It’s straight in at number one for Northern Portrait as the ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ 10” (matinée 086) is released today as the top seller in the Matinée shop. That’s no surprise really given the fantastic early reception to the single:

“Pretty Decent Swimmers proves once again that it’s the arrangement and execution of the songs, not the mere style of them, that sets Northern Portrait apart. The opening ‘Happy Nice Day’ is instant: it’s a tumbling travelogue, high-velocity jangle ringing out from every pore, dripping with a sweetness somewhere between sherbet fountain and champagne fountain (and just as fizzing) … from Denmark via Santa Barbara, the first classic single of the year.” —In Love With These Times, In Spite Of These Times

“In terms of quality you’d have to say that pretty decent is an understatement.” —Sounds XP

“Happy Nice Day is as strong a song as the band have written, and Bon Voyage is a kind of Velvet Underground-meets-Orange Juice romp through a holiday romance ripped asunder by a lack of bravado, which reminds me of ‘Queen is Dead’-era Smiths.” —A Layer of Chips

“Pretty Decent Swimmers takes [Northern Portrait] in one bound into the upper echelons of the Scandoindiepop model.” —Sweeping The Nation

“Some of the most accomplished music the band has crafted to date … it’s early in the year, but you’re going to have to try real hard to find such a splendid piece of pop for the rest of the year.” —Austin Town Hall

“Feels like a classic right from first listen.” —The Sound of Confusion

The absolutely beautiful 10” record on transparent swimming pool blue vinyl is out now and available from your trusty Matinée mailorder plus smart record merchants around the globe including Darla Records (USA), Beethobear (Taiwan), Fraction Discs (Sweden), Hands and Arms (France), Jigsaw Records (USA), Locomotiva Discos (Brazil), Pebble Records (UK), Rough Trade (UK), Stone Records (Japan), Vollwert Records (Germany) and others. The digital version is available for immediate download from the usual suspects as well including the Matinée shop.

Please see below for complete release details including audio previews of all four songs. What a way to kick off our 2013 collection!

Okay … the moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Our first release of 2013 is the highly anticipated ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ 10” (matinée 086) from adored Danish indie purists Northern Portrait! The official release date is January 22 but you can order it right now exclusively from the Matinée shop and get a free immediate download as well!

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. The band’s consummate debut album ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ (matcd054) enjoyed widespread international acclaim in 2010 including numerous appearances on year-end favorite lists, and the ‘Life Returns To Normal’ 7” single (matinée 076) on elegant clear vinyl was released later that same year.

The band has charmed live audiences in Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and USA over the years, including performances at the Indietracks Festival and popfests in Copenhagen, Limoges, Madrid and San Francisco.

The fantastic new ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ EP is available on deluxe 10” color vinyl and digital formats, and features the first new recordings from the band in over two years.

Lead track ‘Happy Nice Day’ is three and a half minutes of straightforward power pop inspired by Swedish pop idols The Wannadies. It is an ode to the joys of traveling and casual meetings in hotels, airports and pen friend sections from Tokyo to Stockholm to Hamburg to Nice and beyond.

Meanwhile, ‘Greetings From Paris’ explores the difficulty in admitting when reality doesn’t exactly match expectations and ambitions. It’s a superb slice of Nordic guitar pop that builds to an especially melodic conclusion.

Side two opens with the playful and jaunty ‘Bon Voyage!’, a song about short term holiday attractions gone wrong … but with a slight twist. Musically sunny and shimmering, the song is a guitar driven sunbath and pool dive all in one. Bon voyage indeed!

Powerful and jangly, closing track ‘I Feel Even Better’ is an escapist’s dream come true. Lyrical elements from the Cheers theme song in reverse accentuate the desire to get away, while autoharp and 12-string guitar add a bright sparkle to the general bounciness of the song.

‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ is pressed on transparent swimming pool blue vinyl and limited to 1000 hand-numbered copies in a luxurious sleeve featuring fashionable Los Angeles water ballet troupe Aqualillies on the cover.

