Hello! We’re back with reports on the latest Matinée releases and results of our fifth annual fanclub poll so keep reading as you may be the winner of some free CDs!

Our latest release is the outstanding 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album showcases the strong songwriting, intricate guitars, and exquisite harmonies of amiable English gent Joe Brooker and legendary American songstress Pam Berry. Smart students of indiepop know Joe is a prolific songwriter and one-half of English pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with notable indie bands of the last decade including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. She’s also the subject of a track on the recent #2 on the Billboard charts album from Sub Pop megastars The Shins!

Beginning in 2000, The Pines released a series of limited edition singles for international record labels Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), Long Lost Cousin (UK), and Matinée (USA) and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). In addition to highlights from these releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from a rare self-released Christmas CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow.

As expected, The Pines continue their regime as music press darlings. Diskant called the album “a must-have record,” adding “Pam Berry is one of the most recognizable voices in American indiepop, with a dulcet croon and a perfect sense of timing and timbre, and we’ve stuck with her since her days in the fetishized Black Tambourine though her work with The Pines, with good reason. Meanwhile, Tasty described the album as “over an hour of gorgeousness,” Erasing Clouds wrote “these 20 songs contain a bounty of breakups, hurt feelings, lonely nights, and reconciliations, and a cornucopia of gorgeous moments, of two singers’ voices joining each other to perfectly express a feeling,” and Chickfactor concluded “it’s a joy to hear, so get one already!”

You can see the full tracklisting, read reviews, and listen to songs on the catalog page. The CD is available now from your favorite shop or the Matinée mailorder so get going because The Pines are ace and you know you need some of their magic in your life!

Our second new release is the remarkable ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from new Glasgow act The Hermit Crabs! Band members Melanie Whittle and Des McKenna are veterans of Scottish favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson and Tony McDonald complete the current lineup. Lead track ‘Feel Good Factor’ is rich with instrumentation and simply spectacular…the sort of song that comes along only once in awhile but sticks with you forever. The track is one of the winners in Scotland’s Burnsong song writing competition so prepare for something truly remarkable. Have a listen to it on the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean. Nice, eh?

The EP also features ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time’—three more quality tracks featuring violin, classical guitar, keyboards, superb vocals and strong lyrics. Perfect for fans of Camera Obscura, Tender Trap, Belle and Sebastian or Sambassadeur, the Hermit Crabs are a very welcome addition to the Matinée roster.

We’re happy to report that the press loves our newest band just as much as we do! Among the excellent reviews so far, I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused called the EP “essential listening,” adding “Feel Good Factor does everything you’d hope it would, the kind of upbeat song that’ll have you clapping your hands and skipping round your room like you’ve just got your hands on a copy of Tigermilk’s original vinyl pressing.” Tangents described it as “sweet succinct Pop that snaps and crackles in all the right places,” while All Music Guide called it “classic Scottish indie pop,” and Tasty declared it “a thousand times better than anything Belle and Sebastian have done in the last four or five years.”

The Hermit Crabs continue to turn heads, with CDReviews.com calling them “Glasgow’s latest band-to-be-heard,” Eardrums concluding “definitely a band to watch in 2007,” and Aversion.com suggesting “Scotland might have another minor sensation brewing.”

You can read all the magnificent reviews on the catalog page. The EP is available now from your favorite record merchant or the trusty Matinée mailorder. The band is currently working on its debut album for release later this year so now’s the time to get hip to one of the greatest new bands we’ve heard in a long time!

In other top news, thanks to everyone who voted in our fifth annual Matinée Fanclub poll! The results are now posted on the archive page and summarized below:

The prestigious album of the year award goes to ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club (60 votes), followed by “Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (42) and ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines (22).

In the singles category, Harper Lee captured the top spot with the ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) earning 40 votes. ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths and ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP from newcomers The Hermit Crabs (matinée 063) were the other top picks, earning 39 and 27 votes respectively.

In the coveted song of the year contest, Math and Physics Club took top prize with ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ (30 votes), followed by ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ from The Lucksmiths (29), ‘He Holds A Flame’ from Harper Lee (24), ‘April Showers’ from Math and Physics Club (22) and ‘Feel Good Factor’ from The Hermit Crabs (20). ‘La La La Lisa’ from Math and Physics Club (17), ‘Made in England’ from Lovejoy (13), ‘Sleepydust’ from The Snowdrops (11), ‘Talking Backwards’ from Tender Trap (11) and ‘Wallflower’ from Brighter (8) completed the top ten.

In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths held the number one spot again this year (44 votes), followed by Math and Physics Club (32), Harper Lee (19), Brighter (17), Tender Trap (13), The Pines (12), Razorcuts (12), Pipas (11), Would-Be-Goods (10), and The Fairways (9).

The Lucksmiths also topped the favorite Matinée release of all time category with last year’s ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) album (26 votes). New release ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club proved a serious contender (25 votes), while ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (19), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (19), ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club (17), ‘Everything’s Going To Be OK’ (matcd020) from Harper Lee (16), ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (16), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (13), and ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (12) completed the top ten.

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who entered. We received responses from a record 21 countries this year, and the lucky winner of the five CD prize pack is Eric Atencio from Salt Lake City, Utah. Nicely done! Wish you had won? Join the Matinée Fanclub and you may be our next lucky winner.

Your 2006 favorites continue to amass dazzling reviews in the music press, with All Music Guide calling the self-titled Math and Physics Club album (matcd042) “a solidly crafted, sweet-as-sugar pop record”, Pennyblack declaring ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter “no mere collection of bits and scraps, many of the songs on this CD are longtime fan favorites and it seems that some of the unreleased songs may become favorites as well,” Aversion.com calling ‘England Made Me’ (matinée 062) from Lovejoy “a stunning reminder that guitars and keyboards and drum machines have been playing nicely together for years,” and Tasty commenting on the ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee: “Quite how a band can maintain such a high level of output is beyond me, but Harper Lee do it effortlessly.” Check the catalog pages for links to these and other recent reviews. As with all Matinée releases the order page is just a click away.

As part of our 2006 poll, one respondent suggested we provide updates on some out-of-the-spotlight Matinée bands and we think that’s a splendid idea so we’ll try to bring you up to speed on some happenings over the next few months. The short of it is that nearly everyone’s having babies and sleeping is taking precedent over new recordings, but we’ll start with three exciting bits and promise additional updates in the coming months:

Slipslide, despite producing one of those aforementioned babies, have been steadily working on songs for that difficult sophomore album. Last time we checked there was a splendid song called ‘You Won’t Find It Again’ previewed on the band’s Myspace page. Slipslide is also set to play the highly publicized March 2 London show with Sarah Records legends The Orchids + Lost and Lonesome stars The Zebras. Click here for show details.

Airport Girl have not had any babies that we know of, but have just released their difficult sophomore album ‘Slow Light’ on the excellent Fortuna POP! label following five years of recording and rerecording. The band’s Myspace page features a few teasers including a nice one called ‘Show Me The Way.’

Pipas have also not produced any babies yet (although this Chickfactor photo might suggest otherwise) but released their ‘Sorry Love’ album on their own Long Lost Cousin label last year. They have some other bits of news here.

Apologies to anyone who experienced problems with the Matinée mailorder in the past month. We had a server problem that caused a delay in some orders reaching us, but the trusty people at IndiePages saved the day and retrieved (hopefully) everything that went missing. If you placed an order recently and haven’t heard back please let us know. We are happy to have everything working just fine again.

If you’re after one of our spectacular new releases and are looking for something else to round out the order, perhaps you should contemplate one of the top sellers of the last two months. As you would expect, they’re all swell!

10. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
9. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
8. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
7. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
6. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD
5. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
4. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
3. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
2. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD

We’ve kept quiet about our 2007 release schedule but will return soon to divulge some news. It’s our 10-year anniversary so you know we have something planned!

Regards,
Jimmy

Happy New Year! In addition to customary reports on new releases, this month we present lists of 2006 favorites from Matinée artists and our slightly belated fifth annual Matinée fanclub poll!

The first of two brand new releases is the impressive ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from new Glasgow act The Hermit Crabs! Band members Melanie Whittle and Des McKenna are veterans of Scottish favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson and Tony McDonald complete the current lineup. Lead track ‘Feel Good Factor’ is rich with instrumentation and simply spectacular…the sort of song that comes along only once in awhile but sticks with you forever. The track is one of the winners in Scotland’s Burnsong song writing competition so prepare for something truly remarkable. Have a listen to it on the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean.

The EP also features ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time’—three more top quality tracks featuring violin, classical guitar, keyboards, superb vocals and strong lyrics. Perfect for fans of Camera Obscura, Tender Trap, Belle and Sebastian or Sambassadeur, the Hermit Crabs are a very welcome addition to the Matinée roster. The band is currently working on its debut album for release later this year so now’s the time to get hip to one of the greatest new bands we’ve heard in a long time! Check out the early reviews while you listen to ‘Feel Good Factor’ on the catalog page. The EP is available now from your favorite record merchant or the trusty Matinée mailorder. Hurrah!

Also fresh on the new release shelves is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album showcases the strong songwriting, intricate guitars, and exquisite harmonies of amiable English gent Joe Brooker and legendary American songstress Pam Berry. Smart students of indiepop know Joe is a prolific songwriter and one-half of English pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with notable indie bands of the last decade including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. She’s also the subject of track three on the imminent album from Sub Pop megastars The Shins!

Beginning in 2000, The Pines released a series of limited edition singles for international record labels Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), Long Lost Cousin (UK), and Matinée (USA) and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). In addition to highlights from these releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from a rare self-released Christmas CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow. You can see the full tracklisting, read some early reviews, and listen to songs on the catalog page. The CD is available now from your favorite shop or the Matinée mailorder so get going!

Still shining is the wonderfully received debut album (matcd042) from indie darlings Math and Physics Club! The world fell in love with this Seattle band as soon as its debut ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) was released in 2005. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now earned the distinction as the best selling single on Matinée. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) was released later that year to worldwide acclaim and proved the success of the debut was no happy accident.

The self-titled album features ten highly melodic songs about relationships and heartbreak. The album kicks off with a new indie classic called ‘Darling, Please Come Home.’ The lyrics draw you in immediately with images of fireflies and coals burning low, while the jangling guitars, precise drumming, and keyboards keep things moving. What would normally be a difficult one to follow for most bands is handled with ease by second track ‘I Know What I Want,’ a strings-laden jangler that builds to a superb Softies-inspired finish. It swings!

‘April Showers’ comes next and shows that here’s a band that holds the Housemartins in the high regard they deserve. Written staring out the window at the rain (of course…this is Seattle), it recalls the brilliance of the famous Hull act with its ba-ba-ba’s and jaunty melodies. ‘Holidays and Saturdays’ is the moody one of the bunch, showcasing plaintive lyrics and violin to match, while ‘La La La Lisa’ picks it back up with the story of a high school crush that is made especially grand with some genuinely inspired trumpet parts. ‘Look At Us Now’ is perfect café music with its sparse bossa nova beat, ba-ba-ba’s, and violin…perhaps the best Style Council song Paul Weller never wrote? ‘You’ll Miss Me’ is classic Math and Physics Club with a surprise rollicking piano in the second chorus, while ‘Cold As Minnesota’ has a bit of Motown/Supremes flavor to it—full of tambourine, handclaps, organ and violin flourishes along with some very Peter Buck guitar work. ‘Such A Simple Plan’ is another perfect three-minute pop song with excellent lyrics and a toe-tapping quotient that can’t be beat, and final track ‘Last Dance’ is a swanky little number that will make you want to dance like Fred Astaire.

The sensational reviews continue for this album, with Pitchfork writing “10 brazenly sweet songs of quiet heartbreak, late-summer acoustic guitar, reverb-laden Rickenbacker, tambourine, and occasional violin;” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused declaring “this is THEE indie pop album of the year, maybe of the decade thus far;” CDReviews.com calling it “a truly remarkable effort;” PopMatters concluding “for those searching for an album of genuine notions and enchanting melodies, this just might be the perfect fit;” and Erasing Clouds calling Math and Physics Club “a rising star of a band, already creating timeless pop music.”

The album has appeared on numerous year-end lists including the band walking away with #1 favorite band honors and #2 album of the year on the annual Tweenet Poll. Congratulations! You can listen to three album tracks on the catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. Get to the mailorder if you haven’t heard this album yet because it really is a modern indiepop classic that continues to sell like hotcakes for good reason!

