Hello again and welcome to a very quick update of the Matinée site to give you news of some upcoming shows and new
releases! First off, mark your calendar for two shows in London…both on Saturday, October 27th but luckily at different times
so you can catch both:

The afternoon program is one of the brilliantly done RoTa shows sponsored by Rough Trade at the Notting Hill Arts Centre, and
it features performances from The Windmills, Would-Be-Goods and Liberty Ship. The Windmills are playing in support
of their brand new CD “Sunlight” which is on the new release shelves in most places as we speak. Would-Be-Goods
also have a new release to promote called the “Emmanuelle Béart” CDEP-plus an imminent 7″ out on Fortuna Pop! called
“Sugar Mummy” which they may just play as well. Liberty Ship could be a bit of a mystery to some of you so let me
just say it’s a new band with Marc Elston (ex-Bulldozer Crash vocalist) at the helm and they make a beautiful racket peppered
with 1960’s Americana and 1980’s British indie influences. They have just recorded their debut Matinée single for release early
next year and are coming all the way from Nottingham to impress the in-crowd so be there early so you don’t miss it. The
show starts at 4pm sharp and the Arts Centre is located at 21 Notting Hill Gate just across from the Notting Hill tube.

Immediately following the RoTa gig, the festivities recommence at the Bull & Gate for a Matinée/Fortuna Pop! evening featuring
The Lucksmiths, Airport Girl, Slipslide and Partition. This show will be the final London date for the Lucksmiths on
their swinging UK tour and their second-to-last before heading off to Sweden in November. They are supporting a new Fortuna
Pop! 7″ “Cassingle Revival” and UK release of recent album “Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me.” Airport Girl are playing
just to remind us that they’re great (and possibly to preview tracks from their forthcoming “Do You Dream In Colour?” EP
scheduled for January), while Slipslide have a new single called “Sleeptalk” out November 5th that they are sure to
play. We’ll have advance copies available at the show so stop by the merchandise table if you want to be hip or just say hello.
Partition are a band I’ve not heard of but Sean says they’re great so it must be so because Fortuna Pop! rules, even if they do
rock out from time to time. Get on over to the Bull & Gate and find out for yourself. The show starts at 8pm, and the B&G is
located quite close to the tube in Kentish Town.

I should also mention that you may still have time to plan a quick trip to Paris for this weekend, as the Lucksmiths
are playing there on Sunday the 21st with The Chemistry Experiment and Comet Gain. It’s on a boat called La Guinguette
Pirate, 11 quai Francois Mauriac (13e); Métro: Bibliothéque et Quai de la Gare. Doors are at 6pm so get there early.

Four new releases since the last update and all will be available at these shows. As mentioned above, The Windmills
returned with their second full length “Sunlight” (matcd014) last week and the response so far has been excellent. Featuring
ten tracks, the album combines the skilled songwriting, sincere vocals and impressive melodies of previous releases with a
new air of fervor and conviction. In addition to the RoTa gig on the 27th, the band is scheduled to play a show in the Czech
Republic on November 24th but I don’t have any details on it yet so check the band
website for more information.

Also mentioned above, a new single from Slipslide (matinée 031) will be out November 5th including the songs
“Sleeptalk” and “Six Strings.” The A-side is the most immediate song the band has recorded to date, with jangling guitars,
farfisa, a tambourine, and a nice bit of reverb. The flip employs classic 12-string guitar, more tambourines and a slight folky
edge reminiscent of the best moments of Shack. Sounds rather good, don’t you think? Graeme has promised an update of
the Slipslide site so click here to see what he has to say.

Also in the new release category, Melodie Group return on November 5th after a year absence with their third release –
a three song 7″ called “Summerness” (matinée 033). The title track is reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen’s heyday with
swirling guitars, haunting amounts of reverb, and captivating vocals. The b-sides are acoustic affairs called “Nineteen Eighty
Nine” and “Small Grinning Thing” and they’re rather swell too.

Finally, the much anticipated Lovejoy “Plays Biff Bang Pow” 7″ (matinée 028) will also see the light of day on
November 5th. This popular English band’s homage to Creation Records features brilliant acoustic cover versions of Biff Bang
Pow! songs “Hug Me Honey” and “The Beat Hotel” and the first 500 copies are available on red vinyl so act fast if you want
one. For more Lovejoy news, visit their cool IndiePages site here.

In November, The Lucksmiths head north to Scandinavia for shows in Stockholm, Linkoping, Lund, Gothenburg, and
Uppsula, Sweden…plus Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark. Some things are yet to be confirmed still but if you want
details write to us here or check back as this sentence may be updated in the next two weeks.

The coming soon category this month takes the form of the following easy-to-read list. I’ve written about most of these before
so if you didn’t already read about them check the archive for the skinny. In probable order of release:

That should take us through January, and following soon thereafter will be the long delayed (thank you Sony Music)
RAZORCUTS “R Is for Razorcuts” CD and new LOVEJOY 10″ album “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” plus
a few surprises.

The Matinée shop will be closed from October 18th through the 29th but back in business on the 30th to ship the new releases
to all points of the globe. In addition to our own new wares we will have limited quantities of the Lucksmiths “Cassingle
Revival” and Would-Be-Goods “Sugar Mummy” 45’s on Fortuna Pop!, as well as the Pines “Dieppe Won’t You” 7″ and Pipas
“Chunnel Autumnal” 10″ on Long Lost Cousin.

Until next time, enjoy your October and hope to see some of you in Paris or London next week! Jimmy xx

Happy September everyone and thanks for visiting the Matinée website. Loads to report this time as we gear up for the autumn
releases, which start off Monday the 10th with a brand new single from Harper Lee! It’s their third single overall and the
first to appear on CD format…mainly because there are three songs on it so it wouldn’t have fit on 7″ but also because it just
feels like a CD single. The three songs are all exclusive to this release, and they are called “Train Not Stopping,” “I Could Be
There for You” and “The Sea Gently Lifting.” Demonstrating more of the masterfully layered guitars and keyboards evidenced on
their debut album “Go Back To Bed,” this new single (matinée 032) also introduces a bit of soulful influence and we think it’s
the band’s strongest release to date. Laura of the band recently moved to Brighton where Keris already lives so the threat of a
live performance from Harper Lee may actually come true. I’ll cross my fingers at least…

Also out on September 10th is the first release in eight years from London’s Would-Be-Goods! Entitled the
“Emmanuelle Béart” EP (matinée 030), this cd single includes four new songs to add to the band’s impressive discography on
the él and Trattoria labels. The title track and “Words” are two electric affairs that swing in all the right places (and undoubtedly
will have you doing the same), while “Je lèche les vitrines” and “Everybody Wants My Baby” serve as a showcase for Jessica’s
beautiful voice set against acoustic guitars, cello and accordion. The band headlined one night of the Matinée Spring
Spectacular in April and have plans for more live dates over the next few months. Following this single and a forthcoming 7″ on
Fortuna Pop!, the band will co-release its third album “Brief Lives” (matcd017) on Matinée and Fortuna Pop! in January. For
now, we are extremely pleased to offer this exclusive new single and the return of one of the most adored bands of the last
decade.

The Windmills resume action later this month with their second full length called “Sunlight” (matcd014). Comprising
ten tracks, the album demonstrates a tremendous step forward in the band’s songwriting and is easily their most impressive
release to date. Incorporating keyboards and the occasional harmonica into their classic blend of pristine guitar pop, the band
has achieved a fuller sound throughout this new album. Lead track “Unkiss” was previewed on the Matinée Spring Collection
CD in April and is only a hint at some of the instantly memorable songs included here…an album of A-sides if you ask me.
The band is planning UK dates in support of the new album over the next few months and we’ll post dates as soon as they’re
set here and on the band website.

The long-delayed Lovejoy Plays Biff Bang Pow! 7″ (matinée 028) is unfortunately still delayed due to a licensing issue.
The wax has already arrived though and the first 500 on red vinyl are very cool so be on the lookout for this release in the next
month. The songs again are “Hug Me Honey” featuring the debut of Keith on lead vocals, and “The Beat Hotel” with Dick on
lead and featuring a beautiful duet with Ally on the chorus. In the meantime, Lovejoy has started recording for its next release – a
10″ mini-album called “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” (matlp018). The answer? We all do, so buy lots of Lovejoy records.

