Happy New Year!!! Matinée had its best year yet in 2003 with 17 great new records, but we are even more thrilled
about our 2004 release schedule. In addition to reports on all the new releases, this month we offer you a brand new
website feature, exclusive new sounds, lists of 2003 favorites from Matinée artists and the results of the second annual
Matinée fanclub poll, so let’s get to it!

The foremost release of the year is the brilliant debut album “Tide” (matcd029) from
The Liberty Ship! The album builds on the celebrated “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” 45 from 2002 and last
year’s “Northern Angel” CDEP, which together earned the Nottingham four piece comparisons to pop greats The Byrds,
East Village, Weather Prophets, The Rain Parade, Go-Betweens, Beachwood Sparks, and Hurrah! The dozen songs on
this new album feature chiming guitars, brilliant melodies, and catchy choruses that further demonstrate the impressive
songwriting of this band. Mixed male and female vocals, clever bits of electronica, tambourines and harmonica combine
for one strong debut album. The tracklisting is: 1. Finer Feelings; 2. Chords Drag You Down; 3. Final Kick; 4. Precious
Time; 5. Coast; 6. Cabin Fever; 7. Shine On; 8. Baseball Caps and Novas; 9. I’ll Try; 10. Stars Above; 11. Actually; 12.
Yuri Gagarin. You can preview three of the songs on the current sounds page, or trust us
and just add it to your shopping cart. Have we let you down yet? It’s available now exclusively via the
order page and in shops worldwide on the19th.

Our report last time about the “Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware” compilation
(matcd030) engendered discussion on numerous websites. A daring and impressive
tribute to legendary mid-80s English band The Smiths, the album is now set for release! Arguably one of the finest pop
groups of all time, The Smiths released an impeccable collection of records between their debut in 1983 and their
swansong in 1987. Among their many fans are several top Matinée artists, so we invited twelve of them to pay respect
to the brilliance of The Smiths and mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album with this sincere tribute.

Borrowing a title from the run-out groove of the “William, It Was Really Nothing” single, “Romantic and Square is Hip and
Aware” provides solid interpretations of Smiths classics by current Matinée artists from England, Australia, Brazil,
Sweden and the United States. The contributors include The Pines, with a jangly version of the hit “Ask”;
Pale Sunday, providing a magnificent bossa-nova/shoegaze reworking of “I Know It’s Over”; The Lucksmiths,
who approach the mighty “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” as a duet and come out smelling of roses;
Slipslide, with an expertly crafted cover of “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”; Pipas,
adding a dance beat to the early classic “This Night Has Opened My Eyes”; Lovejoy, contributing an admirable
cover of “Girlfriend In A Coma”; Would-Be-Goods, with an unforgettable version of “Back To The Old House”;
The Young Tradition, putting their polish on an untraditional version of “Sheila Take A Bow”; Simpático,
with a convincing rendition of “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”; The Guild League, glam-ing up the already glam
hit “Panic”; The Liberty Ship, attacking the rollicking “Sweet and Tender Hooligan” in fine fashion; and The
Snowdrops, with a splendid live recording of “Bigmouth Strikes Again”.

Created with immense reverence for the band, the album is a passionate tribute to the most influential pop band of the
past 20 years. We have copies available exclusively through the mailorder now, or look for it
in shops on January 26th.

Also new for 2004 is a special website feature called Artist of the Month and we are kicking off this spotlight with
the very wonderful Simpático! One of the personas used by Jason Sweeney after
the demise of his band Sweet William in 1999, Simpático has expanded to a full four-piece lineup for 2004! We can only
wonder how rich the resulting recordings will sound, and suspect we’ll not have to wait too long to find out. As resident
artist of the month, Simpático has a freshly updated artist page with new text,
band photo, a favorite song poll and a video clip! You’ll also need to check out the sounds
page, where we have added three brilliant Simpático mp3s for your listening pleasure. The songs are “School Life” (taken
from the album “The Difference Between Alone & Lonely”), “Garden Greene” (from the “Club Life” EP) and a brand new
exclusive mp3 for “100 Ways To His Heart” which you’ll only find here for a limited time. It is a fantastic new song and
Jason has even made a sleeve in case you want to download the track and make
your very own CD! Finally, all Simpático releases are on sale throughout the month on the order
page so you have no excuse for not completing your collection today! We’ll have a featured artist each month this year,
so stay tuned.

First up in the coming soon category is the welcome return of Pipas with six great new songs collected as the
“Bitter Club” EP (matinée 052)! Their album “A Cat Escaped”
(matcd021) has been a top seller since its release 15 months ago, and this new
release should expand their fanbase even further. The tracklisting is: 1. Mental, 2. Bitter Club, 3. Sixten, 4. Minilife, 5.
Jean Cocteau, and 6. South (bend-able mix). So, that’s six exclusive new songs for a top quality release that you won’t
want to miss! We are featuring “Jean Cocteau” on the updated sounds page, so get hip to it
now because they are talking about it at all the coolest parties. The EP is released in mid-February to coincide with two
Pipas birthdays, but don’t say I told you…

We are also nearing completion on a full length release from beloved San Francisco pop group The Fairways!
The band was one of the first associated with the label, releasing their debut and our 9th single – the “Darling Don’t You
Think” 7″ (matinée 009) – nearly four years ago. The band co-released the fantastic “Is
Everything All Right” album on Paris Caramel and Shelflife later that same year, and contributed tracks to a few
compilations before band members went on to play in the Aislers Set and The Young Tradition. This new release serves
as the band’s swansong, and is appropriately titled “This is Farewell” (matcd031). The
album combines five unreleased gems (Emily, The Back of Her Hand, Don’t Call Me Dear, Goodbye California, and
Starstruck) with non-album tracks (Nowhere To Go, This Is Farewell, Winter Song, Fine Day, and Little White Lies) from
sold out singles and compilations. There may be one more song added, but we are still trying to locate the master so
the final tracklisting is forthcoming. In any event, this should be a highlight for many this year and we are thrilled to
release it on Matinée! One listen to the brilliant song “The Back Of Her Hand” now playing on the
sounds page should be all it takes to place this album on your future shopping list, so have
a listen! We will confirm the release date next month.

On the springtime horizon, watch for the return of The Snowdrops with their “Seven Days to Perfect Skin” CDEP,
a new mini-lp from Lovejoy, the debut long-player from our latest superstars The Young Tradition, and
the return of Harper Lee. More details on these releases and others next month.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the second annual fanclub poll last month! We
had an excellent turnout with nearly 130 votes cast. In the singles category, Razorcuts took top honors with the
“A is for Alphabet” EP (50 votes), while The Young Tradition‘s “California Morning” EP (34) came in second and
Pale Sunday‘s “A Weekend with Jane” EP tied with The Pines‘ “True Love Waits Volume Two” EP for
third (33 votes each). Hurrah for our newest bands, eh?!

The coveted album of the year goes to the “Matinée 50” compilation (55 votes), followed by Brighter‘s
“Singles 1989-1992” (48) and The Lucksmiths‘ “A Little Distraction” (39). We also surveyed to identify your
favorite songs from Matinée 50, and the top five are: The Lucksmiths – Falling Off Of My Feet Again (25), The Fairways –
Sunday, Lovely Sunday (17), Gregory Webster – Untidy Towns (11), Harper Lee – Motorway (9), and Would-Be-Goods –
Southernmost (9).

In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths had a strong showing at number one (69 votes), followed by
Harper Lee (30), Pipas (29), Brighter (24) and Razorcuts (22).

As expected, there was little consensus on the favorite song ever released on Matinée, with 158 different songs receiving
at least one vote. In the end, ten songs emerged with more than five votes each, so top honors this year go to “T Shirt
Weather” by The Lucksmiths (18 votes), “Untidy Towns” by The Lucksmiths (13), “Sunday, Lovely Sunday” by Edson
(12), “Train Not Stopping” by Harper Lee (9), “The Golden Age of Aviation” by The Lucksmiths (9), “Darling, Don’t You
Think?” by The Fairways (8), “Jade” by Razorcuts (7), “Barbapapa” by Pipas (6), “Sunshine Thuggery” by The Siddeleys
(6) and “California Morning” by The Young Tradition (6).

Congratulations to all the Matinée bands and thanks to everyone who entered! The lucky winner of the five CD prize pack
is a very nice chap called William Serpas. Congratulations! Wish you had won? Then why not sign up for the
fanclub to stay hip to this sort of thing?

Query: what in the world do Mosquitos, Bridget Riley, Cat Power, Love, Groove Armada, the Soft Pop tour, Broadcast,
The Legends, The Hours, Anita O’Day, The Man Without a Past, and City of God have in common? They’re favorites of
at least two Matinée artists from 2003, of course! Check out the complete rundown of what makes your favorite artists
smile by clicking here. Additional lists coming soon.

Switching now to autumn releases, The Windmills superb album “Now Is Then” (matcd028)
continues to pile up accolades in the music press. Tangents
summarized it as “shivering guitars, subdued infectious tunes, a beatific undertow that will drag you up to the stars, lines
of words that coyly wrap themselves around your spine and squeeze your heart tight. Thank God for the Windmills.”
Thank God indeed! Friends of the Heroes concluded “you know that
you are listening to a quality recording as soon as you hear the first few bars,” while
Erasing Clouds said “Now Is Then is a rich, deeply
rewarding experience masquerading as just another pop album.” Finally, In Love With
These Times reported “while the ‘feel’ of “Now Is Then” remains inspired by the great, mellifluous guitar bands of the
ages – like Brisbane’s Go-Betweens or Glasgow’s The Orchids – many of the songs also remind us of the Morrissey band
around the times of “Sunny” or “Boxers” – unassuming but carefully tempered reminders of a great English tradition, atop
which Roy Thirlwall’s deep voice drips semicircles of detached irony.” The album is the strongest release by the band to
date so believe the hype and get yourself a copy now!

Now Brighter is a band that is so celebrated you may not need further evidence of their greatness, but further
evidence we’ll give you. One of the nicest things about their “Singles 1989-1992” collection (matcd026)
is that it makes their long out-of-print recordings for Sarah Records available again for anyone who missed them the first
time around. In particular, we’ve heard from a lot of Harper Lee fans who never heard Brighter until now and are thrilled
to finally own the 15 songs on this CD. The album has enjoyed exceptionally positive reviews as well, with
IndiePages recently calling it “essential for any fan of heartbreakingly beautiful indiepop,”
Splendid describing the “music
as gorgeously sad as it was gently uplifting,” and Friends
of the Heroes concluding “their talent shines through song after song and unlike many compilations, they gel
together well giving this album a very complete all round effect.” The packaging is lovely too so there’s really no reason
not to own this, right?

The Pines seem to be at the top of their game lately, thanks in part to the excellent “True Love Waits Volume
Two” CDEP (matinée 048) released in October. Some of the most respected minds in
the business have been singing their praises too, with the venerable Tangents
writing “The Pines of course are Pop, and this ‘True Love Waits, Volume Two’ is finely in the tradition of the great Pop
EP…with heads full of high neck dresses and Buddy Holly glasses they deliver gently sharp and smart mementoes of a
past they are too young to remember.” Meanwhile, those smart lads at In
Love With These Times suggested “True Love Waits Volume 2″ is of course the sound of Belle and Sebastian
gambolling in the, er, Foxgloves, with folk harmonies, an obvious fondness for wordplay and some smashing guitar
work.” Right on. The band is surely working on new songs as we speak so stay tuned for the latest news.

Label samplers often get ignored by reviewers who prefer to focus on proper albums instead, but we are happy to report
that our latest “Matinée Autumn Assortment” sampler (matinée 051) is so good
that we can barely keep up with the reviews. Mundane
Sounds suggested “more samplers and compilations need to take a lesson – all of these songs are winners, but, of
course, that Matinée logo should already tell you that,” while All Music Guide
said “a nice introduction to the label, a must for Matinée devotees, and more proof that the Matinée crew knows the
score.” Finally, in comparing Matinée to a fashion company unveiling their clothes for the season,
Erasing Clouds praised the “gorgeous songs that
are as intelligent and emotion-filled as they are catchy and pleasing on the ear.” Yes sir, this one’s a winner.

In recent interview action, you can catch up with Graeme Elston of Slipslide and Pam Berry of The Pines
in Tasty fanzine, Gregory Webster of Sportique and
Razorcuts at Pixelsurgeon, and
Mark Monone and Tali White of The Lucksmiths in Pennyblack
Magazine. There is also a neat article in Think Small
featuring a joint interview with Matinée and Shelflife about our recent 50th celebrations and pop in general. If you don’t
read Dutch, there is an English translation of the Matinée interview on the archive
page.

Finally, thanks for all your orders last month at the mailorder! There are numerous new items, including some on
affiliated labels, so go here for the latest. In a combined November/December hit parade,
Brighter retained the top spot despite a strong challenge by the “Autumn Assortment” sampler.
Here’s the top ten:

10. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
9. Various – The Matinée Summer Splash! CD
8. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
7. The Windmills – Now Is Then CD
6. The Young Tradition – California Morning CDEP
5. Various – Matinée 50! CD
4. The Pines – True Love Waits, Volume Two CDEP
3. The Lucksmiths – A Little Distraction CD
2. Various – The Matinée Autumn Assortment! CD
1. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD

Until next month,

Jimmy
x

Hello news seekers and a happy holiday season to you all! We’ve wrapped up our 2003 release schedule with two
November gems and our 16th and 17th new records of the year. Plus, we have some very exciting releases planned
for next year, so sit back for a quick update on the world of Matinée.

Our latest release is the splendid third album from The Windmills! New records from The Windmills always
cause a commotion around these parts, as we think they make one of the most harmonious rackets today. Entitled “Now
Is Then” (matcd028), the album features 11 great new songs: 1. Ever to Exist; 2. Beach
Girls 1918; 3. Now Is Then; 4. Footprints; 5. Walking Around the World; 6. Your Fingers and Mine; 7. Something Spring;
8. Across the Playing Fields; 9. Amelia; 10. Summer Snow; 11. Time Machine. All
Music Guide provided the foremost review, saying: “Now Is Then is strong in every department; the songs are rich
and full of emotion, the guitars ring and strum like they should, and Roy Thirlwall’s vocals are deep and poignant, falling
firmly in the style of crooners like Robert Forster, Lawrence from Felt, and Nick Heyward.” We said last month that the
album could prove to be the band’s defining moment to date, so add this to your holiday shopping list now and discover
one of our favorite albums of the year. Check the sounds page for previews of a couple
choice tracks. We’re sure you’ll like what you hear.

Also now featured on a new release shelf near you is the latest in our popular series of seasonal Matinée samplers, the
Matinée Autumn Assortment (matinée 051)! Released to commemorate live
performances in England and Spain last month, the album includes previously unreleased tracks, previews of forthcoming
albums, and exclusive songs from ten top Matinée artists. The tracklisting is: 1. Would-Be-Goods – Morning
After; 2. Slipslide – Love Split; 3. The Lucksmiths – After the After Party; 4. Harper Lee –
Autumn; 5. The Pines – A Rainy Day; 6. The Liberty Ship – Baseball Caps and Novas; 7. Airport
Girl – I’ve Seen Mexico; 8. The Windmills – Summer Snow; 9. Pipas – Don’t Remix; and 10.
Lovejoy – Strike A Pose. In reviewing the album, the highly reputable editors at
Tasty had this to say: “It is a measure of this fantastic label’s brilliance
that it can simply chuck out cheap priced samplers of the quality of this one…All in all, a perfect little package.” The
album sells for the price of a single so this one should be an easy addition to your shopping cart. A few tracks are now
featured on the sounds page if you’d like to try before you buy, but at 50 cents per song
how could you go wrong?

