Happy holidays! It’s nearly the end of the year so that means two things at Matinée HQ—time for our annual fanclub poll and another opportunity for a warehouse clearance sale. We also have great new releases out now which would make excellent post-holiday presents, plus some free wintery mp3s over on the sounds page!
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We survey our loyal customers once a year to see which of our annual releases made you smile the most and reward some lucky fans with a selection of free CDs in the process. In our sixth annual fanclub poll, best album of 2007 contenders include ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from The Hermit Crabs, ‘Spring A Leak’ (matcd044) from The Lucksmiths, ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines, and our ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ (matcd045) compilation.
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Favorite 2007 single contenders are the ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Who’s In Your Dreams’ EP (matinée 065) from Strawberry Whiplash, and ‘Ten Years Younger’ EP (matinée 064) from Bubblegum Lemonade. Since the Strawberry Whiplash and Bubblegum Lemonade singles were just released we are featuring all the tracks from them on our Myspace page this week and next in case you haven’t heard them yet. Give ‘em a listen before you cast your vote!
In addition to the favorite album and single categories, we are also collecting votes for song of the year, favorite band, and favorite Matinée release of all time. Please take a moment to share your thoughts. As with prior polls, simply entering earns you a chance to win five free CDs of your choice and with selections like these what do you have to lose? The poll closes January 20th so go here to complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!
The fashionable new Matinée office is taking shape and to help with our new organization we are in the middle of a month-long massive warehouse clearance sale to keep things nice and tidy. It’s a good one too with 7” singles starting at just $1.00, CD singles at a mere $2.50 and CD albums at just $5.00. If you are overseas the current exchange rates make those prices too good to pass up! The sale prices are only valid through January 6th and as with all sales this will likely mark the end of a few more releases so get going if you want to score something.
In addition to great sale prices we also have some fantastic new releases to entice you to the Matinée shop:
Now in stock is the fantastic debut single from Glasgow, Scotland’s Bubblegum Lemonade! Bubblegum Lemonade is principally a man called Laz, a 12 string Rickenbacker enthusiast with more than a few Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain, Byrds, and Razorcuts records in his collection. The four song ‘Ten Years Younger’ EP (matinée 064) features ace tracks ‘Ten Years Younger,’ ‘The Tomorrow People,’ ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’ and ‘That Thing You Do!’ Although the official release date is not until January, we have copies available exclusively via the Matinée mailorder right now so get going! Lead track ‘Ten Years Younger’ is playing on the Matinée sounds page and we are featuring tracks from the EP on Myspace this month as well so you may want to check there for more pop goodness. You won’t be disappointed.
Bubblegum Lemonade has also contributed the exclusive song ‘Tyler’ to the brand new ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045). The mighty Pitchfork quickly featured this in its Forkcast, writing “’Tyler’ could almost have been pulled straight out of the 1960s, with tambourines and Laz’s cheery vocal harmonies nicely recalling the false ebullience of classics like ‘I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better’ [with] a thin haze of JAMC-informed distortion.” The ‘Hit Parade’ CD is available now from the friendly Matinée shop so get going because Bubblegum Lemonade are already on all the hipster shopping lists and you don’t want to be left behind now do you?
Also just back from the pressing plant is the very highly anticipated debut EP ‘Who’s In Your Dreams’ (matinée 065) from fellow Glaswegians Strawberry Whiplash! The duo features Sandra on vocals and Laz (moonlighting from Bubblegum Lemonade) on instruments and they have built a feedback wall of sunshine sound out of old fuzz boxes and reverbed drums that reminds this pop enthusiast of the great Shop Assistants or The Primitives. The debut single includes the infectious lead track ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ which has been making the rounds on the coolest blogs across the land for a little while now. The EP also includes three brand new recordings—‘It Rains On Other Planets’, ‘My Day Today’ and ‘Factory Girl’ which are immediate pop hits as well so we predict some of you may have a new favorite band on the horizon. Although the official release date is not until January, we have copies available exclusively via the Matinée mailorder right now!
We’re featuring ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ on the sounds page and you can hear additional songs on the Matinée Myspace page this month so you’ll want to check there for a pop fix as well. Of course, Strawberry Whiplash has also contributed the amazing song ‘Summershine’ to the brand new ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045), which you can pick up right now too from our trusty order page!
There is considerable buzz around Bubblegum Lemonade and Strawberry Whiplash with some people suggesting these debut singles may not be around for long. Advance sales suggest this may be true so get your copies now!