For more release information, please see the catalog page and the Matinée page on Facebook. You can preview the entire single right now on the Soundcloud player below!

Please note: 10” vinyl is heavy and does not fit in any flat rate shipping envelopes so postage is relatively expensive for this item if ordered alone, especially for international orders. Your best bet is to order a few things at once as incremental postage for additional items is negligible. Northern Portrait’s beautiful clear vinyl ‘Life Returns To Normal’ 7” single (matinée 076) is a perfect addition!  Domestic customers: media mail shipping is a bit cheaper (and a lot slower) than priority but you get what you pay for and we strongly recommend not using media mail for vinyl records. This record is a beauty and we wouldn’t want to see it crushed by that giant box of textbooks your neighbor just ordered via media mail. Now, straight to the shop for a copy of this essential new release!

We have now counted all the votes in our 11th annual Matinée fanclub poll and here is a summary of the winners:

The 2012 Matinée album of the year award goes to the smash debut album ‘Hits In The Car’ (matcd060) from Scottish duo Strawberry Whiplash with 54 votes. Fashionable Finnish band Cats On Fire scored second place with 49 votes for their magnificent album ‘All Blackshirts To Me’ (matcd061), while Australian legends The Sugargliders placed third with 42 votes for the superb retrospective compilation ‘A Nest With A View’ (matcd062).

In very close voting in the singles category, Australian collective Bart and Friends took the prize with 35 votes for the ace ‘There May Come A Time’ EP (matinée 081). New Irish buzz band September Girls placed second with 33 votes for the enchanting ‘Wanting More’ 7” (matinée 085), while the excellent new EP ‘The Fake Stories About You and Me’ (matinée 083) from Brazilian band Pale Sunday took third place with 32 votes.

In the song of the year category, the infectious ‘Happy (When You Lived Here)’ from Pale Sunday came out on top with 21 votes. Other favorites of the year include ‘Wanting More’ from September Girls (19), ‘My Sense Of Pride’ from Cats On Fire (18), ‘There May Come A Time’ from Bart and Friends (17), ‘Stop, Look And Listen’ from Strawberry Whiplash (17), ‘The Liberation of Love’ from Charlie Big Time (14), ‘Ahprahran’ from The Sugargliders (13), ‘The Winter Song’ from Pale Sunday (12), ‘A Few Empty Waves’ from Cats on Fire (11), and ‘On The Spectrum’ from The Hermit Crabs (11).

In the favorite Matinée artist category, The Lucksmiths held the number one spot for the 11th straight year with 40 votes, followed by Northern Portrait (31) and Math and Physics Club (30) in the top three. Other favorite bands in 2012 voting include Brighter (22), Cats on Fire (21), Harper Lee (17), Strawberry Whiplash (17), Bubblegum Lemonade (14), The Electric Pop Group (13), and Bart and Friends (12).

Northern Portrait claimed the favorite Matinée album of all time category for the second year running with 30 votes for ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ (matcd054). Other favorites in the top five include ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (19), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (17), ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club (16), and ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (16). The Lucksmiths, Cats On Fire, Harper Lee, Brighter, Math and Physics Club, The Electric Pop Group, and Strawberry Whiplash had additional albums in the top tier.

Math and Physics Club took the top Matinée single of all time as their ‘Jimmy Had A Polaroid’ 7” (matinée 075) earned 16 votes to lead the final category. ‘T-Shirt Weather’ 7” (matinée 018) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068) from Northern Portrait (15), ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ EP (matinée 070) from Northern Portrait (14), and ‘Untidy Towns’ 7” (matinée 004) from The Lucksmiths (13) also made the top five this year. Harper Lee, Math and Physics Club, Edson, Northern Portrait, The Hermit Crabs, Bubblegum Lemonade, Strawberry Whiplash and Would-Be-Goods had additional singles in the top tier.

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who completed the poll. We had entries this year from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and USA. The lucky winner of the $50 Matinée prize drawing is Brent Farrand from Sacramento, California. Congratulations Brent!