The next release for the label is the magnificent debut album “Tide” (matcd029) from
The Liberty Ship! This Nottingham band just keeps getting better and better, and should win lots of new fans
with their first full-length release. The tracklisting is: 1. Finer Feelings; 2. Chords Drag You Down; 3. Final Kick; 4.
Precious Time; 5. Coast; 6. Cabin Fever; 7. Shine On; 8. Baseball Caps and Novas; 9. I’ll Try; 10. Stars Above; 11.
Actually; 12. Yuri Gagarin. Reviews of the band’s two Matinée singles suggested The Liberty Ship were on the verge
of greatness, and we’re happy to report they have attained that lofty goal with this superb album. We are delighted to
have it as our premiere release of 2004, so squirrel away a $10 bill someplace so you don’t come up short after your
holiday spending frenzy – this one you’ll definitely want. We will accept preorders starting next month and have copies
available exclusively via the Matinée mailorder until its official release January 5th. Until then, have a listen to some
preview tracks on the sounds page.

Our 30th album release is a daring compilation entitled “Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware” (matcd030) … and the exceptionally
bright among you may recall that phrase from the run-out groove of a certain single by 80’s mega-legends The
Smiths! The keen management here at Matinée happen to think The Smiths are the greatest band of all time so we
asked our talented coterie of artists to take a stab at a Smiths cover and compiled this special tribute album to mark the
20th anniversary of the band. Yes, we know there have been Smiths tributes already but none of them in our humble
opinion come anywhere close to paying proper respect to the brilliance of the band so we’ve had a go ourselves.

Offering a mix of songs from throughout the band’s venerable career, the contributors include: The Pines, with a
jingly-jangly version of the hit “Ask”; Pale Sunday, providing a magnificent bossa-nova and shoegaze reworking of
“I Know It’s Over”; The Lucksmiths, who approach the mighty “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” as a duet
and come out smelling of roses; Slipslide, with an expertly crafted cover of “Please Please Please Let Me Get
What I Want”; Pipas, adding a great dance beat to the early classic “This Night Has Opened My Eyes”;
Lovejoy, contributing an admirable cover of “Girlfriend In A Coma”; Would-Be-Goods, with an unforgettable
version of “Back To The Old House”; The Young Tradition, putting their polish on a slowed-down version of “Sheila
Take A Bow”; Simpático, with a convincing rendition of “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”; The Guild League
, glam-ing up the already glam hit “Panic”; The Liberty Ship, attacking the rollicking “Sweet and Tender
Hooligan” in fine fashion; and The Snowdrops, with a splendid live recording of the single “Bigmouth Strikes
Again.”

A demonstration of our profound hubris? You bet! Preparing ourselves for cries of blasphemy? Of course! It’s at the CD
plant now and we will have copies available sometime in late December exclusively via the
mailorder. Otherwise, look for it in shops in January. There are a few soundclips now playing
on the sounds page for anyone who just can’t wait.

We have nearly finished the 2004 release schedule, and at this point can announce new records early in the year from
Pipas, Lovejoy, The Young Tradition, The Snowdrops, and The Fairways
(really)! More news on these and other 2004 releases next month.

Switching now to some recent hits, our four autumn releases are all basking in the glow of exceptional reviews in the
music press. The “Singles 1989-1992” CD (matcd026) from Brighter has
earned plenty of applause in just a few short weeks, with In Love With These Times
praising us for “dusting off this particular legend for exposure to a new and thankful generation of music lovers,” and
All Music Guide
concluding “once again Matinée proves itself to be just about the best pal an indie kid could have.” Fair enough. If you
missed the details on this retrospective release in last month’s update, here’s the
skinny in just nine letters: essential! Collecting 15 songs from four legendary singles Brighter released on Sarah Records
between 1989 and 1992, the album is just one of the highlights of our star-studded year. For more details, check out the
band’s artist page, or listen to a few clips on the sounds
page. Keris Howard of the band will return to the studio early next year with Laura Bridge, the other half of his current
band Harper Lee, to record the follow-up to their 2001 masterpiece “Everything’s Going To Be OK”
(matcd020). To tide you over until then, Harper Lee contributed the excellent outtake
“Autumn” to our recent “Matinée Autumn Assortment” sampler (matinée 051).

Also making friends in the music press is the “True Love Waits, Volume 2” CDEP (matinée
048) from The Pines! Erasing Clouds
said “True Love Waits Volume Two gives us love in all its sadness and beauty, within some of the best-written pop songs
you’ll hear,” while Tasty summarized it as “most lovely.” We couldn’t
have put it better ourselves. Of course The Pines are a London duo of Joe Brooker and Pam Berry, two talented
individuals who are also members of The Foxgloves and The Snowdrops respectively. They have just finished recording a
brilliant cover of The Smiths hit “Ask” for the “Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware” compilation
(matcd030) announced above. Check out their artist page for more information on
previous releases, and see the sounds page for a taste of The Pines’ enchanting sound.

Swedish-American duo The Young Tradition has earned instant recognition with its debut hit “California Morning”
(matinée 043). Among the lofty praise for this new release,
IndiePages called it “a perfectly joyous masterpiece of light and airy indiepop,”
Splendid said “the beginning of a
long tradition of fine music from this pop duo…well worth your time,” and
Tasty dubbed it “cracking grown-up pop.” The single is dazzling from start
to finish and just the beginning in a series of fine popsongs from this young band. Next release for the duo is a cover of
“Sheila Take A Bow” on our upcoming Smiths tribute album “Romantic and Square…” (matcd030)
followed by the debut Young Tradition album next year. Have a listen to “California Morning” now featured on the
sounds page and you should be hooked.

The Lucksmiths continue their reign as press darlings with the new mini-CD “A Little Distraction”
(matcd027). Recent reviews came from
Mundane Sounds, which
called it “an unsurprisingly wonderful record by an unsurprisingly wonderful pop band on an unsurprisingly wonderful pop
label,” and Rock City, predicting the
band “could quite easily replace such staid dullards as Travis and The Thrills as your newest and most charming friends.”
The band just concluded the European leg of its 2003 tour and heads back to Australia for some well deserved time off.
They contributed a splendid version of the Smiths classic “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” to the “Romantic and
Square…” tribute CD (matcd030), and now look forward to summer days in the
southern hemisphere.

The updated catalog pages also include great new reviews of our summer hits – the Matinée
50 compilation (matinée 050), Airport Girl EP
(matinée 037), and Slipslide album (matcd025).
In particular, we should point out the second mention of The Thrills in one week of Matinée reviews – this time courtesy of
Do Something Pretty fanzine who, in
reviewing the new Airport Girl EP, said “The Thrills can f#@k off and make way for Airport Girl…the real retro, feel
good/feel bad, West Coast, pop-tastic musical treat.”

Starting this week we are conducting a poll of your favorite 2003 releases through
the Matinée fanclub and every entry will give you a chance to win five free CDs of your choice! If you are not yet a
member of the fanclub, you can remedy that by visiting our fanclub page today. The list
of contenders includes:

2003 albums…
Melodie Group – Updownaround CD (matcd022)
The Guild League – Private Transport CD (matcd023)
Sportique – Communiqué No. 9 CD (matcd024)
Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD (matcd025)
Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD (matcd026)
The Lucksmiths – A Little Distraction CD (matcd027)
The Windmills – Now Is Then CD (matcd028)
Various Artists – Matinée 50! CD (matinée 050)
Various Artists – The Matinée Autumn Assortment CD (matinée 051)

2003 singles…
The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″ (matinée 029)
Airport Girl – Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP (matinée 037)
The Young Tradition – California Morning CDEP (matinée 043)
Simpático – Club Life CDEP (matinée 044)
The Liberty Ship – Northern Angel CDEP (matinée 046)
Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP (matinée 047)
The Pines – True Love Waits Volume Two CDEP (matinée 048)
Pale Sunday – A Weekend With Jane CDEP (matinée 049)

We will announce the poll results in the January update.

In an effort to make room for great new 2004 releases, we are having a massive warehouse clearance sale on all back
catalog releases. This is our biggest sale to date, but it only lasts through the end of the year so head to the
order page now to take advantage of the savings!

Brighter took over the number one spot on the hit parade, for what looks like an extended residency. Here is the
top ten from October:

10. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
9. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
8. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
7. Various – The Matinée Autumn Assortment! CD
6. Airport Girl – Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP
5. The Pines – True Love Waits, Volume Two CDEP
4. The Lucksmiths – A Little Distraction CD
3. Various – Matinée 50! CD
2. The Young Tradition – California Morning CDEP
1. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD

We’ll be back in January with brand new releases, 2004 release news, annual top ten lists from Matinée artists, the
results of the year-end poll and much more. In the meantime, happy holidays!

Jimmy
x

Wow! Four fantastic new slices of pop made it into the released category in September, and even we’re impressed with
this bunch. Apparently, so are you because the Matinée mailorder is doing brisk business this month!

Our newest release is the wonderful “Singles 1989-1992” CD (matcd026) by
Brighter! A trio of Alison Cousens, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey, Brighter was a beloved English band equally
comfortable creating introspective, poignant songs and jangly pop hits. The songs all possessed the signature Brighter
elements: beautifully strummed guitars, gorgeous melodies, and heartfelt, intelligent lyrics. Between 1989 and 1992, the
band released four brilliant EPs (“Around the World in Eighty Days”, “Noah’s Ark”, “Half-hearted” and “Disney”) on
legendary English pop imprint Sarah Records. Long out of print, the 15 songs from these singles are collected here in
their entirety. Brighter disbanded in 1993, leaving a devoted legion of fans heartbroken until band members reemerged in
recent pop outfits Harper Lee, Pinkie, Trembling Blue Stars and Fosca. A document of what came before these
distinguished bands, “Singles 1989-1992” is an essential release for any serious student of indiepop. We have added a
Brighter artist page to the website and a few soundclips to the
sounds page as well. This CD is one of Matinée’s fastest sellers to date and is currently
fending off Belle & Sebastian, Death Cab for Cutie, Stereolab, the Shins and the High Llamas atop the
Parasol sales chart. Sarah Records fans also should note a new compilation
CD by Sarah band Secret Shine just out on Clairecords.

Also just out is the lovely “True Love Waits, Volume 2” CDEP (matinée 048) from top
London pop duo The Pines! A twosome of Joe Brooker and Pam Berry, the Pines have earned a reputation for
strong songwriting, intricate guitars, clever lyrics and exquisite harmonies and have an esteemed catalogue of singles
already to prove it. Joe sometimes moonlights in London duo the Foxgloves, while Pam is also a member of Matinée
hitmakers The Snowdrops. She also boasts association with scores of indie bands of yore including Belmondo,
Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The
Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, and has contributed vocals to recent recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The
Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. This exclusive new EP is the second half of the thematically-related
“True Love Waits” series (the first recently released on DC’s FoxyBoy Records)
featuring the most compelling Pines compositions to date. Listen for yourself to “Anita O’Day” now playing on the
sounds page, and check the order page for a copy of the new
single and to catch up on previous Pines releases too.

Still dazzling on the new release shelves is the debut “California Morning” single (matinée
043) for new Swedish/American duo The Young Tradition! A unique alliance between Brent Kenji (The
Fairways, The Guild League, Skypark) and Erik Hanspers, The Young Tradition produces beautifully orchestrated songs
with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and Brent’s captivating vocals. The sort of single that demands
repeated listens again and again, this brilliant release features two inspired originals and an earnest cover of “Isolation”
by San Francisco pop heroes Poundsign. In reviewing the single, All
Music Guide put it best saying “these two have hit on some magic here. The three tracks on the EP are light and
lush indie pop songs that are drenched in sunshine and bathed in instrumentation. California Morning is a magical EP
that will leave indie pop fans desperate for a full-length.” Fortunately, the band has spent most of the past month working
on songs for an upcoming album, so hopefully the wait will not be too long. For now, help yourself to the magic of this
great new single. We have created a Young Tradition artist page on the
website, and a clip of the title track is now playing on the sounds page.

The fourth September release was the welcome return of Australian pop legends The Lucksmiths with their new
mini-CD “A Little Distraction” (matcd027). A mere five months after the release of
acclaimed album “Naturaliste,” the six exclusive songs comprising “A Little Distraction” were written and recorded during
The Lucksmiths’ brief intermission between Australian and US/Japanese tours. Reminiscent of their brilliant “Staring At
The Sky” CD from 1999, “A Little Distraction” is the Lucksmiths at their very best. In four short weeks the mini-album
has piled up numerous accolades in the press, including Tasty calling it
“just about the most perfect pop there is at the moment,” Erasing
Clouds remarking on the “songs you’ll find yourself singing along to after only a few listens,” and
In Love With These Times concluding “it is almost impossible to think of another
band who have released so many records without ever having lost the plot from time to time.” Right. It is a truly great
release so have a listen to “After the After Party” now playing on the sounds page and
order your very own copy today.

Speaking of The Lucksmiths, they have just arrived in the UK for a set of dates in support of “A Little Distraction” which
is released October 27th on 10″ vinyl courtesy of our good friends of Fortuna
POP! In addition to nearly a dozen UK dates, the band plays Barcelona and Madrid later this month before heading
to Sweden and Germany in November. Here are complete details on the UK and Spanish shows:

15 October – The Lucksmiths + The Windmills @ Bitterscene Club, The Bassment, Chelmsford, England, £4, doors 8:30 pm.
16 October – The Lucksmiths + Would-Be-Goods + Aislers Set + Comet Gain @ The Quad, LSE, London, England, £6 advance/£7.50, doors 7:30 pm, presented by Track & Field.
17 October – The Lucksmiths + Aislers Set @ The Winchester Club, Glasgow, Scotland, £5, doors 9:00 pm.
18 October – The Lucksmiths + The Aislers Set + Homescience @ Baby Tiger, Caledonian Backpackers, Edinburgh, Scotland, £5, doors 8:30 pm.
23 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Las Dolores @ Sidecar, Barcelona, Spain, 6 Euros, doors 10:30 pm, presented by Strange Ones.
24 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Pipas @ Barbarella Pop Club (Sala Nasti), Madrid, Spain. 10 Euros.
27 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Sodastream + Anthony Atkinson @ The Royal Park, Leeds, England. £4, doors 7:30 pm, presented by Strangeways.
28 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Mavis + Anthony Atkinson @ The Dog and Parrot, Newcastle, England. £5, doors 7:30 pm.
29 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + The Escape Pod + Anthony Atkinson @ The Star and Garter, Manchester, England. £6, doors 8:00 pm, presented by Pop Art vs. Industry.
30 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Sodastream + Anthony Atkinson @ The Porter, Bath, England. FREE ENTRY, doors 7:30 pm, presented by Moles Club.
31 October – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Slipslide + Anthony Atkinson @ The Metro Club, London, England. £5.50 advance/£7, doors 7:30 pm, presented by Strange Fruit.
1 November – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + The Liberty Ship + Anthony Atkinson @ The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, England. £5 advance, EARLY SHOW! doors 6:30 pm.
2 November – The Lucksmiths + Airport Girl + Anthony Atkinson + Champion Kickboxer + Offbeat DJs @ The Grapes, Sheffield, England. £4, doors 7:00 pm, presented by Sheffield Alternative Music Society.
3 November – The Lucksmiths + Anthony Atkinson + Frankie Machine @ The Lamplighters, Leicester, England. £4, doors 8:00 pm, presented by Red Leicester.
4 November – The Lucksmiths + Would-Be-Goods + Anthony Atkinson + Wob @ The Cellar Bar, Oxford, England. £4, doors 7:30 pm, presented by Trailer Park.