Slipslide follows up its debut “Four Day Weekend” EP with a new 7″ including the songs “Sleeptalk” and “Six Strings”
(matinée 031). The A-side is the most immediate song the band has recorded to date, with superbly jangling guitars, farfisa, a
tambourine, a bit of reverb and a toe-tapping quotient as high as anything I’ve heard recently. I can dance to it, but then again I
can find a way to dance to nearly anything. The flip employs classic 12-string guitar, more tambourines and a slight folky edge
reminiscent of the best moments of Shack. Need I say more? Slipslide members Graeme, Dave and Brychan make up
three-fourths of the outstanding London band Astronaut, who have just
released a full length on Fierce Panda called “The Curse of…” which is essential listening around these parts and a fully
Matinée endorsed product.

Although temporary victim of a licensing delay, the debut single from The Snowdrops is coming along well now and
looks something like the image at right. As I mentioned last update, the Snowdrops is a new band featuring Keith Girdler
(Beaumont, Blueboy, Lovejoy); Pam Berry (The Pines, Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, Shapiros) and Dick Preece (Lovejoy,
Spinning Wheels)…and for their debut they have recorded an innovative cover of the Tears For Fears classic “Mad World” b/w
an original called “Don’t Buy Anything.” Pam and Keith both sing on this wonderful new 7″ (matinée 029), which will appear on
your turntables as soon as one small sample is cleared. To keep you entertained while waiting, why not seek out the recent
Beaumont single on Siesta called “Discotheque a la Carte” which has taken up residence in my 5-disc carousel and shows no
signs of leaving anytime soon. And yes, I can dance to it too.

Melodie Group have just delivered the master for a fantastic new 7″ which we quickly dubbed the “Summerness” EP
(matinée 033). The A-side features the song “Summerness” which shows that somebody is a big fan of Echo and the
Bunnymen…or is it just coincidence that Roy bought that new Echo box set a week before he went into the studio? The
B-side includes two acoustic numbers called “Nineteen Eighty Nine” and “Small Grinning Thing” and they are superb as well
so we are delighted to present this single. It is on track for an October release so check back for more definite news.

Another autumn release in the pipeline is the debut single from a London-based duo called Pipas. Featuring Mark of the sadly
departed Bella Vista and a sultry Spanish gal named Lupe, the band presents a brilliant concoction of sounds that recall the
best moments of Club 8, Broadcast, the Aislers Set, and La Buena Vida. The single features three exclusive songs: “A Short
Film About Sleeping,” “Troublesome” and “Fingerprints.” We’re working on artwork now and will announce a release date
soon. In the meantime, Pipas are coming to the US for two shows in late September…on Saturday the 22nd in New York City
and on Tuesday the 25th in Washington. Watch this space for an update on venues and times as soon as everything is
confirmed. We should also soon have copies of a very limited 10″ release from Pipas called “Chunnel Autumnal” on the Long
Lost Cousin label. This will be offered on the Order page as soon as we have them in stock, so
check there later this month if you want a preview of this exciting new Matinée band.

The Lucksmiths have been strangely quiet for the past month, undoubtedly recovering from several months of dates in
the US, Japan and Australia. While here, they played numerous shows with the Ladybug Transistor before breaking out on

their own for a series of headlining dates in support of their recent “North American Tour 2001” single (matinée 027). Copies still
remain of the single if you didn’t get one during the tour. It contains exclusive songs “Friendless Summer” and “Goodness
Gracious” recorded by Karl Smith of Sodastream fame. While in New York, the band also paid visit to the headquarters of Spin
magazine where they played three songs that are supposed to be archived on the Spin.com
website but have not shown up yet. They also did a great interview with National Public Radio that aired on NPR’s
Morning Edition on August 1st. A copy of the segment is now archived here for your listening pleasure. The band is heading to the UK for
a month of shows starting October 3rd, including a Matinée/Fortuna Pop! night in London on the 27th with Airport Girl and
Slipslide. To coincide with the UK dates, they will release a tour single on Fortuna Pop! with the tracks “Cassingle Revival” and
“Myopic Friends.” We will have copies of this single here as soon as they are available so check back if you’re in need of a
Lucksmiths fix.

Fellow Australians Simpático have just finished recording 12 new songs for their debut album “The Difference Between
Alone and Lonely” (matcd016). Following the band’s debut single “The Postal Museum” on Matinée early this year and a split
7″ with The Pines on Gifted Records of Australia, the album will be a co-release between us and we couldn’t be any more
excited. Simpático have achieved a brilliant balance of guitars and electronica that comes out sounding fresh and intriguing.
We’re designing artwork now, and will announce a release date in the next update.

A band rather quiet of late is Sportique, but that will change soon enough as they return with their second album
“Modern Museums” (matcd015) in January. Aptly described as anything but quiet, the new album picks up where their 1999
debut “Black Is A Very Popular Colour” left off. Following successful US dates last December and continued exposure on the
John Peel show, the band has recorded nine new songs of art-pop for this album, which will be available on CD and limited 10″
in conjunction with Where It’s At Records in London. The band intends to return to the US for shows along the West Coast
next year.

One of Sportique boss Gregory Webster’s former bands was Razorcuts, who of course have a storied past with late
80’s releases on the Creation, Subway, Flying Nun and Caff record labels. Razorcuts will return to the new release shelves
soon with the definitive compilation “R Is For Razorcuts” (matcd012). Compiling 15 songs from these rare releases along with
an unreleased track, this CD will be a definite hit. Although we have experienced the customary licensing delays, the CD
should still see release this year.

The Airport Girl CD “Honey I’m An Artist” (matcd011) was recently repressed so if any of you were looking for one
there’s now more to be had. The band recently released a split single with the Static Waves on Sorted Records in the UK,
including a great new song from Airport Girl called “Cold”. The band is currently recording new songs for the 5-track “Do
You Dream In Colour?” CDEP for release on Matinée early next year.

The Siddeleys are basking in the success of their recently released “Slum Clearance” CD (matcd005), while the band’s
website continues to receive hundreds of hits a week. Lead singer
Johnny Johnson has just started work on new recordings that will find their way to a Matinée release next year if all goes as
planned. If there is anyone out there more excited by this news than me, please make yourself known so I can offer you a job.

Matinée returns to London the last two weeks of October for a round of shows, including the aforementioned showcase on the
27th with the Lucksmiths, Airport Girl and Slipslide. Another show is still in the planning stages and this page will be updated
in the next few weeks with complete details on both.

Finally, thanks to both IndiePages and Pennyblack Music for doing recent features on the label. Based on interviews conducted
a month apart, the content in them is surprisingly different so have a look if you haven’t seen them yet. The Pennyblack
interview originally appeared as a feature of their July magazine, which is now archived here. For anyone interested
in reading good record reviews, there are some recent Matinée releases featured online at Tangents (Remember Fun and Slipslide), Modular (Lovejoy, Airport Girl, Matinée Spring Collection), and Aquamarine (Windmills, Melodie Group, Edson, Lucksmiths,
Lovejoy). Superb reviews also appear regularly on the Pennyblack
and Indiepages sites (both usually with soundclips), so visit there often as they update their
sites frequently.

Until next time…xx, Jimmy

Greetings popfans! It’s been a busy two months since the last update with trips to England and Brazil, five new
releases, and confirmation of nearly a dozen forthcoming ones.

The live performances the last week of April, commemorated by The Matinée Spring Collection CD, came off
with the usual excitement only possible in London. The first show was hosted by Stylus and featured the debut
performance from Melodie Group (including an outstanding version of “You’ve Got The Whole Of The World In
Your Mouth”), the second outing by Lovejoy (featuring superb new songs), the return of Would-Be-Goods
(delivering new songs alongside classics like “Cecil Beaton’s Scrapbook”), and a fantastic set from Beaumont
(including numerous selections from the Blueboy vaults).

The second show, made possible by the fine folks at the Track & Field Organisation, included electric sets from The
Windmills (previewing songs from their forthcoming album “Sunlight”), Slipslide (featuring special guest
Alex from Astronaut), Sportique (with a decisively punk set in tribute to Joey Ramone) and Airport Girl
(in absolutely top form coming off a round of shows with Aislers Set).

