We have some very exciting new releases in production and will spill the beans about all of them in the next few days. If you are clever you can probably learn a bit now by poking around the site a little.

In the meantime, we need to make room in the warehouse so we’re having a clearance sale the entire month of April. Please see the order page for mad deals on nearly everything in the catalog. All 7″ singles are priced at just $1 which could cause a few more to go out of print forever. CD singles start at just $2 and CD albums at $5 so some of these may be deleted by the end of the month too.

Finally, Scottish legends-in-the-making Bubblegum Lemonade return to the top of the hit parade! Here are the top sellers for the month of March:

10. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
9. Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD
8. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP
7. The Hermit Crabs – Correspondence Course CDEP
6. Bubblegum Lemonade – Susan’s In The Sky CDEP
5. Northern Portrait – Napoleon Sweetheart CDEP
4. Would-Be-Goods – Eventyr CD
3. The Lucksmiths – First Frost CD
2. The Guild League – Speak Up CD
1. Bubblegum Lemonade – Doubleplusgood CD

We are busy this month converting our entire digital catalog to the new iTunes plus format and since we’re going to all this trouble we have also added lots of other back catalog titles to iTunes. The big transition is April 1st so there may be some titles that disappear for a few days but then return in the new format so if you’re looking for something in particular please check the iTunes page.

If you are anti-iTunes for some reason you’ll be happy to learn that we are now also digitally distributed via emusic and Amazon mp3 so check there for a fix. New titles seem to be showing up on a daily basis on both sites so if you don’t find what you want check back in a few days.

We are starting a new website feature this week, hosting two mp3s on the Matinée sounds page each week as part of our ‘weekly download.’ New songs will be posted each Monday so check the site each week and you will soon have a nice little playlist of songs for your iPod. They’re only up for seven days though so don’t slip up.

In honor of their headline appearance this week at the London Popfest, our inaugural feature includes the wonderful track ‘Talking Backwards’ from Tender Trap. The song appears on both the ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) and the ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) album and surely you have both in your collection already, right? Has it really been three years since their last splendid release? Fingers crossed for something new from Tender Trap soon!

Our second featured download is in celebration of a freak snowstorm that has just hit the southeastern United States including my old stomping grounds in North and South Carolina. Typically by this time of year the hot weather has already started so we’re playing the ace track ‘Summer Snow’ from one of our all time favorite Matinée bands, The Windmills. This one comes from the 2003 album ‘Now Is Then’ (matcd028) which sadly was their last release. Essential listening, nevertheless, as is everything else from The Windmills.

You can download both tracks RIGHT NOW on the sounds page.

Finally, after four months atop the Matinée hit parade, the Lucksmiths take a dive allowing the magnificent new album ‘Eventyr’ from Would-Be-Goods a well deserved #1 for the month of February. Hurrah! It really is a great album. The chart also sees a resurgence of all things Hermit Crabs. Here is the top ten:

10. Bubblegum Lemonade – Susan’s In The Sky CDEP
9. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
8. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
7. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
6. Northern Portrait – Napoleon Sweetheart CDEP
5. Bubblegum Lemonade – Doubleplusgood CD
4. The Lucksmiths – First Frost CD
3. The Hermit Crabs – Correspondence Course CDEP
2. The Guild League – Speak Up CD
1. Would-Be-Goods – Eventyr CD

New releases taking shape…more news and exclusive preview tracks coming soon!

News of the weird: Apparently President Obama is getting speech inspiration from The Guild League these days. In his speech to a joint session of Congress this week, Obama used the phrase “the quiet burden of their absence” which caused The Huffington Post to report:

“In the most oddball contribution of the speech, this line originates from the Australian pop band The Guild League on their album, Inner North: “The shirtless sky, the burning bricks. The quiet burden of your absence.” I’ll put down money that this song is on the Ipod of Obama’s twenty-seven year old speechwriter, Jon Favreau.”

This puts The Guild League in the same company as John F. Kennedy, Shakespeare, and J. R. R. Tolkien according to the newspaper. I told you this was weird…

In other news, the mighty A Layer of Chips fanzine has published a Matinée interview which we have added to the archive page along with a recent interview for Le Popstop. Thanks Sam and Jenny!