Labelmates Airport Girl, The Windmills, Would-Be-Goods, Slipslide, Pipas
and The Liberty Ship join the Lucksmiths on various dates of the tour, so get off the couch for a top night out
this month! Thanks to Sean Price at Fortuna POP! for arranging such a spectacular tour.

To celebrate this prodigious bounty of live performances, we are releasing the third in a series of seasonal Matinée
samplers, following the wildly popular Matinée Spring Collection (matinée 026) in 2001
and the Matinée Summer Splash (matinée 040) in 2002. This one’s called the Matinée
Autumn Assortment (matinée 051) and it features splendid new tracks from the
seven aforementioned bands plus Harper Lee, Lovejoy and The Pines. Nearly all of the songs
are previously unreleased, and several remain exclusive to this CD so mark this down as an essential purchase because
we’re selling it at the price of a single…yes way!

The tracklisting is: 1. Would-Be-Goods – Morning After (preview of forthcoming album); 2. Slipslide –
Love Split (exclusive new track); 3. The Lucksmiths – After the After Party (from the brand new “A Little
Distraction” CD); 4. Harper Lee – Autumn (previously unreleased); 5. The Pines – A Rainy Day (from
the “True Love Waits Volume One” EP on Foxyboy); 6. The Liberty Ship – Baseball Caps and Novas (preview of
forthcoming album); 7. Airport Girl – I’ve Seen Mexico (preview of forthcoming album); 8. The Windmills
– Summer Snow (preview of forthcoming album); 9. Pipas – Don’t Remix (exclusive remix of “Don’t Walk” from
the Annika LP “Golden Square”); and 10. Lovejoy – Strike A Pose (exclusive remix of “Night On Earth”). We
will have advance copies available at some UK shows and the CD sees general release November 3rd.

Also released on the 3rd is the stunning new long-player from Essex hitmakers The Windmills! Entitled “Now Is
Then” (matcd028), this new album is the band’s defining moment and the gauge
against which all future releases will be judged. The tracklisting is: 1. Ever to Exist; 2. Beach Girls 1918; 3. Now is
Then; 4. Footprints; 5. Walking Around the World; 6. Your Fingers and Mine; 7. Something Spring; 8. Across the
Playing Fields; 9. Amelia; 10. Summer Snow; 11. Time Machine. I revealed last month that “Summer Snow” just may
be the best Windmills song to date but you may find yourself humming “Beach Girls 1918” or “Something Spring” or the
title track after just one listen as well. If you were tuned into the Windmills from their previous two albums “Edge of
August” (matcd002) and “Sunlight” (matcd014)
then you undoubtedly have this one down on your shopping list already, but if you’ve yet to delight to the band make this
one your first stop. The catalogue number is no coincidence, but instead a scientific recognition that the new album is
twice as good as “Sunlight” and 14 times better than “Edge of August”. You didn’t know we were scientists here at
Matinée, did you?

Thanks to the Matinée press corps for continued favorable reviews on our summer releases. If you need further
convincing, following are some recent quotes that should induce a trip straight to the order
page for copies of your very own:

“Clever ploy or simple celebratory fun, the fact is that Matinée 50 is great because it achieves what it sets out to do.
Much more than a label sampler, Matinée 50 is its own product, and it’s all the better for it. Grab yourself a copy and
see for yourself.”
Pop Matters

“Ineffably cool.”
Careless Talk Costs Lives

“What this compilation really says is that Matinée’s bands are all just stepping into their best form now, and that the
next 50 singles are going to be even better.”
Pennyblack

“A glorified and exceedingly pleasant self-tribute album.”
Splendid

“When You Fall sounds like ‘Wake Up Boo!”s great uncle Colin splintering his thorax on a bison’s spare rib at his mum’s
barbecue.”
Drowned In Sound

“Four tracks of summertime sweetness and light. Belle And Sebastian used to sound this good, you know. Remember?”
Tangents

“The madly bouncing trumpet on “When You Fall” is worth the price of admission by itself, like boss brass a-go-go.”
Unpeeled Fanzine

“One of the best indie pop albums to come out all year. For a label that’s released many wonderful albums, The World
Can Wait is easily Matinée’s crown jewel.”
Mundane Sounds

“Those who like your guitars jangly, your pop stylings tight and your acoustic guitars double-strung — welcome to your
favorite album of the summer.”
Splendid

“A big fat triumph.”
Tasty

“Unabashedly influenced by situationist art and the politics of the late ’60s and early ’70s art world, Communiqué No. 9
is a time machine back to a radical and mod scene where culture was a form of activism. It continues to be one of the
most interesting bands in the indie pop scene and Communiqué No. 9 only further cements Sportique’s reputation as a
wry, slippery band that actually has something to say.”
Pop Matters

“An appropriately energetic post-punk pop record.”
All Music Guide

Oh! We are pleased to announce that we now have limited copies of the 10″ vinyl version of Sportique’s Communiqué
No. 9 in stock! This courtesy of the fine pop purveyors at Where It’s At Is Where
You Are Records, and we only have 150 so get in touch quickly if you want one. See the order
page to secure your copy.

In pending release news, coming soon is the debut album from Nottingham tunesmiths The Liberty Ship! It’s
called “Tide” (matcd029) and is one of the best debut albums we’ve heard in a long while. Anyone who enjoyed the “I
Guess You Didn’t See Her” (matinée 036) or “Northern Angel” (matinée
046) singles will be delighted with the 12 new songs on this album. The tracklisting is: 1. Finer Feelings; 2. Chords
Drag You Down; 3. Final Kick; 4. Precious Time; 5. Coast; 6. Cabin Fever; 7. Shine On; 8. Baseball Caps and Novas; 9.
I’ll Try; 10. Stars Above; 11. Actually; 12. Yuri Cagarin. You can listen to a preview of “Baseball Caps and Novas” now
playing on the sounds page and also featured on the imminent “Matinée Autumn
Assortment” (matinée 051) CD. We will reveal more details and the release date next
month, but add this to your holiday shopping list now!

We have one other album in the final stages of production but cannot confirm a release date on it yet either. This one is
a bit of a surprise anyway, but what we can tell you is that it is a tribute album to the greatest band of all time in our
humble opinion. We have 12 Matinée bands finalizing superb covers of classic hits from this band to celebrate their
20th anniversary. If that’s not enough to go on, we could also point out that their name appears on this page no fewer
than 25 times. Go on then, start counting! We’ll reveal the bands involved and songs covered in the next update.

There are various Matinée bands working on new releases for next year, including The Snowdrops, Pipas,
Lovejoy, Harper Lee, The Young Tradition, Pale Sunday, Would-Be-Goods
and more. We are working to establish the 2004 release schedule now.

In hit parade action, Matinée 50 continued its stronghold atop the sales chart but in the end was edged out by the new
Lucksmiths. Here are the top sellers for September:

10. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
9. Airport Girl – Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP
8. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″
7. Razorcuts t-shirt
6. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
5. Matinée t-shirt
4. The Young Tradition – California Morning CDEP
3. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
2. Various – Matinée 50! CD
1. The Lucksmiths – A Little Distraction CD

The mailorder is closed October 21st through November 3rd while we are in London and Madrid, but you can still place
orders and we will ship everything when we return on the 4th. Thanks for your patience and hope to see some of you
at the upcoming shows!

Jimmy
x

Hey! We’re posting news early this month because our friends at IndiePages are taking off for a month of travels in
Australia. Yes, we are envious! This will be rather quick so I can get it posted before they leave. September is a big
new release month for Matinée, with no fewer than four hits coming your way in as many weeks!

First up is a sparkly new mini-album from our good friends The Lucksmiths! It’s called “A Little Distraction”
(matcd027) and yes, it’s a winner. The band has had a remarkably busy year,
recording recent album “Naturaliste” and playing sold out live dates in Australia, USA, and Japan…with the UK, Spain
and Sweden still to go. Now they spoil us again with a brand new mini-album “A Little Distraction” featuring six exclusive,
eclectic songs. The tracks are 1. Transpontine; 2. Successlessness; 3. Little Distraction; 4. Moving; 5. After the After
Party; 6. Honey Honey Honey. The music is warm and familiar – recalling the classic jangle of The Pastels and The
Wedding Present as well as the infectious summery strum of Jonathan Richman. Housed in a gorgeous matte digipak,
“A Little Distraction” is the Lucksmiths at their very best! We’ve had a preview of “After the After Party” up on the
sounds page for a few weeks, but now you can hear the CD in its entirety. You’ll find it in
shops from September 8th but you can probably get a copy earlier than that from our handy order
page.

Our second September release is the highly anticipated debut single by The Young Tradition! First product of a
partnership between Brent Kenji (The Fairways, The Guild League) and a Swedish lad named Erik Hanspers, the
“California Morning” EP (matinée 043) marks the auspicious beginning of your new
favorite band. So take note! Brent and Erik have yet to meet, collaborating instead through the marvels of our
international postal service and a keen shared sense of songwriting. These songs are beautifully orchestrated, with
jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and superb vocals that will cause you to have another listen again
and again. This brilliant debut single features two inspired originals and a cover of “Isolation” by San Francisco pop
heroes Poundsign. A definite score for the Matinée roster, the duo will meet this month to work on tracks for the debut
Young Tradition album. In the meantime, you can listen to “California Morning” on the sounds
page and preorder the EP on the order page for delivery as soon as we have copies available.
The official release date is September 22nd. Come on, shouldn’t you hear your new favorite band as soon as possible?

Speaking of favorite bands, we are honored and amazed to help bring one of our all-time favorites back to the new release
shelves on September 29th. It’s legendary indie band Brighter with their “Singles 1989 – 1992” compilation CD!
As the name suggests, this CD (matcd026) compiles singles that were released
between 1989 and 1992 on Bristol pop imprint Sarah Records, home
to lots of ace pop bands like the Orchids, Blueboy, Heavenly, Sea Urchins, Field Mice, Sugargliders and more. As far
as Sarah bands go, though, Brighter leads the pack as this wonderful 15-track CD will evidence. A trio of Alison
Cousens, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey, Brighter recorded four singles and a mini-album for Sarah before calling it a
day in 1993. Keris and Alex collaborated on the splendid “Election Day” single as Hal in 1994. More recently, Keris
has delighted the world with Laura Bridge in the beloved Harper Lee, while Alex has released top quality
popsongs as Pinkie. This highly anticipated CD compiles the 15 tracks from Brighter’s four Sarah singles – long out of
print and highly sought after – and is an essential release for any good student of indiepop. The tracklisting is: 1. Inside
Out; 2. Tinsel Heart; 3. Around the World in 80 Days; 4. Things Will Get Better; 5. Noah’s Ark; 6. I Don’t Think It Matters;
7. Does Love Last Forever?; 8. Poppy Day; 9. Half-hearted; 10. So You Said; 11. Killjoy; 12. British Summertime; 13.
Hope Springs Eternal; 14. Never Ever; 15. End. We will begin taking preorders for the CD later this month, so save up
your clam shells because this one’s essential!

Our final September release is the “True Love Waits, Volume Two” CDEP (matinée 048)
from London pop duo The Pines! We have grooved to the sound of The Pines since first seeing them live back
in 1999 opening for The Windmills and Jasmine Minks at a church in Greenwich. Since then, the band has released
top platters for Long Lost Cousin, Becalmed, and Annika plus a score of compilation appearances on the hippest labels
of the land. Most recently, they released the astounding “True Love Waits, Volume One” CDEP on the fresh new DC
imprint FoxyBoy. After making good on their numerous commitments for other
labels, the band has finally completed its masterpiece and by coincidence, it just so happens to be a single for us here
at Matinée! Hurrah! Now don’t be confused by the similar sounding title to the Foxyboy release…the EPs, while
thematically related and containing songs written at the same time, are in fact completely different. Volume One (the
Foxyboy release) came out just last month, and Volume Two (on Matinée) follows on September 29th. Capiche?
You’ll need to buy both to understand, and to help you in this regard we have a handful of copies of the Foxyboy release
available now via our order page. Oh, the Pines is a band featuring the prolific and wonderfully
eccentric Joe Brooker (also one-half of The Foxgloves) and the incomparable loveliness that is Pam Berry. Pam has a
little or a lot to do with countless indie undertakings of the past decade, including (in alphabetical order) Belmondo,
Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Chickfactor, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The
Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recent recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks,
The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. I’ve undoubtedly missed something but you probably get the
point: this gal can sing! Look for a preorder button later in the month and have a listen to “Anita O’Day” now playing
on the sounds page. You’ll be singing it for days.

On tap for October is the welcome return of The Windmills with their third album “Now Is Then”
(matcd028). We have waited patiently for the final mixing of this album and oh, was
it worth the wait! Featuring 11 outstanding tracks, it’s amazing that bands like Coldplay and Travis sell million of records
and tour the world over while the Windmills are still releasing records on a lowly California indie like us. Oh well…good
for us! The tracklisting is: 1. Ever to Exist; 2. Beach Girls 1918; 3. Now is Then; 4. Footprints; 5. Walking Around the
World; 6. Your Fingers and Mine; 7. Something Spring; 8. Across the Playing Fields; 9. Amelia; 10. Summer Snow;
11. Time Machine. Although “Beach Girls 1918” and “Now Is Then” provide some serious competition, “Summer Snow”
may just be the absolute best song this band has recorded. Ever. There, I’ve said it. We’ll accept preorders as soon
as we confirm a release date. In the meantime, dig “Something Spring” now featured on the sounds
page.

Switching to the recent past, our summer releases are receiving some well-deserved praise in the music press. The
wonderful debut Slipslide album “The World Can Wait” (matcd025) has made
a lot of friends in a few short weeks. The esteemed Pennyblack
Magazine called it “a joyous record and an immensely promising debut,” while
Splendid advised its readers:
“Solid songcraft, beautiful vocals, clever lyrics – Slipslide is just itching to be the soundtrack to the waning days of your
summer, as well as the cooler, more contemplative autumn. Let them.” This is one of the best albums we’ve released to
date, so have a listen to some samples on the sounds page and order your very own copy today!

The latest offering from Airport Girl, the “Do You Dream In Colour?” EP (matinée
037), received an honorary “Single of the Week” from Mundane
Sounds, while Strange Fruit called it “gorgeous stuff indeed” and
Tasty concurred, saying “it’s bloody great, as ever.” Believe it. This is
one classic single worthy of your attention. The band is currently working on its sophomore album “Notes and Tones”
but until then you’ll want to get hip to the “Do You Dream In Colour?” EP. They’re talking about it at all the coolest
parties. Will you have something to say if you are invited?

…and then there’s Matinée 50 (matinée 050)! We knew this would be a hit but the
reviews so far are just exemplary so congratulations to all the bands involved! Mundane
Sounds dubbed it “terribly brilliant,” while All Music Guide said “a charming
listen throughout.” Erasing Clouds called it “a fantastic,
diverse collection of superb pop songs,” and In Love With These Times summed it
up as “absolutely compulsory.” Check out all the reviews and listen to soundclips on the Matinée 50
catalog page, and order your copy today!