Of course the above releases are just three gems competing in our annual Matinée fanclub poll! We’re slightly delayed with the polling this year due to some December baby action, but thought it still made sense to collect your votes and give away some free CDs in the process. In the best album of 2006 category, contenders include ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines, ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Out To Sea” (matcd041) from Brighter, and ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from Tender Trap. Which one gets your vote? Favorite 2006 single contenders are the ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs, ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy, ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths, and ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops. Some excellent choices if I say so myself.

In addition to the favorite album and single categories, we are also collecting votes for song of the year, favorite band, and favorite Matinée release of all time. Please take a minute 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? The poll closes February 12th so go here to complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!

We also surveyed Matinée artists regarding their top musical moments of 2006 and some early responses are up now on the archive page. Additional lists will be added throughout the month.

The Matinée mailorder will be closed January 30 to February 12 but please continue to place orders and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. All orders during this period will ship February 13. Apologies in advance for the delay. If you’re looking for something to buy, why not consider some of the top sellers of the last two months:

10. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
9. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
7. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
4. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
3. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
2. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
1. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD

We’ll be back in mid-February with results of the fanclub poll and news of our 2007 release schedule. Thanks to everyone for another great year!

Regards,
Jimmy

Happy holidays! Our final missive of the year includes news of another new release, our annual year-end poll, big savings at the mailorder, special seasonal offerings, and oh so much more.

Surrounded again with boxes of just delivered new release goodness, this time courtesy of mysterious Matinée musicmakers The Snowdrops! The second single from the occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm), the new ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. The song is now playing on the updated sounds page for your listening pleasure. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ current favorite ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ featuring Dick on lead vocals and a guest appearance from Keris Howard (Harper Lee, Brighter), a short one called ‘Teddy Dragons’ and a remix of ‘Sleepydust’ with more Pam (always a good thing) and some other nice touches. The single will appear in shops just after the first of the year but you can get your very own copy exclusively via the Matinée mailorder right now! As with all our singles, the EP is limited to 1000 copies in our custom designed minijacket sleeves so they don’t take up too much space and look great without all the unnecessary plastic. We’re so green. So yeah, this single DOES in fact exist. Hurrah!

Also on every hipster’s shopping list is the excellent ‘Language Lessons’ CDEP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap! As we mentioned last month, the EP finds band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) in absolutely top form. Amelia is arguably the voice of the indiepop generation, fronting legendary acts Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research from the mid-80s to the turn of the century and adding her unmistakable vocals to hits from The Wedding Present, Hefner, The Brilliant Corners, and Sportique, among others. Since forming in 2001 as Tender Trap, Amelia, Rob and John have released three singles and the superb album ‘Film Molecules,’ once described as “the unholy alliance between Blondie and The Magnetic Fields.” This long-awaited follow-up features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming Tender Trap album (matcd040) in early 2006. The song is a refreshing pop hit, full of chunky guitars, mellifluous vocals, smart drumming (courtesy of Claudia Gonson of The Magnetic Fields), ba-ba-ba’s and shimmering enthusiasm as it builds to its highly harmonious conclusion. Check it out now on the updated sounds page. The EP also includes three non-album tracks: ‘Unputdownable’ showcases more of Claudia’s ace drumming as it mixes lush string-filled verses with a shouty chorus that recalls the heady days of Heavenly’s P.U.N.K. Girl; ‘Friendster’ is a lovely ode to a certain online forum; and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’ is a frighteningly catchy electropop hit featuring a bilingual duet between Amelia and special guest Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of fellow Matinée superstars Pipas. Another classic single and a very welcome return for Tender Trap! The single is also limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the order page for your copy now!

In early press action, Kisschase wrote “Tender Trap have taken a step back from recent electro-pop outings to deliver up a delightfully jangly and harmonic single that reminds me more of the early Heavenly 45s on Sarah than anything Amelia or Rob have done since.” Meanwhile, Tangents summarized the EP as “everything you would expect and more,” and Vanity Project reported “Talking Backwards cements their position through their long morph-friendly history (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly etc.) as life-presidents of the ‘proper’ indie/bowlie/twee pop scene.” The band has just completed an interview with Tasty fanzine as well which you can read on the Tender Trap artist page.

Of course the Snowdrops and Tender Trap EPs are but two of the six singles competing in the best single of 2005 category in our annual Matinée fanclub poll. Other contenders include the ‘Fools in Love’ EP (matinée 054) from The Happy Couple, the ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths, and the ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) EPs from Math and Physics Club. Which one gets your vote?

In other poll action, the five favorite album contenders are ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths, ‘Northern Drive’ (matcd038) from The Young Tradition, ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) from Pale Sunday, ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) from Pipas, and ‘Everybody Hates’ (matcd035) from Lovejoy. Such a tough choice.

In addition to the favorite single and album categories, we are also collecting votes for song of the year, favorite band, and favorite release of all time, plus soliciting your suggestions for making the label even better in 2006. Please take a minute to give us your thoughts. As with prior polls, simply entering earns you a chance to win five free CDs of your choice. This year we are also offering every entrant a 20 percent discount off anything ordered via the mailorder between now and January 15, so you can pick up a few last minute Christmas gifts or order what you really wanted after the holidays are over. To receive the discount you must first submit a poll entry. While you are in poll mode, don’t forget to support your favorite Matinée artists in other year-end polls like the official TweeNet poll.

Now this is the space in which we would normally entice you with details of some upcoming releases but in keeping with our year-end look back we instead will reveal that our back catalog spotlight highlights classic releases this month from The Visitors, The Windmills and Lovejoy. Each release is on sale for the next month if you want to complete your Matinée collection (and coupled with the 20 percent discount noted above means these could be yours for next to nothing). Here are some selling points:

The ‘Miss’ CD (matcd003) from The Visitors hails from May of 2000, but like CDs from Brighter, Razorcuts, Remember Fun and The Siddeleys, is a compilation of songs originally recorded in the late 1980s. The Visitors split up in 1988, following the release of one flexidisc, a play on the John Peel show, and the recording of a clutch of fine pop songs. The sought-after flexi, which featured the ace song ‘Goldmining’, was issued on the Sha-La-La imprint and has maintained a steady band of admirers since its release. We crossed the Atlantic to dig out the original tapes for Goldmining and ten other pop gems that are lost treats from a time when a particular kind of pure guitar pop still roamed the streets of the UK. The album received some lovely press, including a 4 1/2 stars out of 5 review in one of the very last issues of famed UK music paper Melody Maker before it turned into a third-rate Smash Hits and disappeared into obscurity. “Perfect for the Bowlie generation, these star-kissed melodies are tinged with a sweet regret and still sound fresh 12 years after this album was recorded,” they wrote, while longtime Visitors follower Tangents said “The Visitors Miss collection on the fine Matinée label is the sort of ignored and forgotten classic made by people who in a finer world and in finer times should have been Pop Stars. Miss is not a record of the past but is a record of Now because it sounds as fresh and as urgent a Pop record as I’ve heard.” So true… Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. If you haven’t heard The Visitors you should really check them out!

One of a handful of Matinée seasonal offerings, the ‘When It Was Winter’ EP (matinée 024) from The Windmills is our back catalog CD single of the month. The band’s third single for Matinée from March 2001 showed this English quartet in prime form. At the time, we suggested the EPs “unrestrained melodies, crisp guitars, and sincere vocals make it perfect for fans of the Go Betweens, Weather Prophets, Bodines, or Jazz Butcher” and I suppose those reference points still make sense today. In reviewing the EP, Splendid referred to another great band from the 1980s instead, saying “four deliciously shimmering slices of pure pop…its decidedly British demeanor and propensity for jangly, minor key musings should curry the group some favor with the more adventurous faction of the anglophile crowd, not to mention confused Smiths fans. Meanwhile, Pennyblack declared the EP would “undoubtedly delight all jangle-pop-picking-purists” and Tangents wrote “the new EP from The Windmills shows more than ever that here is a band who have been listening closely to their East Village records, which is to be applauded of course…the four tracks fuse a fine penchant for minor chords and a tension that might be akin to that felt by the great Last Party, or Hellfire Sermons even, at their most melodic and least abrasive.” The EP includes two songs that did not appear on the subsequent album ‘Sunlight’ (matcd014) so it’s well worth picking up. See the catalog page for reviews and sounds. Trust me, the Windmills rule!

Appropriately, our back catalog classic 7” is the ‘A Christmas Wish’ EP (matinée 025) from Lovejoy. Released in November 2000, the second of three celebrated Lovejoy 45s features three exclusive recordings in the holiday tradition and is perfect for fans of House of Love, Blueboy, or the Revolving Paint Dream. The superb a-side “I Dream of Angels” is an orchestral song that evokes the beautiful imagery of Christmas and features guitars, keyboards and magnificent female harmonies. Swedish fanzine Try Happiness loved it, writing “like running round with your tongue out your mouth, catching flakes in the crunching green-white grass,” while IndiePages suggested it was “like the Pet Shop Boys mixed with Pale Saints” and Parasol called it “gorgeous swooping pop with bells on.” Check the catalog page for more reviews and sounds. Lovejoy just go with the holidays so now is the time to click over to the order page.

In addition to the wintery Lovejoy and Windmills releases just mentioned, perhaps you should pick up the wonderful ‘Matinée Winter Warmer’ compilation (matinée 055) featuring seasonal hits from The Fairways, Harper Lee, The Liberty Ship, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Melodie Group, The Pines, Pipas, Slipslide, and The Windmills. It’s available for the price of a single and is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

We also have a handful of our nifty Matinée 45 holiday ornaments (matinée 045) left and if you act quickly there’s still time to have it in time for the holidays! Santa doesn’t have any of these so the Matinée mailorder is your only source. Hop to it!

[end of overt holiday commercialization]

We’ll leave you, as always, with our hit parade of top sellers from last month. No competition for the top this time as Tender Trap ruled supreme:

10. The Visitors – Miss CD
9. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
8. Various – Matinée Winter Warmer CD
7. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
5. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
4. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP

Check back in early January for the latest news, including lists of 2005 favorites from Matinée artists, results of the fourth annual Matinée fanclub poll, details of the 2006 release schedule, and more.

Seasons greetings to everyone and thanks again for your incredible support this year!
Jimmy
x

We’re back on board with brand new releases from Brighter and Math and Physics Club, a forthcoming CD from The Pines, and what’s this? A brand new Matinée band?! Yes way! You’re going to love them too… All this plus great new reviews for 2006 releases from Lovejoy, Harper Lee, Tender Trap and The Lucksmiths, a surge of new band interviews, and the return of our massive mailorder sale with prices slashed as much as 50 percent on some titles for the rest of this month only. Carry on then…

The highly anticipated debut album (matcd042) from indie darlings Math and Physics Club is now officially released and available from all decent record merchants. The world fell in love with this Seattle band as soon as its debut ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) was released in 2005. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now earned the distinction as the best selling single on Matinée. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) was released later that year to worldwide acclaim and proved the success of the debut was no happy accident.

The band spent the past year writing and recording its debut album and the results are truly spectacular. The self-titled album features ten highly melodic songs about relationships and heartbreak. The album kicks off with a new indie classic called ‘Darling, Please Come Home.’ The lyrics draw you in immediately with images of fireflies and coals burning low, while the jangling guitars, precise drumming, and keyboards keep things moving. What would normally be a difficult one to follow for most bands is handled with ease by second track ‘I Know What I Want,’ a strings-laden jangler that builds to a superb Softies-inspired finish. It swings!

‘April Showers’ comes next and shows that here’s a band that holds the Housemartins in the high regard they deserve. Written staring out the window at the rain (of course…this is Seattle), it recalls the brilliance of the famous Hull act with its ba-ba-ba’s and jaunty melodies. ‘Holidays and Saturdays’ is the moody one of the bunch, showcasing plaintive lyrics and violin to match, while ‘La La La Lisa’ picks it back up with the story of a high school crush that is made especially grand with some genuinely inspired trumpet parts. ‘Look At Us Now’ is perfect café music with its sparse bossa nova beat, ba-ba-ba’s, and violin… perhaps the best Style Council song Paul Weller never wrote? ‘You’ll Miss Me’ is classic Math and Physics Club with a surprise rollicking piano in the second chorus, while ‘Cold As Minnesota’ has a bit of Motown/Supremes flavor to it—full of tambourine, handclaps, organ and violin flourishes along with some very Peter Buck guitar work. ‘Such A Simple Plan’ is another perfect three-minute pop song with excellent lyrics and a toe-tapping quotient that can’t be beat, and final track ‘Last Dance’ is a swanky little number that will make you want to dance like Fred Astaire.

