bridges the gap until the band returns with its highly anticipated sophomore album next year. The CD is available in a matte-finish eco-wallet with annotated tracklisting by the band.

The official release date is December 10th but we are taking preorders for the album now and will ship copies on the day of release. Please see the catalog page for complete release details. In the meantime, how can you resist listening to these absolute gems from the Northern Portrait discography?