Napoleon Sweetheart press

If you have visited the Matinée sounds page lately you may have noticed that in addition to a whole lot of streaming audio files, we are now hosting a selection of high quality mp3s for your downloading pleasure. The current offerings come from our latest releases, and we will be sharing tracks from four upcoming albums in the coming weeks too. We are planning to feature select tracks from the back catalog on a rotating basis as well so check back often if you want to sample some great pop from the label.

In other news, cool kids are talking about our latest releases and making some heads swell. Here’s a sampling of what a few are saying about the ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ EP (matinée 070) from Northern Portrait and the ‘Susan’s In The Sky’ EP (matinée 069) from Bubblegum Lemonade:
070 sleeve

“Truly glorious stuff.” —Indie-mp3.co.uk

“Hearing the new Northern Portrait EP, “Napoleon Sweetheart”, one’s tempted to ask where the bloody hell they were in the late 80s, when we were all crying out for the new Smiths and being fobbed off instead with a plethora of anaemic, uber-ropey carbons…Northern Portrait are nigh-irresistible…this is pop deluxe.” —In Love With These Times…

“All four songs on this EP could have been the a-side of a single.” —Eardrums

069 sleeve

“Susan’s in the Sky is all ’60s pop, massive reverb and drones that is the best Jesus and Mary Chain song the Reid brothers never recorded.” —Aversion.com

“As great as Bubblegum Lemonade was when it seemed like Razorcuts and the Mary Chain reborn, it’s even better when it just sounds like Bubblegum Lemonade. This is a hit record with unobvious hits.” —Heaven Is Above Your Head

“Just Like You is the Mary Chain inspired tune that Glasvegas think they have made…Another wonderful example of pop music from the Matinée stable, a label that can do no wrong at present.” — Indie-mp3.co.uk

Northern Portrait are also establishing themselves as international radio favorites, earning ‘song of the week’ honors on Spanish National Radio, enjoying the spotlight on Gideon Coe’s show on BBC 6 Music, securing the coveted ‘song of the day’ spot on KEXP in Seattle, and (finally) getting exposure on Danish National Radio with four weeks in a row at #2 on the alternative chart Det Elektriske Barometer alongside biggies like Sigur Ros, TV on the Radio and Beck.

070Unsurprisingly, Northern Portrait and Bubblegum Lemonade hold atop the Matinée Hit Parade. Here are the top sellers for September:

10. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
9. Matinée Recordings t-shirt
8. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP
5. The Electric Pop Group – Sunrise CDEP
4. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP
3. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP
2. Bubblegum Lemonade – Susan’s In The Sky CDEP
1. Northern Portrait – Napoleon Sweetheart CDEP

Back with some very big news in a few days…