We keep forgetting to post these ace videos The Guild League made for their latest album ‘Speak Up’ (matcd051) but just remembered so here you go: videos for ‘Suit Fits’ and ‘Mouse vs. Mountain’…

Enjoy!

We’ve added lots of great reviews to the catalog page lately and here are some of our favorite quotes on the new releases:

matcd047
WOULD-BE-GOODS – EVENTYR

“Whether or not many of the class of 1987 are still listening to obscure jangle bands is anyone’s guess; but for those romantic nostalgists left behind The Would-Be-Goods offer succour and sweet home comfort.” —Nightshift Magazine

“The sound of serendipity at work.” —In Love With These Times…

“Expertly executed stuff, and terribly entertaining.” —Pop Musicology

“There’s nothing else around like Would-be-Goods—they aren’t Swedish, they don’t want to sound like a Jesus and Mary Chain b-side, and they don’t have beards.” —A Layer of Chips

“The heavily pedigreed quartet is plenty competent, and Eventyr is its most muscular and full-sounding album to date.” —PopMatters

“A brilliant album, as any new material from Jessica Griffin’s pen is bound to be.” —Heaven Is Above Your Head

“Old school indie with perfectly pitched pronunciation.” —The Devil Has The Best Tuna

matcd048
BUBBLEGUM LEMONADE – DOUBLEPLUSGOOD

“Carefully crafted bubblegum pop.” —Russell’s Reviews

“A perfect Rickenbacker-flavoured pop album for the 21st century.” —Pennyblack Magazine

“Doubleplusgood is devastatingly effective and is worthy of your hard earned pennies.” —indie-mp3.co.uk

“It’s a study in the pop rush with hooks and pop goodness washing over you like a California coastal break.” —The Finest Kiss

“I keep banging on about the quality of music emanating from Glasgow, and this is a prime example.” —Loud Horizon Music

“Like a dayglo Jesus and Mary Chain sans feedback covering The Byrds … as cute as a kettle full of kittens and as poppy as a needle in a balloon factory.” —The Devil Has The Best Tuna

“Every song on this album is great.” —The Soundtrack of My Life

“1960’s inspired jangly melodic indie-pop …yummy yummy yummy.” —Some Velvet Blog

matcd049
THE LUCKSMITHS – FIRST FROST

“First Frost is more of the Lucksmiths at their finest.” —All Music Guide

“The Lucksmiths will be hard pushed to better this exquisite collection. A quiet classic.” —Belfast Telegraph

“First Frost finds the Lucksmiths continuing to put out quietly ambitious records that could be enjoyed by almost anybody who loves music—not just indie pop partisans.” —Pitchfork

“Jangly bedroom pop is rarely as effortless as it is on this album, rarely as independent of trends and rarely so beguiling.” —Aversion.com

“The Lucksmiths have done it again and created their finest LP so far, you might say.” —Pop Musicology

“This could well be the album that brings the Lucksmiths the good fortune they so genuinely deserve.” —Blurt

“First Frost suggests The Lucksmiths are picking up the mantle of Grant McLennan.” —Uncut Magazine

“Quite simply, this is the best form of guitar derived pop imaginable.” —Russell’s Reviews

matcd051
THE GUILD LEAGUE – SPEAK UP

“Speak Up is the band’s best yet.” —Aversion.com

“It’s one of pop’s joys that The Guild League are around. To me, they’re a sort of nifty secret that gets told every three years or so.” —A Layer of Chips

“Speak Up has the feel of a team in unison… like a warm, welcoming reunion with old friends.” —Beat Magazine

“If I feel that The Guild League’s recent Speak Up is their best yet it might just be because it’s so much more immediate.” —Heaven Is Above Your Head

“Tight newie from the best ‘League since Anti-Nowhere containing a mini-constellation of sparkling tunes.” —In Love With These Times…

matinée 071
THE HERMIT CRABS – CORRESPONDENCE COURSE EP

“Correspondence Course is a tiny triumph.” —A Layer of Chips

“Utterly fine from start to finish.” —Pop Musicology

“Following up 2007’s Saw You Dancing with the act’s most intricate arrangements to date, The Hermit Crabs are quickly growing beyond their modest bedroom-pop roots, and Correspondence Course is all the richer for it.” —Aversion.com

“Fans of light, poppy music will enjoy The Hermit Crabs undoubtedly, but what makes this band so unique in its instrumentation and production will surely give this band an even wider audience.” —Delusions of Adequacy