The calendar says December so it must be time for the 11th annual Matinée fanclub poll! Every year we survey the Matinée faithful to see which new releases made you smile and reward voters with shop discounts and free records in the process. The polling runs all month long so if you haven’t ordered the latest releases yet there’s still time to get them before votes are due.

The album of the year contenders for 2012 are ‘Hits In The Car’ (matcd060) from Strawberry Whiplash, ‘All Blackshirts To Me’ (matcd061) from Cats on Fire, and ‘A Nest With A View’ (matcd062) from The Sugargliders.

The 2012 single of the year contenders are ‘There May Come A Time’ CDEP (matinée 081) from Bart and Friends, ‘Dishevelled Revellers’ CDEP (matinée 082) from Charlie Big Time, ‘The Fake Stories About You and Me’ CDEP (matinée 083) from Pale Sunday, ‘Time Relentless’ CDEP (matinée 084) from The Hermit Crabs, and ‘Wanting More’ 7” EP (matinée 085) from September Girls.

We are also collecting votes for song of the year, 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 the year, and one lucky voter will be selected to receive $50 of free Matinée merchandise. The poll closes January 1st, so please complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!

To refresh your memory, we have created a special playlist on Soundcloud featuring two tracks from each of the 2012 releases and you can listen to it here:

We’ll be kicking off 2013 with a bang, including new vinyl releases from Northern Portrait, Bubblegum Lemonade, Math and Physics Club, and The Steinbecks, plus a new label compilation and more so please stay tuned for the latest news and exclusive previews of forthcoming releases. Happy holidays and thanks for all your support this year!

We’re doing a Matinée advent calendar again this year and what better way to kick it off than a winter gem from The Lucksmiths! Look for seasonal and holiday songs from your favorite Matinée artists every day until Santa arrives. The player below should update each day as we add the latest. Happy holidays!

Danish indie purists Northern Portrait are back in action January 8th with a fantastic new single entitled ‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ (matinée 086) available on 10” color vinyl and digital formats.

The single features the first new recordings from the band in over two years, including exclusive new tracks ‘Happy Nice Day’, ‘Greetings From Paris’, ‘Bon Voyage!’ and ‘I Feel Even Better’.

As most of you know, Northern Portrait debuted on the indie scene 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. The band’s highly anticipated debut album ‘Criminal Art Lovers’ (matcd054) in 2010 enjoyed widespread international acclaim including numerous appearances on year-end favorite lists. Later that year, the band released the ‘Life Returns To Normal’ 7” single (matinée 076) on elegant clear vinyl, and contributed tracks to two Matinée label compilations. Two years on, the anticipation for new Northern Portrait songs has reached a fever pitch but the wait is nearly over…

Lead track ‘Happy Nice Day’ is three and a half minutes of straightforward power pop inspired by Swedish pop idols The Wannadies. It is an ode to the joys of traveling and casual meetings in hotels, airports and pen friend sections from Tokyo to Stockholm to Hamburg to Nice and beyond. You can preview it here:

‘Pretty Decent Swimmers’ is limited to 1000 hand-numbered copies in a deluxe sleeve featuring fashionable Los Angeles water ballet troupe Aqualillies on the cover and pressed on transparent swimming pool blue vinyl (naturally).

Preorders begin next month in the Matinée shop. Until then, have a happy nice day!