Our third new single is the magnificent ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) from our Seattle pals Math and Physics Club! You surely know about this one already as it’s the current top seller over at the Matinée shop with good reason.
Lead track ‘Baby I’m Yours’ is a swinging pop hit on which MAPC drummer Kevin was encouraged to break out the drumsticks instead of brushes so it’s really cooking! It’s a brilliant little number with jangling guitars and great vocals that will have you singing along from the very first listen and reaching for the replay button just as it ends. The track is now featured on the Matinée sounds page so have a listen!
‘Nothing Really Happened’ is a special one as it is allegedly the first original Math and Physics Club song and was one of the four songs on the original demo tape sent to Matinée back in 2004. This newly recorded version features expanded percussion and a strong violin part from Saundrah that provides a lovely counterpoint to Charles’ vocals. A long overdue release for an early classic!
‘In This Together’ began taking shape around the time of the ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP in the spring of 2005 and was featured in live sets almost immediately. Its arrangement evolved over time and the intertwining melodies of the vocals, guitar, and violin on this recording are superb. Think early Beautiful South and you’re nearly there.
‘Do You Keep A Diary’ finishes off the EP with a bit of a surprise. The song was written around the time of the album recording sessions last year but didn’t seem to fit on the album for some reason. MAPC bassist Ethan snuck into the recording studio one day and muted everyone’s tracks, turning it into a little synth-pop number that evolved over time into this brilliant version balancing electronic and real instruments along with superb vocals and a bit of a John Squire guitar explosion from James.
New songs from Math and Physics Club are always instant classics and this EP is perhaps the strongest one yet! Among the reviews for the single so far, Erasing Clouds described it as “pop songwriting that presses all the right buttons,” Indiemp3.co.uk wrote “with this EP the bar is raised just that higher,” and Left Hip called it “the finest Math and Physics club release yet.” This is a no brainer—go straight to the order page to secure a copy of your very own! Math and Physics Club are also featured on the ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045) with the exclusive track ‘A Little Romance’ and it’s a gem of course. You know what to do…
Our new album offerings include the fantastic debut full length ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from Glasgow five-piece The Hermit Crabs! The band’s ‘Feel Good Factor’ single (matinée 063) turned lots of heads upon its release early this year, with Tangents calling it “sweet succinct pop that snaps and crackles in all the right places,” Aversion.com describing it as “a dose of California sunshine filtered through Scottish bedroom-pop sensibilities,” and All Music Guide heralding it as “classic Scottish indie pop.”
Following release of the EP, the band expanded to a five-piece with the addition of a full time violinist and percussionist before completing the recordings for this magnificent debut album. Rich with instrumentation and recorded with notable guest musicians including members of Teenage Fanclub and Camera Obscura, ‘Saw You Dancing’ is one of those classic debut albums that impresses right from the start.
The album kicks off with ‘Tonight’, a folk-tinged indiepop song with prominent violin and percussion, and ‘Goodbye My Friend,’ a bouncing jangle pop hit with great harmonies. ‘Closet Fan’ is a country-tinged pop masterpiece with great lyrics, hypnotic percussion, splendid violin and more exquisite harmonies, while ‘Lean Free Summer’ is straightforward pop that swings along nicely with keyboards, handclaps, and violin. Meanwhile, ‘Bad Timing’ adds depth to the album with impressive percussion and a bit of a soulful twist.
‘Friend’s Folk Festival’ makes a case as one of the album highlights with splendid guitar work and a sprightly melodica, while ‘Secrets and Lies’ is a brooding folk pop song that is captivating in its simplicity. ‘Feel Good Factor’—the song that first got the band noticed as one of the winners in Scotland’s Burnsong song writing competition—shows that The Hermit Crabs are indeed worthy of the accolades suggesting they are next in line to join the Scottish pop elite currently fronted by fellow Glaswegians Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura. ‘Third Time Lucky’ is lilting guitar pop with exquisite vocals, and the album concludes with the multi-layered and hauntingly beautiful ‘Soul Mate.’
The album is a remarkable debut and another dazzling success for Matinée. Among the early enthusiasts of the album, Aversion.com wrote “old-fashioned simplicity sits at the heart of ‘Saw You Dancing’ as the Hermit Crabs waltz through a pure pop album so easily you may forget how slick it really is,” while the fantastic blog Heaven Is Above Your Head concluded “this is an essential pop album.”
See the catalog page for the full tracklisting and other release details. We’re featuring a selection of album highlights on the sounds page and showcasing various other tracks on Myspace this month too so have a listen. Of course the Hermit Crabs are also featured on the ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045) with the lovely exclusive track ‘Sophia’ so you really should pick that up too, don’t you think?