In recent press action, we should point out a rather funny interview with Sportique up now on
Pennyblack Magazine, and invite you all for a taste of our delightful
hometown Santa Barbara, where the local paper The Independent just
published a nice article on Matinée and The Lucksmiths. A local hipster quickly dubbed me a
“minor celebrity.” The article is featured on the Independent website this week, but we’ve archived it
here if you’re reading this sometime in the future.

On the hit parade, Matinée 50 continues its reign at the mailorder despite strong Matinée and Razorcuts
t-shirt sales. If you want a shirt, check the fanclub page for further details and order yours
today! Here is the top ten for August:

10. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
9. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″
8. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
7. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
6. Airport Girl – Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP
5. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
4. Razorcuts t-shirt
3. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
2. Matinée t-shirt
1. Various – Matinée 50! CD

Until next month…
Jimmy

Hello popular music buffs and welcome to the latest Matinée news page! We are gearing up for a splendid September
of POP, but before we get there we have some reports on our sparkling new releases.

Foremost, thanks to everybody for the great response to our latest release, Matinée 50!
This is a very special one for us, as it’s the 50th release in the singles category and has exclusive tracks from our
favorite bands in the world. Of course, it’s not really a single at all but a 20-track album and at just $8 who could resist?
But don’t take our word for it…read some of the brilliant early reviews and decide for yourself:

“We are not exaggerating when we say that one in love with these times in spite of these times contributor fell off his
chair when disclosed the tantalising tracklist to this record. Suffice it to say that you will collectively be toppling from
your bar stools no later than track one… if you have liked anything you’ve heard on the Matinée roster, this release is
absolutely compulsory.” In Love With These Times

“Here’s to 50 great releases so far – and hopefully 50 more! Jimmy’s really struck gold with his label, and it’s a safe bet
to say that the Matinée logo is one to trust. A toast, then, to quality pop music!!”
Mundane Sounds

“It doesn’t matter whether you’ve heard the original songs before or are already familiar with these artists or not, the plain
and simple truth is that this is a fantastic, diverse collection of superb pop songs.”
Erasing Clouds

“The bands and songs on Matinée 50! are precious, sweet, heart-breaking, and totally heartfelt: all the things that make
indie pop so great. A fitting tribute to one of the labels keeping indie pop alive.” – All
Music Guide

Hurrah! We knew it would be a hit as soon as the first masters arrived back in February. The great thing about the
reviews so far is that everybody appears to have different favorites, with each of the 20 songs highlighted someplace in
the reviews to date. The CD is now available from all good record shops and mailorders, or direct from us via the
order page.

Also winning friends on the new release shelves and in the music press is the superb “Do You Dream In Colour?” EP
(matinée 037) from Airport Girl. Those hip cats at In
Love with These Times said it best: “It’s been too long since we last heard from Airport Girl, but perhaps the
renaissance can start here.” We agree! The single was delayed due to the burglary of the studio housing the original
master tapes, and in the end the songs had to be recorded all over again. The band has subsequently pushed back the
release of their second album to 2004, so this EP is all you’ll hear from Airport Girl for the next few months. Of course,
the band also contributes a superb cover of the Windmills “Three Sixty Degrees” to the Matinée 50 compilation so
anyone anxious for more music from the band should pick that up too.

Meanwhile, Slipslide is winning fans around the globe with the new album “The World Can Wait”
(matcd025). Following ten singles over as many years as leader of The Love Parade,
Pure, Eva Luna and Slipslide, Graeme Elston has finally delivered his first full length release and what a gem it is!
Legendary fanzine This Almighty Pop! was the first to turn me on to the sounds of Mr. Elston many years ago with his
debut release as The Love Parade. A somewhat resurrected This Almighty Pop! was also one of the first to
review this new album, calling it “a great combination of The Orchids, Sugargliders and Edwyn Collins all at their very
best. Listen to it, sing along to it and fall for it, just like I do everytime it’s on. Soundtrack to my summer.”
Erasing Clouds chimed in, remarking “Clearly
influenced both by Postcard Records pop groups (Orange Juice, Aztec Camera) and the Byrds (listen to that 12-string
shine), Slipslide deftly take genuine human emotions and mold them into songs that work their way into your brain.”
Finally, In Love With These Times declared “The World Can Wait” as “worth the
wait…it displays a wealth of strength in depth [and] leaves you shimmering with a real ready brek glow. We knew it was
only a matter of time before somebody took the bait on this pun, but we couldn’t agree more. An essential purchase
indeed. In other news, the band was invited to record a session for the Gideon Coe show on BBC’s
6 Music! They played “Palm House Crawling” and “Back To Work”
and had a nice chat with Gideon as well. The session will eventually be archived at
6 Music.

Following their outright domination of the hit parade last month, The Snowdrops have collected a nice clutch of
reviews for their double A-side 45 “Mad World”/”Don’t Buy Anything.” Tangents
wrote “hmmm, isn’t the Snowdrops’ version of ‘Mad World’ the best thing ever (this week)? Yes it is”…while
In Love With These Times said “you will find the melancholy that the vocals bring out
trailing you around for days…and the b side “Don’t Buy Anything” is also tenderly brilliant, Girdler’s soft lead vocal
peeping out from under the rain.” The band also received a threat this week, courtesy of
Saint Mary Mead Zine, who wrote: “Don’t buy anything” is
shockingly short and shockingly good, possessing a gentle naiveté which makes me squeal “Come back soon! Or else!”
The band is scheduled to record a new single and several compilation tracks for release over the next few months, so
hopefully we’ll keep St. Mary Mead from knocking down our doors!

Wow, all those words and I still haven’t mentioned the brilliance that was the San Francisco Pop Holiday!
Suffice it to say it was one of the best four days of pop we have experienced in our humble lifetime…so many great
bands and great people all together in one dark club! Highlights would be the brilliant sets from our own Pipas,
Gregory Webster and The Lucksmiths, but for the non-Matinée crowd, I’d have to give the nod to The
Radio Dept. for one of the best live sets I’ve seen in a very long time. Thanks so much to the Popfest organizers for a
great job!!!

Pipas and Gregory Webster also did an interview at KALX radio
on Friday which was loads of fun. Anyone in the station at the time would have witnessed me and Lupe of Pipas dancing
madly to Razorcuts’ “Summer In Your Heart” while Greg was trying to concentrate on answering some serious questions
posed by Nommi. Thanks to Mike and Nommi for making this possible and putting us all up Thursday night!

Of course, the absolute best thing about the weekend was the Saturday afternoon party we hosted with
Shelflife Records to celebrate our 50th compilations. The bands for the party
were kept secret, but now that it’s over we can tell you the crowd marvelled to fantastic sets by The Guild League,
Free Loan Investments, Pipas, The Frenchmen, Gregory Webster, Laura Watling, and The Lucksmiths. And we did it
outside in the sunshine instead of inside a dark club! Thanks to the bands for making the day great, to Jaime for hosting
the party, to Brent for supplying the PA, and to Ed for serving as co-organizer!

Anyone at the Pop Holiday knows we had some groovy Matinée and Razorcuts t-shirts at the
merchandise stall, and for anyone who missed it, we have limited quantities of all shirts still available! See the
fanclub page for shirt details, or go straight to the order page to
secure your very own! We don’t have many of some sizes left, so please order early if you want one.

The Lucksmiths US tour is winding down, but you still have four opportunities to catch them before they jet off to
Japan and Australia. Here are the details:

August 8th – Washington, DC Signal 66 w/Sprites & Mosquitos
August 9th – Santa Barbara, CA The Mercury Lounge (5871 Hollister Avenue) w/The Flower Machine, 9pm, $5
August 10th – Los Angeles, CA instore @ Sea Level Records (1716 West Sunset Blvd.), 4pm, all ages, free!
August 12th – San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock Tavern w/Dear Nora, 10:30pm

After a few weeks home in Australia, the band heads to the UK, Spain and Sweden for shows in October and
November. Check back here for details!

Our coming attractions list seems to grow each day, with close to 20 new releases on the horizon! The next one up is a
sparkling new mini-album from The Lucksmiths! Entitled “A Little Distraction” (matcd027),
the CD features six brand new songs that we think are among the best they’ve recorded to date. Anyone who has seen
the band during their US tour will recognize a few they are now playing live. The tracklisting is: 1. Transpontine; 2.
Successlessness; 3. Little Distraction; 4. Moving; 5. After the After Party; 6. Honey Honey Honey. It comes in a suave
matte digipak in lovely shades of blue. The release will also come out on Candle
Records in Australia with an alternate yellow sleeve in jewel case, and on Fortuna
Pop! in the UK on dashing 10″ vinyl! Collectors of the world unite, this one’s for you! The CD is at the plant now,
and we will begin taking preorders this month. The official release date is September 1st, but we will have advance
copies available here sooner than that if you just can’t wait. There is also a preview from the album up now on the
updated sounds page.

Also on course for September release is the stunning retrospective CD “Singles, 1989 – 1992” (matcd026)
from Brighter! A band that should need no introduction to our astute readership, Brighter recorded four singles
and an album for legendary UK indie label Sarah Records before calling it a day in 1993. Keris Howard and Alex
Sharkey of the band went on to record a one-off single under the name Hal for Vinyl Japan in 1994. Five years later,
Keris formed the beloved Harper Lee with Laura Bridge, and a few years later Alex resurfaced with his new
project Pinkie. This highly anticipated CD compiles the 15 tracks from Brighter’s four Sarah singles – long out of print
and highly sought after – and is an essential release for any good student of indiepop. The tracklisting is: 1. Inside Out;
2. Tinsel Heart; 3. Around the World in 80 Days; 4. Things Will Get Better; 5. Noah’s Ark; 6. I Don’t Think It Matters; 7.
Does Love Last Forever?; 8. Poppy Day; 9. Half-hearted; 10. So You Said; 11. Killjoy; 12. British Summertime; 13. Hope
Springs Eternal; 14. Never Ever; 15. End. More release details next month.

Two albums in production for release this autumn are “Now Is Then” (matcd028), the third album from Southend-on-Sea
popstars The Windmills… and “Tide” (matcd029), the debut album from Nottingham’s The Liberty Ship.
We will reveal tracklistings and release dates in the next update, but you can hear an exclusive preview from each album
now on the sounds page!

The Young Tradition and Pines singles are also in production, and WILL see the light of day sometime
soon. We promise. Just for the record, these delays have nothing to do with us… You can listen to a preview from each
release now on the sounds page.

Alright then…in upcoming live action, The Liberty Ship and Slipslide play September 20th at the
Rescue Rooms in Nottingham in support of Camera Obscura (who have an absolutely brilliant new album out soon on
Elefant Records). Pipas play September 23rd at Waterrats in London,
also in support of Camera Obscura. We are booking Matinée shows for London, Madrid, and Barcelona in October, so
check back next month for details. You could have the chance to see as many as 12 Matinée bands in the span of a
week if you play your cards just right. Living in London would help.

We’ve added lots and lots of new reviews to the site since the last update, so check the catalog
pages for all the latest. Here are a few favorite quotes for our spring collection:

“an 18-minute volley of righteous indignation, pitch-black humour, and the sort of sharp-cornered post-punk hooks that
Wire and The Fall used to throw down as effortlessly as falling asleep disappointed and waking up tired.”
Careless Talk Costs Lives

“this album is a riot of colour and sound, with the nihilism of the buzzcocks’ “boredom”, the knowing cynicism of the
adverts and the prickly melodies of the stranglers. second consecutive ilwtt album of the month.”
In Love With These Times

“With the ear for buzz-saw melodies of Buzzcocks and a stripped-down minimalism that’s one part ’90s lo-fi, one part
post-punk experimentalism, Sportique creates a record that balances punk’s rough edges against a sometimes
challenging use of space. In the day of overproduced punk records, it’s shocking.”
Aversion.com

“Oh dear, just how incredible this ‘A Weekend With Jane’ by Pale Sunday really is. I’ve listened to it about dozen times
during the weekend. If you have any interest in jangly indie pop, you’ll love this.”
One Chord To Another

“Pale Sunday is a near perfect soft pop band. They are Belle and Sebastian with a heart-breaking grin. They are the
Smiths all through with irony and truly, madly, deeply in love.”
Splendid

“More choice cuts from the distant past in another lovingly packaged Razorcuts release from Matinée. How I wish I’d
been able to grow up with this band. But how glad I am that Matinée has seen fit to introduce them to me now.”
Tasty

“Naive, formative and devastatingly beautiful.” Careless Talk Costs
Lives

“Guitars shimmer. Tambourine shakes. Harmonies harmonize. Business as usual from Nottingham, then.”
Careless Talk Costs Lives

“The versatility you’ll encounter within this EP’s thirteen minutes is remarkably refreshing, and helps to diversify The Liberty Ship from the ever-congested English pop crowd.” Splendid

“Jason Sweeney: is there anything he can’t do? The fact that I have a new Sweeney record every couple of months is a
delight that I’ve yet to tire of. If you’ve yet to become familiar with his work, ‘Club Life’ is the perfect introduction.”
dB Magazine

“This is bittersweet technoPop with beats and bleeps that make you move, topped off by guitar lines and seeping synth
strings that pirouette in cornflower skies. Lovely.” Tangents

Two recent interviews should be requisite for your summer reading list: part two of the Gregory Webster interview
with Pennyblack,
and a nice chat with The Liberty Ship on Indiepop.it.
Check them out if you want to stay on top of the latest Matinée happenings.

In our blatent promotion for other labels department, this month we bring you details of a superb new compilation from
long-lost Scottish indie Egg Records. Their brand new “An Introduction to
Egg Records: 1988 – 1991” CD features 14 songs by Remember Fun, The Bachelor Pad, The Prayers, The Church
Grims, and Change of Seasons. All ace pop! Of course, Egg graduates Remember Fun released the brilliant
four track “Train Journeys” EP (matinée 015) for us back in 2001 which you all
undoubtedly own by now. The band has two songs on the new compilation: “Cold Inside” and “Apple of My Eye.” The
CD is available direct from the label.

Thanks for a great month with the mailorder! The Matinée 50 compilation left everything else in the dust,
outselling the closest competition by nearly 50 copies. Here’s the top ten:

10. Sportique – Communiqué No. 9 CD
9. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
8. Airport Girl – Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP
7. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
6. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
5. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
4. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″
3. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
2. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
1. Various – Matinée 50! CD

We need to clear space for the autumn releases, so we have a summer clearance sale going on now through
August 25th. Check the Order page for great savings on all in stock albums and singles!

Speak to you in September!

cheers
Jimmy

Happy July! It’s crazy busy here with last minute Pop Holiday preparations and new release work, but here is a
mini-update to tide you over for a few weeks until we’re back in Santa Barbara.

The latest Matinée release is the debut album from London’s brilliant Slipslide! Entitled “The World Can Wait”
(matcd025), the album is the first release since the band’s “Sleeptalk” single 18
months ago. Lead vocalist Graeme Elston (The Love Parade, Pure, Eva Luna, Astronaut) penned nine of the 11 songs,
while new member Matthew Hawes wrote and sang the other two. This is a spectacular debut album worthy of a place
in your collection next to treasured classics from Aztec Camera, Orange Juice, The Colourfield and Go-Betweens. It’s
really that good! The band redesigned its website to celebrate and you can check it out here.