“A fine EP indeed.” —Russell’s Reviews

“I Don’t Know How is a timeless pop song and my favourite Hermit Crabs song to date!” —Heaven Is Above Your Head

matinée 070
NORTHERN PORTRAIT – NAPOLEON SWEETHEART EP

“An absolute classic.” —Russell’s Reviews

“EP of the year, and my new favourite band of the year!” —Pennyblack Magazine

“There were some fine releases on the Matinée label this year, but far and away my favourite was this slice of soaring guitar driven Pop by Denmark’s Northern Portrait.” —Unpopular

“Northern Portrait continue to outclass every Swedish band apart from Days, we ought to call it a disgrace. But let’s call it pop instead.” —Heaven Is Above Your Head

“Northern Portrait are nigh-irresistible…this is pop deluxe.” —In Love With These Times…

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

“Northern Portrait’s second EP impresses me even more than the first.” –Erasing Clouds

If you don’t have all of these releases yet please stop by the order page or your favorite shop today to remedy that situation. There are mp3s from each release now featured on the Matinée sounds page too so enjoy!

We are working behind the scenes on our 2009 release schedule which will feature new releases from Northern Portrait, The Electric Pop Group, Math and Physics Club, The Lucksmiths, and Strawberry Whiplash for starters. In the meantime, here are ten classics you can order right now – the top sellers on the website for January:

10. Would-Be-Goods – Eventyr CD
9. Bubblegum Lemonade – Doubleplusgood CD
8. The Hermit Crabs – Correspondence Course CDEP
7. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
6. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP
5. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
4. Northern Portrait – Napoleon Sweetheart CDEP
3. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
2. The Guild League – Speak Up CD
1. The Lucksmiths – First Frost CD

More news soon…

At last, we are pleased to announce the winners of our seventh annual Matinée fanclub poll! The results are now posted on the archive page and summarized below for your convenience.

The esteemed album of the year award goes to ‘First Frost’ (matcd049) from The Lucksmiths (62 votes), followed by the debut album ‘Doubleplusgood’ (matcd048) from Bubblegum Lemonade (35) and the new album ‘Eventyr’ (matcd047) from Would-Be-Goods (35).

In the singles category, Northern Portrait captured the top two spots with the ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ EP (matinée 070) earning 49 votes and ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068) earning 46. The Hermit Crabs secured the number three spot with 23 votes for their ‘Correspondence Course’ EP (matinée 071).

‘Crazy’ and ‘I Give You Two Seconds To Entertain Me’ also provided Northern Portrait with the top two places in the Matinée song of the year contest. The lead tracks from their two EPs earned 37 and 35 votes, respectively, followed by ‘Susan’s In The Sky’ from Bubblegum Lemonade (22), ‘I Could See The Lights’ from The Electric Pop Group (20), and ‘A Sobering Thought (Just When One Was Needed) from The Lucksmiths (17) in the top five.

Other top tunes included ‘Good Light’ from The Lucksmiths (16), ‘Temporary Best Friend’ from Would-Be-Goods (13), ‘A Quiet Night in Copenhagen’ from Northern Portrait (10), ‘Summer’s Day’ from The Electric Pop Group (9), ‘Correspondence Course’ from The Hermit Crabs (9), ‘California In Popular Song’ from The Lucksmiths (9), ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ from Northern Portrait (9), ‘If Not Now…’ from The Guild League (8), ‘I Don’t Know How’ from The Hermit Crabs (8), ‘Up with the Sun’ from The Lucksmiths (8), and ‘Sad Stories’ from Would-Be-Goods (8).

In the favorite artist category, The Lucksmiths (41 votes), edged out challengers Math and Physics Club (38), and newcomers Northern Portrait (30) to hold the number one spot for the seventh consecutive year. Other favorite bands include Harper Lee (15), Brighter (14), Would-Be-Goods (12), The Guild League (11), Bubblegum Lemonade (10), The Electric Pop Group (9), and Razorcuts (9).

Math and Physics Club took the favorite Matinée album of all time category with 37 votes for their debut album ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042). ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths nearly tied (36 votes), while ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (28), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (19), and ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (16) rounded out the top five.