Most people left the shows with a copy of the commemorative Matinée Spring Collection CD (matinée 026) and
Snowbound fanzine. The CD features new, exclusive tracks from Slipslide, The Windmills, and Would-Be-Goods, a
non-album b-side from Airport Girl, and previously released gems from Lovejoy, Melodie Group and Sportique. (for
tracklisting see the catalogue page). Remaining copies of the CD were sent to distributors
for general sale in early May. There are still a few copies left of the limited edition (200) CD + fanzine combo, but these
are available only through direct mailorder from us (please see the order page for details). The
fanzine includes features on Matinée, Poptones, the Windmills, the power of girl-pop, desert island gigs and more…and
it is FREE with the Spring Collection CD while supplies last.

Three cheers go out to everyone involved, particularly Pam, Keith, Mike and Mark for the Stylus show; Steven, Paul and
Sean for the Track & Field night; Dick and Keith for the excellent fanzine; and Mary for CD design input and putting up
with me in general.

Completing a gap in the Matinée discography at long last is the “Train Journeys” CDEP (matinée 015) from Scottish
group Remember Fun. Collecting three unreleased recordings from the late 1980’s with a song included on a
rare compilation LP, the EP perfectly captures the spirit of the era mixing shimmering guitars with a bitter edge. For
anyone who enjoyed the band at the time and longed for a proper Remember Fun release, your wait is finally over! If
you’re in need of a history lesson, click over to the catalogue page for release details.

Something that’s in my hands as we speak but not technically out is the long awaited “Slum Clearance” CD (matcd005)
from The Siddeleys! Released in conjunction with Clarendon Records of London, this compilation collects
songs from singles, Peel sessions, and compilation appearances-all from the late 1980’s-in one artefact complete with
photos and extensive linernotes. At the time, singer Johnny Johnson was frequently labeled a female Morrissey, but ten
years on the songs speak for themselves and comparisons with anyone are hard to make. Find out for yourself on July
2nd as this classic release hits the shops. To supplement the release there is a comprehensive Siddeleys website
launching the same day at www.siddeleys.com so check there
soon for even more information.

Following an extended wait for a transatlantic shipment from France, “La Main Devant La Bouche” (matcd006) from
Ego finally made it into the released category this week. The premiere album from our French friends includes
13 songs with guitars, keyboards, strings, female harmonies, percussion and other superb instrumentation. The album
has enjoyed numerous favorable reviews in French magazines including MAGIC, Les Inrockuptibles, and Midi Libre, and
is available in deluxe digipack with linernotes to help you practice your French. Ego’s debut 45, “The Question Mark”
EP (matinée 002), is close to selling out so run along to the order page to make sure you
don’t miss out as the single contains three songs not found on this new album.

Also just in my hands but not quite out is a brand new single from The Lucksmiths! Timed to coincide with their
impending headlining tour of the US, this limited 7″ (matinée 027) includes exclusive songs “Friendless Summer” and
“Goodness Gracious” recorded by the illustrious Karl Smith (Sodastream) in Melbourne just before the boys set off for
dates in Japan and the US. A record release show is planned for Saturday, June 23 at Signal 66 Art Gallery in
Washington, DC featuring special multi-media visual projection. The gallery is located at 926 M Street NW (rear
entrance, enter from Blagden Alley), doors are at 9:30 pm, support is from local favorites Barcelona, and admission is $7.

The following day, the band plays an afternoon instore at Now! Music and Fashion in Arlington, Virginia with True Love
Always, while on Monday the 25th they play backstage at The Black Cat in Washington, DC with local lads Aden and The
Saturday People. For more details on any of the Washington shows, please email us.

On July 9th, Lovejoy return to the new release shelves with their very special “Plays Biff Bang Pow!” 7″
(matinée 028). The single features brilliant acoustic covers of two classic songs from the band led by former Creation
Records boss Alan McGee in the late 1980’s and is Lovejoy’s way of saying goodbye and thank you to the golden age
of arguably the most influential indie label of our time. Recorded at the same time as their recent “A Christmas Wish”
single, side A is a haunting version of “Hug Me Honey” and is the first Lovejoy recording with lead vocals from Keith.
Side B presents “The Beat Hotel” featuring Dick on the main vocal alongside Ally on the enchanting chorus. The first
500 copies are on limited edition red vinyl so act quickly if you want one!

The parade of pop continues throughout the summer with four more singles:

“Mad World” from The Snowdrops (matinée 029) is the debut 7″ from a new band featuring the immeasurable
enthusiasm of Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), the lovely voice of Pam Berry (The Pines, Castaway Stones,
Glo Worm, Shapiros, etc.), and the orchestral beauty of Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Spinning Wheels). And yes, the A-side
is a cover of the massive Tears for Fears hit from 1984, made contemporary with a special Snowdrops flair and the
reverb-friendly voice of the incomparable Ms. Berry. The B-side is an original called “Don’t Buy Anything” with Keith on
lead vox and Dick and Pam backing. Expected release date is early August, assuming one small licensing issue is
resolved.

Also on the way…the “Emmanuelle Béart” CDEP (matinée 030) is the first new release from Would-Be-Goods
since 1993 including new songs “Emmanuelle Béart,” “Je Lèche Les Vitrines,” “Everybody Wants My Baby” and
“Words.” The songs feature the unmistakable voice and guitar playing of Jessica Griffin, additional guitar and bass from
Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, Marine Research), plus keyboards and strings and the typical rich production of a
Would-Be-Goods release. “Everybody Wants My Baby” was previewed on the Matinée Spring Collection CD, while all
other tracks are exclusive to this release. Expected release date is early August.

Following quickly on the success of the band’s debut “Four Day Weekend” EP is a forthcoming single from
Slipslide featuring new tracks “Sleeptalk” and “Six Strings.” This single (matinée 031) showcases more pop
perfection from Graeme Elston and co. and will be available on limited 7″ vinyl. The band is currently working on new
songs for the debut Slipslide album scheduled for next year. In the meantime, we’re very excited to offer this single as
an August release.

The “Train Not Stopping” EP (matinée 032) is the third single from Brighton duo Harper Lee, featuring new
tracks: “Train Not Stopping,” “I Could Be There For You” and “The Sea Gently Lifting.” The first material recorded since
the band’s wildly successful album “Go Back To Bed” incorporates the classic Harper Lee brand of melancholy pop with
a bit of soulful influence. The studio engineer described the first two songs as “sweet country soul”, while we think the
third song sounds a bit like Mazzy Star or Galaxie 500. The EP represents tremendous progress from the LP, so watch
the new release shelves closely for it!

Sometime this summer we’ll finalize the “France On A Bicycle” compilation CD (matcd010), including one track each
from the first 23 Matinée singles including hits from Sweet William, Ego, Bella Vista, The Lucksmiths, Sportique, The
Fairways, Monterey, The Windmills, Lovejoy, Harper Lee, Remember Fun, Edson, Melodie Group, Simpático and
Slipslide.

We’re also working on a compilation CD (matcd013) of songs from all the Matinée long-players, including album
highlights from Sportique, The Windmills, The Visitors, The Lucksmiths, The Siddeleys, Ego, Melodie Group, Lovejoy,
Harper Lee, Airport Girl and Razorcuts.

Other albums in production include Razorcuts “R Is For Razorcuts” CD (matcd012), The Windmills
“Sunlight” CD (matcd014) and Sportique “Modern Museums” CD (matcd015). Details of these releases and a
few surprises await the next update.

Finally, recent interviews with Harper Lee and Simpático, both in the June edition of the Pennyblack Music magazine, are worth checking out if
you haven’t seen them already. The site is a wealth of information on pop music and an excellent place to pick up new
releases so next time you’re surfing make sure to stop by.

Until next time…xx, Jimmy

Greetings popsters…it’s Monday morning here in Washington on a day scheduled to break 80 degrees…not bad for
the second week of April and quite the motivation for me to complete this news update early so I can get on with things
outside this afternoon. At last, summer’s on its way!