In addition to contributing the exclusive new favorite ‘Good Light’ to the ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD, The Lucksmiths have returned to the new release racks with their own deluxe double CD ‘Spring a Leak’ (matcd044)—an exhaustive new 45-track collection of lost treasures. No mere greatest hits collection, ‘Spring a Leak’ compiles over a decade’s worth of great recordings that have never made it onto a Lucksmiths full-length: b-sides, alternative versions (from 7” singles and demos), songs recorded especially for compilations, live, radio and TV sessions, cover versions, remixes, and various previously unreleased ephemera.
A major undertaking, both for the band and the mastering engineer who had to sift through piles of CDs, old DATs and cassette tapes, ‘Spring a Leak’ is the first time many of these songs have turned up on a digital format. The ‘Macintyre’ 7” (recorded in 1995 and originally limited to 500 highly sought-after copies) sits comfortably amongst more recent work including cover versions of well-loved songs by The Bee Gees, The Smiths, The Modern Lovers, and The Magnetic Fields, as well as lesser-known tracks by some of The Lucksmiths’ friends such as The Simpletons, The Ladybug Transistor, and The Sugargliders. Also included are live tracks and radio sessions recorded in various corners of the world.
As on previous compilations ‘Happy Secret’ (1998) and ‘Where Were We?’ (2001), The Lucksmiths have done some tidying up around the archival recesses and gathered these loose ends into one neatly-knotted bundle more likely to satisfy the completists than to win themselves an army of new fans. In its entirety, ‘Spring a Leak’ exhibits both the remarkable consistency and ongoing development of one of this generation’s most esteemed and distinctive pop groups.
Among the fantastic reviews of the album, Pitchfork concluded “this is a generous compilation, rewarding equally generous listens,” Aversion.com wrote “The Lucksmiths aren’t just impressive, they’re impressively consistent,” IndiePages called it “essential for Lucksmiths fanatics and newbies and pretty much everyone in between,” Time Out Chicago suggested “if the band can be this good on its cast-offs, imagine what the albums are like,” and Rave Magazine concluded “an excellent chronicle of a distinctly Australian and intelligent pop group.”
We’re featuring a selection of album tracks on the sounds page and the full tracklisting and more release information on the catalog page. You probably have secured a copy already but if not, get over to the order page pronto and we’ll express you your very own!
If you somehow missed the five or six previous mentions of our final new release, the very special Matinée 10-year anniversary ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ compilation (matcd045) should also be added to your shopping list. To celebrate a decade of top quality pop music from your favorite independent record label, we invited 13 artists to record a new, 45-caliber A-side for this elite collection, and the result is nothing less than spectacular!
The album features previously unreleased, exclusive recordings from popular Matinée artists The Guild League (Australia), Harper Lee (England), The Hermit Crabs (Scotland), Lovejoy (England), The Lucksmiths (Australia), Math and Physics Club (USA), The Pines (England), Slipslide (England), and Would-Be-Goods (England), which is nine reasons enough to celebrate! In addition, the album presents Matinée debuts from new artists Bubblegum Lemonade (Scotland), Clay Hips (Germany/Finland), The Electric Pop Group (Sweden), and Strawberry Whiplash (Scotland)! For anyone keeping score, that’s 13 exclusive tracks that you won’t find anywhere else and they’re all smashing pop hits so this will be an instant best seller for the label. Please see the catalog page for the full tracklisting. Demonstrating the continuing strength of the Matinée roster, this collection serves as an essential new release for devoted followers and a wonderful introduction for label dilettantes.
The early reviews are in and unsurprisingly it’s a hit across the board, with Indiemp3.co.uk suggesting “you would be hard pressed to come up with a better compilation if you were making your own mixtape,” Kisschase concluding “perhaps the best v/a comp of this ilk since we set hands on the Bus Stop label’s ‘Peppermint Stick Parade’ somewhere in the previous century, Erasing Clouds calling it “more stars in Matinée’s parade of hits,” Eardrums writing “this is as close to perfect a label compilation can get,” and Ink 19 concluding “all told, compilation or not, this is one of the better albums of this year.”
As we trust you’ll find this release compulsory listening, you can get a copy RIGHT NOW from the wonderfully efficient and friendly Matinée mailorder, or from your favorite record shop or online record emporium. Oh, did we mention the CD looks exactly like a tiny 45 rpm record complete with grooves? Yes, it’s very cool indeed. We are featuring select songs on the Matinée sounds page and our Myspace page all this month as well so have a listen!