While basking in the glow of their album release, Slipslide join their Matinée colleagues with an exclusive contribution
to the brand new “Matinée 50” CD (matinée 050) – a brilliant low-price
compilation commemorating the 50th single released on Matinée Recordings. To celebrate, we invited 20 artists to
record a cover version of a favorite song previously released on Matinée, and this is the result. This collection is a labor
of love showcasing the tremendous artists with whom Matinée has had the honor of working during the past six years.
With 20 exclusive tracks, this compilation is an essential release for all fans of the label and associated bands.

The tracklisting (with original bands noted in parentheses) is: 1. Gregory Webster – Untidy Towns (The Lucksmiths);
2. Melodie Group – Emmanuelle Béart (Would-Be-Goods); 3. The Guild League – Between Delta and
Delaware (Airport Girl); 4. The Snowdrops – Summerness (Melodie Group); 5. The Visitors – Sad
Kaleidoscope (Razorcuts); 6. Airport Girl – Three Sixty Degrees (The Windmills); 7. Pipas – You Kill Me
(Harper Lee); 8. The Lucksmiths – Falling Off Of My Feet Again (The Siddeleys); 9. Sportique –
Goldmining (The Visitors); 10. The Windmills – Striking Out On Your Own (Airport Girl); 11. The Pines –
Darling, Don’t You Think? (The Fairways); 12. Harper Lee – Motorway (Monterey); 13. Slipslide –
Wildest Dream (Melodie Group); 14. The Fairways – Sunday Lovely Sunday (Edson); 15.
Would-Be-Goods – Southernmost (The Lucksmiths); 16. Lovejoy – Drug Autumn (The Windmills); 17.
Pale Sunday – Just Friends (Sportique); 18. The Liberty Ship – Desert Song (Kosmonaut); 19.
Simpático – Train Not Stopping (Harper Lee); 20. Kosmonaut – Northern Angel (Liberty Ship).

The CD is officially released on July 21st, but we have advance copies available now exclusively through the Matinée
mailorder at the low price of just $8! We are launching the album with our friends at
Shelflife Records, who are celebrating the release of their 50th release – a
special compilation called “You’re Still Young At Heart.”

The center of the album launch is next week’s Pop Holiday
in San Francisco. Featuring 21 bands playing over four nights (July 10th – 13th), the event will be one of the great pop
events of the year. Matinée artists Pipas and The Lucksmiths headline Thursday and Saturday nights,
while Gregory Webster of Sportique and Razorcuts fame plays on Sunday. Other bands include Aerospace,
The Radio Dept., Even As We Speak, The Salteens, Free Loan Investments, The Frenchmen, Evening Lights, Tullycraft,
Boyracer, The Sprites, Honeybunch, Bart Davenport, The How, From Bubblegum to Sky, The Mosquitos, Lil’
Pocketknife, Origami and The Crabapples.

Matinée and Shelflife are co-hosting a special launch party for the Matinée 50 and Shelflife 50 releases on Saturday, July
12th at 1010 1/2 Alabama Street in San Francisco. The party features a rare live performance from Matinée hitmakers
The Guild League (featuring members of The Lucksmiths, Poundsign, The Fairways, and Aislers Set), plus short
sets from other bands participating on the compilations. Rumor has it that a supergroup is forming just for this occasion!
The party is 12pm – 5pm and it is free. Look for fliers and directions at the Pop Holiday shows.

We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones next week, so if you’re in San Francisco please come say
hello.

To complement the four days of ace pop at the Pop Holiday, Matinée and Shelflife are also pleased to bring some great
shows to a town near you:

Tuesday, July 8th: Los Angeles, CA
Pipas + Aerospace + Arrogants + Evening Lights + Frenchmen
@ The Garage, 519 Santa Monica Boulevard (Silver Lake)
21+, ticket price: $6

Wednesday, July 9th: Santa Barbara, CA
Pipas + Evening Lights + Frenchmen
@ JoJo, 1134 Chapala Street
all ages, ticket price: $5 (or $4 with flyer)

Tuesday, July 15th: Portland, OR
Pipas + Radio Dept. + Aerospace + Evening Lights + Frenchmen
@ The Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy Boulevard
21+, ticket price: $6

Wednesday, July 16th: Seattle, WA
Pipas + Radio Dept.
@ Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison
ticket price: $8 advance at Sonic Boom or Rudy’s

Also on the road this summer are The Lucksmiths! They begin their US tour at the Pop Holiday and travel
across the country before heading back for a handful of West Coast shows in early August. Following is the complete
itinerary. We will post updates to this schedule throughout the month so check back for the latest tour news!

July 12th – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill (Pop Holiday) w/Even As We Speak, From Bubblegum To Sky, The Mosquitos and Lil Pocketknife
July 15th – Portland, OR @ Portland State University (724 SW Harrison), 12pm-1pm
July 16th – Portland, OR @ Stumptown Coffee (on 3rd) w/Andrew Kaffer, 8:30pm
July 17th – Portland, OR @ Magic Marker House (4306 SE 34th St) w/The Salteens and The Mosquitos
July 18th – Bellingham, WA @ 3B Tavern w/The Salteens
July 19th – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern w/The Salteens and Tullycraft
July 23rd – Moorhead, MN @ Ralph’s Corner Bar w/Sprites
July 24th – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry w/Sprites
July 25th – Chicago, IL @ Schubas w/Pas/Cal and Sprites
July 26th – Wyoming, MI @ Marge’s Donut Den (1751 28th St SW) w/Pas/Cal and Sprites, 6:30pm – all ages
July 27th – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio (1119 E. Prospect) w/Sprites, 21+
July 28th – Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop w/Kiddo and Sprites
July 29th – Hamden, CT @ The Space w/Sprites
July 30th – Boston, MA @ Zeitgeist Gallery (1353 Cambridge St, Inman Square) w/Sprites, early show 7 – 9 pm, $5/all ages
August 1st – Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw w/Ladybug Transistor and April March, 18+
August 2nd – Manhattan, NY @ Knitting Factory w/Ladybug Transistor and Sprites, all ages
August 6th – Philadelphia, PA @ Doc Watson’s
August 8th – Washington, DC Signal 66 w/Sprites & Mosquitos
August 9th – Santa Barbara, CA The Mercury Lounge (5871 Hollister Avenue) w/The Flower Machine, 9pm, $5
August 10th – Los Angeles, CA instore @ Sea Level Records (1716 West Sunset Blvd.), 4pm, all ages, free!
August 12th – San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock Tavern w/Dear Nora, 10:30pm

Speaking of people we like a lot, when we return we’ll have copies of the new “Do You Dream In Colour?” EP
(matinée 037) from Airport Girl! The title track is a violin-led orchestrated gem
which (somewhat disturbingly) joins the exalted company of Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky”, The Farm’s
“Altogether Now” and the Pet Shop Boys’ “Go West” by taking its inspiration from Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” Second
track “When You Fall” is a trumpet-driven summer pop hit that recalls the best moments of The Boo Radleys. “Easier
To Smile” is a singalong hit à la The Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann” featuring tambourine, shaky egg and handclaps plus
guest musicians Graeme Elston of Slipslide on backing vocals and Matinée head honcho Jimmy Tassos on bongos.
The EP closes with a beautifully sad lament called “Been Waiting.” It is a jubilant return for Airport Girl, who follow
this release with a new album for Matinée in September. We are taking preorders for the single now, and will ship on
July 14th. The official release date is the 21st.

Forthcoming singles from The Young Tradition (matinée 043) and The Pines (matinée 048), a fantastic
compilation from Brighter (matcd026), and several other releases are progressing as we speak. Look for
forthcoming release news in the next update.

Our recent releases are the talk of the town, so if you’re behind with your Matinée listening you better get busy! We
wrote extensively about the new releases in the June update so check that out if you
need more details. We posted reviews this month for fresh releases from Slipslide,
The Snowdrops, Sportique, Pale Sunday, Razorcuts, The
Liberty Ship, Simpático, Kosmonaut, and more,
so check the release pages for details.

We have one new interview to mention this month – a nice chat with Pale Sunday up now on our favorite Italian
website Indiepop.it. Watch for new interviews
with Matinée bands in the next month.

Thanks to everyone who placed a website order in June. The Snowdrops ruled the roost this month, outselling
the closest competition by 2 to 1. Hooray for vinyl! Here’s the top ten:

10. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
9. The Liberty Ship – Northern Angel CDEP
8. Sportique – Modern Museums CD
7. Simpático – Club Life CDEP
6. The Lucksmiths – Naturaliste CD
5. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
4. Sportique – Communiqué No. 9 CD
3. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
2. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
1. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″

The mailorder will be closed from July 9th through 13th while we are in San Francisco, but we’ll be back on the 14th to
ship your orders. Hope to see some of you at the West Coast shows and the Pop Holiday!

cheers
Jimmy

We’re back! Happy June everybody and sorry for the two-month gap between updates but we had a small dose of regular
life getting in the way of label life this Spring. We’ll not let that happen again.

Foremost, I am pleased to announce not needing to fire myself because the long-delayed 7″ from The Snowdrops
is now out! Sneaking into the released column as of May 26th, the 7″ is a double A-side (matinée
029) featuring “Mad World” and “Don’t Buy Anything” and the band is a collaboration of Keith Girdler (Beaumont,
Blueboy, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo Worm,
Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.). Among the biggest celebrants are the band themselves, who have planned
a special record release party in London later this month (see details below), and have launched a new Indiepages website as well. We have also created a Snowdrops
page in the Artists section of the Matinée site so do some surfing to catch up with
all Snowdrops happenings because they are geared up for new recordings and yet another new release later this year.

Join The Snowdrops to celebrate their first platter at a special Matinée single launch party in London on Saturday, June
21st. It should be a stellar affair with background music assembled by the band plus the debut presentation of
something called the Lips like Belmondo soundtrack. We’ve no idea what it is either but it certainly sounds promising.
Arrive early for freebies in a variety of flavors plus jamzines and records at wallet-friendly sums. This event kicks off at
6pm upstairs at the Blue Posts Pub (corner of Newman and Eastcastle Streets; TCR tube). Everybody is welcome, and
it is free!

Also now ready for public consumption is the debut long-player from London’s Slipslide! Entitled “The World Can
Wait” (matcd025), the album is the first release since the band’s well received
“Sleeptalk” single 18 months ago. Since then, they have expanded to a four-piece and honed their craft on 11 songs
exhibiting heartfelt lyrics and classic songwriting within the three minute pop formula. Lead vocalist Graeme Elston
(The Love Parade, Pure, Eva Luna, Astronaut) penned nine of the 11 songs, including standouts “Baked Alaska,” “Palm
House Crawling,” and “The Right Time”. New member Matthew Hawes wrote and sang the other two, showcasing his
own wry humor and a splendid smokey croon. This is one brilliant debut album worthy of a place in your collection next
to treasured classics from Aztec Camera, Orange Juice, The Colourfield and Go-Betweens. The official release date is
June 23, but we have copies available now exclusively through the order page.

To commemorate the release, Slipslide play a special album launch gig at The Dublin Castle in London on Tuesday, June
17th. This is a Club Fandango night and the band is onstage at 10pm.

Three April releases are shining very brightly as we type. “Communiqué No. 9” (matcd024)
is the latest mini-album from London pop veterans Sportique, described as “near perfect pop” by the esteemed
editors at Pennyblack
magazine. We tend to agree. Their first release since “Modern Museums” (matcd015)
last year, the album includes eight new songs and is released in conjunction with WIAIWYA
Records of London. For a taste of the album’s brilliance, check out “Other Peoples’ Girlfriends” and “Angry Street” now
playing on the sounds page. We should have limited copies of the 10″ for all you vinyl purists
soon.

The debut release by Brazil’s Pale Sunday appears to be a hit, with praise coming in from virtually every corner
of the globe. Entitled “A Weekend With Jane” (matinée 049), the EP features four tracks
reminiscent of indiepop classics from the Creation and Sarah rosters. We had the pleasure of meeting Sineval and
Fabricio of the band while in Parati, Brazil last month and cemented plans for future recordings so rest assured they will
be back in the new release category soon! For now, check out the new Pale Sunday page
in the Artists section and if you haven’t purchased your copy yet, have a listen to the title track up now on the
sounds page and you should be convinced.

The recent “A is for Alphabet” CDEP from Razorcuts will serve well as an introductory sampler to the band or a
companion to the essential “R is for…Razorcuts” retrospective from last October. We listened to all of you who loved the
album and asked for more, negotiating the release of four additional Razorcuts classics from their long out-of-print
archives, including two songs from the highly sought-after 7″ on the Caff label which was limited to just 500 copies in its
original 1990 release. The respected Tangents webzine
summed it up best, saying “This EP is as essential as anything you’ll find this year or any. If the sound of Razorcuts
doesn’t move you then you’re already dead.” Indeed. If you still are not wise to the brilliance of Razorcuts, check out
some songs on the updated sounds page.

The “Club Life” CDEP (matinée 044) by Simpático and the “Northern Angel”
CDEP (matinée 046) by The Liberty Ship are also still fresh on the new release
racks. Check them out on the catalog page where you can listen to sound samples and read all
the latest reviews. The Liberty Ship support their single on June 21st with a live performance in Nottingham. Sponsored
by superb fanzines Do Something Pretty and Tasty, the night also will feature live sets from Fosca and The Hellfire
Sermons plus deejay sets from Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and Ian Watson of London’s “How Does It Feel” club
night. It all takes place at Junktion 7 in Nottingham and doors are at 7:30 pm.

In forthcoming release news, we are delighted to finally announce details of our secret “Matinée
50” compilation! Conceived over two years ago, we invited every band on the label to record a cover version of a
song released on Matinée sometime since the label began in 1997. To our delight, every current band on the label
delivered a superb contribution and we are finalizing the artwork now to prepare for its official release next month. The
album is a labor of love showcasing the tremendous artists with whom we have had the honor of working during the past
six years and, with 20 brilliant, exclusive tracks, is an essential release for all fans of the label and our bands.

The tracklisting (with original bands noted in parentheses) is: 1. Gregory Webster – Untidy Towns (The Lucksmiths);
2. Melodie Group – Emmanuelle Béart (Would-Be-Goods); 3. The Guild League – Between Delta and
Delaware (Airport Girl); 4. The Snowdrops – Summerness (Melodie Group); 5. The Visitors – Sad
Kaleidoscope (Razorcuts); 6. Airport Girl – Three Sixty Degrees (The Windmills); 7. Pipas – You Kill Me
(Harper Lee); 8. The Lucksmiths – Falling Off Of My Feet Again (The Siddeleys); 9. Sportique –
Goldmining (The Visitors); 10. The Windmills – Striking Out On Your Own (Airport Girl); 11. The Pines –
Darling, Don’t You Think? (The Fairways); 12. Harper Lee – Motorway (Monterey); 13. Slipslide –
Wildest Dream (Melodie Group); 14. The Fairways – Sunday Lovely Sunday (Edson); 15.
Would-Be-Goods – Southernmost (The Lucksmiths); 16. Lovejoy – Drug Autumn (The Windmills); 17.
Pale Sunday – Just Friends (Sportique); 18. The Liberty Ship – Desert Song (Kosmonaut); 19.
Simpático – Train Not Stopping (Harper Lee); 20. Kosmonaut – Northern Angel (Liberty Ship).

