Heard us on the radio lately? We seem to have a few hits across the globe, with Gideon Coe of England’s BBC 6 Music spreading the good word about Northern Portrait and Strawberry Whiplash this week, Jim Gellatly of XFM Scotland selecting The Hermit Crabs in his X-posure showcase, and Spanish National Radio deejay Julio Ruiz continuing his firm support of all things Matinée on his Disco Grande program!

Also very cool is a Matinée special aired last month on Leigh Tran’s Tape Relay program in Australia, produced in conjunction with Alistair Fitchett of hip English pop culture website and indie record label Unpopular. The special showcases recent tracks from The Pines, The Lucksmiths, The Electric Pop Group, and The Hermit Crabs and you can listen to it archived here. It’s ace!

You know the tides are turning, however, when you start getting serious attention in the US as Bubblegum Lemonade recently have enjoyed courtesy of KEXP deejay Kevin Cole who selected ‘Ten Years Younger’ for KEXP’s monthly Music That Matters podcast (Vol. 91) and Song of the Day honors! KEXP is just starting to show some love for The Electric Pop Group and Northern Portrait too, while the equally cool WOXY has thrown its support behind recent releases by Math and Physics Club and Strawberry Whiplash! Move over, Mariah!

If we do nothing else this year, we have secured our spot in the 2008 record books with brilliant Matinée debuts out today from our latest signings Northern Portrait and The Electric Pop Group! Following are the exclusive release details:

matinée 068
NORTHERN PORTRAIT – THE FALLEN ARISTOCRACY EP

Tracklisting:
1. Crazy
2. A Quiet Night In Copenhagen
3. Waiting For A Chance
4. The Fallen Aristocracy

Magnificent debut release from new Danish trio Northern Portrait who are ready to take the world by storm with one of the strongest singles released by Matinée to date! The release has all the makings of a modern pop classic and, according to somebody in the know, will “shake the indiepop world to its very foundations.” The band lists indie legends The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Housemartins among its influences and they certainly should appeal to fans of these and other classic pop groups plus contemporary favorites like Math and Physics Club too.

Lead track ‘Crazy’ is the one that got the band noticed when it appeared on a newly-christened Myspace page late last summer. Written and recorded in a four-hour time frame which marked the beginning of Northern Portrait, the song was completed intuitively with absolutely nothing prepared until guitars plugged in. A mix of acoustic and electric Rickenbackers, the guitars jangle in all the right places recalling Smiths classics like ‘This Charming Man’, and the vocals fit the music perfectly. It’s a hit!

‘A Quiet Night In Copenhagen’ is the first of three additional tracks on the EP and sets the bar pretty high with more jangling guitars, nice tempo changes and other instrumentation. Short and to the point, the song is a fairly universal tale of a kind of voluntary outsiderism. ‘Waiting For A Chance’ is a bit slower and recalls the brightness of The Trash Can Sinatras or The Sundays if they had a male singer. The song features more of the characteristic Northern Portrait guitar sounds plus some nice keyboards. Final track ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ is an ode to all romantics—bittersweet, but definitely more sweet than bitter. Using glockenspiel in addition to guitars, the song bounces along nicely and just might make the case of saving the strongest track for last.

This debut demonstrates amazing promise for a new band and leads one to wonder if the b-sides are this good just what does Northern Portrait have in store for its debut album?

For band photos, soundclips, reviews and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and Northern Portrait pages on Myspace.

matinée 067
THE ELECTRIC POP GROUP – SUNRISE EP

Tracklisting:
1. I Could See The Lights
2. This Is The Town
3. Summer’s Day
4. Come And See Me

Brilliant Matinée debut from popular Swedish band The Electric Pop Group. The quartet astonished everyone late in 2006 with a self-released debut album that came out of nowhere to make numerous year-end lists and earn countless favorable reviews including comparisons to legendary bands on Creation Records (Razorcuts, Primal Scream, The Pastels, Jesus and Mary Chain) and Sarah Records (The Sea Urchins, Another Sunny Day, Brighter, and The Field Mice). As one of many indie record labels that took notice, Matinée made contact with them just as they started work on new recordings last summer and this EP is the first fruit of those sessions. Especially notable given the band’s name, this EP also marks the addition of acoustic guitars to their repertoire.

The EP kicks off with ‘I Could See The Lights’, an incredible tune and one of the first new songs the band recorded following the success of its debut album. Guitars jangle, drums pound, keyboards chime…the song simply shimmers and will serve as a perfect summertime anthem even in the face of less agreeable weather. It demanded to be released as a single so here it is!

