Hello popular music fans and welcome to the latest dose of Matinée news!
Our newest release is the spectacular sophomore album “Inner North” (matcd034)
from Australian act The Guild League! Originally heralded as a side project of Lucksmiths
vocalist/drummer Tali White, The Guild League is now a living, breathing entity with live shows and press interviews
and everything. Anyone who thought the band’s 2002 debut album “Private Transport” (matcd023)
was something…just wait until you hear “Inner North!”
While the previous album celebrated the magnificence of international travel, the new album is all about the wonders
of hometown Melbourne’s inner north suburbs. Guitar, cello, piano, drums and brass shape The Guild League sound,
with Tali’s distinctively polished voice at the forefront. A self assured and cohesive second album, “Inner North” is
unhurried, wryly humorous, proudly diverse and humbly beautiful. Local hip culture magazine Inpress called it “one
of the best albums of the year so far” and we’re sure it will make many a year-end list as well.
Visit the sounds page to preview ace album tracks ‘Citronella’, ‘The Storm’ and
‘Scientists.’ Full release information, tracklisting and all current reviews are now up on the updated
catalog page so go there for the latest. You’ll be glad you did.
Our second new release is the classic third album “All Things Can Be Mended” (matcd033)
from English duo Harper Lee! One of Matinée’s consistently popular acts, Harper Lee has earned fanatical
reviews for its three singles and previous albums “Go Back To Bed” (matcd009)
and “Everything’s Going To Be OK” (matcd020). The new album builds on the
duo’s signature sound – intricately layered guitars, keyboards, percussion and vocals – with the addition of
enhanced electronica, trumpets, and backing vocals.
In reviewing the album, Erasing Clouds
called it “a truly beautiful album” with “song after song of perfect melodies and harmonies, beautifully constructed
arrangements and textures, and succinct lyrics filled with pain.” Meanwhile, those dependable editors at
Tasty acknowledged the album’s “proper,
grown-up angst, not some pretend-gothic nonsense that hangs around city centres trying to skateboard.” As
always, Sam Tasty knows what’s what.
Surely the most impressive Harper Lee record to date, “All Things Can Be Mended” is a masterpiece in modern
melancholy. See the sounds page to preview tracks ‘Everybody Leaves’, ‘Stupid’ and
the epic ‘This Is The Sound That A Heart Makes When It’s Breaking.’ The catalog
page includes full release details, tracklisting and all current reviews so check it out because Harper Lee rule
okay?
Moving on to other fresh goods we find the brilliant new album “The Morning After” (matcd032)
from London quartet Would-Be-Goods! Their fourth album overall and perhaps the most eclectic to date, the
album features 12 classic new songs demonstrating the elegance, charm, eccentricity, style and wit that makes
Would-Be-Goods one of the most beloved bands in the history of indiepop.
Among the wonderful early reviews for the album, Indiepages awarded it “favorite Would-Be-Goods
record yet” status, Erasing Clouds called it “a
perfect example of pop songcraft,” and Excellent
Online described it as “elegant and timeless guitar pop…smart, sexy and classic.”
We happen to think it is the most extraordinary Would-Be-Goods records so far, but don’t trust us – visit the
sounds page for full soundclips from the album, and see the catalog
page for release information, tracklisting and all current reviews. This one’s a gem that you really shouldn’t miss.
“The Morning After” is released in the UK via Fortuna POP! and
Would-Be-Goods play a special London album launch party Sunday October 24th at 7:30 pm at The Betsey
Trotwood (56 Farringdon Road, nearest tube Farringdon). Special guests include fellow Matinée all-stars Slipslide,
plus Michaelmas and a deejay set from indiepop guru Peter Hahndorf . Tickets are £5.00
advance, £6.00 at the door.
In addition to some splendid new releases, we are also celebrating all things Sportique this month as they
serve as Matinée artist of the month for October! One of the earliest Matinée signings and our first venture into the
English pop scene, Sportique has the distinct honor of releasing the very first Matinée album, 1999’s “Black Is A
Very Popular Colour” (matlp001). Two 7″ singles – “Love and Remains”
(matinée 007) and “Don’t Believe A Word I Say” (matinée
017) – quickly followed before Sportique turned up the guitars and ventured deeper into the vaults of musical
history to produce the magnificent mini-albums “Modern Museums” (matcd015)
and “Communiqué No. 9” (matcd024). Critics and fans alike went wild, the band
lived large on two brief US tours and then it all went quiet. As always with Sportique, we never know what to expect
from the future so for now we will simply revel in their splendor at every given opportunity for the next 30 days.
Hurrah!
As resident artist of the month, we have revisited the Sportique artist page,
adding links to interviews and a poll to determine the favorite Sportique song of all time. Everyone is in election
mode now anyway so get there to cast your vote! There are numerous Sportique songs now featured on the
sounds page too, including the rare track ‘One for the Road’ taken from the band’s
debut 45. Of course all Sportique titles are on sale this month only at the mailorder so
take this opportunity to complete your collection today because some titles are very close to selling out.
In forthcoming release news, we sincerely apologize for the delay in the new Lovejoy album “Everybody
Hates” (matcd035). This week we’ll blame it on the fact that Microtek have still
not configured Macintosh OS-X operating software for the Matinée scanner. If anybody out there knows how to get a
G-5 to recognize a Scanmaker X12 scanner please let me know! We are finalizing the Lovejoy artwork and hope to
have news next month for it plus other new releases scheduled from Pipas, Pale Sunday, The
Young Tradition and more. We also have some special holiday surprises planned, so stay tuned!
The recent “This is Farewell” CD (matcd031) from San Francisco’s dearly
departed Fairways continues to accrue positive reviews across the globe. In four short months the album
appears on its way to joining the upper echelon of the most celebrated Matinée releases.
Among its zealous reviews, Losing Today called it “so contagious that
you’ll find resisting the charms of these gems a serious battle of wills,” The
Big Takeover described it as “sort of a sunnier American take on early Everything But The Girl but with a guy
singer,” and Pop Matters lauded the
album as “a set of sad, beautiful, wide-eyed songs.”
If you haven’t heard The Fairways already, have a listen to the album preview tracks on the sounds
page to see what everybody is raving about. See the catalog page for full release
information, tracklisting, and all current reviews. The album really is a modern indiepop classic and an essential
release for any Matinée enthusiast.
The website now boasts nearly 50 new reviews for some of the latest releases. Check the catalog
pages and get set to practice your Dutch, English, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish
because this batch is a truly international one.
Finally, new releases and artist of the month The Windmills dominated the September hit parade. Here are the
top sellers from last month:
10. The Windmills – Sunlight CD
9. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
8. The Windmills – Walking Around the World CDEP
7. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
6. The Windmills – Now is Then CD
5. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
4. The Guild League – Inner North CD
3. Various – Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware CD
2. Would-Be-Goods – The Morning After CD
1. Harper Lee – All Things Can Be Mended CD
If you are behind on your Matinée catalog or need some holiday gift ideas, pay a visit to the Matinée mailorder
today. You won’t be disappointed! We’ll have a special visitor in Santa Barbara for a week in early November so if
you get a note from Marky Lucksmith Monnone in your next parcel consider yourself among the lucky!
Until next month
Jimmy
x