Two new releases to brag about this time around…first off it’s a new single from The Windmills called “When It
Was Winter” which we appropriately released the first day of spring. Featuring four exceptional new songs, this EP is
the band’s strongest release to date and a keen precursor of a new album scheduled for this summer. Songs include
the resplendent title track plus “Pounds Shillings & Pence,” “Snow White” and “Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish.” The
band previewed the first two tracks last November at the Matinée Pop Spectacular and are planning to support the single
and forthcoming album with additional live dates (including a possibility of US shows) this year.

Just out today is the debut release from London trio Slipslide called “Four Day Weekend.” The band impressed
more than a few pop glitterati at their premiere live performance last November in London, and they follow up in fine
fashion with this debut cd release. Featuring three-fourths of the superb London combo Astronaut, Slipslide is a further
creative outlet for the legendary Graeme Elston, who spent a good part of the last decade crafting pop classics under
the pseudonyms the Love Parade, Pure and Eva Luna. Little did I know when I first read about the Love Parade in This
Almighty Pop! fanzine way back when that a dozen or so years later I would receive a Slipslide demo that would literally
leave me speechless. Three of the four songs from that demo were re-recorded for this single, including “Firefly,”
“Unlucky Charm” and “Waiting for the Call,” while the fourth EP track, “Airport Song,” is every bit as impressive. The
band has just launched a snazzy website too, which you can visit by clicking here.

More release information is posted on the updated catalogue page. Both releases are now
available from the usual suspects, so check the order page for links to our authorized pop
purveyors around the globe and also for details about a special Spring Clearance Sale on all singles purchased
directly from us between now and the end of May.

The Windmills and Slipslide plan to celebrate their new singles by playing at The Matinée Spring Collection, a
pair of upcoming performances in London hosted by Stylus and the Track &
Field Organisation. First up is an acoustic gig sponsored by Stylus, a relatively new deejay
night hosted by eminent popstars Pam Berry (The Pines, Glo Worm, Castaway Stones, Shapiros, Black Tambourine…)
and Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy, Snowdrops). While the first two Stylus nights featured hours of quality
record spinning, this third adds a special live element with acoustic performances by Lovejoy, Melodie Group and
Beaumont. It’s now set for Saturday, April 21st upstairs at the Blue Posts pub (corner of Newman and Eastcastle
Streets; one block north of Oxford Street and equidistant between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road tubes).
Things kick off at 6:30 pm and should finish up around 11, and the entry is a mere £2. (Click on the flier to see all this
information in a lovelier format.) Please note that there are at least five pubs in London called the Blue Posts so get out
your A to Zed and make sure you get to the right one!

To commemorate the two events, there also is a new release called (oddly enough) The Matinée Spring Collection!
It features new, exclusive tracks from Slipslide (“Life”), The Windmills (“Unkiss”), and Would-Be-Goods (“Everybody
Wants My Baby”), a non-lp b-side from Airport Girl (“Striking Out On Your Own”), and previously released gems from
Lovejoy (“Radio”), Melodie Group (“Raincoat”), and Sportique (“A Nation of Soul”). Limited to just 1000 copies, the first
200 include a free Snowbound fanzine (issue seven, although it might be numbered differently as they tend to follow a
rather haphazard numbering system over at Snowbound HQ) and one of several Matinée postcards…and it’s all for the
price of a single so get yourself to one of the shows to secure a copy.

Right. Still in the coming soon category are those elusive albums from The Siddeleys and Ego. While
both have been promised for ages, they WILL eventually see the light of day as soon as things fall into my hands. I gave
you images of both last time around, so I’ll tease you this month with tracklistings:

The Siddeleys “Slum Clearance” is a co-release with London’s Clarendon Records and hums along with the following:
My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon/You Get What You Deserve/When I Grow Up I’ll Be A God/Theft/Sunshine
Thuggery/Are You Still Evil When You’re Sleeping?/Love With Blood/What Went Wrong This Time?/No
Names…/Bedlam on the Mezzanine/Bribes and Bruises/Falling Off Of My Feet Again…/Wherever You Go/Something
Almost Brilliant Happened Last Night/Every Day of Every Week/I Wish I Was Good. In case you lost track that’s 16
songs pulled from previous singles on Sombrero and Medium Cool, plus a few compilation appearances and several
unreleased Peel Session tracks. Out sometime in May…really.

“La Main Devant La Bouche” from Ego is a co-release with French label Libellule Records and features 13 songs:
Oriane/What Am I Supposed To Do?/Sunny Day/To Sleep Like You/Alone in Rome/(Die for) Drew
Barrymore/Charlie/Under My Tree/The Speed of Sound/Patricia’s Kitchen/What Is Fame?/Une Petite Fantaisie
Sentimentale/Faire L’affaire. None are previously released, although a different version of “What Am I Supposed To Do?”
was included on Ego’s debut “The Question Mark EP” (matinée 002) back in 1998. Out whenever the #!*% parcel finds
its #!*% way to Washington.

Something squarely in my hands now is the exciting release of the “Train Journeys” EP by Remember Fun.
With the artwork and tracklisting confirmed, we are planning for a mid-May release and hoping for smooth sailing at the
pressing plant. For those of you scratching your head, yes, it’s that Remember Fun…the Scottish band from the late
1980’s who released a flexi on Sha La La and contributed tracks to a few compilations of the day. “Train Journeys” is
one of several brilliant unreleased songs from the band’s past, along with “Three Chers (When She’s Dead)” and “Car.”
They’re all on the EP, along with “Doze Off Them” which had a previous tour of duty on the compilation LP “The Rise of
the Phoenix.” Various members of the band have resurfaced in and around Glasgow and have threatened new
recordings, so watch this space for the latest happenings from these Scottish stalwarts.

Matinée’s summerwear should begin with the return of Lovejoy on the “Plays Biff Bang Pow!” 7″, a summer tour
7″ from The Lucksmiths, the sophomore album from Sportique entitled “Modern Museums,” the debut 7″
from a band called The Snowdrops, the definitive Razorcuts compilation “R Is For Razorcuts,” and the
first label compilation “France On A Bicycle.” Other releases on the horizon include a new EP from Harper Lee,
the new album from The Windmills, the return of Would-Be-Goods, and new singles from Melodie
Group, Airport Girl, and Slipslide.

Finally, in the “things you shouldn’t miss” category are several releases from Matinée bands on other labels: First up,
the brand new CD from The Lucksmiths is called “Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me” and it’s out now on Drive In in the US, Candle
in Australia, and Clover in Japan. The band is just finishing up a month of Australian dates
before heading to Japan and the US in May and June. The band’s Matinée tour 7″ should be ready in time for most US
dates. The debut album from Edson is called “Unwind With Edson” and is out now in Sweden via
Summersound Recordings. It features eleven tracks including
alternate versions of “Sunday, Lovely Sunday” and “September” from the Matinée EP of last summer. Simpático
follow February’s “Postal Museum” EP with a split single (alongside the new Pam Berry/Joe Booker band The Pines) on
Australian label Gifted Records. Each
band does one original and one cover…Simpático choosing “By Tomorrow” from Pam’s first band Black Tambourine,
and The Pines covering “Not Actual, Not Lasting,” a b-side from the “Lovely Norman” single by Jason’s former band
Sweet William. We have copies of these and a handful of other top quality releases in the Matinée Pop Shop so click
over to the order page and do some shopping.

Until next time, thanks for reading and hope to see some of you at the
upcoming shows! Jimmy xx

Hey…it’s February already and there’s superb news to share with you as we unveil the first three releases of 2001.
Many of you probably already have the debut full length from Airport Girl called “Honey, I’m An Artist”
(matcd011)…it was released in mid-January and has spent most of the past month atop the Parasol Mailorder top
sellers chart which is a nice way to start off the year! Just this week, however, it faces stiff competition from “Go
Back To Bed,” the debut album by Harper Lee (matcd009), which in three days has become the third-best
selling Matinée album to date. Perhaps it’s the purple gorilla on the cover, or the public’s general fondness for “To Kill
A Mockingbird”…in any event the album is brilliant so you should all go get one. This week also brings the highly
anticipated debut from Simpático called the “Postal Museum” EP (matinée 022)…four classic tracks from
Jason Sweeney, the chap responsible for Matinée’s debut release back in 1997 as Sweet William. In suitably digital
cd single format, we think it’s the perfect first single of the new year. All releases are now available from the usual
suspects (including us directly), so check the order page for details. Full information on
each release is posted on the updated catalogue page.