We are launching the album next month in conjunction with our friends at Shelflife
Records, who are celebrating the release of Shelflife 50 – a special compilation of Shelflife bands covering other
Shelflife bands. A happy coincidence, or part of our grand plan for world indiepop domination? We’ll never tell…

The centerpiece for the album launch will be at the upcoming Pop
Holiday in San Francisco. Featuring 21 bands playing over four nights (July 10th – 13th), the event should be one of
the greatest pop spectacles of the year. Matinée artists Pipas and The Lucksmiths headline Thursday
and Saturday nights respectively, while Gregory Webster of Sportique and Razorcuts fame will delight the crowd
with selections from his esteemed back catalogue on Sunday.

Other featured bands include Aerospace, The Radio Dept., Even As We Speak, The Salteens, Free Loan Investments,
The Frenchmen, Evening Lights, Tullycraft, Boyracer, The Sprites, Honeybunch, Bart Davenport, The How, From
Bubblegum to Sky, The Mosquitos, Lil’ Pocketknife, Origami and The Crabapples.

We will be at all shows and we are working to coordinate a special Matinée show on Saturday afternoon with some surprise
guests. Watch this space for details very soon!

Also in conjunction with Shelflife, we have arranged a set of West Coast dates for Pop Holiday participants Pipas,
Aerospace, Evening Lights and The Frenchmen. The dates are as follows:

Tuesday, July 8th: Los Angeles, CA at the Garage (with the Arrogants)
Wednesday, July 9th: Santa Barbara, CA at JoJo
Tuesday, July 15th: Portland, OR at the Blackbird (with The Radio Dept.)

Pipas and The Radio Dept. also play Wednesday the 16th in Seattle, WA at Chop Suey. Special thanks to Tim Hinely
at Dagger and Chris McFarlane at IndiePages for their assistance with the
Portland and Seattle shows.

Moving back to forthcoming releases, also scheduled for July is the highly anticipated return of Airport Girl with
their “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP (matinée 037). The superb title track is an
orchestral gem featuring violin, keyboards, tambourine and other grand percussion. “Easier To Smile” is a singalong
rave-up recorded one Saturday afternoon last August in Nottingham and featuring among its guest musicians Graeme
Elston of Slipslide on backing vocals and Jimmy Tassos (that’s me!) of Matinée on bongos. The song features ace
tambourine, shaky egg and handclaps in addition to the usual sort of Airport Girl brilliance and it’s the sort of song that
sticks in your head and makes you dance every time you hear it. The EP also includes the trumpet-driven hit “When
You Fall” previewed on last summer’s “Matinée Summer Splash” compilation (matinée 040) and a sad lament known as
“Been Waiting.” It is a triumphant return for Airport Girl, who follow this release with a new album for Matinée and
Fortuna POP! in September.

A slight setback with The Young Tradition single is now remedied as we are moving forward with a format change
to CD single. It seems that we couldn’t get an acceptable test pressing for the 7″ vinyl so instead of crossing our fingers
for a fifth time, the band recorded a new song and we will now release the single in full digital format. The new tracklisting
includes original tracks “California Morning” and “All Up To Me” plus a new recording called “Isolation” which is a cover
version of the classic song originally recorded by Poundsign! We will announce the release date for the CD single shortly.
Meanwhile, we welcome your suggestions for something to do with the 2000 7″ labels printed for the original release.

Trudging through the Matinée art department are the “True Love Waits, Volume 2” CDEP from The Pines, the
“France On A Bicycle” compilation, and our newest retrospective project, “Singles, 1989-1992” from Brighter!
Although they should require no introduction to regular readers of this site, Brighter were a three-piece who recorded for
Sarah Records just over a decade ago and
introduced the songwriting and vocal talents of Keris Howard (now practicing as Harper Lee) to the world. More
information on these releases in the next update.

Speaking of Harper Lee, they are one of several bands in the studio recording new songs for Matinée release
later in the year. Joining them on the new release shelves will be The Lucksmiths, Airport Girl, The
Windmills, Pipas, Lovejoy, The Liberty Ship, The Snowdrops and maybe more so
save up your dollars, pounds, euros, yen, and kronor for a great season of new releases.

In press action, check out part one of a sharp interview with Gregory Webster just up on Pennyblack
Magazine. Meanwhile, Kosmonaut chewed the fat with our friends at In Love
With These Times, while Speck Fanzine published an interview with
Would-Be-Goods and Pennyblack
caught up with Harper Lee.

You can read a recent Matinée interview with Indiepop.it by breaking out your Italian
dictionary and clicking here. If you want to see an English
translation instead, check the Archive page.

We’ve added more than 60 new reviews to the site since the last update. Some of our favorite quotes about the new
releases include:

“This is what indie pop should be about. It’s fast and fun and near perfect pop.”
Pennyblack

“Definitely an exciting record all around! MTQ = 8/8”
IndiePages

“I’m enthralled and, once again, left eager for their next record! Hurry hurry, Jimmy Matinée! Single Of The Week.”
Mundane Sounds

“These guys are a shoe-in for best new band for 2003!”
IndiePages

“This EP is as essential as anything you’ll find this year or any. If the sound of Razorcuts doesn’t move you then you’re
already dead.”
Tangents

“Indie pop doesn’t get much better than this.”
All Music Guide

“Set against the sleeve art of bare branches in the winter forest it’s all a reminder of why you fell in love with this band in
the first place.”
In Love With These Times

“The versatility you’ll encounter within this EP’s thirteen minutes is remarkably refreshing, and helps to diversify The
Liberty Ship from the ever-congested English pop crowd.”
Splendid

“The title track is just as jangly as the first single was, but less Byrds and more East Village. And it’s definitely a
contender for song of the year!”
IndiePages

“The best thing about this ep is that, like the album, there is no padding whatsoever – if you like the Sweeney thing, then
every song will merit being put on yr headphones and listened to in bed while the night sky tries to fight off the street
lamps and car headlights.”
In Love With These Times

“‘Club Life’ extends further Jason’s music, it’s his most complex effort yet, but also keeps him travelling in the direction
that’s so close to my heart.”
Pennyblack

For anyone complaining about the lack of decent releases so far in 2003, I have to respectively disagree. In addition to
the nine (!) Matinée releases, the following gems are spending lots of time on the stereo this month:

10. The Set Designers – 5 Songs By (Penpal)
9. The Foxgloves – I Dreamt That Love Was A Crime (Foxyboy)
8. The Liberty Ship – Cabin Fever (Sunday)
7. Ballboy – You Can’t Spend Your Whole Life… (SL)
6. The Saturday People – No Photos Exist (Foxyboy)
5. Clearlake – Wonder If The Snow Will Settle (Domino)
4. The Pines – Rainy Day (Foxyboy)
3. Camera Obscura – Suspended from Class (Elefant)
2. The Lucksmiths – Camera Shy (Drive In)
1. The Radio Dept. – Lost and Found (Shelflife)

Thanks to everyone for your continued support of the Matinée Online Shop. A combined April
and May hit parade follows with Razorcuts taking top honors:

10. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
9. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
8. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
7. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
6. Simpático – Club Life CDEP
5. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
4. Sportique – Communiqué No. 9 CD
3. The Liberty Ship – Northern Angel CDEP
2. Pale Sunday – A Weekend with Jane CDEP
1. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP

Look for the return of monthly updates with the next news coming very early in July before all the San Francisco
festivities. We will update other pages throughout this month so check back for the latest news. Until then, take care!

Jimmy
x

Whew! Right down to the wire getting in a March update but then again, there are other things happening in the world
so I suppose we can be excused. You’ve undoubtedly reached this page because you are looking for an escape, so
escape we shall give you in the form of some overdue pop music news!

Out now and (as Madonna once sang) causing a commotion is the brand new “Club Life” EP (matinée 044) from Simpático. Five of the greatest songs EVER penned by Jason
Sweeney on one convenient EP is just too much to miss. While reviews of the Simpático album “The Difference
Between Alone & Lonely” (matcd016) were uniformly excellent, we doubt anyone
could have predicted the quality of this new EP. The most upbeat song penned by Jason since the days of Sweet
William, “Club Life” boasts a hypnotic rhythm track that could make it a potential dancefloor filler if we lived in a more
tolerable universe. The balance of the EP further hones the characteristic Simpático recipe of atmospheric pop blending
layered, swirling guitars with keyboards, heaps of reverb, exceptional songwriting and warm, emotional vocals. The
tracklisting and a soundclip of “Club Life” can be found on the catalog page and your
very own copy can be obtained now via the order page so get it.

Also out now is the second single from Nottingham quartet The Liberty Ship! Last summer, their debut single
“I Guess You Didn’t See Her” (matinée 036) earned them a clutch of favorable reviews
and new fans across the globe. Following the addition of a drummer and a number of successful live dates in the UK,
the band is back with the solid four-song “Northern Angel” CDEP (matinée 046). The
title track has nice jangling guitars, harmonica, tambourine and one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long
while. Listen for yourself on either the catalog page or the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean. The three b-sides are all great too, especially
“Final Kick” featuring some beautiful lead female vocals.

Following last October’s retrospective collection “R is for.. Razorcuts” (matcd012),
we have managed to negotiate the release of a further EP worth of songs from the Razorcuts archive, combining
lead cut “A is for Alphabet” from the aforementioned retrospective with four more beloved and much requested classics.
The signature Razorcuts jangle is in full effect throughout this EP, from the formative simplistic beauty of rare early demo
tracks “Sometimes I Worry About You” and “For Always” to the Gene Clark inspired lushness of “Snowbound.” It
makes a fine companion to the recent retrospective album or a fantastic introductory sampler in its own right. Check
out the title track now playing on the sounds page, and feel free to preorder this EP now via
the order page. The official release date is April 14th but we should have copies sooner than
that.

Pale Sunday is a very exciting new band from Brazil and their debut “A Weekend With Jane” EP (matinée 049) will be on every hipster’s shopping list when it comes out April 21st. While
demonstrating a love for classic bands from the Creation and Sarah rosters, the band manages to sound entirely modern
with four of the catchiest songs we have heard in a long while. Think perfectly jangling and sometimes fuzzy guitars,
sing-along choruses, superb melodies and sha-la-la’s set upon a beefy rhythm track and you’ll have an idea of what we
mean. The title track is now spinning on the sounds page and we’ll soon start taking
preorders so get ready for your new favorite band!

Also now scheduled for the 21st is the debut single from The Snowdrops! I am beginning to feel like the boy
who cried wolf in describing this single and most of our regular readers could probably write this paragraph for me. For
those that couldn’t, what we have here is a double A-side 7″ (matinée 029) featuring
“Mad World” and “Don’t Buy Anything” and the band is an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler
(Beaumont, Blueboy, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo
Worm, Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.) Just so you know we’re not bluffing again, we’re now featuring “Don’t
Buy Anything” on the sounds page and we have the vinyl in our hands. Once we have
assurance that the sleeves are on course for delivery we’ll start accepting preorders. Next month this will be squarely
in the released category or I will fire myself and get somebody in here to run things a bit better in the future. The band
is in action once again with a song just completed for the Matinée 50 compilation and thousands of ideas for the
follow-up release which we (that’s me or the new guy I’m hiring…pay attention!) will get in your hands in record speed.

Now, the debut 7″ from The Young Tradition (matinée 043) is somewhat out of
my hands as we await the delivery of yet another test pressing…but we’ve been assured this is the one that will set the
world on fire. We’ve told you their story before…two chaps named Erik Hanspers and Brent Kenji who have never
actually met but have created two of the finest popsongs nevertheless. Of course Brent has some experience in these
matters, having created some very fine popsongs for Matinée in the past with his group The Fairways and also as a collaborator in the very fine Guild League. The songs on this 7″ are called “California Morning” and “All Up To
Me” and both are beautifully orchestrated, with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and superb vocals.
You can listen to “California Morning” on the sounds page now, and we’ll start accepting
preorders once we have a schedule for vinyl delivery.

Note to self: why are we still releasing vinyl singles?

Finishing off the month April 28th is the new mini-album “Communiqué No. 9” (matcd024) from Sportique! Their first release since their astounding “Modern
Museums” (matcd015) album last January, the album includes eight new songs and
will be released on CD and very limited 10″ vinyl in conjunction with WIAIWYA
Records. Produced by the hottest property in London right now – Liam Watson at Toerag – this is the sound of
music stripped of artifice…eight fantastic new songs that will instantly lodge in your brain. Our favorite “Other Peoples’
Girlfriends” is now spinning on the sounds page, and we will begin accepting preorders
shortly on the order page once advance copies arrive at Matinée HQ. The band will preview
the album at three UK dates later this month (details below).

Coming up in May are great new releases from Airport Girl and Slipslide! The “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP
(matinée 037) from Airport Girl will in fact have the tracklisting I suggested it
might last month, with “When You Fall”, “Easier to Smile” and “Been Waiting” joining the title track for one fantastic little
EP. It is the first release from our Nottingham pals since 2001’s album “Honey, I’m An Artist” (matcd011) and what a welcome return it is! Check out “When You Fall” up now on the
sounds page.

The debut album from Slipslide is also nearly finished and scheduled for May release. Entitled “The World Can
Wait” (matcd025), the album includes 11 new classics from the Graeme Elston
school of melodies and is the first Slipslide release since the superb “Sleeptalk” 7″ (matinée
031) in 2001. The tracklisting for the album is: 1. Sleeptalk, 2. Back To Work, 3. Baked Alaska, 4. The Right Time,
5. Watching, Waiting, 6. Halfway Over Town, 7. Signs Of Life, 8. X Supplies The Answer, 9. Palm House Crawling, 10.
Will You Lead Me?, 11. The World Can Wait. We expect it will take the world by storm so prepare to be dazzled.
There is an audio clip on the sounds page now for “Baked Alaska” so have a listen.

Two releases stuck in the art department include the now mythical “France On A Bicycle” compilation (matcd010) which
is nearly ready to go except I hate the cover I’ve designed …and the debut Matinée single from The Pines!
Entitled “True Love Waits, Volume 2” (matinée 048), the CDEP includes the tracks Ungrammatical, Anita O’Day, Marie
Claire, Familiar, and The Rest. I have changed my mind six times about which is my favorite, but today I’ll give the nod
to “Familiar” since we already posted it to the sounds page for your listening pleasure.
More on these releases next month.

The deadline for artist submissions to the “Matinée 50” compilation is coming up, and it looks to be a brilliant
album from start to finish. We have songs confirmed from Airport Girl, The Fairways, The Guild League, Harper Lee,
Kosmonaut, The Liberty Ship, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Melodie Group, Pale Sunday, The Pines, Pipas, Simpático,
Slipslide, The Snowdrops, Sportique, The Visitors, Gregory Webster, The Windmills, and Would-Be-Goods, and there
may be at least one more if all goes as planned. They are all covers of songs previously released by another band on
Matinée, including most of the artists just mentioned plus The Siddeleys, Edson, and Monterey. Everything we have so
far is superb, but expect a few surprises because many of the bands are branching beyond the realm of their usual
sound for a unique take on an old classic. Every day is like Christmas around here as we receive masters for this very
special compilation, and we’ll be working hard to get it ready for release as soon as possible. We will reveal the full
tracklisting in the next update.

In addition to Matinée 50, the summer should bring new releases from Pipas, Lovejoy, Harper
Lee, The Windmills, The Fairways, The Lucksmiths and a very special retrospective
CD from a band you all know and love, so stay tuned.