The album has enjoyed a tremendous response in the music press so far, with the always spot on Tasty declaring “if you think you’ve heard your album of the year already, think again… because this is it,” and Coke Machine Glow writing “this is a record that would’ve fit in well ten years ago and will likely sound as smooth and sweet a decade hence.” The band has also proven popular on the blog circuit, with the fantastically named Renaissance Men Don’t Surf calling the new album “a must have for not only fall, but for 2006,” The Fire Note writing “not only is it a quality release but the album is timeless – providing the perfect soundtrack for any day of the week, any season of the year,” and Rawkblog declaring it “the year’s best pure indie-pop album.”

You can listen to three album tracks on the catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. Get thee to the mailorder if you haven’t heard this album yet because it’s a new Matinée classic and selling like hotcakes for good reason!

Also out now is the essential 20-track ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) collection from beloved English band Brighter! From 1989 to 1992, the trio of Alison Cousens, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey recorded four singles for the renowned Sarah Records imprint—previously compiled on the ‘Singles’ CD (matcd026) in 2003—and a wealth of other songs collected on this new compilation. ‘Out To Sea’ begins with eight tracks that originally formed the ‘Laurel’ mini-album released on Sarah. These tracks are archetypal of the Brighter sound—melodic, pastoral pop with carefully strummed guitars, keyboards, and wonderfully introspective, poignant vocals from Keris Howard. The album features several of the band’s best known songs including indie classics ‘Ocean Sky’ and ‘Christmas.’ Also showcasing Brighter’s ability to pen upbeat, jangly pop hits, ‘Out To Sea’ features five early recordings originally released on limited edition flexidiscs in Germany. Perhaps more than later recordings, these fan favorites demonstrate the band’s expertise in layering instruments and voice to form a melodic wall of sound. Elsewhere, the beautifully fragile ‘Still’ is a melancholy pop song originally found on the ‘Beckett House’ compilation.

Among the album’s six unreleased tracks are four songs from a scrapped debut album recorded in 1990. Other songs from this album were later rerecorded for ‘Laurel’ but these four—’There’s Nothing We Can Do,’ ‘Nothing At All,’ ‘Hope To God’ and ‘Amy Never Knew’—were passed over for newer compositions and remained unreleased until today. Additional unreleased gems ‘If I Could See’ and ‘Wallflower’ were recorded at the same time as ‘Laurel’ but dropped from the release and languished in the vaults. They are among the most immediate songs the band ever wrote and, with this release, are likely to become posthumous Brighter classics more than 15 years after their recording. Following the final release as Brighter in 1992, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey released the one-off ‘Election Day’ EP under the name Hal. Several years later, Howard formed the popular band Harper Lee and appeared as bassist for Trembling Blue Stars, while Sharkey joined Fosca for a time before launching a solo career as Pinkie. Packaged in a lavish digipak and digitally remastered, ‘Out To Sea’ is the perfect complement to the ‘Singles’ collection and another inspired entry in the Matinée discography.

As expected, the early reviews are ecstatic with Erasing Clouds calling it “a treasure trove of music from a truly remarkable band,” Derives declaring it “a true classic of 90’s intimate melancholic indie pop music,” Kisschase writing “Out To Sea is the business,” and The Rain Fell Down concluding “Brighter are even more deserving of our love and worship than we had thought… record of year!”

You can listen to four tracks on the sounds and catalog pages. The CD is available now from all good record shops or direct from the Matinée mailorder for a mere $10. Would I lie to you?

As if the new releases weren’t exciting enough, we’re also delighted to announce the latest addition to the Matinée collective – Glasgow band The Hermit Crabs! Ever since the early days of the label when we released the brilliant ‘Train Journeys’ EP from Remember Fun we have longed to have another Scottish band on the roster because, let’s face it, Scottish people are ace and there is quite a groovy scene happening in Glasgow at the moment. Although their influences range from The Magnetic Fields to Teenage Fanclub to Belle and Sebastian to Donovan (among others), the Hermit Crabs sound probably falls neatly between the playfulness of Pipas and the seriousness of fellow Glaswegians Camera Obscura. Band members Melanie Whittle (guitar and vocals) and Des McKenna (bass) are veterans of Shelflife favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson (guitar) and Tony McDonald (drums) complete the current lineup.

The debut Hermit Crabs release is the ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) with a spectacular title track plus ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time.’ The title track was one of 15 winners in the Burnsong song writing competition in Scotland last year so prepare yourself for something truly remarkable. We’ve just added the song to the sounds page if you’d like a preview. The EP is released to shops on November 27th but we’ll have copies available here in advance of that date so go ahead and order your copy now! We won’t make you wait too long.

To celebrate the upcoming release, the band is playing a free acoustic set with California Snow Story on November 16th at Tchai-Ovna in Glasgow. They have a nifty website and are part of the myspace generation with an unfeasibly high number of friends who we hope all buy their records. If you follow those links you can actually listen to more great songs including some that we’re saving for their debut album next year. We trust you will welcome them with your usual vigor. It’s great to have someone new to rave about!

Our final release of 2006 is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album is the first release from The Pines since their magnificent ‘True Love Waits, Volume 2’ EP (matinée 048) three years ago. In addition to Matinée, The Pines have graced the discography pages for Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), and Long Lost Cousin (UK), and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). Over the years they also recorded a handful of covers and other gems that saw limited release or languished in the vaults with no release at all. In addition to highlights from the aforementioned releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from the extremely rare self-released Christmas 2000 CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow! Of course being absent from the new release shelves for three years means there are some of you who may not know anything about The Pines at all so we’ll tell you that the band consists of an amiable English gent called Joe Brooker plus legendary American expat songstress Pam Berry. Joe is a prolific songwriter and also one-half of pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with numerous indie bands including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People, among others. The album is at the pressing plant now and is scheduled for release in early December but we’ll start taking preorders later this month so check the order page for details. In the meantime, have a listen to the splendid track ‘Milk Bar’ now playing on the sounds page. You can see the full tracklisting and listen to a few more songs on the catalog page too – I’ll tell you that for free!

Switching to recent release action, the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) continues to bolster the reputation of indie legends Tender Trap! As lead singer of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001 and released the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles.

With the addition of The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson on drums, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, while ‘Talking Backwards’ is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

In recent press, All Music Guide declared “Amelia Fletcher amazingly manages to show no drop-off in songwriting quality after 20+ years in the indie pop game,” while Magnet Magazine lauded the album as “infectiously melodic, hip shaking and laced with thick harmonies,’ concluding its review with the rhetorical question “twee wasn’t ever this good, was it?” Elsewhere, Tasty called it “one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year” and Plan B concluded “respect is entirely due.” You can listen to album highlights and read all the latest press on the sounds and catalog pages. You need a little new Tender Trap in your life don’t you think? Click here to remedy that situation.

Also making loads of new friends lately is the new four-song ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy! We think lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is possibly the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit. ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ sports a bit of the electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ set (matcd018) and also recalls the sparkling pop of The Human League, while ‘In the Rain’ is a lusciously paced and mesmerizing cover of the mid-80s indie hit from The June Brides. ‘Made in England’ closes the EP in top form, layering guitars, strings and percussion alongside a rhythmic vocal track with angelic backing—a return of sorts to the chiming orchestral pop of Lovejoy’s debut album ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008).

The release is riding a wave of magnificent reviews, including Friends of the Heroes calling it “a slice of poetic genius,” IndiePages concluding “Brightness Falls could be the band’s brightest moment,” All Music Guide declaring it “definitely one of [Lovejoy’s] finest releases,” Kisschase calling it a “delectable ep [that] boasts just the right blend of electronics and guitars,” and indie-mp3.co.uk saying “smashing stuff!”

If you don’t trust the press, have a listen to the title track now featured on the sounds page and decide for yourself. This one is limited to 1000 copies though, so head to the mailorder now if you want one!

Also in the spotlight, the wonderful new 5-track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) is the first release in two years from revered English duo Harper Lee! The exquisite title track, presented here in two takes, contrasts trademark Harper Lee melancholy with an upbeat, keyboard-driven tune that recalls the more optimistic moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter. Among the three other exclusive tracks, ‘I Could Be Wrong’ is a slice of Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop, its jangling guitars the perfect complement to a curiously hopeful message. The moody and churning ‘William Blake’ is a sumptuous textured pop gem that best demonstrates the multi-layered instrumentation characteristic of the band’s acclaimed previous releases, while ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head,’ a chiming lullaby featuring hypnotic percussion and the most plaintive of vocals, ends the EP in sublime fashion.

The music press continues to toss superlatives at Harper Lee, with All Music Guide writing “He Holds a Flame continues the group’s fine string of heartbreakingly good releases,” Aversion.com concluding “He Holds a Flame is just as relevant and meaningful as anything from Death Cab or The Shins,” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused calling it “lyrically perfect pop and heavy hearted hindsight,” and Mundane Sounds declaring it “one of the best records of 2006.”

‘He Holds A Flame’ is now featured on the sounds page so you can listen for yourself. This one’s also limited to 1000 copies so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

Also enjoying its stay on the new release shelf is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039) validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, a funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. The EP also includes exclusive tracks ‘From Macaulay Station,’ ‘Rue Something’ and ‘To Absent Votes,’ which combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ form a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves.

The superb reviews continue for this release too, with Mundane Sounds calling it “a satisfying platter of beautiful, melancholy pop,” Delusions of Adequacy writing “more light, summertime pop from Australia’s brilliant Lucksmiths proving themselves at the forefront of the genre,” and Amplifier Magazine warning “you should truly feel ashamed of yourself if you don’t get your hands on a copy.”

‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is playing on the sounds page now if you fancy a listen, but come on now, can you really resist a new Lucksmiths record? I didn’t think so. Yep, back to the order page for you.

In other press action, we have added numerous interviews to Matinée artist pages this month, including chats with Keris Howard of Harper Lee and Brighter on Aversion.com and Mundane Sounds, Lovejoy on Pennyblack Magazine, Math and Physics Club on Erasing Clouds, Tender Trap on Verbicide, Pennyblack and Wears the Trousers, and yours truly on indiemp3.co.uk.

While it’s hard to imagine cooler weather as we endure nearly triple digit temperatures here in Santa Barbara, I trust that some of you are breaking out the sweaters and gloves already which is a perfect excuse to plug our seasonal-themed compilations from a few years back, the Matinée Autumn Assortment (matinée 051) and the Matinée Winter Warmer (matinée 055). Both contain ten seasonally-appropriate tracks from Matinée favorites including exclusive songs you won’t find anywhere else. Right now they are just $3 each too so how could you go wrong?

While we’re at it, we’ve gone ahead and put the entire back catalog on sale again because our massive September sale was such a hit and we’re excited about all the newfound space we cleared out in the stockroom. Some titles are marked 50 percent off and there are additional releases likely to sell out by the end of the year so take advantage of the savings to expand your Matinée collection today. The sale ends November 30th though so get going!

Our final word as always is a recap of top sellers from the past month. This one is a combined September/October chart which demonstrates the royal battle between new releases over the past sixty days. Brighter ruled supreme the month of September but Math and Physics Club took over big time in October. In the special combined tally, however, the nod goes to Brighter by a mere two additional copies sold. They’re neck and neck so far in November so stay tuned…

10. Various – Matinée Winter Warmer CD
9. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
8. The Lucksmiths – T-Shirt Weather 7″
7. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
3. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
1. Brighter – Out To Sea CD

We’ll be back in early December with the final news of the year including our annual fanclub poll and maybe some hints about 2007 release plans. Take advantage of the big November sale to buy some early holiday presents and help us clear room for additional new releases!

Adios,
Jimmy
x

Hey now! We’re winding down the extended summer holiday so sit back for top news including reports on brand new releases from Brighter, Math and Physics Club, and The Pines plus new-ish releases from Harper Lee, Lovejoy, Tender Trap and The Lucksmiths, a handful of upcoming live dates, and a colossal sale at the mailorder with prices slashed as much as 50 percent on some titles. Oh yes… You knew our latest web update would be worth the wait!