In addition to the highly anticipated beginning of spring, March will also feature the next batch of Matinée releases
from Slipslide, the Windmills and the Siddeleys. Slipslide is a new three piece from London featuring three
members of the band Astronaut…who, despite the comparisons, are a whole lot better than Spearmint so check out
all their excellent releases on the Fierce Panda label. Indiepop spotters should also take note that one of those three
is none other than Graeme Elston, the former frontman of indie legends Eva Luna, Pure and the Love Parade who
collectively were responsible for a handful of classic releases on A Turntable Friend and Sugarfrost over the years.
Slipslide played their debut performance last November at the Matinée Pop Spectacular in London to an enthusiastic
crowd and look forward to some live dates this spring. The debut release is called the “Four Day Weekend” EP
(matinée 023) and should appeal to fans of melodic guitar pop such as Aztec Camera, Go Betweens or Pale
Fountains. It features songs entitled “Firefly,” “Unlucky Charm,” “The Airport Song,” and “Waiting For The Call.”

The Windmills have made the most of the cold winter by holing up in a studio to record scores of new songs,
four of which will appear shortly on the “When It Was Winter” EP (matinée 024) to bridge the gap before the release
of their second album later this year. The EP contains the superb title track (one of their strongest songs to date),
plus “Pounds Shillings & Pence,” “Snow White” and “Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish.” The band previewed the first
two tracks at their Matinée Pop Spectacular performance and plan to support the single with additional live dates this
spring. Their “Drug Autumn” EP is still rather new and selling quite well so check it out while it’s still in print.

With the artwork now final, The Siddeleys compilation “Slum Clearance” (matcd005) is also scheduled for
release next month in collaboration with London’s Clarendon Records. The album features sixteen songs, including
all the tracks from their “What Went Wrong This Time” and “Sunshine Thuggery” singles, plus “Wherever You Go”
from the Sha La La flexi, “Bedlam on the Mezzanine” from the La-Di-Da cassette, and seven previously unreleased
songs taken from BBC sessions recorded in the late 1980’s. The CD includes an elaborate sixteen page booklet
providing a retrospective on one of the most talented bands from the talent-filled 1980’s.

The debut Ego album “La Main Devant La Bouche” (matcd006) is still missing in action somewhere between
Marseilles, France and Washington DC, but could be ready for release any day. For now, I hope you like this picture
of it! Following the March releases will be the second-most delayed Matinée release to date…the “Train Journeys” EP
from Remember Fun (matinée 015). I can now confirm that the tracklisting will be “Train Journeys,” “Doze
Off Them,” “Three Chers (When She’s Dead)” and “Car” and when it is finally released you will all rejoice in its brilliance! (ed. In case
you were wondering, the Fairways still hold the above-mentioned title).

Your first listen to “Train Journeys” may in fact be on the compilation CD “France On A Bicycle” (matcd010)…a
collection of songs pulled from the first 23 singles on the label including songs from Sweet William, Ego, Bella
Vista, the Lucksmiths, Sportique, the Fairways, Monterey, the Windmills, Lovejoy, Harper Lee, Remember Fun,
Edson, Melodie Group, Simpático, and Slipslide! It’s a superb introduction to the label and the perfect way for those
of you without turntables to hear some of the classic songs released on vinyl over the past few years.

Still in the works…Sportique “Modern Museums” CD, Lovejoy “Plays Biff Bang Pow!” 7″, Razorcuts “R Is For
Razorcuts” CD, new singles from Melodie Group, Airport Girl, Harper Lee, and Slipslide, plus a few surprises. I’ll be
back in London this spring for another set of Matinée shows…this time with plenty of advance notice. More details
on this and more next month! …Jimmy

Happy holidays! My apologies for the lack of news lately but my life tends to be ruled by the comings and goings
of the US Congress and they decided to make everyone’s life miserable by staying in town this year until last Friday instead of
leaving in early October as scheduled. Since the last update, the “Bug” 7″ from Harper Lee, “Drug Autumn” EP by the
Windmills, “Raincoat” EP by Melodie Group and “A Christmas Wish” 7″ from Lovejoy were all released to
general fanfare and celebration. They’re now available through all the usual agents, and the details can be found on the updated
catalogue page.

Lovejoy and the Windmills celebrated their new releases by playing
sets during the Matinée Pop Spectacular on November 26 in London. Lovejoy warmed up the crowd on Sunday afternoon
at the Chapel, playing along with My Hairdresser for President and the lovely Pines. Despite some hangovers from the revelry of
Pam’s pie party the prior night, the afternoon was a smash as Dick and Keith played a brilliant acoustic set featuring “Getting Away
With It All” and “I Dream of Angels” from the two 45s along with “Fantasy Island” from the album and two Biff Bang Pow! covers.
I’ll post some photos from the event shortly.

At the conclusion of the afternoon show, everyone traveled a few blocks away to the Betsey Trotwood for the evening program
featuring Slipslide, the Windmills and Sportique. The show began
with the debut performance by Slipslide, a London three-piece featuring ex-Love Parade/Pure/Eva Luna frontman
Graeme Elston on vocals and guitar. The band previewed several songs from its forthcoming Matinée single “Four Day Weekend”
and played a few new ones that hold great promise as well. As someone who never had the pleasure of seeing any of Graeme’s
previous bands live, I was thrilled when Slipslide played a version of Eva Luna’s outstanding track “Eden” from their final single.
All around a great set and a really exciting start to the band’s live presence. The debut single is now set for a February release,
and we’re already talking about the follow-up which I’m hoping will feature a brilliant new song called “The Right Time” complete
with funky bass line and shaky egg parts.

Next up were the Windmills playing their second show at the Betsey Trotwood this year and a brilliant one at that! The band
has worked to perfect their live set, playing favorites like “Three
Sixty Degrees” and “GoodNewsBadNews” from the debut album along with the superb “Everything Is New Each Day,” the lead track
from their recent “Drug Autumn” single. They also previewed three new songs, “When It Was Winter,” “She’s So Hard,” and
“Pounds Shillings and Pence,” two of which are scheduled for release on a new Matinée single early next year. These are truly
exciting times for my friends from Southend, as they also are working on new songs for the follow-up album to “Edge of August.”
This gig marked the last one with Pete Spicer on drums, as a new chap called Rob Clarke will be providing the rhythm track for
future gigs and the band’s next recording session, scheduled for March of next year. Best of luck to Pete and a hearty hello to Rob!

As headliners of the Matinée Pop Spectacular,
Sportique delivered a perfect set that demonstrated just how much they were in practice for their first ever US mini-tour.
It was a decidedly punk set including live favorites “The Kids Are Solid Gold” and “The Dying Fly” along with “p58” and “Anatomy
of a Fool.” They also played both tracks from last year’s “Love & Remains” 7″ and the a-side of their most recent “Don’t Believe A
Word I Say” 7″ which has become a John Peel favorite of late. In addition to numerous plays over the past two months, Sir Peel
listed it among his “Top Three Most Important Tracks of the Week” on December 8th. Stay tuned for Peel’s Festive 50 to see if it
made the cut among his year-end list.

Speaking of Sportique, they visited my country for a change for their premiere set of US dates the first week of December. While
not usually the week one chooses to holiday along the Northeast corridor, playing six shows in five days kept them busy and warm.
They started in New Haven, CT on December 6th, playing with the Butterflies of Love, Comet Gain and My Hairdresser for
President at a place called Rudy’s. I wasn’t at the show but I heard good reports all around, especially about the breakfast they
enjoyed the next morning before heading back to New York City for a show at NYU on the 7th. No worries about the cold that night,
as it was probably close to 100 degrees in the Thompson Center for Sportique’s second show, alongside the Aislers Set, Comet Gain,
Girlfrendo and Toulouse. Good fun all around.