Other album favorites include ‘Everything’s Going To Be OK’ (matcd020) from Harper Lee (15), ‘First Frost’ (matcd049) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (14), ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (14), ‘Doubleplusgood’ (matcd048) from Bubblegum Lemonade (12), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (12), ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from The Hermit Crabs (11), ‘All Things Can Be Mended’ (matcd033) from Harper Lee (10), ‘Private Transport (matcd023) from The Guild League (9), and ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines (9).

Math and Physics Club also have the top Matinée single of all time as their debut ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) earned 29 votes to lead the final category. Other favorite singles include ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068) from Northern Portrait (25), ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ EP (matinée 070) from Northern Portrait (22), ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths (20), ‘T-Shirt Weather’ EP (matinée 018) from The Lucksmiths (20), ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) from Math and Physics Club (19), ‘Train Not Stopping’ EP (matinée 032) from Harper Lee (15), ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club (15), ‘Midweek Midmorning’ EP (matinée 042) from The Lucksmiths (13), ‘Sunrise’ EP (matinée 067) from The Electric Pop Group (12), ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee (12), ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths (12), ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs (11), ‘Who’s In Your Dreams’ EP (matinée 065) from Strawberry Whiplash (11), and ‘Emmanuelle Béart’ EP (matinée 030) from Would-Be-Goods (10).

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks to everyone who entered the poll this year. We received a record number of entries this year from 18 different countries, so we have selected two entries as winners of the CD prize pack. Congratulations to Toby Semroc from Seattle, Washington and Carsten Scheef from Kiel, Germany. Well done, gentlemen!

Everyone who entered the poll is eligible for a 20 percent discount on your next website order so check your email for details on how to apply the discount and thanks for participating again this year.

Happy New Year! We are tabulating the results of our year-end fanclub poll and will reveal the winners just after a short trip to Washington DC next week. In the meantime, The Lucksmiths finished off 2008 atop the Matinée hit parade. Here are the top sellers for December:

10. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
9. Bubblegum Lemonade – Susan’s In The Sky CDEP
8. Would-Be-Goods – Eventyr CD
7. The Hermit Crabs – Correspondence Course CDEP
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP
4. Northern Portrait – Napoleon Sweetheart CDEP
3. The Guild League – Speak Up CD
2. Bubblegum Lemonade – Doubleplusgood CD
1. The Lucksmiths – First Frost CD

Hurrah…it’s time for the seventh annual Matinée fanclub poll! Once a year we survey our devoted fanbase to see which of the smashing new Matinée releases made you smile the most and reward lucky fans with a selection of free records in the process. This year, album of the year contenders include ‘Eventyr’ (matcd047) from Would-Be-Goods, ‘Doubleplusgood’ (matcd048) from Bubblegum Lemonade, ‘First Frost’ (matcd049) from The Lucksmiths, and ‘Speak Up’ (matcd051) from The Guild League. Wow, indeed.

Single of the year contenders include the ‘Sunrise’ EP (matinée 067) from The Electric Pop Group, ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068) from Northern Portrait, ‘Susan’s In The Sky’ EP (matinée 069) from Bubblegum Lemonade, ‘Napoleon Sweetheart’ EP (matinée 070) from Northern Portrait, and ‘Correspondence Course’ EP (matinée 071) from The Hermit Crabs. An impressive run, don’t you think?

In addition to the favorite album and single categories, we are also collecting votes for song of the year, favorite Matinée artists, and favorite Matinée albums and singles of all time. Please take a moment to share your thoughts. As with prior polls, simply entering earns you a chance to win five free CDs of your choice and with selections like these what do you have to lose? In addition, every entry this year will receive a special 20 percent discount coupon good towards your first 2009 website order. The poll closes January 5th so go here to complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!

Our December warehouse clearance sale continues at the mailorder so check the order page for fantastic savings on nearly everything in the catalog. All remaining 7” singles are priced at just $1, CD singles start at just $2 and CD albums from $5 and there is still plenty of time to get presents under your tree. We are happy to ship directly to a gift recipient too so give us the information and we’ll even send a card with your order. Stock is low on some titles so get there quickly to make sure you get what you want.

If you are decorating your tree this week, a few of our Matinée 45 holiday ornaments might be good to fill in those empty spots. We’ve only a handful left so get going if you want one. Happy holidays!