Let’s start with Brighter, shall we? Faithful followers of this label know that Harper Lee frontman Keris Howard can do no wrong in our book and if there is anything that rivals the brilliance of a new Harper Lee release it’s a new compilation of songs from his previous band Brighter. We had the honor of releasing the ‘Singles 1989-1992′ collection (matcd026) a few years back which compiled the four legendary Brighter singles released on Sarah Records but did you know that was only half the story? The fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) features the remaining eight songs from the Sarah Records catalog (all taken from the 1991 mini-lp ‘Laurel’) plus five songs from the rare German-released ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the impossible-to-find ‘Beckett House’ compilation LP, and six (!!!!!!) previously unreleased tracks, all remastered in glorious stereo sound. The full tracklisting is: 1. Christmas, 2. Frostbite, 3. Summer Becomes Winter, 4. Something To Call My Own, 5. Ocean Sky, 6. Out to Sea, 7. Maybe, 8. Journey’s End, 9. If I Could See, 10. Wallflower, 11. Airhead, 12. Don’t Remember, 13. Next Summer, 14. Looks Like Rain, 15. Falling, 16. There Is Nothing We Can Do?, 17. Nothing At All, 18. Hope to God, 19. Amy Never Knew, 20. Still. You can listen to four of these tracks on the updated sounds and catalog pages. The CD is just back from the pressing plant and scheduled for release to shops in early October but we have copies available RIGHT NOW exclusively via the Matinée mailorder for a mere $10. It’s true!

In the imminent release category is the highly anticipated debut album (matcd042) from Seattle quintet Math and Physics Club! We’ve gone for a self-titled affair which is a first as far as Matinée albums go but once you hear the songs you’ll see that no title is necessary. The world fell in love with Math and Physics Club as soon as the debut ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) was released in February of last year. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now surpassed even ‘T-Shirt Weather’ from the Lucksmiths as the best selling single on Matinée. Go figure. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) was released in July of last year and was even better in my humble opinion. Everyone loved it too and it has been a solid fixture inside the top five of the Matinée hit parade ever since. In a bold move the band decided to start from scratch on its debut album and the results are positively wonderful. The ten new tracks that comprise the album are: 1. Darling, Please Come Home, 2. I Know What I Want, 3. April Showers, 4. Holidays and Saturdays, 5. La La La Lisa, 6. Look At Us Now, 7. You’ll Miss Me, 8. Cold As Minnesota, 9. Such A Simple Plan, 10. Last Dance. From the first moment of the opening track you know you’re in for a treat and it doesn’t let up until the final note some 30 minutes later. You can listen to three tracks on the new catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. The CD is at the pressing plant and we’ll have copies ready to ship by the 1st of October so you can order a copy RIGHT NOW if you’re the patient sort. Go on then! The CD is available in shops from October 16th.

The band will play a handful of album launch shows next month including their first along the East Coast. Please see confirmed dates below and check the MAPC website for further details. Hurrah!

Friday, October 6th @ Union Hall, New York, NY with The Envelopes.
Saturday, October 7th @ Pianos, New York, NY with The Icicles.
Sunday, October 8th @ The Elevens. Northampton, MA as part of the New England Popfest.
Saturday, October 14th @ Sonic Boom Records (Ballard), Seattle, WA – FREE 6pm in-store performance.
Saturday, October 14th @ Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA with Boat and The Seaworthies – RECORD RELEASE SHOW!!

Also now in production is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Appropriately titled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album is the first release from The Pines since their magnificent ‘True Love Waits, Volume 2′ EP (matinée 048) nearly three years ago. That EP was one of six limited edition singles the band released on various labels from 2000 to 2003. In addition to Matinée, The Pines have graced the discography pages for Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), and Long Lost Cousin (UK), and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). Over the years they also recorded a handful of covers and other gems that saw very limited release or languished in the vaults with no release at all…until now! We’re doing what any respectable record label should by pulling songs from each of these fantastic releases to form the debut full-length for the band. In addition to highlights from the aforementioned releases, the CD includes three songs from the extremely rare self-released Christmas 2000 CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow! Of course being absent from the new release shelves for three years means there are some of you who may not know anything about The Pines at all so we’ll tell you that the band consists of an amiable English gent called Joe Brooker plus legendary American expat songstress Pam Berry. Joe is a prolific songwriter and also one-half of pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with numerous indie bands including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People, among others. The tracklisting is sorted but we are still working on artwork so look for more release details next month. In the meantime, have a listen to the splendid track ‘Milk Bar’ just added to the sounds page and dream about listening to 70 straight minutes of Pines magic in the near future.

Switching to our fantastic summer releases, the fresh ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) is Lovejoy‘s impressive follow-up to the ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035) last year. Lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is possibly the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit with vocals from Lovejoy supremo Richard Preece. If we lived in a just universe this would be blasting from car stereos all day long in place of the latest inane hip hop flavor-of-the-week, but we’ll settle for its current feature on the Matinée sounds page instead so you can have a listen whenever you like. ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ sports a bit of the pesky electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ set (matcd018) and also rather nicely recalls the sparkling pop of The Human League, while ‘In the Rain’ is a lusciously paced and mesmerizing cover of the mid-80s indie hit from The June Brides. ‘Made in England’ closes the EP in top form, layering guitars, strings and percussion alongside a rhythmic vocal track with angelic backing – a return of sorts to the chiming orchestral pop of Lovejoy’s debut album ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy‘ (matcd008).

In review action, English zine I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused said “England Made Me [makes] me want to immediately go and get everything else they’ve ever released,” suggesting each song “could’ve quite happily been a single in its own right,” while Left Hip wrote “another all-too-brief spree of pop-perfection, England Made Me is beautiful music for fans of melancholy 80’s indiepop with an electronic twist.” This one is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get going if you want one!

Also just out, the 5-track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) is the first release in nearly two years from revered English duo Harper Lee! The exquisite title track, presented here in two takes, contrasts trademark Harper Lee melancholy with an upbeat, keyboard-driven tune that recalls the more optimistic moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter. The song is now playing on the sounds page if you’d like a listen. Among the three other exclusive tracks, ‘I Could Be Wrong’ is a perfect slice of Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop, its jangling guitars the perfect complement to a curiously hopeful message. The moody and churning ‘William Blake’ is a sumptuous textured pop gem that best demonstrates the multi-layered instrumentation characteristic of the band’s acclaimed previous releases, while ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head,’ a chiming lullaby featuring hypnotic percussion and the most plaintive of vocals, ends the EP in sublime fashion. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

As expected, the press has declared the EP an unequivocal hit. Among our favorite quotes, indie juggernaut Pitchfork wrote “I Could Be Wrong is the kind of gentle indie pop song that might easily be overlooked for lack of impenetrable avant-garde pretensions or fashionable time-signature changes – too obvious, Pitchfork! – but I listen to a lot of gentle indie-pop songs, and few are this effortlessly graceful.” Meanwhile, Aversion.com concluded “He Holds a Flame is just as relevant and meaningful as anything from Death Cab or The Shins,” and You Ain’t No Picasso declared “it’s like the solemn side of Morrissey and the romanticism of Stephin Merritt got put together in a mason jar with just the tiniest bit of The Lucksmiths, and was left to ferment for a couple years.” Aversion.com also conducted a new interview with the band which you can read here.

Finally, Harper Lee make a very rare live appearance September 16th at the Pop Revo Festival in Aarhus, Denmark. See the Pop Revo website for show details as well as another exclusive interview. Lucky Danish people (or those of you with a penchant for last minute travel)!

Still beaming on a new release shelf near you is the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from indie legends Tender Trap! As lead singer of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001 and released the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles. With the addition of crisp drumming from The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, Rob Pursey’s sub-sonic backing vocals uncannily reminiscent of erstwhile collaborator Calvin Johnson, while recent single ‘Talking Backwards’ (matinée 058) is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

You can listen to album highlights and peruse the latest press on the sounds and catalog pages. Of particular note, American magazine Verbicide has just featured Tender Trap in its ‘bands on the rise’ spotlight, while Pennyblack is currently running a great three-part interview with frontwoman Amelia Fletcher. Get yours at the webshop today.

Also still gracing the new release shelf is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039) validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, a funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. We’re featuring the song on the sounds page now if you fancy a listen. The EP also includes exclusive new tracks ‘From Macaulay Station,’ ‘Rue Something’ and ‘To Absent Votes,’ which combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ form a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. Life’s good with a new Lucksmiths release around, don’t you think?

The back catalog spotlight is on hold this month because we are having a sale on the entire back catalog instead! The Super September Sale applies to virtually all releases and includes price reductions as much as 50 percent on some titles so stock up now to take advantage of the savings. The sale ends October 10th though so get going!

While you’re on the order page you may notice we have added a dozen or so splendid releases from our good friends at Labrador Records in Sweden. We have limited quantities of titles from Club 8, Edson, The Radio Dept. and Sambassadeur available at great prices so grab some of these essential releases while you can!

If you think buying CDs is so 2005 and have made the switch to downloading instead, we are happy to report that close to 50 Matinée titles are now available via iTunes! We are uploading releases in roughly reverse chronological order so expect to see more of the back catalog up over the next few weeks. We’ll be adding special links to the website shortly too to make it easy to find the releases online. Of course, iTunes gives you the ability to listen to 30-second soundclips of every song so if you’re just curious to sample songs before you buy the release now you can do that too.

With many releases now available for download, we will likely allow some of the back catalog to go out of print so if you’re after a physical copy of something please act now. At the sale rates many titles are selling quickly. We have added notations to the order page for releases that are close to selling out as an extra impetus to buy.

The final word as always is a recap of top sellers from the past month. This one is a combined July/August chart which gives a slight edge in the Blur/Oasis battle (see July news) to the new Harper Lee EP:

10. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We CD
9. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
8. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
7. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
4. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
3. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD
2. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
1. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP

farewell!
Jimmy
x

Sorry for the erratic web updates lately but hey, it’s summer and we were slightly preoccupied with the World Cup. Now that it’s over we can focus on pop music again!

This week marks the official release of spectacular new EPs from popular Matinée artists Harper Lee and Lovejoy! We are offering simultaneous release dates—sort of a modern day Blur vs. Oasis battle although I don’t think these groups have many similarities with Oasis. Or Blur for that matter. (Unless you like Oasis and Blur in which case they sound EXACTLY LIKE THEM.) Here are release details so you can decide for yourself:

The magnificent new 5-track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) is the first release in nearly two years from revered English duo Harper Lee! The exquisite title track, presented here in two takes, contrasts trademark Harper Lee melancholy with an upbeat, keyboard-driven tune that recalls the more optimistic moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter. The song is now playing on the sounds page if you fancy a listen. Among the three other exclusive tracks, ‘I Could Be Wrong’ is a perfect slice of Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop, its jangling guitars the perfect complement to a curiously hopeful message. The moody and churning ‘William Blake’ is a sumptuous textured pop gem that best demonstrates the multi-layered instrumentation characteristic of the band’s acclaimed previous releases, while ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head,’ a chiming lullaby featuring hypnotic percussion and the most plaintive of vocals, ends the EP in sublime fashion. The bottom line is this one’s a gem, folks and it’s limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

The new ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) is Lovejoy‘s impressive follow-up to last year’s ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035). Lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is perhaps the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit with ace vocals from Lovejoy supremo Richard Preece. If we lived in a just universe this would be blasting from car stereos all summer long in place of the latest inane hip hop flavor-of-the-week, but we’ll settle for its current feature atop the Matinée sounds page instead so you can have a listen whenever you like. ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ sports a bit of the pesky electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ set (matcd018) and also rather nicely recalls the sparkling pop of The Human League, while ‘In the Rain’ is a lusciously paced and mesmerizing cover of the mid-80s indie hit from The June Brides. ‘Made in England’ closes the EP in top form, layering guitars, strings and percussion alongside a rhythmic vocal track with angelic backing—a return of sorts to the chiming orchestral pop of Lovejoy’s debut album ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008). Hurrah! This one is also limited to 1000 copies in our custom minijacket sleeve so get going if you want one!