Friday we drove south to Washington, DC for a bit of something different… playing live at Signal 66 Art Gallery with local lads the
Saturday People (click the flyer to see it in full view). This was the highlight of the tour for me…a chance to show them my
hometown and a fantastic show involving visual projection of pop artists, album artwork, live footage and other imagery during the
set, which made the experience interesting for everyone. We awoke to brilliant sunshine on Saturday, which involved a record
shop instore performance at Now! Music and Fashion in Arlington, VA before heading up the road to Swarthmore College outside
Philadelphia for a great show with the Aislers Set, Comet Gain, Girlfrendo, and Aden. Despite staying up until 5am, we got up early
enough to take in a typical American diner breakfast before they had to hit the road for their final gig, another New York City
show Sunday night at the Knitting Factory with the Aislers Set, Comet Gain, Girlfrendo, Toulouse and Steward.

It seemed like quite a whirlwind at the time and seems so now as I write all this down in retrospect. I’ll be scanning photos from the
trip to add to this page so if you missed the shows you can pretend you were there. Despite the danger of missing someone really
important, I must give a shout out to (in alphabetical order) Amy, Andy, Archie, Ben, Bethany, Dan, Eric, Greg, Keith, Kevin, Linda,
Mary, Nadine, Pat, Sean, Scott, Terry, Tim, Will, and Yoshi, as well as all the bands who made the tour possible. Hopefully they’ll be
back soon for more dates including some along the west coast.

One final thing…Greg, Mark, Rob and Amelia signed five copies of the recent single “Don’t Believe A Word I Say” and I shall be
giving them to five people chosen at random from among those of you who answer the following question: What is the best song
ever released on Matinée? Send your responses to matineepop@hotmail.com by
January 15 for consideration. I have orange and blue Sportique badges left from the shows too so if you want one of those let me
know.

Okay…this is getting rather long, but I must add that all other forthcoming
releases are on hold until January since distributors and shops tend to spend all their time in December focusing on releases by
people like the Beatles instead. Once we start up the winter releases though, there’s no end in sight as 2001 looks like a sure bet to
be Matinée’s best year yet. The first release should come from Airport Girl in the form of their debut album “Honey, I’m An
Artist.” I know this for certain because there are 1000 copies already sitting in my basement. As I reported last time, this is a
co-release with the excellent Fortuna Pop! label from England and will be available on CD and fat Czech vinyl in the New Year. I
said all sorts of nice things about them last time around, so check the link to October news at the bottom of the page if you missed
that.

The debut album from Brighton’s Harper Lee is also on
schedule for a January release. It’s called “Go Back To Bed” and features ten soon-to-be-classic tracks of melancholy pop including
the brilliant a-side from their recent 45 “Bug”…another release enjoying a bit of attention by John Peel. The band has promised a
live performance sometime next year, and I have threatened to publish their personal email addresses if they back out again, so put
that on your agenda for next year and I’ll get details out well in advance. I said other nice things about them in the last update so
check that again if you have no idea what I’m talking about.

Although a bit delayed, the debut single from Australia’s Simpático, featuring Jason Sweeney of Sweet William, will finally
see the light of day in late January. The CDEP is called the “Postal Museum” EP and combines strummed guitars and earnest vocals
with electronic rhythms and keyboards. Early comparisons have been made to Brian, Pale Saints, Trembling Blue Stars, and Magnetic
Fields so if any of that is true it’s likely to make quite a splash. Jason is enjoying the summer in Melbourne as the rest of us shiver
through the holidays. Perhaps I should plan a trip to visit him in the New Year?

The debut Ego album “La Main Devant La Bouche” could be ready
any day…I just don’t know at this point as it’s out of my hands at a French pressing plant…or perhaps on the Concorde to me now?
Our French friends are surely enjoying lots of revelry at this time of year but they should be ready to take over the world before you
start shopping for your valentine. More news next time I hope. I already mentioned the debut single from Slipslide called
“Four Day Weekend.” If everything goes as planned you’ll have that in your hands sometime in February. The Siddeleys
compilation “Slum Clearance” will be ready quite soon, as we finalized the artwork when I was in London three weeks ago and it
looks superb! The album features sixteen songs pulled from previous releases on Sombrero and Medium Cool plus numerous
unreleased songs taken from two BBC sessions of the same era. It really should prove worth the wait. Staying with the Sha La La
graduating class, good news about the Remember Fun “Train Journeys” single too, as the DAT for the third song finally
showed up after seemingly getting lost somewhere between Scotland and here. And the DAT contained eight other songs too so
there may be something more along the lines of a full length to follow the single…check here first for the details!

After that, we’re working on a new single from Lovejoy, a definitive Razorcuts compilation showcasing arguably the finest
pop band from the 1980’s, a new Windmills single, the second full length from Sportique, some new wax from
Melodie Group, the debut single from a band called the Snowdrops featuring a few people you’ve all come to know and
love, the return of the Siddeleys’ Johnny Johnson in collaboration with another famous popstar, and much more.

Possibly of interest to those of you who still read things on paper is the latest issue of Aquamarine fanzine (Issue 19), which
contains a really nice article about Matinée…”a label with a good ear for the best kind of indiepop.” I always thought my ears were
quite nice so thanks to Kim who writes the fanzine and also releases the superb collection of Bliss tapes. Her fanzines are well done
with intelligent writing and a good selection of reviews (50p from Kim, 68 Barlich Way, Lodge Park, Redditch, Worcs, B98 7JP,
England or blissaq@btinternet.com).

I’ll be doing this full time after January 5th so updates should become a bit more regular. The website should change considerably
next time around, too, with the addition of soundfiles, band pages, a direct ordering page, and a revamped catalogue page. Best
regards for a happy holiday season, and thanks very much for your patronage in 2000. Cheers, Jimmy

When I last wrote I promised no fewer than five new releases by this time, and while I was only
right about four of them, four releases in about as many weeks is not bad, right? So hopefully many of you are
already enjoying the new releases from Edson, Lovejoy, Sportique, and the Lucksmiths…
if not, please have a look at the updated catalogue page for details!

Hmmm…that leaves Harper Lee, who have endured an extended wait for an acceptable test pressing on
their new 7″ Bug. I’ve started quite a collection of rejected ones, by the way, so if you’re a fan of loud humming
noises that start halfway through an otherwise tranquil pop song, please let me know as soon as possible as the
official rejected test pressing edition is limited to just eleven copies. It was 12 but I can’t imagine any of you
want the copy from the third batch I pitched across the room after learning it was just as faulty as the other two
rejected ones. Besides, the cats took a fancy to it laying on the floor in the library so it has a bit of fur on it. Of
course, I’ve made all of this up as we don’t throw anything in my house and the cats never shed. Luckily, the highly
anticipated hum-free fourth test pressing arrived to great fanfare last week, and proved well worth the wait.
The sleeves arrived back in August, and look rather swell if you ask me. The finished singles, including the tracks
Bug and You Kill Me, are expected later this week. Full details are up on the catalogue
page.

In the next seven days we also will have a brand new CDEP from the Windmills! The more linguistic of
you might have noticed my use of the indicative mood in saying we “will” have them. If so, well done! I can do
that because my CD pressing plant is roughly three hundred times more reliable than my vinyl pressing plant these
days, and when they say I’ll have something on a certain date, it actually shows up then. The single is called the
Drug Autumn EP and contains four tracks: Everything Is New Each Day, Drug Autumn, Are We Still Where We
Were? and Want. The last of those is taken from the band’s debut album Edge of August while the other three are
new songs recorded late spring. They’re all just superb and the sleeve looks something like the image on the right.
Release details are now posted on the catalogue page.

Looking ahead to November, Melodie Group‘s next release is the Raincoat CDEP featuring new songs You’ve
Got The Whole of the World In Your Mouth, Raincoat, Magic Robot and Goodbye. We’re describing this as a
quadruple-A-side single because they’re all fantastic pop hits with chiming guitars and superb vocals for fans of
the Loft, Go Betweens, Lloyd Cole or Echo and the Bunneymen. Some of you may find the artwork rather risqué
except those of you who surf the Internet all day and come across this sort of thing with regularity. Look for the
real thing early in the month.

