If we do nothing else this year, we have secured our spot in the 2008 record books with brilliant Matinée debuts out today from our latest signings Northern Portrait and The Electric Pop Group! Following are the exclusive release details:
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NORTHERN PORTRAIT – THE FALLEN ARISTOCRACY EP
Tracklisting:
1. Crazy
2. A Quiet Night In Copenhagen
3. Waiting For A Chance
4. The Fallen Aristocracy
Magnificent debut release from new Danish trio Northern Portrait who are ready to take the world by storm with one of the strongest singles released by Matinée to date! The release has all the makings of a modern pop classic and, according to somebody in the know, will “shake the indiepop world to its very foundations.” The band lists indie legends The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Housemartins among its influences and they certainly should appeal to fans of these and other classic pop groups plus contemporary favorites like Math and Physics Club too.
Lead track ‘Crazy’ is the one that got the band noticed when it appeared on a newly-christened Myspace page late last summer. Written and recorded in a four-hour time frame which marked the beginning of Northern Portrait, the song was completed intuitively with absolutely nothing prepared until guitars plugged in. A mix of acoustic and electric Rickenbackers, the guitars jangle in all the right places recalling Smiths classics like ‘This Charming Man’, and the vocals fit the music perfectly. It’s a hit!
‘A Quiet Night In Copenhagen’ is the first of three additional tracks on the EP and sets the bar pretty high with more jangling guitars, nice tempo changes and other instrumentation. Short and to the point, the song is a fairly universal tale of a kind of voluntary outsiderism. ‘Waiting For A Chance’ is a bit slower and recalls the brightness of The Trash Can Sinatras or The Sundays if they had a male singer. The song features more of the characteristic Northern Portrait guitar sounds plus some nice keyboards. Final track ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ is an ode to all romantics—bittersweet, but definitely more sweet than bitter. Using glockenspiel in addition to guitars, the song bounces along nicely and just might make the case of saving the strongest track for last.
This debut demonstrates amazing promise for a new band and leads one to wonder if the b-sides are this good just what does Northern Portrait have in store for its debut album?
For band photos, soundclips, reviews and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and Northern Portrait pages on Myspace.
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THE ELECTRIC POP GROUP – SUNRISE EP
Tracklisting:
1. I Could See The Lights
2. This Is The Town
3. Summer’s Day
4. Come And See Me
Brilliant Matinée debut from popular Swedish band The Electric Pop Group. The quartet astonished everyone late in 2006 with a self-released debut album that came out of nowhere to make numerous year-end lists and earn countless favorable reviews including comparisons to legendary bands on Creation Records (Razorcuts, Primal Scream, The Pastels, Jesus and Mary Chain) and Sarah Records (The Sea Urchins, Another Sunny Day, Brighter, and The Field Mice). As one of many indie record labels that took notice, Matinée made contact with them just as they started work on new recordings last summer and this EP is the first fruit of those sessions. Especially notable given the band’s name, this EP also marks the addition of acoustic guitars to their repertoire.
The EP kicks off with ‘I Could See The Lights’, an incredible tune and one of the first new songs the band recorded following the success of its debut album. Guitars jangle, drums pound, keyboards chime…the song simply shimmers and will serve as a perfect summertime anthem even in the face of less agreeable weather. It demanded to be released as a single so here it is!
In addition to the lead track, the EP features three glorious additional songs: ‘This Is The Town’ is another chiming A-side, an infectious song that features prominent keyboards as the perfect counterpoint to three glistening guitar parts. ‘Summer’s Day’ is a showcase for the newly added acoustic guitar, a fragile song that is similar to and every bit as poignant as the classic track ‘For Always’ by Razorcuts. Finally, ‘Come And See Me’ employs keyboards to great effect, creating a mesmerizing and soaring hit that is an especially lovely way to end the EP for sure.
On this release, the band takes its sound—described by one esteemed music writer as “both studiously retrospective and thoroughly contemporary”—and expands it with added instrumentation and superb songwriting. The result is a modern indiepop classic and another sparkling addition to the Matinée discography.
For band photos, soundclips, reviews and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and The Electric Pop Group pages on Myspace.
All the cool kids are buying copies of both EPs so get to the order page or your favorite shop to secure yours today! Both EPs should appear on iTunes any day as well so if you’re after digital copies your wait is nearly over. You can listen to ‘I Could See The Lights’ and ‘Crazy’ in their entirety on the Matinée sounds page, or tracks from each EP rotating weekly on MySpace, or 30-second samples of all the songs on iTunes. Enjoy!
On this last day of the month, Northern Portrait takes over as the new number one on the hit parade. Here are the top sellers on the website for March:
10. Matinée Recordings – turntable t-shirt
9. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
8. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
4. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP
3. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP
2. The Electric Pop Group – Sunrise CDEP
1. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP