Ooh, we’re a bit late with the news this month but hey, it’s summer and we live at the beach! We will do our best to
keep sand out of your orders. It’s all good this month, with a fresh new release and an armload of forthcoming classics
coming your way.
Now featured on a new release shelf near you is the fantastic “This is Farewell” CD (matcd031)
from beloved San Francisco pop darlings The Fairways! One of the greatest American indiepop bands of all
time, The Fairways were one of the first artists associated with Matinée after we saw them play at the Galaxy Hut in
Arlington, Virginia back in 1998. We released their debut “Darling, Don’t You Think?” single (matinée
009) soon thereafter and hometown label Paris Caramel followed up with the album “Is Everything Alright?” a few
months later. The band toured the USA and Japan and built an impassioned following across the globe but the promise
of a second album never materialized and the band drifted apart. While bassist Jen Cohen played in fellow San Francisco
hitmakers The Aislers Set, vocalist Brent Kenji went on to form Matinée duo The Young Tradition. “This is
Farewell” is the swansong Fairways release, featuring eight previously unreleased songs, two tracks from their sold out
Matinée 45, a song from a limited split single with The Aislers Set, and two tracks from a 2001 tour CD.
The album already has a handful of fans, with Vanity
Project describing it as “autumnal pop, caught between a cooling West Coast summery jangle and an early
December be-cardiganed bowlie group cuddle,” Tasty
praising its “jaunty little buggers that seem to worm their way into your heart without much effort at all,” and
Tangents saying “This Is Farewell is exactly what it says it is; a last lingering
look and a hand raised in goodbye by a band most never knew existed. Sometimes that’s the sweetest sound of all.”
You can preview album tracks “The Back Of Her Hand” plus “Winter Song” and “Emily” now on the sounds
page. The release is available in all good record shops and mailorder emporiums now, or you can get a copy straight
from the friendly Matinée shop and we’ll send you some free postcards too! We assume all
Fairways fans are already hip to the sounds of The Young Tradition, but if not, you may wish to check out the
impressive debut “California Morning” CDEP (matinée 043) while you’re in the shop.
You will not be disappointed. There’s a preview of that on the sounds page too so have a listen.
In other top news, our July Artist of the Month is the wonderful Harper Lee! Now, I say nice things about every
artist of the month of course and usually list a few songs that are among my personal favorites from the ever-growing list
of Matinée hits but this is the ONLY month that I can truthfully say that the artist of the month has created the BEST
SONG EVER released on the label! So what is it? The debut single “Dry Land” (matinée 014)
and its equally beautiful b-side “No Happy Ending” are certainly top contenders. So is the follow-up single “Bug”
(matinée 019) and “Only Connect” from the first album “Go Back to Bed”
(matcd009). The competition really heats up with second album “Everything’s Going
To Be OK” (matcd020), with the positively spectacular songs “Fine Bones” and “I Can
Bear This No Longer.” But honestly, the third single “Train Not Stopping” (matinée 032)
is where you really get quality for your money, as it contains the celebrated title track and the exclusive “I Could Be
There For You” among its three songs. “Train Not Stopping” takes top honors for me, but the great things about Harper
Lee is that the songs are so very personal that different people are captivated by different songs. As if the five current
releases do not provide enough fodder for a favorite song list, the band is about to release an extraordinary third album
“All Things Can Be Mended” next month (see details below). The album already contains some new favorites so the
record books will surely be rewritten soon enough.
As with all of our celebrated Artists of the Month, we have updated the Harper Lee artist page
with new text, links to all interviews, and at last, a photo! The page also includes a definitive poll requesting your favorite
Harper Lee song so cast your vote and we’ll see which songs come out on top. The sounds
page now features five Harper Lee mp3s, including brand new song “Stupid” from the forthcoming album. Naturally, all
Harper Lee titles are on sale at the mailorder this month only so take advantage of the savings
to complete your collection today!
June Artist of the Month poll participants selected “Untidy Towns” as the top song by The Lucksmiths, with
“T-Shirt Weather” and “Southernmost” close behind. “The Golden Age of Aviation” and The Cassingle Revival” rounded
out the top five. Thanks to everyone who voted!
Following a relatively quiet spring release schedule, our summer POP! collection is nearly ready and here are the sizzling
details:
The spectacular fourth album from revered London act Would-Be-Goods is scheduled to finish at the pressing
plant this week! As reported previously, the album is called “The Morning After” (matcd032)
and features new songs Pantomime Devil, The Morning After, Bluebeard, Big Cat Act, Le Crocodile, Too Old, What Adam
and Eve Did Next, I Broke the Spell, The King of Lace, Miss La-di-dah, Innocent Abroad, and Dear St Valentine.
Jessica Griffin, enigmatic star of eighties cult label él records, is still at the helm, with her crew of elegant rascals – Peter
Momtchiloff, guitarist (Talulah Gosh, Razorcuts, Heavenly, Scarlet’s Well) and occasional songsmith; Debbie
Green, drummer and darling of the London nineties garage scene (Headcoatees); and Lupe Nunez-Fernandez, bass
player and co-founder of cosmopolitan East London quietists Pipas. These twelve songs demonstrate that the
Would-Be-Goods have lost none of their melancholy charm or wit but have moved beyond the ornate eclecticism of their
acclaimed third album “Brief Lives” (matcd017) to a classic guitar pop sound ranging
from new folk through tango to garage rock. Love songs to lions, frolics in the Garden of Eden, French casanovas and
personal demons await you.
You can preview “The Morning After” plus “Big Cat Act” and “Miss La-di-dah” now on the catalog
page. We are currently taking preorders for the album exclusively via the Matinée mailorder and
will begin shipping CDs the first of August. The official release date is August 23rd if you are looking in the shops. The
CD is a co-release with the excellent Fortuna POP! label in the UK so you
can chase one down there if you are so inclined.
Also scheduled for an August 23rd release is the astounding new “All Things Can Be Mended” CD (matcd033)
from current Matinée Artist of the Month Harper Lee! When we wrote about the album last month we had only
heard the demo versions of several songs, but now that the final mixes are here I can honestly report that the album is a
true masterpiece! Band members Keris Howard and Laura Bridge interplay guitars, keyboards, percussion and vocals on
ten brand new recordings entitled Everybody Leaves, Left-handed, I Don’t Need To Know About Your Wonderful Life, Let
Me Know, Stupid, Autumn, Isn’t This Where We Came In?, This Is The Sound That A Heart Makes When It’s Breaking,
Everything’s Going To Be OK and There Is A Light In Me That’s Gone.
The album delivers more of the acclaimed melancholy for which Harper Lee is so renowned, but also some upbeat
flourishes…trumpets, New Order-style electronica, and even a dash of outright lyrical optimism. While the album has
a modern feel to it, we’ll go ahead and admit that fans of the poppier moments from the Brighter and Hal back catalogs
will not be disappointed. The album also features two opportunities to hear (at last!) wonderful backing vocals from
Laura. It is the most impressive Harper Lee record to date and an essential purchase for anyone reading this update.
The sounds page features “Stupid” among the Artist of the Month mp3s, while the
catalog page also includes soundclips for “Everybody Leaves” and “This Is The Sound
That A Heart Makes When It’s Breaking.” We will take preorders for the album in early August in advance of its release
on the 23rd, so check back soon to reserve a copy.
Another imminent release is the second full length album “Inner North” (matcd034) from
Australian export The Guild League! Originally formed as a 16 member pan-pacific collaborative side project by
The Lucksmiths front man Tali White in 2001, The Guild League released the jaunty single “Jet-Set…Go!”
(matinée 039) and the wonderful debut album “Private Transport”
(matcd023) the following year. On the eagerly anticipated new album they have
condensed the line-up and geographical focus of the band. Described as “twelve songs about turning points, trust and
the sky” the album is the culmination of a fertile period of songwriting between White and guitarist Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez.
Often performing as a trio with cellist Cressida Griffith, the Guild League has built an ever-increasing following.
Musically, the intricate guitar playing of Pintos-Lopez and Griffith’s rich cello form the core of the “Inner North” sound.
Around this rides White’s rhythm electric and rough shod, galloping piano, the ever-exemplary work of drummer-about-town
Marty Brown (Art of Fighting) and bursts of brass from Guild League guru/engineer Craig Pilkington (The Killjoys). As
ever, White wraps his distinctive voice around words that warm and chill in equal measure. Having gelled as a band, The
Guild League has produced a self assured and cohesive second album. “Inner North” is unhurried, wryly humorous,
proudly diverse and humbly beautiful.
The album features great new songs Animals, The Storm, Trust, Citronella, Shot In The Arm, Why Wait?, Time Please
Gents, Scientists, Fingers Of Sun, Falling Ovation, Where Are You Now? and Shirtless Sky. We are just finalizing the
artwork and should have copies available in early August for preorder. For now, have a listen to preview track “Trust” on
the sounds page.
Switching to live news, Pipas play a single show in Sweden this week, followed by a mini-tour of the UK with
California band The Frenchmen and London act The Cut Outs (featuring members of Airport Girl and The Fat
Tulips). The Liberty Ship join them on the Nottingham date of the tour. Later this month, Lovejoy
previews songs from the forthcoming album “Everybody Hates” (matcd035) at the We
& You Festival in Sweden and The Lucksmiths play a handful of Australian dates. Finally, The Guild
League have an album launch next month in Australia. Here are all confirmed dates for July and August:
16 July: Pipas + The Honeydrips in Stockholm, Sweden @ Trädgården
21 July: Pipas + The Frenchmen + The Cut Outs in London, UK @ The Betsey Trotwood
22 July: Pipas + The Liberty Ship + The Frenchmen + The Cut Outs in Nottingham, UK @ The Rescue Rooms
23 July: Pipas + The Frenchmen + Velodrome 2000 + The Cut Outs in Sheffield, UK @ Classic Rock Bar
24 July: Pipas + The Frenchmen + The Cut Outs + The Seven Inches in Leeds, UK @ The Fenton
23/24 July: Lovejoy in Malmö, Sweden at the We & You Festival
29 July: The Lucksmiths in Ballarat, Australia @ Karova Lounge
30 July: The Lucksmiths + Paper Tiger in Adelaide, Australia @ Jade Monkey
31 July: The Lucksmiths + Mid-State Orange + Richard Easton in Melbourne, Australia @ Hi Fi Bar
6 August: The Lucksmiths + Anthony Atkinson in Hobart, Australia @ The Venue
7 August: The Lucksmiths + Anthony Atkinson in Launceston, Australia @ Royal Oak
21 August: The Guild League in Melbourne, Australia @ The Corner Hotel (album launch)
Finally, in June hit parade action The Fairways crushed the competition with their new album “This is Farewell”
(matcd031). Here are the top sellers for the month:
10. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
9. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
8. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
7. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
6. Various – The Matinée Autumn Assortment! CD
5. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
4. Various – Matinée 50! CD
3. Pipas – Bitter Club CDEP
2. Various – Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware CD
1. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
More news and great new music next month!
regards,
Jimmy
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