November also promises the debut single from Australia’s Simpático, featuring Jason
Sweeney of Sweet William in a slightly electronic mood. The CDEP is called the Postal Museum EP after one of its
four tracks…the others being Union Station, Pheromone Stars and Song for Steven. Combining strummed guitars
and earnest vocals with electronic rhythms and keyboards, the songs are seductive and sublime, not unlike Brian,
Pale Saints, Trembling Blue Stars, or Magnetic Fields. The single is a very welcome return to the Matinée roster
for the chap responsible for our foremost release back in 1997. If you don’t already have a copy of Sweet
William’s Dutch Mother EP (matinée o-o-one), you should get one soon as stock is getting rather low.

Speaking of welcome returns, Ego‘s debut album La Main Devant La Bouche should be ready
for release in November as well. The French band responsible for Matinée’s second release have accomplished an
astounding feat with their debut long player filled with superb melodies, strings, and mixed English and French
vocals. Ego’s The Question Mark 7″ is also close to selling out so don’t say I didn’t warn you as it includes three
songs not on the album.

In cooperation with the English label Fortuna Pop!, Matinée is pleased to be releasing the debut album from
Airport Girl called Honey, I’m An Artist. An eight-piece from Nottingham, Airport Girl play trumpets and
violins and exhibit influences ranging from the Pastels to Pavement (musically, not alphabetically, as that wouldn’t
leave much, would it?) In describing the band, Melody Maker wrote “like Belle and Sebastian meet Denim, which is
the stuff of genius” and “melodies so glorious they make the room spin in adoration.” And Melody Maker, as
evidenced by its optimistic reviews of Matinée releases by the Visitors, Lucksmiths and Sportique, is never
wrong… Following acclaimed singles on Fortuna Pop! and WIAIWYA, this 12-track album marks the band’s US
debut and will be available on vinyl and CD to enjoy with your Thanksgiving dinner.

Following release this week of the Bug 7″, Harper Lee will be finalizing the artwork for
Matinée’s penultimate release of the year, their highly anticipated debut album Go Back To Bed. Featuring Keris
Howard formerly of Brighter and Laura Bridge currently of Kicker, the Brighton band’s full length includes ten
doses of classic melancholy pop designed to keep you warm all winter. Although my preference changes every day,
today’s top choice would be either Only Connect, or Clifton Street Passage, or Brooklyn Bridge…

Matinée’s final release of the year will be a new 45 from Lovejoy called A Christmas Wish.
A quick follow up to the band’s debut album Songs in the Key of Lovejoy, the single features three new songs to
celebrate the approaching holidays. The band has also just launched an excellent website right here on IndiePages,
which you can visit by clicking here.

Still on the horizon is the much-anticipated Siddeleys compilation Slum Clearance, which
has taken a bit longer than expected to assemble due to various locations of the master tapes. The album will
include sixteen songs pulled from previous releases on Sombrero and Medium Cool plus numerous unreleased
songs taken from two BBC sessions of the same era. Expect to be delighted early in the new year.

Also on tap for January is the debut single from ex-Love Parade/Pure/Eva Luna frontman Graeme
Elston’s new project, which was to be called Fisher until we learned of another band with that name. They’re now
called Slipslide, which suits me just fine as it makes me remember the brilliant Bodines’ song of the same
name. The debut single is a four song CDEP called Four Day Weekend and it’s on heavy rotation these days around
Studio Matinée.

At some point the long-awaited Remember Fun Train Journeys single should also see the light
of day, but I won’t pin a date on it yet… More news next month, including:

• details on London shows the week of November 26th featuring between one and eight of the
  above-mentioned bands;
• confirmed dates for Sportique’s US tour the first week of December including shows in New York,
  Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston;
• announcement of an excellent retrospective CD from an old band featuring the lead singer of the band
  mentioned in the previous bullet; and
• an explanation of why I’ve just quit my dayjob to do this full time next year.

Thanks for reading…Jimmy

Hello and welcome to the latest Matinée newsletter! The biggest news these days is the generally excellent response to the most recent Matinée release, “Seven Songs” from Melodie Group. Housed in a stylishly blue digipak, it looks something like the image at the left and features strummed and jangled guitars, superb vocals and pure pop melodies compared to early Lloyd Cole, the Go Betweens and Felt. The band is an alternate creative outlet for Roy Thirlwall of Matinée favorites The Windmills so you know this is top quality pop.  Those of you impressed with this six-track debut should be pleased to know a quick four-track follow-up is in production for release in early October.

Assuming the UPS delivery person doesn’t skip town with 1000 copies later this week, August 28th should bring the American debut from Edson, Sweden’s most talented pop purveyors, with their “Sunday, Lovely Sunday” EP (matinée 016). While the more astute of you will recognize the brilliant title track from Summersound Recordings’ “Sound of Young Sweden” CD released late last year, the remaining three tracks should be quite new to nearly everyone. Fresh from their performance last week at Sweden’s Emmaboda Festival, we’re working on getting the band to London for a Matinée show this autumn.

The summer parade of pop will continue for the next month with new releases expected from Lovejoy, Sportique, the Lucksmiths and Harper Lee:

Brighton, England’s Lovejoy follow their excellent debut single “A Taste of the High Life” with a 10-song masterpiece called “Songs In The Key of Lovejoy” (matcd008). Lead vocalist and guitarist Richard Preece (ex-Spinning Wheels; current collaborator in Beaumont) delivers masterful vocals not unlike a more indiepop Adorable. Contributing to the new expanded lineup is Ally Board on angelic female vocals, Blueboy/Beaumont mainmen Keith Girdler and Paul Stewart on backing vocals and guitar, and Rich Haines on production wizardry. With brilliant use of keyboards, percussion, and vocal harmonies, the band’s debut long-player is an essential soundtrack for the now generation and perfect for fans of Biff Bang Pow!, House of Love, the Wake, Razorcuts or Blueboy. Out September 4 if all goes well…

Sportique‘s “Don’t Believe A Word I Say” 7″ (matinée 017) features two exclusive tracks and provides an excellent showcase for most recent acquisition Amelia Fletcher (Marine Research, Heavenly, Talulah Gosh) on keyboards and backing vocals. The superb title track, previewed during a John Peel session last September, features shimmering guitars and keyboards, handclaps, and nice female harmonies. New song “A Nation of Soul” on the flip showcases trilling keyboards and Greg and Amelia sharing vocals on an anthemic dual chorus. The band will play a handful of East Coast dates in October in support of the single and forthcoming Matinée album “The New Black.” Expected release date for the single is September 11th.

Also expected on the 11th is “T-Shirt Weather” (matinée 018)…first release of the year from the extraordinarily popular Australian trio, The Lucksmiths, featuring some of their catchiest songs so far! The title track is an infectious summer pop hit with driving guitar and bass, tambourines, ba-ba-ba’s, a shaky egg, and brilliant harmonies. “Tmrw vs. Y’day” featuresmeandering gentle strums, vibraphone, and splendid vocals. The two-track 7″ is limited to 800 copies and comes with a free postcard. The four-track CDEP adds a superb cover of the Magnetic Fields’ “Deep Sea Diving Suit” and a handsome new version of “Southernmost” with multilayered keyboards.

Completing the September 11th pop trifecta is the highly anticipated second single (matinée 019) from Brighton, England duo Harper Lee featuring Keris Howard (formerly of Brighter and Hal; now also playing live with Trembling Blue Stars) on vocals and guitar, and Laura Bridge (formerly of Hood; now also in Kicker) on guitar, keyboards, and drums. A preview of the band’s forthcoming debut album, this double A-side (“Bug” b/w “You Kill Me”) showcases idyllic, earnest pop, beautifully layered keyboards and guitars, and tragic mournings of the Brighteresque variety.

Whew! All dates are targets and subject to the whims of a certain vinyl pressing plant in California, a printer in North Carolina, a CD plant in Pennsylvania, numerous UPS employees across the country, and my productivity at sending various boxes all over the globe…so please be understanding if something slips by a week or so.

After that, the autumn collection begins in earnest with great promise of the following:

matinée 015 Remember Fun – Train Journeys EP
matinée 020 Melodie Group – Raincoat CDEP
matinée 021 The Windmills – Drug Autumn CDEP
matinée 022 Simpático – Postal Museum CDEP
matinée 023 Fisher – Four Day Weekend CDEP
matcd005 The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
matcd006 Ego – La Main Devant La Bouche CD
matcd009 Harper Lee – Only Connect CD
matcd010 Various – France On A Bicycle CD
matcd011 Airport Girl – Honey, I’m An Artist CD

Details and anticipated release dates to follow next month!