In live reports, three cheers for Angel at Canciones Huérfanas for
his splendid job coordinating Spanish dates for Harper Lee and Lovejoy last month. It was all rather
hectic but what a fantastic week! The Spanish crowds were unbelievably enthusiastic and genuinely gracious. It was
nice to meet so many people who appreciate the work of the bands and the label and we will hopefully be back in Spain
for more Matinée events later this year.

In addition to packed shows in Barcelona, Madrid and La Coruña, the bands performed acoustic sessions for
Radio Nacional de España and Viaje A Los Sueños Polares, and we were
interviewed by RNE in Madrid and Radio Ciutat Vella in Barcelona. Muchas gracias to Angel for coordinating everything,
driving us through the Spanish towns and countryside, and accommodating our challenging vegetarian requests.
Thanks also to Luis, Munci and Rafa at Elefant Records for their splendid
hospitality, Julio Ruíz at RNE for the excellent radio broadcast, Edu and everyone else at Radio Ciutat Vella, Señor
Sound for his technical wizardry, and all the wonderful people we met across Spain.

If you missed it, here are a few photos from our journey: Lovejoy at Sala Barbarella in Madrid, Harper Lee at Sala
Barbarella in Madrid, and all of us at the RNE studio (left to right: Dick (Lovejoy), Luis (Elefant), Angel (Canciones
Huerfanas), Munci (Elefant), Jimmy (Matinée), Julio (RNE), Alex (Harper Lee), Keris (Harper Lee), Laura (Harper Lee),
Bob (Trembling Blue Stars), and Beth (Trembling Blue Stars).

For those in and around London, April is shaping up to be the best chance EVER to see a Matinée band playing live,
with no fewer than five bands in action:

The Windmills start things off with an April 3rd show at the Hope & Anchor in Islington. They are on about 9:30
so get there early! The band also plays Thursday, May 22nd at the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town. I should have more
details on that show next month.

On April 6th, Pipas play a surprise date at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon along with a band called the
Cut-Outs featuring a former Fat Tulip. Remember them? Not sure which tulip it is but it should be a good night no
matter what. This just in…the Cut-Outs apparently also feature Sean Price of Airport Girl! Sometimes we’re the last
to know about these things…

Would-Be-Goods play on Saturday, April 12th at The Arts Café, 28 Commercial Street in London with a band
called Florida who I suspect are not from our infamous southern state. Would-Be-Goods are currently working on new
songs so you may just get treated to something very exciting if you go.

Traveling south to sunny Brighton on Wednesday the 16th will reward you with a rare live set from Sportique,
playing the Careless Talk Costs Lives Disco at The Albert. The
band also plays Wednesday April 30th at Bitterscene in Chelmsford with
Kicker, and Saturday May 3rd at a Track & Field show at the Arts Café, London with the Radio Dept. and Kicker. All
shows are highly recommended! Kicker is always fantastic live, even if we
know them best around these parts as the “other” band for Laura Bridge of Harper Lee. Check out their fine releases on
the Track & Field label. The Radio Dept. is the latest Swedish
sensation with a brilliant new record out on Labrador in Sweden and
Shelflife in the US.

A rare gig with Slipslide will occur on Friday, April 18th as part of a massive show at The Garage with Ballboy,
Bearsuit, Fosca, the Cut-Outs and two others. I think this is a Strange
Fruit event, and tickets are on-sale now through The Garage and Ticketmaster. This is a great lineup with Ballboy
supporting a recent album on SL Records, Bearsuit celebrating their new
release on Fortuna POP!, Fosca keeping it real for the legendary
Shinkansen, and the Cut-Outs apparently still sporting a former
Fat Tulip (and Sean).

In non-UK action, Pipas are set to be the first Matinée band to play in Italy with dates confirmed April 18th in
Milano, April 19th in Genova and Bologna, and April 20th in Rome. Check the Long Lost Cousin site for complete details.

Finally, The Lucksmiths are in action in Australia this month promoting their brand new album “Naturaliste” out
on Candle. If you’re lucky enough to be around Melbourne at the
moment, check them out Wednesday the 2nd at the Evelyn Hotel (special 10-Year anniversary show with The
Steinbecks and Droplet), Sunday the 6th at Gaslight Records (instore performance, 2pm), Monday the 14th at the
Museum Victoria lawn (all ages – 4:30 pm), and Saturday the 26th at the Corner Hotel (Melbourne album launch with
Rob Clarkson, Mid-State Orange and Smallgoods). For details on these shows and an up-to-the-minute schedule of
May dates across Australia, check out the band’s spiffy new website here.

If you’re here in the US, don’t despair because the new Lucksmiths album will be out courtesy of our good friends at
Drive In Records in April and the band will play a healthy dose of US
dates to support it in July and August. We will have copies of the new album available through the Matinée
order page later in the month. The band is recording a new single for Matinée for release
later this year, most likely to coincide with UK and European dates in October.

Switching over to press action, we have six features to mention, including a chat with Lovejoy in Pennyblack
Magazine, words from Pipas in Tasty fanzine, articles on
Would-Be-Goods and new signings Pale Sunday in Esquizofrenia, and interviews with The Guild League in both
Mundane Sounds and
Tasty. We are just finishing up a new Matinée interview with Italian
webzine Musicboom too so look for that shortly.

More than 30 new reviews were added to the site this month. Some of our favorite quotes include:

“From toe-tappers to tear-jerkers, this is one collection that any pop fan won’t want to miss out on.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

“All told, Private Transport is a grand little affair that is much greater than the excellent “Jet Set…Go!” single hinted at.”
Mundane Sounds

“… this stuff is reminiscent of The Go-Betweens, Lloyd Cole and, for those familiar with them, East Village – but none
of those bands can boast a lyric like “In the hot, hateful summer/I’m a loser, I need a doctor,” as Roy intones on the
brooding “Inner Space 1971.” You don’t get enough people saying that sort of thing in indiepop. Take note, kids.”
The Big Takeover

“Cheers to Melodiegroup for a job well done.” Splendid

“Though less than 20 minutes in length, A Cat Escaped manages in this short time to be one of last year’s best and
most innovative releases, straying completely from the norm, with two tantalizing talents in Nunez-Fernandez and Powell
mixing complicated riffs and tongue-twisting lyrics with simplicity and an exact style purposefully taking their time to
eventually blow your mind.”
Pop Matters

“Pipas is cute and fun, but they deserve more than just a quick listen. With songs that are short but sweet, Pipas’ A
Cat Escaped will be stuck in your CD player for weeks.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

“OK, I don’t know how many different ways I can say “This band is amazing” without sounding like an idiot. Their debut
full-length of last year, Go Back To Bed, made my year end list and this is even better. Absolutely wonderful.”
Dagger

“Howard needn’t bother himself with connections to the likes of Radiohead, as — demonstrated by this gorgeous record
— his talent is strong enough to stand on its own.”
Pop Matters

“Razorcuts always sounded like the greatest summer of your life, three minutes at a time. Listening to R is for…,
a 21-track collection of the group’s recordings, one can scarcely believe the songwriting partnership of Tim Vass
and Gregory Webster was a product of such an aesthetically unforgiving era; but this, too, is why it now transcends
it.” Splendid

“During their run, Razorcuts recorded for both Subway and Creation, and their slightly dazed but irrepressible jangle-pop
defines those labels’ early aesthetics: nasal schoolboy harmonies, simple DIY melodies and everywhere the feeling of
that moment in ’60s pop when drugs were not quite there, yet everyone seemed to know they were on the way…As
such, this CD is one of the more compelling time capsules of that era currently available.”
Time Out Magazine

“This is a much-needed retrospective, containing colourful snippets of brilliance.”
Record Collector Magazine

“The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop
collection.” All Music Guide

“…the fact remains that The Lucksmiths are just about the most compulsively likeable group in the entire world. Their
songs are well-crafted, catchy as hell, witty and insightful; they have one of the most entertaining live shows around,
and overall, they’re just damn nice guys.”
Splendid

“The Lucksmiths’ Midweek Midmorning EP is a solid pop effort from a country known for its kangaroos and wild dogs.
… While the most popular Australian musical exports at the moment seem hell-bent on recreating Seattle grunge, the
Lucksmiths are decidely low-key. And they’re refreshingly cheery.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

In distribution news, popfans in Sweden should find it easier to locate Matinée releases in shops there thanks to a new
distribution deal with Border Music. We also have a new deal with Pastel Music in
South Korea so don’t hesitate to ask for the latest releases in your favorite shops.

If you prefer to buy your Matinée pop direct from the website, of course that’s fine with us too! Please note that several
of the early singles are close to selling out, so if you want any of the releases between matinée 001 and matinée 014
you may want to get them soon so you don’t miss out. Check the catalog page for the updated
discography. We recently added some great releases to the order page from Long Lost
Cousin, Annika, WIAIWYA and Fortuna POP! so happy shopping. A special combined February and March hit parade
returns Razorcuts to the top of the heap:

10. The Windmills – Walking Around the World CDEP
9. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
8. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
7. The Liberty Ship – Northern Angel CDEP
6. Simpático – Club Life CDEP
5. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
4. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
3. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
2. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
1. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD

peace
Jimmy
x

Hello pop lovers and happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it! I happen to love it but my wife is not such a
fan so we tend to splash out on other minor February holidays like Groundhog Day instead. Funny thing though…
here in California they don’t make as big a deal over Groundhog Day as they do on the East coast because the
weather is always pretty nice. For those of you from other countries who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s
not important… just a silly American holiday celebrating or mourning the remaining weeks of winter but it’s all a
sham anyway. Especially when your winter is 70 degrees every day. But back to pop music…

We are on the brink of a great run of new singles, with five new releases in about as many weeks! First up is the
brand new 5-tracker from Simpático I mentioned last month. Called the “Club Life” EP
(matinée 044), it features five of the strongest songs to date from our jet-setting
Jason Sweeney and the first new material since “The Difference Between Alone & Lonely”
(matcd016) album last March. The most upbeat song penned by Jason since
the days of Sweet William, the title track contains a smart electronic edge that makes it thoroughly modern and a
potential dancefloor filler if we lived in a more tolerable universe. The full tracklisting and a soundclip of “Club Life”
can be found on the catalog page, and you can preorder this title on the
order page now for delivery on the official release date of March 10th. In other Simpático
news, one of Jason’s many 2003 projects is a grand plan to create a series of videos for Simpático songs and the
first of these (“Arrogance”, taken from the last LP) is now up on the band website.

Following on the 24th of March is the second single from Nottingham tunesmiths The Liberty Ship! The
band released its debut “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” 7″ last summer to general applause and positive reviews that
drew comparisons to heavy hitters like the Weather Prophets, East Village, Hurrah! and even the Byrds. Now
they’re back with four enticing new songs on the “Northern Angel” EP (matinée 046)
and we think it’s just swell. The title track has perfectly jangling guitars, harmonica, tambourine and one of the
catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long while. It will have you shaking your hip like a beatnik in four minutes flat.
The EP also includes “This World” and “Small Lives” (both with Marc Elston on lead vox) and “Final Kick” featuring
more mean tambourine and ‘shipmate Rachel Eyres at the helm. You all know what Marc sounds like from the first
Liberty Ship 7″ and his previous hits as Bulldozer Crash, but wait until you fall in love with Rachel’s voice before you
ascertain your opinion of this exciting young band. A soundclip of the lead track is up now on the
sounds page, so have a listen and check back soon to order your very own copy.

In what seems to be par for the course these days, vinyl singles tend to face absurd delays before finally seeing
the light of day. I suppose that’s one reason why most other indie labels have abandoned them? Following a fairly
ordinary delay and a fairly extraordinary delay, we are proud to announce release dates for new 7″ singles by The
Young Tradition and The Snowdrops!

The Young Tradition 7″ (matinée 043) is the first fruit of a partnership
between a Swedish lad named Erik Hanspers and fellow Californian Brent Kenji (The Fairways, Uni, The Guild
League). The two have still not met, collaborating instead through the marvels of our international postal service
and a keen shared sense of songwriting. For their debut they chose the songs “California Morning” and “All Up
To Me” and what wise choices! Both songs are beautifully orchestrated, with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet,
rich melodies and superb vocals that will cause you to return the needle to the start to have another listen again
and again. We’re completely hooked and already look forward to future recordings from this unique band. The
single will be released on March 31st, but you can have a listen now to the “California Morning” soundclip on the
sounds page. We’ll be adding a Young Tradition artist page to the site very soon.

The Snowdrops 7″ (matinée 029) is a double A-side featuring “Mad World”
and “Don’t Buy Anything” and as we mentioned in various news updates during the past 16 months, one of those is
a cover of a massive hit by Tears for Fears that all of you know and love (unless you are 19 or younger, in which
case you may not have heard it since it was originally released 20 years ago). So yes, we faced some
extraordinary delays with the single for various reasons but now we are prepared to come clean and admit that it
was all just a stalling tactic so we could release it EXACTLY 20 years after the original (which in our version of the
history of the world was released on March 31st,1983 so we’ll release our version on March 31st as well). Of
course, I made some or most of that up. The release date is for real though. The band is an occasional
collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Beaumont, Blueboy, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy,
Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo Worm, Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.) so it’s a
no brainer for most of you and will probably sell out rather quickly. Fact. Which is good because the catalog
number is matinée 29 so it should be getting on in age by now anyway. We’ll be adding a Snowdrops artist page
to the site and a soundclip shortly, but for now, why not check out the handsome new
Snowdrops website hosted by those crafty kids at IndiePages?

Completing a March 31st trifecta is a single that will take even the most devout Matinée insiders by surprise. The
“A is for Alphabet” EP (matinée 047) from Razorcuts is a 5-track CDEP
combining one song from last October’s “R is for Razorcuts” CD with four beloved Razorcuts classics that for
various reasons (mostly the fact that it already had 21 songs on it!) were left off the compilation. Given the
excessive praise for the CD, we have breathed new life into four more songs to craft a sublime EP that should
make a lot of you smile from ear to ear. Joining the title track on this EP is the final song from the Flying Nun 12″
(“First Day”), another magnificent album cut from The World Keeps Turning (“Snowbound”) and two rarities from the
sought-after 7″ on Bob Stanley’s Caff label (“Sometimes I Worry About You” and “For Always”). All songs have
been remastered to sound extra sparkly. Full details and a soundclip for the title track are up now on the
catalog page.

There may be a sixth single out by the end of March too but Airport Girl is being rather taciturn about it at
the moment. I think it will look like the image at right and I think it will contain four songs…the title track “Do You
Dream In Colour?” plus “When You Fall” (previewed on last August’s Matinée Summer Splash CD), “Been Waiting”
and “Easier to Smile” which may or may not feature some bongo playing and handclaps and backing vocals by
yours truly while I was in Nottingham last summer. Sorry for being rather vague but that’s all I know at the moment.
It may come out in March or it could be September. The catalog number is matinée 037 for anyone who keeps
tracks of these things. For now, you can hear a soundclip for “When You Fall” on the current
sounds page.

In addition to these superb singles, we are finalizing work on a few new albums. The “France on a Bicycle”
compilation (matcd010) is still in progress, but there is not much to say about it other than what we reported
last month.