In other release news, the brand new ‘6 Billion People’ album (matcd040) from Tender Trap is causing quite a stir these days with good reviews popping up in trusted magazines like Magnet, Uncut, Venus, Q and Rivet. Some of our favorite press quotes include Tasty calling it “one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year,” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused suggesting “opening track 6 Billion People is about 6 billion times better than anything any band has released so far this year—a modern day ‘My Girl’ all full of ba-ba-ba-ba’s, clever lyrics and an impossible to forget killer of a tune,” Kisschase writing “the new Tender Trap record feeds in to the recent, very welcome tradition of albums that are actually solid all the way through,” and, alluding to lead singer Amelia Fletcher’s impressive back catalog in Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Plan B Magazine calling the new album “as refreshingly infectious and as downright fab as anything she’s done in the past.” Read more about the album and check out the latest reviews on the updated catalog page, where you can also listen to four tracks from the album! Tender Trap played a handful of UK dates to launch the album last month and we hope to see them on American soil sometime soon so buy lots of records and we’ll see what we can do. They’re ace live you know…

Just finishing up in the Matinée art department (translation: trying to decide among three different sleeve options) is the fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter! As we mentioned last month, and probably the one before that, the album includes all eight songs from the 1991 Sarah Records mini-lp ‘Laurel’ plus five songs from the ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the rare ‘Beckett House’ compilation LP, and six previously unreleased tracks, all remastered in glorious stereo sound! The full tracklisting is: 1. Christmas, 2. Frostbite, 3. Summer Becomes Winter, 4. Something To Call My Own, 5. Ocean Sky, 6. Out to Sea, 7. Maybe, 8. Journey’s End, 9. If I Could See, 10. Wallflower, 11. Airhead, 12. Don’t Remember, 13. Next Summer, 14. Looks Like Rain, 15. Falling, 16. There Is Nothing We Can Do?, 17. Nothing At All, 18. Hope to God, 19. Amy Never Knew, 20. Still. The CD is going to the pressing plant imminently which puts us on course for a September release. In the meantime have a listen to the brilliant unreleased track ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page. Trust us this will be well worth the wait.

Also coming soon is the highly anticipated debut album from our good pals Math and Physics Club! If the demos are anything to go by, this album is going to be a smash. Among your future favorite songs are ones entitled ‘April Showers,’ ‘In This Together,’ ‘Last Dance,’ ‘Cold As Minnesota,’ ‘Darling Please Come Home,’ ‘Look At Us Now,’ ‘Holidays and Saturdays,’ and my personal favorite ‘I Know What I Want.’ The album should contain 10 previously unreleased songs and to say we’re eagerly awaiting it would be a massive understatement. We’re shooting for an early autumn release so start saving your pennies now. The band will play a handful of album launch shows including their first along the American East Coast so stay tuned here or check the MAPC website for details.

We released four solid EPs over the past few months which the smarties amongst you already have but for those of you looking to catch up, we’re talking about the ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths, ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from Tender Trap, ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club. They all contain ace exclusive tracks you can’t find anywhere else so you know you need them. Check the catalog pages for reviews and the sounds page for full-length soundclips. These are perfect additions to your Tender Trap, Lovejoy and Harper Lee new release orders, don’t you think?

In upcoming European live action, Pipas are set to play Sweden’s Emmaboda Festival on August 12th; Airport Girl, The Lucksmiths, and Would-Be-Goods all help Fortuna POP! Records celebrate 10 years of love, ineptitude and independence at the August 30th F-POP! Fest in London; and The Lucksmiths take in a dozen European cities in early September, including dates in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Spain and Italy. For more details see the Pipas, Fortuna POP, and Lucksmiths websites.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from Would-Be-Goods, The Liberty Ship and Harper Lee! Each release is specially priced for the next month to persuade you to continue building your Matinée collection. Here are several reasons why you should:

This month’s spotlight album is the luxurious 2004 full length ‘The Morning After’ (matcd032) from Would-Be-Goods! Their third release for Matinée following the triumphant ‘Emmanuelle Béart’ EP (matinée 030) in 2001 and ‘Brief Lives’ (matcd017) album the following year, we happen to think it’s the best Would-Be-Goods release to date. In reviewing the album, All Music Guide suggested “you would be hard pressed to find a better indie pop record this year,” calling it “a miniature gem that indie pop fans should add to their collection right away.” Tasty concurred, writing “easily the best WBG album so far, and their most accessible… pop at its most righteous.” The album has some bona fide modern classics on it, including the title track, ‘Pantomime Devil,’ ‘Miss La-Di-Dah,’ ‘Big Cat Act,’ ‘What Adam and Eve Did Next’… check out soundclips on the sounds page and take advantage of the bargain price all this month at the mailorder! You’ll be glad you did because Would-Be-Goods rule, okay?

The back catalog CD single of the month is the March 2003 ‘Northern Angel’ EP (matinée 046) from The Liberty Ship, the Nottingham, England four-piece led by former Bulldozer Crash frontman Marc Elston. The title track is one of those should-have-been hits with perfectly shimmering guitars, harmonica, tambourine, great harmonies and one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long while. Seriously… go to the sounds page for a listen because it’s really worth hearing. The EP was a favorite at All Music Guide, which wrote “all four songs have a chiming, Byrds-influenced, classic indie pop sound… Northern Angel has lovely minor chords, a soaring chorus, and is reminiscent of late-’80s bands like the great East Village.” Meanwhile, Careless Talk Costs Lives said “guitars shimmer, tambourine shakes, harmonies harmonize… business as usual from Nottingham, then,” while Wide Open Road called it “a strong EP all round, especially if you like heartfelt guitar pop from the Postcard school.” See the catalog page for more reviews. Three of the EP’s four tracks did not appear on the subsequent Liberty Ship album ‘Tide’ (matcd029) so it’s well worth the money especially at the sale price this month. See the mailorder page to secure your copy.

Our featured 7″ this month is the October 2000 ‘Bug’ 45 (matinée 019) from Harper Lee! The second single from Brighton, England duo featuring Keris Howard (Brighter, Hal, Trembling Blue Stars) on vocals and guitar, and Laura Bridge (Hood, Kicker) on guitar, keyboards, and drums, this double A-side showcased idyllic, earnest pop with beautifully layered keyboards and guitars. In reviewing the single, In Love With These Times called it “two songs of impossible beauty” and we couldn’t agree more. The title track will always be a highlight of the Matinée catalog… I could write a page about it easily but sounds speak louder than words so just listen for yourself over at the sounds page and you’ll soon decide this is essential listening. The exclusive b-side ‘You Kill Me’ is just as good and perhaps most famous as a Pipas cover version on the Matinée 50 compilation (deservedly one of Matinée’s top sellers) which means more people own the Pipas version of this song than the original Harper Lee version and that’s just not right is it? If we sell roughly 100 copies of the ‘Bug’ single this month they’ll be on equal footing so get going because 7″ singles are ace, especially when they’re just $2!

Those of you who are not fans of Real Player may be happy to know that sometime over the next few weeks you will be able to sample virtually every song released on Matinée via iTunes! Yes, we’ve given in to the digital revolution and are currently in the process of uploading releases to iTunes for download… hurrah! Of course we’ll still maintain stock of the physical releases too so either way we’ll keep your stereos and iPods happy. The process takes awhile but hopefully everything will be up by mid-August. We plan to provide direct links from the website to make it easy so check back here if you are interested.

We’ll end this missive as always with our hit parade of the top sellers from the past month. This one is a special combined May/June chart which sees Tender Trap just barely edging out a Harper Lee debut to remain at the top:

10. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
9. Pale Sunday – Summertime CD
8. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
7. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
6. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
5. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
4. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
3. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
2. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
1. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD

Stay cool!
Jimmy
x

Hello comrades! We’ve some vital news this month as we proudly release the brand new album from Tender Trap; preview imminent EPs from Harper Lee and Lovejoy; provide details on a forthcoming Brighter compilation; gush about recent EPs from The Lucksmiths, The Snowdrops and Tender Trap; announce live summer dates for select Matinée artists; drop hints about future recordings; brag about some old gems; and more! Here’s the skinny:

Our latest release is the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from new indie legends Tender Trap! Twenty years on from the NME’s legendary C86 cassette, with anniversary shows featuring key artists planned at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts and a Bob Stanley-produced documentary in the works, Tender Trap’s new album is striking proof that some of the original protagonists of that movement are still making intelligent and engaging pop music. As lead singer of the seminal Talulah Gosh, the proto-riot grrrl Heavenly and the classy pop act Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001, releasing the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles to date.

With the addition of the crisp drumming of The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, Rob Pursey’s sub-sonic backing vocals uncannily reminiscent of erstwhile collaborator Calvin Johnson, while recent single ‘Talking Backwards’ (matinée 058) is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

In pre-release review action, Tasty agreed, writing “6 Billion People is one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year,” while Erasing Clouds described it as “another fantastic addition to Amelia Fletcher’s lengthy discography.” The full tracklisting and soundclips are now posted on the catalog and sounds pages. Although the official release date is May 29 in the shops, you can pick up your copy RIGHT NOW via the Matinée mailorder for just $10. We have fashionable Tender Trap buttons and postcards too so what are you waiting for? The CD is available in Europe from the good people at Fortuna POP!

Before we shut our trap (ahem…), don’t forget about their recent ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) featuring the non-album tracks ‘Unputdownable,’ ‘Friendster’ and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’! It’s the perfect appetizer for the ‘6 Billion People’ full length and a wonderful EP all its own. It’s a press triumph too, with Losing Today writing “Talking Backwards is three minutes of feverishly honed sweetly turned shimmer like 60’s inflected jangle pop that sees the classic indie glamour of the Primitives curvaceously diluted and lovingly draped by the crisp, breezy Francophile la la bachelor pad mindset of Stereolab all married to an audacious good to be alive melodic thread found casually basking in the softened haze of sultry summer afternoons and garnished with the kind of rash like infectiousness.”

Other recent reviews include Magnet Magazine writing “[Tender Trap] sports familiar, churning neo-new wave melodies that’ll have you jonesing for a microbrew and a clove cigarette,” Pop Matters calling it “a rousing girly guitar-pop joy that takes at least ten years off the soul,” and All Music Guide concluding “Amelia Fletcher has never made a record anything less than wonderful and this is no exception.” The title track is playing on the sounds page for your listening pleasure, and the EP is available from all good record shops or the Matinée mailorder now so get your copy today!

While you’re at the mailorder, you may want to pick up newly stocked copies of classic K Records releases from Tender Trap, Marine Research, Heavenly and Talulah Gosh! We have fresh copies of the debut Tender Trap album ‘Film Molecules,’ plus ‘Sounds from the Gulf Stream’ and ‘Parallel Horizontal’ from Marine Research; ‘Heavenly vs. Satan,’ ‘Le Jardin de Heavenly,’ ‘The Decline and Fall of Heavenly,’ ‘Operation: Heavenly’ and ‘P.U.N.K. Girl’ from Heavenly; and ‘Backwash’ from Talulah Gosh. Each of these bands features Amelia Fletcher from Tender Trap, while the first three also include Rob Pursey of Tender Trap and the latter three also feature the unmistakable guitar playing of Peter Momtchiloff (now in Would-Be-Goods). But you knew that. Any serious student of indiepop most likely has these already but if you’re missing any from your collection do yourself a favor and add it to your next order. You won’t be disappointed! The lovely K mailorder has stocked a handful of Matinée releases in return so head over there for more from the international pop underground.

Turning now to some exciting forthcoming releases, the brilliant new five track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee is due back from the pressing plant in a matter of days! As we reported last month, the EP includes two versions of the title track, a quirky sing-along that recalls the more upbeat moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter, plus the Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop of ‘I Could Be Wrong,’ the moody and churning ‘William Blake’ which would have fit nicely on the last Harper Lee album ‘All Things Can Be Mended’ (matcd033), and a chiming lullaby called ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head’ which is a simply sublime way to end an EP. No mere single, this is an astonishing EP where every song could have been the lead track. You can preview ‘He Holds A Flame’ right now on the sounds page, but if ever you trust my advice on these matters, head straight to the order page because this release is one of the very best we have ever had the honor of assigning a Matinée catalog number. Yes, it’s that good! The official release date is still a few weeks off but we’ll start shipping mailorder copies from June 1st so you can be the first on your block to hear one of the very best releases of the year.

Also now at the pressing plant is the fantastic new ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy! The first new material since the ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035) early last year, the EP features brand new songs ‘Brightness Falls,’ ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘Made In England’ plus a great cover of ‘In the Rain’ originally by The June Brides. In the short time since we received the masters, ‘Brightness Falls’ has already established itself as one of the very best Lovejoy songs to date. Check it out now playing on the sounds page…it’s ace, don’t you think? ‘Made in England’ is up there too…a return of sorts to the chiming pop of the debut album ‘ Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008), while ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘In the Rain’ sport a bit more of the electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ (matcd018) set. Oh, it’s all good…everybody loves Lovejoy. Still several weeks away from release but we’ll start taking preorders in June so keep checking the order page for your earliest opportunity to own the latest Lovejoy masterpiece.