In addition to the lead track, the EP features three glorious additional songs: ‘This Is The Town’ is another chiming A-side, an infectious song that features prominent keyboards as the perfect counterpoint to three glistening guitar parts. ‘Summer’s Day’ is a showcase for the newly added acoustic guitar, a fragile song that is similar to and every bit as poignant as the classic track ‘For Always’ by Razorcuts. Finally, ‘Come And See Me’ employs keyboards to great effect, creating a mesmerizing and soaring hit that is an especially lovely way to end the EP for sure.

On this release, the band takes its sound—described by one esteemed music writer as “both studiously retrospective and thoroughly contemporary”—and expands it with added instrumentation and superb songwriting. The result is a modern indiepop classic and another sparkling addition to the Matinée discography.

For band photos, soundclips, reviews and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and The Electric Pop Group pages on Myspace.

All the cool kids are buying copies of both EPs so get to the order page or your favorite shop to secure yours today! Both EPs should appear on iTunes any day as well so if you’re after digital copies your wait is nearly over. You can listen to ‘I Could See The Lights’ and ‘Crazy’ in their entirety on the Matinée sounds page, or tracks from each EP rotating weekly on MySpace, or 30-second samples of all the songs on iTunes. Enjoy!

On this last day of the month, Northern Portrait takes over as the new number one on the hit parade. Here are the top sellers on the website for March:

10. Matinée Recordings – turntable t-shirt
9. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
8. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
4. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP
3. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP
2. The Electric Pop Group – Sunrise CDEP
1. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP

Looks like the new EPs from Northern Portrait and The Electric Pop Group are scheduled to arrive a bit sooner than expected so get your preorders in and you might have these new Matinée classics in your hands even before we promised! See preorder details immediately following this posting and exclusive song previews just uploaded on MySpace.

Meanwhile, our two most recent releases are enjoying wonderful early reviews and here are some favorite quotes. Click on the catalog numbers for complete release details including full reviews and soundclips. These singles are part of virtually every order we receive these days but if you haven’t gotten yours please head over to the order page before they sell out!

matinée 064
Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP

“Ten Years Younger is the jangled up long lost cousin of The Velvets ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’. An essential purchase for anyone with a jangle pop bone in their body – Bubblegum Lemonade have made a great EP that takes on board a lot of C86’s original reference points and created something of real beauty.” —Indie-mp3.co.uk

“The songs on the EP are all infectiously catchy and good enough to make you want to break lampshades in unbridled euphoria. Hell yeah! It’s Bubblegum Lemonade!” —Luna Park 6

“Ten Years Younger features jingle jangle Rickenbackers and is total guitar heaven in the vein of early Primal Scream, Postcard Records, Biff, Bang, Pow! and the early Servants… Absolutely irresistable! More please!” —Pennyblack Magazine

“An unlikely balance between the murky reverb of early years Jesus and Mary Chain’s guitars and the simple sunshine pop of the ’60s, alluding to everyone from Phil Spector’s stable of talent to The Monkees, with a tiny dose of electronics thrown in now and then just to make things a little more unpredictable. Bubblegum Lemonade’s the perfect C86 pop band that just happened to turn up 22 years behind schedule.” —Aversion.com

“This EP is a pure gem, layered vocals, catchy harmonies, subtle feedback, everything’s there…Buy it now and get 12 minutes of youth back.” —A Hipster’s Progress

matinée 065
Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP

“Who’s In Your Dreams? could have kept Sarah Records in cheap microphones for decades all on its own. It is a fuzzy delight, overdosing in sweet bah bah bah’s and drums that while pounded have a certain timedness.” —mp3hugger

“If you have not heard Strawberry Whiplash before you are in for a treat. They’re like the best bits of c86 rolled up into a decidely lovely ball of indiepop.” —Indie-mp3.co.uk

“Feels like a distant cousin to Jesus and Mary Chain’s classic ‘Just Like Honey.’ It’s just wonderful. Let’s have that full-length soon, eh?” —Ink 19

“Four little jewels that’ll stick with you all this summer. I know it’s only February, but their ‘feedback wall of sunshine sound’ and a song like ‘It Rains On Other Planets’ will disperse winter clouds and make flowers grow around your steps. Ten seconds were enough for me to fall head over heels.” —A Hipster’s Progress

“Who’s in Your Dreams? is a perfect fuzzy pop song, with lots of tambourine, and more ba-da-bas per capita than most perfect fuzzy pop songs that I’ve heard in recent memory. I want to shirk all of my responsibilities and spend all of my spare time with it.” —Square Girls

The Glasgow duo continue their reign atop the Matinée hit parade, although preorders for debuts from our Scandinavian contingent suggest March may be a different story. Here are the top sellers for February:

10. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
9. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
8. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
7. Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
4. Northern Portrait – The Fallen Aristocracy CDEP
3. The Electric Pop Group – Sunrise CDEP
2. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP
1. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP

Adios amigos!