Our latest releases are the top sellers on the Matinée hit parade at the moment and they are also enjoying a fantastic reception from the music press. The current number one is the smart new ‘Wanting More’ 7” EP (matinée 085) on milky clear vinyl from Irish fivesome September Girls. Here are seven choice quotes about the single from people in the know:

“A perfect rush-hour blur of motor city soul and modern pop noise … as if Black Tambourine were jamming selections from Isn’t Anything” —In Love With These Times In Spite Of These Times

“Brain-tinglingly sweet indiepop songs overloaded with gorgeous girl-group melodies and showered with fuzz like the dusting of edible glitter on a batch of cupcakes.” —The Sound of Confusion

“Throughout the three flawless tracks on this seven inch, September Girls create something so exciting and deeply beautiful that it’s hard to understand why they aren’t pop stars already … a little piece of plastic to treasure.” —A Layer of Chips

“A truly lovable EP, we’re already wanting more.” —Sounds XP

“The Ronettes never fronted The Jesus and Mary Chain in a recording produced by Phil Spector, but this might give you an idea of what it would have sounded like if they had.” —When You Motor Away

“The drums are like Keith Moon on a particularly confused day, the guitars swirl, the bass throbs and the keys pierce like a lighthouse through dense fog.” —Listen With Monger

“If you mix The Girlfriends with Dum Dum Girls and the Wall Of Sound era; you basically have the ideal band don’t you? That ideal band is called September Girls.” —Gypsy Death and You

Sounds like something you would like, oui? In other news, September Girls sat down with both We Are Noise and The Von Pip Musical Press recently and you can link to the resulting interviews on their Matinée artist page.

Now, have a listen to ‘Hells Bells’ below to see what the fuss is all about:

Current number two on the hit parade is the very handsome compilation album ‘A Nest With A View’ (matcd062) from Australian legends The Sugargliders. Here are some nice words about the release:

“An ideal primer in every way.” —Mess and Noise

“We are here to honour the Sugargliders, and A Nest With A View does that in spades … it’s astonishing how Josh and Joel summoned up quite so many storming compositions within such a short window of time.” —In Love With These Times In Spite Of These Times

“A near impeccable compilation.” —Sounds XP

“Honest, original, unpretentious pop songs [with] simple and affecting melodies. This is a compilation that can fill your fall days with the music you need.” —When You Motor Away

“An exquisite snapshot of a band that left us with a brief career, but one that surely stands the test of time.” —Austin Town Hall

“Make sure you don’t let these gorgeous tunes pass you by.” —The Sound of Confusion

“An impressive body of work.” —Please Rain Fall

See the Sugargliders artist page for links to great interviews recently published on Brilldream, Mess and Noise, and Linear Tracking Lives.

In honor of their current chart placing you can have a listen to the wonderful album closer ‘Top 40 Sculpture’ right here:

Number three on the Matinée chart is the ace new ‘Time Relentless’ EP (matinée 084) from The Hermit Crabs and here are quotes from some of our favorite reviews so far:

“A jangle-pop feast … a perfect pop pill … indiepop lovers, we are in luck!” —Bloodbuzzed

“As fine a slice of pop as I’ve come to expect from the Glasgow four-piece.” —Skatterbrain

“Glorious, melody-strewn folk-pop [with] a warm cooking-pot of simmeringly jangling guitars.” —In Love With These Times In Spite Of These Times

“Since 2006 it’s been three eps and one full-length all on the Matinée label and all with top quality that one would expect from the band, label and city of Glasgow.” —Blurt

“Deliciously good.” —Fingertips

“Timeless pop songs that every listener will surely find endearing … a perfect execution of blissful pop songs.” —Austin Town Hall

“A sweet indie pop triumph.” —When You Motor Away

Is it Thanksgiving on my brain or do most of these reviews have a foodie focus? Deliciously good … feast … simmering … cooking pot … sweet … slice … what’s going on here? Have a listen to lead track ‘On The Spectrum’ to find out:

All three releases are available now in the Matinée shop in both physical and digital formats. Please see the individual catalog pages for complete release details including more soundclips and full reviews.

Some of you have already noticed a stash of records from other labels in the Matinée shop, but for those of you that haven’t you may want to check the albums and singles pages in the shop carefully as we have some great releases in stock now. New releases include the ‘Green Eyed’ 7” from September Girls on Soft Power Records, the ‘It’s Not The Words That You Say’ CDEP from Bart and Friends on Shelflife, the ‘Today Will Be Yesterday So Soon’ compilation from Bulldozer Crash on Jigsaw, and the ‘When The Music’s Over’ CD from The Spinning Wheels also on Jigsaw. Bulldozer Crash are surely on your radar as key members went on to form Matinée hitmakers The Liberty Ship and Kosmonaut years later, while The Spinning Wheels is what our beloved Lovejoy called themselves before they adopted the new moniker Lovejoy.