Moving through the Matinée art department is the fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter! As we mentioned last month, the album includes the eight songs from the 1991 mini-lp ‘Laurel’ originally released on Sarah Records plus five songs from the ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the rare ‘Beckett House’ compilation LP, and six previously unreleased tracks…you read that right! All remastered in glorious stereo sound of course. The full tracklisting is: 1. Christmas, 2. Frostbite, 3. Summer Becomes Winter, 4. Something To Call My Own, 5. Ocean Sky, 6. Out to Sea, 7. Maybe, 8. Journey’s End, 9. If I Could See, 10. Wallflower, 11. Airhead, 12. Don’t Remember, 13. Next Summer, 14. Looks Like Rain, 15. Falling, 16. There Is Nothing We Can Do?, 17. Nothing At All, 18. Hope to God, 19. Amy Never Knew, 20. Still. We’ll reveal complete release details soon, but in the meantime have a listen to the brilliant unreleased track ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page. To say we’re eager for this release is a bit of an understatement. Just you wait…

Still gracing new release shelves around the globe is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the astonishing ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039) validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, a funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. We’re featuring the song on the sounds page now if you fancy a listen. The EP also includes exclusive new tracks ‘From Macaulay Station,’ ‘Rue Something’ and ‘To Absent Votes,’ which combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ form a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves.

In new Lucksmiths review action, hipster blog You Aint No Picasso concluded “the new songs are every bit as good as those on Warmer Corners – it’s easy to see ‘Macaulay Station’ as the next step from Warmer Corners, and if this is where they’re headed, I couldn’t be more excited.” Meanwhile, Friends of the Heroes declared it “the best single of the year so far,” Losing Today called it “absolutely essential – could well be their finest and most focused moment to date,” while Tangents warned “you would have to be dim or demented not to pick up a copy post haste.” So, assuming you’re not dim or demented, you probably need to follow the advice of Tangents and pay a visit to the Matinée mailorder (or your trusty local indie shop) today.

Also still dazzling on the new release shelf is the ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm)! The EP features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track (now playing on the sounds page) with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ featuring Dick on lead vocals and a guest appearance from Keris Howard (Harper Lee, Brighter), a short one called ‘Teddy Dragons’ and a remix of ‘Sleepydust’ with more Pam and some other nice touches.

The EP continues to generate enthusiastic press, with Losing Today describing it as a “laid back take on New Orders’ ‘Run 2’ with the added accompaniment of a particularly chilled Pet Shop Boys on hand to sprinkle their mercurial laced coffee table pop authority upon…the resulting thread work a softly curdling shimmer like slice of numbing hand holding gracefulness that glides seductively from the grooves into your headspace in the blink of an eye with all the crafted charm of the Field Mice at their most alluring found swapping notes with Fosca.” Are you with us? In other words, they like it! Other recent reviews include Vanity Project calling it “ambient electro indie-pop with a rocking chair St. Etienne groove;” Stylus Magazine writing “the members of the Snowdrops might want to reconsider the band’s status as a side project: their subdued synth-pop moves like a less-kinetic Postal Service, prizing atmosphere over rhythm or groove,” and Mundane Sounds commenting “if you’ve ever wondered what The Field Mice might have released after their swan-song single “Missing the Moon,” Sleepydust answers that question quite nicely.” Indeed. The EP is available now from all good retailers or your trusty Matinée shop.

In other top news, the warm weather has brought some Matinée artists out of hibernation for live action over the next 30 days. Each of these artists are working on new albums so expect exclusive previews of new material in addition to the usual classics. Check this out!:

Saturday, May 27th: Mark Monnone (The Lucksmiths) and Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez (Pipas) @ Smallmusictheatre, Koukaki, Athens (Greece) with The Occasional Flickers. Doors at 10pm, 8 euro, details: http://sprinkledpepper.net/funwhileitlasted/

Thursday, June 1st: Math and Physics Club @ The Crocodile Café, Seattle, WA (USA) with Ghost Stories, Young Sportsmen, and Panda & Angel. Doors 9pm, 21+, free!

Thursday, June 8th: Sportique @ The Windmill, Brixton, London (UK) with The Salty Pirates and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by How Does It Feel…?; tickets available from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/10654

Sunday, June 18th: Math and Physics Club @ The Fremont Fair, YMCA Fusion Café Emerging Artists Stage (outside!!), Seattle, WA (USA). ALL AGES, play time TBD, free!

Friday, June 23rd: Would-Be-Goods @ The Buffalo Bar, London (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Fortuna POP!, 8pm; £5 advance/£6 at the door including free CD.

Saturday, June 24th: Would-Be-Goods @ Junktion 7, Canning Circus, Nottingham (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble, The Chemistry Experiment and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Tasty fanzine, 8:30pm; £5 at the door including free CD.

Sunday, June 25th: Would-Be-Goods @ The Cellar, Oxford (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Shogun Panda, 7:30pm; £5 advance/£6 at the door including free CD.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from Melodie Group, The Lucksmiths and Kosmonaut! Each release is specially priced for the next month if you care to add to your Matinée collection. Further enticement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the splendid full length ‘Updownaround’ (matcd022) from Melodie Group! Featuring the consummate songwriting skills of The Windmills vocalist and guitarist Roy Thirlwall, Melodie Group has enjoyed some of the highest praise lofted at a Matinée artist, including comparisons to The Go-Betweens, Echo and the Bunnymen, East Village, and Felt. ‘Updownaround’ showcases relaxed, melodic popsongs that achieve a rare mixture of melancholy and catchiness. Lusciously paced, with gorgeous vocals delivered in the most dulcet of tones, the album is a triumph for Thirlwall’s esteemed catalogue and a testament to the brilliance of his creativity. Tasty described it as “the sort of record any sort of serious fan wishes Morrissey would make, instead of pissing about with those rockabilly chancers,” and Mundane Sounds declared it “a fine debut album from a proven talent.” Among its ten tracks are favorites ‘Summerness’, ‘Bathtub Full of Water’, and ‘I Do Not Not Love You’ – all of which you can preview on the sounds page before picking up a copy of your very own. It’s a nice one.

The November 2002 ‘Midweek Midmorning’ EP (matinée 042) from The Lucksmiths is our back catalog CD single of the month. The title track is a fantastic pop affair that mines typical Lucksmiths themes: sunshine, laziness and unemployment. Its jangling guitars, trumpet, tambourine and excellent vocals provided a highlight of the band’s ‘Naturaliste’ album the following year. The real selling point of the single, however, is its two exclusive non-album tracks: ‘Point Being’ is a catchy affair with handclaps and tambourines and a prominent bass line, while ‘Requiem for the Punters Club’ is an earnest tale about the closing of the band’s favorite hometown purveyor of adult beverages – a lovely remembrance that builds to a wonderful sing-along chorus before concluding with the solitude of a wailing harmonica. More than one reviewer listed ‘Requiem for the Punters Club’ among their favorite Lucksmiths songs to date and overall the EP enjoyed tremendous praise in the music press. Among our favorite quotes, All Music Guide wrote “The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop collection,” while Shredding Paper called it “compact, catchy pop with smart lyrics and huge hooks,” and Splendid declared it “a low-cost introduction to your new favorite band.” See the catalog page for more reviews and soundclips. No Lucksmiths fan can afford to be without this.

Our back catalog 7″ of the month is the ‘Desert Song’ 45 (matinée 041) from Kosmonaut! An English band featuring Stephen Maughan (ex-Bulldozer Crash and creator of the legendary This Almighty Pop! fanzine) and Geoff Suggett (ex-Lavender Faction), this one-off 7″ followed previous Kosmonaut releases on the esteemed Motorway and Firestation Tower record labels. In addition to having the honor of being the final Matinée 7″ pressed, the single was well received in the press with comparisons to The Sugargliders, Fantastic Something, Teenage Fanclub, Aztec Camera, Avocadoclub, The Clientele and Biff Bang Pow! Tangents reported “Kosmonaut offer us the delicious ‘Desert Song’ and ‘Bee Song’, both of which glint like silver strings in the Mojave,” while Wide Open Road wrote “Desert Song is a sumptuous recording, as delicious as the season’s first blueberries” and In Love With These Times called it “road music at its finest.” The band later deconstructed The Liberty Ship for the ‘Matinée 50’ (matinée 050) compilation before disappearing altogether, but we’ll always have this perfect 7″ with which to remember them. Surely not enough of you have this one so remedy that situation pronto because 7″ singles are ace, especially when they’re just $2!

As always, we conclude with our list of top sellers from last month which sees Tender Trap debut at the top of the heap. Do you have your copy yet? We happen to think it’s the perfect Father’s Day gift. Here’s the top ten:

10. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
9. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
8. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
7. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
6. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
5. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
3. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD

Until next month,
Jimmy
x

Oooh…April already? More top news this month as we unveil a brand new release from Tender Trap; gush about a new Lucksmiths EP; divulge information on forthcoming releases from Harper Lee, Lovejoy and Brighter; post exclusive new soundclips; announce upcoming live dates for Matinée artists; and more!

Leading off with Tender Trap, we can now reveal complete release details of the new album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040)! Twenty years on from the NME’s legendary C86 cassette, with anniversary shows featuring key artists planned at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts and a Bob Stanley-produced documentary in the works, Tender Trap’s new album is striking proof that some of the original protagonists of that movement are still making intelligent and engaging pop music. As lead singer of the seminal Talulah Gosh, the proto-riot grrrl Heavenly and the classy pop act Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001, releasing one album to date, the coolly electronic ‘Film Molecules’.

With the addition of the crisp drumming of The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, Rob Pursey’s sub-sonic backing vocals uncannily reminiscent of erstwhile collaborator Calvin Johnson, while recent single ‘Talking Backwards’ (matinée 058) is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

Full tracklisting and soundclips are now posted on the catalog and sounds pages. Although the official release date is May 29 in the shops, you can pick up your copy RIGHT NOW via the Matinée mailorder for just $10. We have snazzy Tender Trap buttons and postcards too so what are you waiting for? For those of you in Europe, the CD is available from our good friends at Fortuna POP! so tell Sean we said hello!

To celebrate the arrival of the album, Tender Trap are making some rare live appearances next week in London featuring for the very first time a real live drummer (Claudia) in place of the faithful old CD player:

Thursday April 13th: How Does It Feel To Be Loved? at The Windmill, Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, with Fosca and Strange Idols. Doors open 7:30pm. Advance tickets are £5 from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/9462.
Saturday April 15th (afternoon): Fortuna POP! showcase at RoTa, Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, with Cannonball Jane and Simon Fanfarlo. Doors open 4pm and it’s free!

In addition, Amelia will be guest DJ on Friday April 7th at How Does It Feel To Be Loved? at the Canterbury Arms in Brixton. The club runs 9pm to 2am, and Amelia is doing a 90-minute girl-based set sometime between 10pm and midnight. Get your dancing shoes on! More details on this and the live shows at the Tender Trap website.

In other new release news, the magnificent ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths is now available in all good record shops! The second single lifted from recent album ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039), coupled with three exclusive new tracks, validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. We’re featuring the song on the sounds page now if you need to have a listen. Its magnificent b-sides are all set in actual places: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, ‘Rue Something’ a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris, and ‘To Absent Votes’ a tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. Combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they create a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. The EP comes housed in one of our signature minijacket sleeves (matte coated…oh so nice!) with liner notes from comedian Daniel Kitson.

The EP is already generating some world-class press, with each of the new songs receiving mentions as the favorite. Among the early reviews, Pitchfork and Tasty laud ‘From Macaulay Station,’ while All Music Guide opts for ‘Rue Something’ and Erasing Clouds chooses ‘To Absent Votes.’ Our favorite changes daily so the jury is out until the next batch of reviews. You Ain’t No Picasso recently published a fine interview with Marty Donald too so check it out for even more Lucksmiths fix.

Finally, lucky readers in Australia (or anyone else with a penchant for last minute travel) can catch a trio of EP release shows coming up this weekend:

Friday April 7th: Karova Lounge, Ballarat, with Fred Astereo. Tickets $12 at the door.
Saturday April 8th: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, with Fred Astereo. Tickets $15 in advance or $18 day of show from the venue.
Sunday April 9th: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, with Mid State Orange (tickets as above).

The recent ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from Tender Trap, and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club continue to fly off the shelves and generate excellent press. Check the catalog pages for the latest reviews and get your copies now because they all contain exclusive tracks that you probably need to hear. These are part of a magnificent run of Matinée EPs that we trust one day will be looked upon as a classic moment in indie history. See the sounds page for further encouragement.