Just down to the wire for making this a May update but then again if it’s June when you’re reading this then it’s not
that old, is it? Fitting I should write this today anyway, as it’s the official release date for both The Visitors “Miss”
CD and The Fairways “Darling, Don’t You Think?” EP I wrote about last time. I leave on Thursday for ten days in
London to continue work on things that shall be written about for the June update.

To celebrate the release of the Visitors CD (matcd 003), we’re having a record release party next Monday the 29th upstairs at the Princess Louise pub in London. The pub is located at 208 High Holborn (tube: Holborn), and it’s a mid-day type thing as it starts at 2 and runs until about 7, making it a fine way to conclude the long Bank Holiday/Memorial Day weekend. In addition to previewing tracks from the album, the event will feature deejay sets from ex-Visitor Tim Hopkins and a slew of other celebrities including current and former popstars, one record label mogul, at least two published authors, a woman I’ve never met, and one mere mortal (me).

Expect various styles, including classic indiepop, Northern Soul, girlgroups, moog delights, reggae, lovely crooners of
yesteryear, and more…but count on songs from Hurrah!, Baxendale, Marine Research, Lambchop, the Siddeleys, Biff Bang
Pow!, Lee Scratch Perry, the Sea Urchins, the Claim, Spearmint, the Spice Girls, Belle & Sebastian, Julie London, the Field
Mice, ESG, the Clientele, Everly Brothers, Primal Scream, the Pastels, Sagittarius, Club 8, Jasmine Minks, Daphne & Celeste,
Birdie, Tom Waits, the Magnetic Fields and more.

Two live shows will coincide with the Matinée visit to London this week…the first on Saturday the 27th at the Notting Hill
Arts Centre (tube: Notting Hill) featuring Sportique and Whistler. The show begins at 4pm, and Sportique is sure to
preview both tracks from their brand new WIAIWYA 45 “Sport for All”, plus the two new tracks from their forthcoming
Matinée 45 “Don’t Believe A Word I Say.” The WIAIWYA 7″ is out May 29th, while the Matinée single should follow in
early July.

Airport Girl, Beaumont, the Pines and The Windmills converge on the Betsey Trotwood Sunday the 28th for a Fortuna
Pop! show. The Windmills play in support of their debut album “Edge of August” and forthcoming single “Drug Autumn,” both
on Matinée, while Airport Girl celebrate the release of the excellent “Power Yr Trip” single on WIAIWYA, Beaumont treat
the world to their first ever live performance following the release of their Siesta debut “This is Beaumont” and the Pines
celebrate a one year anniversary and play their second set in a week in support of a forthcoming 45 and the new Papercuts
CD compilation with their track “Baby You’ll Do.”

The rest of the week will be consumed with popstar meeting, record shopping, New Tate Moderning, pub imbibing, train
catching, sight seeing, Indian food savoring, and probably umbrella toting.

First off upon my return from London is the debut release from Melodie Group, an evolving project of Windmills’
vocalist and guitarist Roy Thirlwall and the perfect outlet for his never-ending creative energies. The band’s six-track debut,
cleverly entitled “Seven Songs” (matcd 007), features a classic mix of guitars and pop melodies on songs about wild dreams,
granny dresses, skindiving, suits of armour, French trousers and swimming pools. With early comparisons to Lloyd Cole and
Felt, this mini-CD is not to be missed!

Also in June, Brighton, England’s Lovejoy follow their excellent debut “A Taste of the High Life” EP with a 10-song
masterpiece called “Songs In The Key of Lovejoy” (matcd 008). The new expanded lineup includes Dick, Ally, Keith, Paul
and Rich…better known as one former Spinning Wheel, two former Blueboys, one angelic female voice, two Snowbound
International Pop Club comrades, three Beaumonts, and one production genius. Huh? We have a new favorite every week
at Chez Matinée, this week it’s definitely “Butter Wouldn’t Melt”…or “Radio”…or “Penelope London”…or “Tomorrow’s
World.” Just wait…

The Edson single is coming along nicely and is also on track for a June release. The four track CDEP (matinée 016)
includes “Sunday Lovely Sunday,” “22:22,” “September” and “Terry Whips.” If you missed our April news, Edson is a
six-piece hailing from Stockholm, Sweden that contributed two songs to the brilliant “Sound of Young Sweden” compilation
released last year on Summersound Recordings. Combining strong melodies, excellent vocals and multiple guitars with
trumpet, flute, melodica, and glockenspiel, the band hailed as Sweden’s answer to Belle and Sebastian may have more in
common with the Beautiful South or Velvet Underground.

Celebrating the release of the “Darling, Don’t You Think?” 45 (matinée 009) and the forthcoming album “Is Everything Alright?” (a Shelflife/Paris Caramel co-release), The Fairways have scheduled some live shows the week of July 14th along the West Coast, including the 14th in Los Angeles, CA (Spaceland), 16th in San Diego, CA (Casbah), 17th in Berkeley, CA (KALX Radio), 18th in Davis, CA (KDVS Radio), 20th in Portland, OR (Magic Marker House), 21st in Seattle, WA (Eye and Ear Records) and 22nd again in Seattle (Paradox). They play with My Favorite, From Bubblegum to Sky, and Three Berry Icecream on all dates except the LA show which is My Favorite-less.

The summer parade of pop should continue in roughly this order:

The new Lucksmiths single is called “T-Shirt Weather” (matinée 018) and will be released on two formats! The two
track 7″ features the title track and “Tmrw vs. Y’day,” while the four track CDEP adds a cover of the Magnetic Fields’
“Deep Sea Diving Suit” and a new version of “Southernmost” with strings and keyboards. Expect both in early July.

Ego’s debut CD “La Main Devant La Bouche” (matcd 006) has been delayed until July pending a French distribution
deal. The CD still features the mixed French and English vocals, female harmonies, violins, flutes, and other instrumentation
I promised last month. The cover is really great too, especially if you’re a mosaic fan.

As mentioned above, the new Sportique 45 (matinée 017) features new tracks “Don’t Believe A Word I Say” and “A
Nation of Soul.” The single is an excellent showcase for the newest member of the band, a Ms. Amelia Fletcher from Oxford
who contributes nicely on keyboards and backing vocals. She’s also prettier and wears shinier skirts than Greg, Rob or Mark.

Harper Lee’s new single (matinée 019) is also in the works…although the A-side and B-side have flipped so it is now
“Bug” b/w “You Kill Me.” I haven’t heard either yet since they were just recorded last Saturday, but I will have the DAT in
my hands a week from Tuesday following a quick train journey to Brighton, so I should know more soon.

The follow-up to The Windmills album “Edge Of August” will be a CDEP (matinée 021) featuring new songs “Everything
Is New Each Day,” “Drug Autumn” and “Are We Still Where We Were,” plus an undetermined fourth song. The cover is
rather green, and the songs inspire me to dance in the library each time they’re played.

Following two Matinée releases as the frontman of Sweet William, Jason Sweeney is back under the name Simpático
with a haunting new single we call “The Postal Museum” (matinée 022), mainly because that’s one of the tracks on it. The
other three are “Union Station,” “Pheromone Stars” and “Song for Steven” and it’s all really fantastic. The initial concept
for the sleeve would require distribution in a brown paper wrapper, so stay tuned!

By the time that comes out, we should all be withering under the heat of the middle summer (except the Lucksmiths and
Simpático who will be out sledding and having snowball fights). For anyone still reading, the summer should conclude with
the following in heavy rotation on your turntables:

Remember Fun – “Train Journeys” EP (matinée 015)
Melodie Group – “Raincoat” EP (matinée 020)
The Siddeleys – “You Get What You Deserve” CD (matcd005)
Harper Lee – “Just Connect” CD (matcd009)
Various – “France on A Bicycle” compilation CD (matcd010)

More news will follow this week’s London festivities…hope you can make one of the brilliant events and thanks to Pam Berry,
Sean Price, and whomever set up the Saturday Sportique show! Cheers, Jimmy