Other releases currently in stock include gems from splendid pop imprints Fortuna POP! (Airport Girl, Would-Be-Goods), Fraction Discs (Cats on Fire), Library (Bart and Friends), Lost and Lonesome (The Lucksmiths), Marsh Marigold (Cats on Fire), Microindie (The Steinbecks), Paris Caramel (The Fairways), Summershine (The Steinbecks), and WIAIWYA (Airport Girl). Happy shopping!

Irish band September Girls are the fifth new artist to join the Matinée roster in the past 12 months and we couldn’t be any more excited! A five piece girl group hailing from Dublin, the band plays reverb soaked noise pop of the finest order, with distant layered harmonies, swirling organ, and distorted guitars once described as “sounds from a transistor radio abandoned in a rural cinema.”

Formed in September 2011, the band’s debut release—a limited cassette single for Glasgow’s Soft Power Records in April 2012—sold out worldwide within a week. The girls spent the summer recording new songs and playing dates across the UK including a lauded performance at the Indietracks Festival.

Autumn sees the band return to the UK for more shows alongside the release of a trio of 7 inch EPs, including one each for Matinée Recordings, Soft Power Records in Scotland, and Art For Blind Records in Ireland.

The Matinée debut is the ‘Wanting More’ 7” EP (matinée 085) featuring the incredibly catchy title track which originally appeared on the Soft Power cassette in demo form. The song has classic girl group vocals, majestic harmonies, chiming guitars, a haze of keyboards, and pounding drums all positively drenched in reverb. With its refrain of “take me back to where the summer lasts forever” it is the ideal opener for an EP released by a label basking in the year-round California sunshine.

The EP features two more superb songs on the B-side. ‘Hells Bells’ is an infectious 60s pop hit combining fuzzy guitars, thundering drums, haunting organ, and swirling melodies to create a hypnotic masterpiece of reverberation. It’s the perfect soundtrack for bikini-clad girls with beehive hairdos dancing around a bonfire on the beach. Closing track ‘Man Chats’ is two minutes of sublime noisy pop, with a primitive rhythm, assaulting guitars, and cavernous vocals that add an extra dose of intrigue and suspense to the EP.

Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies on stylish milky clear vinyl, this is the ultimate in garage pop perfection and another smash hit for the Matinée discography. The official release date is November 6 but we have copies to ship already so order yours right now in the Matinée shop!

We also have 50 copies of the brand new September Girls 7” for Soft Power Records featuring the ace tracks ‘Green Eyed’ and ‘Danny Wood’ so get one of those before they’re gone too. We hear it’s close to selling out in just a week so don’t say we didn’t warn you…

If the above prose doesn’t do the band justice all you need to do is click play on the jukebox below to preview the single right now:

The band has also made a great video for Hells Bells. We told you it was perfect soundtrack for bikini-clad girls dancing on the beach!

September Girls – Hells Bells from jessie ward on Vimeo.

To make room for a stash of new Matinée releases, we are holding an autumn clearance sale all month long in the Matinée shop! During this sale, more than 100 titles are reduced with 7” singles from $1.50 each, cd singles from $3.00 each, and cd albums from $5.00 each. As an added bonus, all orders of $50 or more qualify for an extra 10 percent off by applying promotional code spooky10 in the shopping cart … and all orders of $100 or more qualify for an extra 20 percent off by applying promotional code spooky20 in the shopping cart. These special discounts apply to all items in the shop including new releases, back catalog items, and digital downloads so please go crazy and help us clear space for new gems! Sale prices and additional discounts expire October 31. Please see the shop for details.