In the coming soon category we have a pair of EPs that will surely only add to this classic singles run:

The new EP from Harper Lee is entitled ‘He Holds A Flame’ (matinee 061) and is heading to the pressing plant imminently to make you smile sometime next month. The EP includes five tracks—two versions of the title track plus ‘I Could Be Wrong,’ ‘William Blake’ and ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head.’ Of course they are all brilliant but our pick this very moment is the Go-Betweensy acoustic pop of ‘I Could Be Wrong’ which has us singing out loud as we type this sentence. You’ll have to wait to hear that one but can preview the ace title track right now on the sounds page. Harper Lee are keen to play live dates around Europe to support the EP so if anyone is interested in bringing them to your home town please let us know! In an ideal world I would convince them to visit America as well so cross your fingers and buy lots of Harper Lee releases and we’ll see what we can do.

Something is apparently in the water in Brighton because in addition to new releases from The Snowdrops and Harper Lee, Lovejoy are set to return with a four track EP of their own! Entitled ‘England Made Me’ (matinée 062), the EP features new songs ‘Brightness Falls,’ ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘England Made Me’ plus a fourth track that is still under consideration. Lovejoy recently contributed songs to compilation albums released in Australia, Sweden and Ireland too so see the newly updated Lovejoy website for details. More details on this release next month but for now you can preview ‘Brightness Falls’—surely one their very best so far, no?—on the sounds page.

In other Harper Lee news, we are at long last reissuing the magnificent 2001 debut album ‘Go Back To Bed’ (matcd009) which has been sold out for several years. Featuring the debut single ‘Dry Land’ plus early classics ‘Bug,’ ‘Only Connect,’ and ‘Brooklyn Bridge,’ the album is a Matinée favorite that will once again grace a new release shelf near you so stop spending £30 for it on eBay!

Ditto the £50 or so you’ll need for a copy of the sole Brighter album ‘Laurel’ released on Sarah Records way back when because we’re reissuing those eight songs plus 12 other Brighter classics very soon on a new Brighter compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041). We’ll reveal complete release details next month, but you can listen to the brilliant unreleased song ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page now to help you get excited for this splendid release.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from The Windmills, The Guild League and The Snowdrops! Each release is specially priced for the next month if you care to add to your Matinée collection. Further encouragement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the sophomore full length ‘Sunlight’ (matcd014) from The Windmills! Released in October 2001, the album built upon the skilled songwriting, sincere vocals and impressive melodies of previous Windmills releases with a new air of fervor and conviction. Among its ten tracks are fan favorites ‘Drug Autumn’, ‘When It Was Winter’, ‘Unkiss’ and our personal pick ‘Cloud Five.’ You can preview each of these songs on the sounds page if you like. The album did very well in the music press, with Careless Talk Costs Lives describing it as “some of the finest, most upliftingly down-beat Pop since East Village ripped hearts apart with their awesome beat noise back in the late ’80s;” IndiePages writing “with just the right mix of jangly pop and melancholy, this is one of those classic bands that can’t really do much wrong” and PopMatters calling it “a real corker of an album.” Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. As we always say, The Windmills rule and if you’ve not already discovered their brilliance this is a fine place to start.

The July 2002 ‘Jet-Set Go!’ EP (matinée 039) from The Guild League is our back catalog CD single of the month. While the band has boasted a revolving lineup on its three releases, the ‘League was launched as an Australian coterie featuring Lucksmiths vocalist and percussionist Tali White, fellow Candle Records artist Richard Easton, and members of Sodastream and Art of Fighting, and its debut single was a wonderful racket with guitars and drums and handclaps that you couldn’t get out of your head. The three-song EP also featured acoustic tracks ‘A Faraway Place’ and ‘Cornflakes’ which showcased Tali’s signature voice and presaged some of the magnificent softer moments on subsequent releases ‘Private Transport’ (matcd023) and ‘Inner North’ (matcd034). The Guild League were instant press darlings, with Mundane Sounds awarding the EP “single of the week,” Tangents calling the EP “a real gem that has been stuck on repeat all morning,” and Tasty writing “a perfect debut single—hug it hard.” See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. You probably need this too.

Our back catalog 7″ of the month is the ‘Mad World’ 45 (matinée 029) from The Snowdrops! Serious students of the label know this was a release that nearly didn’t happen due to a frustrating licensing holdup but in the end the publishing gods smiled on us and the single saw its release nearly two years later in May 2003. The debut single from an indie supergroup featuring Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Pam Berry (The Pines, Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, etc.) and Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont, Spinning Wheels), the A-side is a cover of the Tears For Fears hit which later topped the UK singles chart as a Gary Jules cover from the film ‘Donnie Darko.’ We always knew the song was a hit and if we had only sorted out the licensing issues earlier might have had our very own UK number one but alas, we settled for the single topping the Matinée hit parade for several months running instead. The flip is an original called ‘Don’t Buy Anything’ with Keith on lead vox and Dick and Pam backing in a style recalling the earliest days of Blueboy. Erasing Clouds wrote “this is what a pop 7″ should be—a little document of lovely moments,” while Tangents declared the Snowdrops “ace” for their “absolute peach of a version of the aforementioned ’80s electropop chart-topper.” The band later contributed brilliant songs to the ‘Matinée 50’ (matinée 050) and ‘Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware’ (matcd030) compilations before recording the recent ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053)…but the ‘Mad World’ 7″ is where it all started and you probably should have a copy all your own. The artwork is quite nice too and let’s face it, 7″ singles still rule, right?

Last month you bought lots of buttons so our selection now stands at 29 different designs. See the fanclub page for scans of the designs or the order page for availability. Still quite a bargain for the 5-pack or 10-pack so get yours before they all sell out. We will have new designs before too long too so watch this space.

As always we leave you with the list of top sellers from the previous month…our official hit parade. This one’s actually a combined February/March sales chart which puts the Lucksmiths squarely on top and proves that singles are still alive:

10. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
9. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
8. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
7. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
5. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
4. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP

Hurrah!
Jimmy
x

Hello! Exciting times here as we present a brand new release from The Lucksmiths, unleash a slew of Matinée badges on an unsuspecting indie public, rave about great new releases, unveil some exclusive new soundclips, divulge exciting news about Brighter and Would-Be-Goods, gush about some old releases, and more!

Our premiere 2006 release is the new ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The glorious title track, perfect for repeat plays on your car stereo or iPod, is lifted from the recent Lucksmiths album ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039). We trust you knew that. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, the song is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. Check it out now playing on the sounds page if you haven’t heard it. The EP also includes three exclusive new tracks that validate yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, ‘Rue Something’ a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris, and ‘To Absent Votes’ a tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. Collected with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they create a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. Housed in one of our signature minijacket sleeves (matte coated for all you printing buffs) with liner notes from comedian Daniel Kitson, the single is released to shops on February 20 but you can get your very own copy right here right now! Life is good with a new Lucksmiths single, don’t you think?

In other top news, last month we promised you badges so badges you shall have! As evidenced in the above photo and detailed on the fancy new fanclub page, we currently have 36 badges available to adorn your shirt or satchel or whatever you kids use these days. Some of them are quite old… leftovers from the original Soirée Matinée badge pack from 1999 plus tour badges for Monterey, Sportique and The Lucksmiths. Others were made for a series of London shows in 2001 and 2002, while 20 are brand new. We have at least one design each for 24 different Matinée artists plus two Matinée label designs and they’re all ready to include with your orders. Stock on older badges is quite limited and when they’re gone they’re gone so act fast if you want any. To launch our new line, we are offering a FREE badge with every order this month, oh yeah! If you just can’t decide on one, you may want to check out our 5 and 10-badge packs and choose your favorites. Please see the order page for details.

Hanging with The Lucksmiths on the new release shelf is the second single from The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm). The new ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track (now playing on the sounds page) with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ featuring Dick on lead vocals and a guest appearance from Keris Howard (Harper Lee, Brighter), a short one called ‘Teddy Dragons’ and a remix of ‘Sleepydust’ with more Pam and some other nice touches.

The EP continues to generate positive press, with Vanity Project calling it “ambient electro indie-pop with a rocking chair St. Etienne groove;” Mundane Sounds commenting “if you’ve ever wondered what The Field Mice might have released after their swan-song single “Missing the Moon,” Sleepydust answers that question quite nicely;” and The Big Takeover writing “gorgeous, stylish, melancholy pop music with an ’80s sheen, one song overtly alluding to Pet Shop Boys.” Finally, Tangents weighed in with its usual discerning prose, describing the single as priceless and writing “the sound of breathy kisses and dreamy-eyed devotion; of The Field Mice skywriting love letters to Ellsworth Kelly; of Pet Shop Boys on Brighton pier in a video by Caravaggio.” The single is limited to 1000 copies in a gorgeous minijacket sleeve and available now from the Matinée mailorder and all good retailers so get going!

Also garnering lots of attention is the wonderful ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap! Since forming in 2001, band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) have released three singles and the superb album ‘Film Molecules.’ Of course Amelia is arguably the voice of the indiepop generation, fronting legendary acts Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research from the mid-80s to the turn of the century and adding her unmistakable vocals to hits from The Wedding Present, Hefner, The Brilliant Corners, and Sportique, among others. This long-awaited follow-up features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on the forthcoming Tender Trap album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) in April. The song is a refreshing pop hit, full of chunky guitars, mellifluous vocals, smart drumming (courtesy of Claudia Gonson of The Magnetic Fields), ba-ba-ba’s and shimmering enthusiasm as it builds to its harmonious conclusion. Check it out now on the sounds page. The EP also includes three non-album tracks: ‘Unputdownable’ showcases more of Claudia’s ace drumming as it mixes lush string-filled verses with a shouty chorus that recalls the heady days of Heavenly; ‘Friendster’ is a lovely ode to a certain online forum; and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’ is a frighteningly catchy electropop hit featuring a bilingual duet between Amelia and special guest Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of fellow Matinée superstars Pipas.

The magnificent EP reviews continue, with All Music Guide concluding “Amelia Fletcher has never made a record anything less than wonderful and this is no exception,” and Pop Matters writing “all in all, Talking Backwards is a rousing girly guitar-pop joy that takes at least ten years off the soul.” Indeed! As with all our new singles, it is limited to 1000 copies in another stunning minijacket sleeve so get to the order page or your favorite shop now!

Staying with Tender Trap, we can now divulge details of the highly anticipated new album! Entitled ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040), the album features dazzling new songs 6 Billion People, Talking Backwards, Inuit Beauty Queen, I Would Die For You, Applecore, Fahrenheit 451, Ampersand, (I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You, Dreaming of Dreaming, and Dead and Gone. Of course they’re all dead good but we’ve just uploaded four current favorites to the catalog page and ‘Applecore’ is also featured on the sounds page. We’ve just finished the artwork too so it’s off to the pressing plant and on schedule for release in late April if all goes well. The band talked about the new album and more in a recent interview with Pop Matters so head over there if you want the inside scoop. More release details next month.

While on the sounds page, you will undoubtedly notice there is also a new soundclip of a song called ‘Wallflower’ from Brighter! While we are still working out the release details, I can confirm that we will release a very exciting compilation of Brighter material including the entirety of the ‘Laurel’ LP released on Sarah all those years ago, plus tracks from flexis and compilations and a healthy number of frankly stunning unreleased songs including the one now featured on the sounds page. The CD is tentatively entitled ‘Out To Sea: The Rest of Brighter’ (matcd041), and could contain as many as 20 tracks. More definitive news soon! New recordings from Lovejoy and Harper Lee are also nearing completion so watch this space for more new release information next month.

Would-Be-Goods are back in the spotlight with a quick set of dates in Spain this week with ace Elefant act Les Très Bien Ensemble! The shows are Thursday February 16th at Apolo in Barcelona, Friday February 17th at El Loco Club in Valencia, and Saturday February 18th at El Sol in Madrid. For additional show details please see the Elefant website. The shows are a collaboration between our friends at Elefant and Fortuna POP!, and the bands are scheduled to play three dates in the UK later this year. Entrance to the shows includes an exclusive Elefant/Fortuna POP! sampler CD “Que viva le pop!” featuring highlights of the two labels’ rosters. Would-Be-Goods have been busy in the recording studio recently and should have new release plans sorted soon as well. Hurrah!

In other band news, The Guild League have two new songs available on the latest Candle Records compilation ‘Hamper;’ Sportique have joined forces with the Myspace generation with a page of their own; and Pale Sunday have an alternate Myspace page as well.