In other recent release news, we have fresh stock again of the magnificent debut album ‘Go Back To Bed’ (matcd009) from Matinée favorites Harper Lee! Originally released in 2001, the album was an early highlight of the Matinée catalog and received a bit of attention from the late John Peel who played singles ‘Dry Land’ and ‘Bug’ on his legendary radio show. An English duo featuring Keris Howard (Brighter, Hal, Trembling Blue Stars) on vocals and guitar, and Laura Bridge (Hood, Kicker) on guitar, keyboards, and drums, Harper Lee has proven one of Matinée’s most popular artists. Named after the famous American author of the classic novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, the duo formed in 1999 with a plan to release one brilliant single, take the world by storm, and withdraw from the public eye just as Lee did following the success of her single novel. Luckily, the modest success of its debut did not afford the band an early retirement so they continued creating classic releases through the brilliant ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP last year. Featuring ten classic tracks of melancholy pop with beautifully layered keyboards and guitars plus heartbreakingly earnest lyrics, ‘Go Back To Bed’ is an essential release from the Matinée catalog in stock again following years of unavailability. Check the sounds page for some album highlights and see the order page to get a copy of your very own!Check the sounds page for some album highlights and see the order page to get a copy of your very own!
Switching to future release action, we are pleased to report that 2008 will start off with debut singles from new Matinée artists The Electric Pop Group and Northern Portrait!
A quartet hailing from the indiepop hotbed of Gothenburg, Sweden, The Electric Pop Group self-released its debut album late in 2006 to rave reviews. As one of the many indie record labels that took notice, Matinée was excited to make contact with them just as they started work on new recordings this summer. The band recalls the chiming brilliance of some of our favorite bands of all time—including fellow Matinée artists Razorcuts and Brighter—so we’re confident they will become a firm favorite for a large majority of the Matinée faithful as well. Their debut single is the ‘I Could See The Lights’ EP (matinée 067) featuring an absolutely astonishing title track that will preview a second album planned for later in the year, plus additional non-album tracks ‘This is the Town,’ ‘Summer’s Day,’ and ‘Come And See Me’—four A-sides in my opinion which bodes very well for that forthcoming album. We are finalizing release details now and should have copies available sometime in February if all goes as planned. ‘I Could See The Lights’ is now featured on the Matinée sounds page and you can hear additional songs on the band’s website or Myspace page. The Electric Pop Group has also contributed a fantastic new song ‘My Only Inspiration’ to the new ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045), which of course is available right here or in the hippest of shops across the land.
Our final single in production is the debut release from new Danish band Northern Portrait! Hailing from Copenhagen and the first Danish act for the label, Northern Portrait list indie legends The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Housemartins among its influences—an excellent starting point for sure! The band has recorded a host of fantastic songs in short order including four brilliant selections for its debut single, ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068). The EP features lead track ‘Crazy’ along with ‘A Quiet Night In Copenhagen,’ ‘Waiting For A Chance’ and ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ and they’re all simply wonderful. The release is ready for the pressing plant so should be back in our hands by the end of January. You can preview ‘Crazy’ now on the Matinée sounds page, and listen to two other Northern Portrait songs on the band’s Myspace page. Look for additional release details next month because this is one release you won’t want to miss!
Although it’s endless summer here in Santa Barbara, we do recognize that most of you are enduring some miserable weather so we’ve added free wintery mp3s from the likes of The Fairways, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, The Pines, Razorcuts, Slipslide and The Windmills for you to download on the sounds page. Enjoy!
Some of these tracks are taken from perennial winter favorites including the ‘Matinée Winter Warmer’ compilation (matinée 055), ‘When It Was Winter’ EP (matinée 024), from The Windmills, and ‘A Christmas Wish’ EP (matinée 025) from Lovejoy. We also have some copies left of the ace Matinée 45 holiday ornament plus great new-ish t-shirts and buttons to round out that order you are contemplating with all the sale goods.
In a combined October/November hit parade, Math and Physics Club reigned supreme. Here are the top ten sellers for the period:
10. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
9. Math and Physics Club – megaphone t-shirt
8. Harper Lee – Go Back To Bed CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Lucksmiths – vines t-shirt
5. Matinée Recordings – turntable t-shirt
4. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
3. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
2. Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD
1. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
We’ll be back in January with more new release information, results of the annual fanclub poll, 2007 Matinée artist favorites, and other exciting news including a fresh approach to the Matinée news moving forward. Thanks for all your support in 2007 and best wishes for a happy 2008!!
Regards,
Jimmy
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