I can, however, provide some details on the spunky new Sportique mini-album “Communiqué no.9”
(matcd024) because we have just had the pleasure of a nice California visit from
Mr. Gregory Webster himself! In addition to his daily duties of helping me carry loads of mailorder parcels off to the
post office and selecting which of the delicious Santa Barbara eateries we would try for lunch, he also delivered
some mighty fine master tapes for this forthcoming classic! It’s an 8-song mini-lp and we are working again with
WIAIWYA Records to release this on CD and lovely 10″ vinyl. The full
tracklisting is: 1.The Edgeware Kick-back; 2.Arthouse Cinemas; 3.Angry Street; 4.Other Peoples’ Girlfriends;
5.Tips for Artists Who Want To Sell Records; 6.Stereotype; 7.Communiqué no.9; 8.Requiem for the Avant-Garde.
Anyone who saw Sportique live in the past 12 months will recognize a few of these hits. Our current favorite is
“Other Peoples’ Girlfriends” which is now playing on the sounds page so go have a
listen! The scheduled release date is April 28th, and full details are up now on the
catalog page.

The “Matinée 50” compilation is coming together nicely too, with new versions of classic Matinée hits by The
Lucksmiths, Sportique, The Windmills, Airport Girl, Would-Be-Goods, The Siddeleys, Harper Lee, Razorcuts, The
Visitors, Melodie Group and more reinterpreted by just about everyone who has ever recorded for the label.
Sixteen tracks are confirmed to date, and the few we’ve heard are great! We’ll keep the tracklisting a secret for
awhile longer, but pencil this in as a May release.

If live music is your thing, we have details on some rare appearances by Matinée artists over the next two weeks.
First off, The Windmills play three UK dates: February 21st at Agricultural College in Chelmsford, February
22nd at The Grand in Leigh on Sea, and February 24th at The Dublin Castle in London. Check the
Windmills website for last minute details, and come say hello if you
are at the London show. I’ll be the nerd in the audience with a lousy new haircut (who knew you needed to be
fluent in Spanish to get a decent haircut in California?)

Two days later we’ll be in Spain for the first ever continental dates from Lovejoy and Harper Lee!
Join us February 26th in Barcelona (Sala Razzmatazz 3), February 28th in Madrid (Sala Barbarella) and March 1st
in La Coruña (Sala Playa Club). All dates are with Trembling Blue Stars. The previously scheduled Valencia date
on the 27th fell through but the bands will be busy with interviews and a radio show that day and there may be
another Madrid date added so check the Canciones Huérfanas
website for the latest. Muchas gracias to Angel of Canciones Huérfanas for coordinating the shows!

The Matinée mailorder will be closed from February 19th through March 5th while we are in London and Spain,
but we will be answering emails from the road and can ship all orders when we return on the 6th.

In press action, check out a groovy new interview with Roy Thirlwall of Melodie Group on the Pennyblack
website in which he talks about changing the name of his band every so often to keep things fresh. Close to
40 reviews of recent releases have come in since the last update and they are all now posted to the release pages
accessed via the catalog page. Some of our favorite quotes include:

“… a gem of a record that swings, sashays and skips through grey urban streets pricked with the hope of Spring.
Private Transport is a gorgeous album that holds an enviable arsenal of talent and texture, and is certainly one of
the delights of the year so far.” Tangents

“There is a strong balance of dynamics throughout with a nice mix of up-tempo tracks and ballads and even a
dazzling near-a cappella tune, the album-closer “A Faraway Place.” Private Transport is an early favorite for an
indie pop best of 2003 list.” All Music Guide

“An interesting, intelligent diversion of pop… Updownaround is a fine debut album from a proven talent.”
Mundane Sounds

“This is just perfect jangle pop that will make any fans of East Village and Go Betweens very happy!
Recommended!!” Pop Polar

“I happen to think Pipas are the brightest stars in the Matinée constellation. The shyness of their last EP has been
usurped by a glowing self-confidence. There are tints of Birdie, Stereolab, Strawberry Switchblade in here but
there’s a freshness and continentalism to their sound. … ‘Barbapapa’ is St. Eteinne’s ‘Nothing Can Stop Us’ but
from the rough side of town.” Wide Open Road

“Such is the sound of Pipas, who have made one of the sweetest pop albums of the year and which, incidentally,
with “Being with you is like killing Bob Dylan – if I had to do it I would die.” contains the year’s finest line too. Get
’em while they’re hot.” Careless Talk Costs Lives

“Razorcuts always sounded like the greatest summer of your life, three minutes at a time. Listening to R is for…,
a 21-track collection of the group’s recordings, one can scarcely believe the songwriting partnership of Tim Vass
and Gregory Webster was a product of such an aesthetically unforgiving era; but this, too, is why it now transcends
it.” Exclaim Magazine

“Razorcuts, at their finest, were the sounds of innocent abandon on acid; naiveté on speed. Or alternatively the
music of a heaven where the headline band is Curt Boettcher jamming with Joey and Dee Dee. That good. That
special.” Careless Talk Costs Lives

“The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop
collection.” All Music Guide

“The Lucksmiths make me smile, The Lucksmiths let the sunlight creep from behind the clouds and guide it
streaming through the windows, catching the cigarette smoke curling through the room.”
Tangents

“Melancholy often goes down best with superbly crafted melodies and harmonies; these two songs are more proof
of that.” Erasing Clouds

“…road music at its finest, and the lingering sentiments of “Desert Song” in particular hang long in the mind.”
In Love With These Times

“The amount and quality of territory covered by the Windmills on 2002’s Walking Around the World EP is staggering,
and that it is done with such grace and confidence should make listeners eager to hear what these British lads will
accomplish with their next LP.” All Music Guide

Finally, the top sellers from the month of January:

10. Slipslide – Four Day Weekend CDEP
9. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
7. The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″
6. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
5. Various – Matinée Summer Splash! CD
4. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
3. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
2. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
1. The Guild League – Private Transport CD

Hope to see some of you in London or Spain later this month.

adios!
Jimmy
x

Hello and happy 2003! Matinée had an excellent year in 2002 with 15 great releases, and we are even more excited
about our release schedule for this new year.

The first of two brand new releases is the debut full-length from Melodie Group. Entitled “Updownaround”
(matcd022), the album has been named “the sort of record any sort of serious fan
wishes Morrissey would make” by the proven editors at Tasty
fanzine. And while we wait with you for a long-overdue new release by the Mozzer, this will suit us just fine. Previous
Melodie Group releases have earned comparison to other venerable vocalists of yore, including Grant McLennan of the
Go-Betweens and Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen. Not bad company you must admit. In the small chance
you don’t believe us, then why not have a listen to the soundclips showcased on the Matinée Sounds page, which should lead you nicely to the Order page where
you can secure your very own copy.

Also now hopefully featured on a new release shelf near you is the debut album from The Guild League called
“Private Transport” (matcd023). And what a triumph it is!
In Love With These Times calls it “an admirable way to start the new year,” while
Tasty predicts “Private Transport could well be your favourite
album of 2003…already.” Everyone seemed to love the band’s debut single “Jet-Set..Go!” last summer, but believe me
when I tell you that was only a taste of the brilliance found on this album. We have highlighted a few of the eclectic
songs from the album on the Matinée Sounds page so give it a test spin if you like.
We’re sure you’ll be back for this one.

We are now busy at work finalizing artwork and other details for several new singles that should see the light of day
between now and April 1st.

Atop the coming soon category is a new 5-track CDEP from Simpático called the “Club Life” EP (matinée 044).
This is the first new material from Simpático since the critically acclaimed album “The Difference Between Alone &
Lonely” (matcd016) released last March. Since then, Jason has toured the US and
played a few shows in Australia, all the while perfecting five of the strongest songs he has crafted to date. The
tracklisting for the EP is: 1. Club Life, 2. Inseparable, 3. Garden Greene, 4. First and Last Warning, 5. Self-conscious…
and we have just posted a real audio version of the lead track on the Sounds page so go
have a listen! Look for the EP in February if everything goes as planned.

Also nearing completion is the debut single from a new band called The Young Tradition. It’s a 7″ single
(PUNK rock!) with the songs “California Morning” and “All Up To Me” and they’re both absolute gems… the sort of
single that you’ll play over and over and hope for an album coming soon. And your wish might just come true because
the group is already working on new songs for the follow-up. But just who is this mystery group? There is a soundclip
for the A-side up on the Sounds page now, and the more astute among you will recognize
the singer as Brent Kenji of The Fairways. His partner in crime for The Young Tradition is a chap named Erik Hanspers
who lives in Sweden and the two collaborated on the songs for this single via the trusty old postal service without ever
meeting. One listen to the songs though, and you’ll realize that these gents have a keen sense of songwriting and
melodies that will make loads of established traditional bands jealous. This one is subject to the whims of the vinyl
pressing plant but we should have it for release in February as well.

In addition to songs from these imminent releases, the updated Sounds page features
exclusive previews of forthcoming releases from The Liberty Ship, Airport Girl, and Sportique.
The Liberty Ship song is the title track from a forthcoming CDEP entitled the “Northern Angel” EP (matinée 046),
Airport Girl‘s “When You Fall” is taken from the upcoming “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP (matinée 037),
and “Other People’s Girlfriends” is from the forthcoming Sportique mini-album “Communique No. 9” (matcd024).
We are finalizing artwork for these releases now, so look for more information and release dates in the next update.

Other releases on the horizon include albums from The Fairways and Slipslide and singles by The
Pines, The Snowdrops, and a solo outing from Gregory Webster! Plus a few surprises…

The compilations we mentioned in the last update are progressing well, with the singles compilation “France On A
Bicycle” (matcd010) now fully mastered and awaiting artwork. The tracklisting for the album is: 1. Sweet William
– Dutch Mother; 2. Sportique – Love and Remains; 3. The Lucksmiths – Untidy Towns; 4. The Windmills – Three Sixty
Degrees; 5. Harper Lee – Bug; 6. The Fairways – Darling, Don’t You Think?; 7. Slipslide – Unlucky Charm; 8. Lovejoy –
Getting Away With It All; 9. Bella Vista – Was the Last; 10. Melodie Group – You’ve Got The Whole Of The World In
Your Mouth; 11. Monterey – Another You; 12. Remember Fun – Train Journeys; 13. Ego – Do You Want To Be My
Love ‘Till 1998?; 14. Sweet William – Not Actual, Not Lasting; 15. The Lucksmiths – T-Shirt Weather; 16. Edson –
Sunday, Lovely Sunday; 17. Sportique – Don’t Believe A Word I Say; 18. The Windmills – Everything Is New Each
Day; 19. Simpático – The Postal Museum; 20. Harper Lee – No Happy Ending. We can’t stop listening to it and hope
you’ll have the same reaction when it is released next month.

The list of songs for the very special “Matinée 50” compilation (with each Matinée artist contributing a cover
version of a song by another Matinée artist) is growing every day. Tracks are now confirmed by Lovejoy, Sportique,
Airport Girl, Slipslide, Pipas, Melodie Group, Harper Lee, Simpático, The Lucksmiths, The Windmills, The Pines,
Gregory Webster, The Young Tradition and Pale Sunday…plus the first recordings in a very long while from
Razorcuts and The Visitors! Other bands are yet to confirm their selections but we can’t wait for this release. More
details and perhaps a list of confirmed tracks in the next update.

Speaking of Matinée artists, we’ve asked them all for a list of their favorite things from 2002 and you can see their
lists now on the updated Archive page or by clicking here.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the Matinée Newsgroup
year-end poll! We received nearly 100 responses and the results proved interesting. It was a simple five-question poll,
where respondents could select their favorite Matinée album and single of 2002, favorite song ever released on Matinée,
favorite Matinée bands, and the best place to purchase Matinée releases.

In the favorite album category, all eight albums from 2002 received votes but top honors went to Harper Lee’s
“Everything’s Going To Be OK”. In the singles category, the race was close with the Pipas 7″ “A Short Film About
Sleeping” coming out on top by a mere two-vote margin. In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths and Harper Lee
claimed the top spots, followed by a tie for third place between Pipas and Lovejoy. The Matinée website was naturally
the clear winner for best spot from which to buy our releases, although Twee Kitten deserves a mention for a dedicated
clientele as well.

The final question (best song ever released on Matinée) proved the most interesting because there was virtually no
consensus. Over 50 songs were nominated and only a dozen received more than one vote. For what it’s worth, three
songs emerged with seven votes each…”Untidy Towns” by The Lucksmiths, “Train Not Stopping” by Harper Lee,
and “T-Shirt Weather” by The Lucksmiths. Bravo!

As we promised when we announced this year-end poll, simply entering made you eligible for a prize of five free
releases of your choice, and the lucky winner of this prize pack is Derek Ang of Del Mar, California. Congratulations!
Wish you had won? Then why not sign up for the Newsgroup
to stay hip to this sort of thing.

We are excited to be named label of the year by trendy Brazilian webzine Esquizofrenia. They have written a
great article on the label, but you’ll need to
break out your Portuguese dictionary! Thanks to Gilberto for this wonderful surprise.

There is also a nice Pipas article on Think Small but it is in
Dutch so I don’t know exactly what it says. Pipas are big winners on the TweeNet
2002 Poll, coming out on top of the best band category, #2 favorite album of the year (behind Harper Lee), and having
numerous other mentions including votes for song of the year, most promising new act, best live experience and best
single. Harper Lee, The Lucksmiths, Would-Be-Goods, Razorcuts, and The Pines also featured prominently in the
voting so congratulations to them all and thanks to anyone who cast their votes for a Matinée artist this year.

New reviews are now posted for recent releases by The Guild League, Melodie Group, Kosmonaut, The Lucksmiths,
Pipas, Razorcuts, Harper Lee, Lovejoy, The Liberty Ship, Simpático and Sportique so go to the
Catalog page for links to the individual release pages.

In upcoming live action, The Liberty Ship are playing in Nottingham February 8th at the Social, while The
Windmills are undertaking a mini-tour of the UK with dates scheduled February 21st at Agricultural College in
Chelmsford, February 22nd at The Grand in Leigh on Sea, and February 24th at The Dublin Castle in London.

We will be in Spain at the end of February for a very special set of shows with Harper Lee and Lovejoy
February 26th in Barcelona (Sala Razzmatazz 3), February 27th in Valencia (Sala Wha Wha), February 28th in Madrid
(Sala Barbarella) and March 1st in La Coruña (Sala Playa Club). All dates are with Trembling Blue Stars and sponsored
by our good friends at Canciones Huérfanas. These dates mark
the first live performances from Harper Lee and the first from Lovejoy outside the UK, so they really shouldn’t be missed.
See you there!

Several Matinée bands will be in the US later in the year, including The Lucksmiths, Sportique and
Pipas who may all be part of the San Francisco popfest scheduled for July. Everything is still in the planning
stages, but now that we are California based look for some West Coast action from your favorite Matinée bands soon!

Given the list of forthcoming singles described above, we are having a sale on all existing singles via the
Matinée mailorder: bargain prices of $2.50 for every 7″ and $4.00 for every CDEP while
supplies last. There are a handful of the early 7″ that are pretty close to deleted so if you were thinking of stocking up
this might just be the time to do so. The sale’s on until February 14th as our Valentine’s gift to you.

In December Mailorder action, Pipas fought off all competition to climb to the top of the chart with their recent album A
Cat Escaped. The full chart follows:

10. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
9. Airport Girl – Honey, I’m An Artist CD
8. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
7. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
6. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
5. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
4. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
3. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
2. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
1. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD

Until next time, thanks for reading and hope you are enjoying a splendid year so far. Regards, Jimmy