After a month off, we are reviving our back catalog spotlight feature with classic releases this month from Simpático, The Young Tradition and Slipslide. Each release is on sale for the next month if you want to add to your Matinée collection. Further endorsement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the March 2002 full length ‘The Difference Between Alone and Lonely’ (matcd016) from Simpático! Not content to rest on the laurels of his prior band Sweet William, vocalist Jason Sweeney set out to create a debut Simpático album featuring warm, summery and melancholic tunes that reflect the harsh and dramatic Australian landscape matched with a longing and desire for lost loves. The resulting 12 tracks blended some of the strongest songwriting of Jason’s career with masterful keyboards, perfectly strummed guitars and his oh-so-dulcet voice. The album was greeted with glowing reviews, including Tangents writing “Simpático makes the sounds that you’d imagine the Field Mice making if their world were filled with more of a heat haze than a steady light drizzle;” Delusions of Adequacy concluding “borders on a work of genius;” In Love with These Times calling it “all killer, no filler;” and All Music Guide commenting “If you had to play the standard rock critic comparison game, saying Simpático is the Field Mice having tea with Brighter at the Razorcuts’ flat would be pretty close to dead on.” Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. We suspect this is an album you should probably not miss.

The July 2003 ‘California Morning’ EP (matinée 043) from The Young Tradition is our back catalog CD single of the month. At the time of their debut, group members Brent Kenji (The Fairways, The Guild League, Skypark) and Erik Hanspers had never met, collaborating instead through the marvels of our international postal service and a shared sense of songwriting. Featuring three beautifully orchestrated songs with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and Brent’s captivating vocals, the single was the sort that demanded repeat listening and engendered gushing praise from all corners. Wide Open Road awarded it single of the year (so far), writing “California Morning is intoxicating, mesmerising, and totally huggable, recalling the beauty of those late 1960s San-Fran anthems you can all name yourselves quite easily.” Meanwhile, All Music Guide wrote “California Morning is a magical EP that will leave indie pop fans desperate for a full-length,” Tasty called it “cracking grown-up pop,” and The Big Takeover concluded “California Morning soars way above most indiepop—like a great track from 60s softrock giants The Millenium or a hidden gem of Simon & Garfunkel song that’s somehow only just been discovered. The EP includes two songs—including a cover of ‘Isolation’ from San Francisco popstars Poundsign—that did not appear on the subsequent album ‘Northern Drive (matcd038) so it’s well worth picking up. See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. You’ll soon see that ‘California Morning’ is one of the very best songs we’ve ever released!

One of a trio of 7″ singles released in November 2001, the ‘Sleeptalk’ 45 (matinée 031) from Slipslide is our back catalog classic 7″ of the month. Featuring current and former members of Astronaut, the Love Parade, Eva Luna and Pure, Slipslide are merchants of swirling guitar pop with addictive choruses, keyboards, and rich production that sits nicely beside treasured records from Aztec Camera, Go Betweens, Pale Fountains, or New Order. ‘Sleeptalk’ features superbly jangling guitars, farfisa, a tambourine, and a bit of reverb, making it one of the most immediate songs the band has recorded to date. The flipside ‘Six Strings’ employs classic 12-string guitar, more tambourines and a slight folky edge reminiscent of the best moments of Shack. It remains one of our favorite Slipslide tracks to this day. Tangents liked it, writing “like a daydream beamed into my Saturday morning from fifteen years ago, making my spine creep and jangle.” Strange Fruit did too, concluding “this is a bit of a gem, basically. Charming vocals, C86 style melodies and guitars, and a happy, jolly, wonderful sound. An instantly delightful pop song that trundles along with a fey vigour all its own, it’s unassuming, charismatic and ideal to dance to. Lovely.” Lovely indeed. See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. It’s on sale right now so a perfect time to pick one up and you could also use a nifty Slipslide badge too right?

That’s enough for this month. As always we leave you with the list of top sellers from the previous month…our official hit parade. Nice work Snowdrops!

10. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
9. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
8. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
7. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″
6. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
5. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
4. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP

Adios!
Jimmy
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Happy New Year! In addition to reports on top new releases, this month we offer lists of 2005 favorites from Matinée artists and official results of the fourth annual Matinée fanclub poll, yes way!

Our foremost release of 2006 is a new 4 track EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! As soon as we received the master for last year’s magnificent ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039), we knew lead track ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ had to be a single and after months of cajoling and some fancy studio work its day has finally arrived. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, the song is a smash and we are excited to finally see it grace the Matinée singles discography page. Making the release possible was tricky for several reasons: 1) a one track single – even one as tremendous as this – isn’t very exciting; 2) there were no available b-sides; and 3) Lucksmiths bassist Mark Monnone was living abroad most of the past year which made recording new songs a bit of a challenge. But alas, this is the Lucksmiths we’re talking about.

Magically, three magnificent b-sides appeared on my doorstep just last week along with some fresh artwork and 24 hours later we had a package ready for the pressing plant. Those magnificent b-sides are all set in actual places: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, while ‘Rue Something’ is a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris and ‘To Absent Votes’ is the tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. They’re all lovely of course, and, did I mention… exclusive to this EP?! Combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they make quite a brilliant EP that will hopefully give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves.

The EP is set for release on February 20th although we’ll have copies to send out the prior week for anyone who preorders it. See the order page to preorder. The EP will be available through Candle Records in Australia on the same date.

The new Lucksmiths EP is the first of 12 releases planned for this year as part of the 2006 Matinée Hit Parade! Future volumes should appear roughly monthly and include exclusive new songs from Matinée idols Harper Lee, Lovejoy, Slipslide, Sportique, Would-Be-Goods and more. The 2006 release schedule also includes new albums from Tender Trap and Math and Physics Club and a handful of seriously wonderful surprises including at least one retrospective release so stay tuned for details.

Now featured on new release shelves across the globe is the second single from mysterious Matinée musicmakers The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm). The new ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. You can listen to it now on the sounds page. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ featuring Dick on lead vocals and a guest appearance from Keris Howard (Harper Lee, Brighter), a short one called ‘Teddy Dragons’ and a remix of ‘Sleepydust’ with more Pam (always a good thing) and some other nice touches.

The EP is already generating positive press, with Stylus Magazine suggesting “the members of the Snowdrops might want to reconsider the band’s status as a side project…their subdued synth-pop moves like a less-kinetic Postal Service, prizing atmosphere over rhythm or groove.” Meanwhile, Erasing Clouds described ‘Sleepydust’ as “romantic and lovely” and “another stylish, melancholy pop song for the ages,” while Tasty offered seasonal advice “if the winter is stretching out in front you like a miserable frozen lake, reach for this ep, put a warm jumper on and eat some chocolate… you’ll feel better again before long.”

The single is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve and available now from the Matinée mailorder and all good retailers so get yours before they’re all gone.

Also gracing the new release shelf, the wonderful ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap finds band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) in top form. Amelia is arguably the voice of the indiepop generation, fronting legendary acts Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research from the mid-80s to the turn of the century and adding her unmistakable vocals to hits from The Wedding Present, Hefner, The Brilliant Corners, and Sportique, among others. Since forming in 2001 as Tender Trap, Amelia, Rob and John have released three singles and the superb album ‘Film Molecules,’ once described as “the unholy alliance between Blondie and The Magnetic Fields.” This long-awaited follow-up features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming Tender Trap album (matcd040) in early 2006. The song is a refreshing pop hit, full of chunky guitars, mellifluous vocals, smart drumming (courtesy of Claudia Gonson of The Magnetic Fields), ba-ba-ba’s and shimmering enthusiasm as it builds to its highly harmonious conclusion. Check it out now on the sounds page. The EP also includes three non-album tracks: ‘Unputdownable’ showcases more of Claudia’s ace drumming as it mixes lush string-filled verses with a shouty chorus that recalls the heady days of Heavenly’s P.U.N.K. Girl; ‘Friendster’ is a lovely ode to a certain online forum; and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’ is a frighteningly catchy electropop hit featuring a bilingual duet between Amelia and special guest Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of fellow Matinée superstars Pipas.

We’re getting new Tender Trap reviews on a daily basis now. Some of our recent favorites include 75 or Less writing “infectious sing-song melodies, sweet girl-on-girl harmonies and an ounce of synthesizer for good measure… pop-a-licious!” and Pennyblack concluding “the whole of this EP is pretty much near perfect… welcome home, Amelia!” Do all Tender Trap reviews end with exclamation points, or am I imagining it? Let’s see… Mundane Sounds? Check: “A sweet little treat, this!” IndiePages? Check: “Talking Backwards” is taken from the band’s forthcoming second album, and if that album is as good as the single, it should be a delight! Tasty? Check: “A brighter, clearer sound [with] much simpler, bolder arrangements and lyrics to rival Heavenly’s cheekiest yet dark offerings… quite frankly, this is unmissable!”

The single is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the order page or your favorite shop now so you can see what all the hoopla is about!!

Thanks to everyone who voted in the fourth annual Matinée Fanclub poll! We had responses from 18 countries this year and the results are now posted on the archive page. Here is a summary:

The winner of the album of the year award is ‘Warmer Corners” (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths (71 votes), with “Chunnel Autumnal” (matcd036) from Pipas (36) and ‘Summertime?” (matcd037) from Pale Sunday (33) coming in second and third. Hurrah!

In the singles category, newcomers Math and Physics Club took top prize with the ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) earning 63 votes. ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ from Math and Physics Club (matinée 059) were the other favorites, with 43 and 34 votes respectively.

In addition to the top album and singles categories, we added a new category this year for song of the year. As expected, votes were fairly dispersed with 66 of the 76 eligible songs earning votes. In the end, Math and Physics Club took the prize with ‘Weekends Away’ (34 votes), followed closely by ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ from The Lucksmiths (31), ‘Another Sunny Day’ from The Happy Couple (23), ‘Movie Ending Romance’ from Math and Physics Club (22) and ‘California Morning’ from The Young Tradition (20). Additional songs from these bands plus hits from Lovejoy, Pipas, The Snowdrops and Tender Trap also made the top tier.

In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths captured the number one spot this year (56 votes), followed by Math and Physics Club (33), Pipas (31), Harper Lee (23), The Fairways (23), Would-Be-Goods (14), Razorcuts (12), Brighter (11), Pale Sunday (10) and The Pines (8).

Finally, we replaced the ‘favorite song ever released on Matinée’ category with the more limited ‘favorite Matinée release of all time.’ Although the list of choices still numbered over 100, it seemed a bit more manageable than the 700+ songs released to date. Of course votes were still spread among virtually all the releases, but in the end a few firm favorites emerged. Top honors went to ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (31 votes), followed by ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths (25), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (21), ‘A Cat Escaped’ (matcd021) from Pipas (20) and ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club (18). Other releases earning more than 10 votes each include ‘T-shirt Weather’ (matinée 018) from The Lucksmiths (17), ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (15), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) from Pipas (13), ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (13), the Matinée 50 (matinée 050) compilation (13), ‘Everything’s Going To Be OK’ (matcd020) from Harper Lee (13), and ‘Staring At The Sky’ (matcd004) from The Lucksmiths (12).

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who entered. The lucky winner of the five CD prize pack is Nancy Ostrander from Seattle, WA. Hurrah! Wish you had won? Join the Matinée Fanclub and you may be our next lucky winner.

We also surveyed all the Matinée artists at the end of the year regarding their favorite things of 2005 and as expected there was great variety in the responses. See responses from members of Airport Girl, The Happy Couple, Harper Lee, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Melodie Group, Simpático, Slipslide, The Snowdrops, Sportique, Tender Trap, and The Windmills on the archive page.

This update has gone on long enough so we’ll skip the back catalog spotlight this month but I promised to mention new Myspace pages for Slipslide and Tender Trap! They join fellow Matinée artists The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club and Pale Sunday on the popular website and are looking for friends, as the lingo goes. I’m still not sure what all of this means, but if you click on the band names in this paragraph you’ll be whisked away to myspace and can, indeed, become friends with these bands and probably thousands of others. Have fun!

Also, we are making new buttons and thinking about making new t-shirts. Thanks very much for your input. We are fairly certain buttons can’t be downloaded so this is likely your only place to get them. Full details in the February update, or check the fanclub page later this month. If you go there now you’ll see lots of postcards and some rather outdated t-shirt information but not a word about buttons. Trust me, you’ll need a new backpack with what we have planned.

People bought lots of records in December so we had a nice Christmas. Here is the final hit parade of 2005, with a brand new number one:

10. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
9. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
8. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
7. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
6. Various – Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware CD
5. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
3. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP

Until next month,
Jimmy
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