Everything is sorted with our next two releases so we’re soaking up the glorious sunshine here in Santa Barbara while we wait for them to return from the pressing plant. Of course this means you are now able to preorder them assuming you are the patient sort that doesn’t need immediate gratification. Here are the necessary details:

‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP (matinée 068) is the debut release from Danish trio Northern Portrait who are ready to take the world by storm with—dare we say it—one of the strongest singles released by Matinée to date! The release has all the makings of a modern pop classic and, according to somebody in the know, will “shake the indiepop world to its very foundations.” The band lists indie legends The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Housemartins among its influences and they certainly should appeal to fans of these and other classic pop groups.

Lead track ‘Crazy’ is the one that many of you have heard already and really got the band noticed when it appeared on a newly-christened Myspace page late last summer. The guitars jangle in all the right places and the vocals are just perfect in that Morrissey-before-he-got-excruciatingly-whiney sort of way. Check it out now playing on the Matinée sounds page. It’s a hit!

‘A Quiet Night In Copenhagen’ is the first of the three additional tracks on the EP and sets the bar pretty high with more jangling guitars, nice tempo changes and other instrumentation. ‘Waiting For A Chance’ is a bit slower and recalls the Trash Can Sinatras or The Sundays if they had a male singer, while final track ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ bounces along nicely and just might be the current favorite around the Matinée office. The EP demonstrates amazing promise for a new band and leads one to wonder if the b-sides are this good just what do they have in store for the debut album? We are rotating all tracks on the Matinée Myspace page this month so head there for a listen to at least one of these at any given time. The band has additional tracks on its own Myspace page so please pay them a visit as well.

The EP is available for preorder now so head to the order page to reserve your very own. Preorder copies ship exclusively via the Matinée mailorder starting March 7th and the release will be in shops worldwide March 31st.

Perhaps even more anticipated is the debut Matinée release the ‘Sunrise’ EP (matinée 067) from The Electric Pop Group! A quartet hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, 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 favorite among the Matinée legion as well. If the Matinée 2007 fanclub poll results are any indication, they already have as their song ‘My Only Inspiration’ from the ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045) earned them a number two ranking in the favorite song of 2007 category!

The new EP kicks off with ‘I Could See The Lights’, an incredible tune and one of the first new songs we heard from the band last summer. Guitars jangle, drums pound, keyboards chime…the song simply shimmers and will serve as your perfect summertime anthem even if you are facing weeks more of miserable weather. It demanded to be released as a single so here it is! You can listen to it now on the Matinée sounds page.

In addition to the lead track, the EP features three astonishing additional songs: ‘This Is The Town’ is another chiming A-side which has the high honor of topping this week’s hit parade playlist on the Matinée iPod, while ‘Summer’s Day’ is a fragile one that is similar to and every bit as precious as the classic ‘For Always’ from Razorcuts, and ‘Come And See Me’ is an especially lovely way to end the EP for sure. We are rotating all tracks on the Matinée Myspace page this month so head there for a listen. The band has additional tracks on its own Myspace page including choice cuts from the self-released debut album.

The ‘Sunrise’ EP is now available for preorder so head to the order page to reserve a copy of your very own. Preorder copies ship exclusively via the Matinée mailorder starting March 14th and the release will be in shops worldwide March 31st.

That’s all for now. Back to that sunshine now…

Our recent releases continue to generate spectacular reviews, so we’ve compiled some of our favorite quotes below. Click on the catalog numbers for complete release details including full reviews and soundclips. These four should be part of your collection already but if not head straight to the order page and resolve that situation at once!

matcd045
Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD

“You would be hard pressed to come up with a better compilation if you were making your own mixtape.” -Indiemp3.co.uk

“These are the best bands in the genre on the best label, offering up wonderful new tracks to commemorate a brilliant run. That makes The Matinée Hit Parade a true gift.” -Delusions of Adequacy

“This is as close to perfect a label compilation can get.” -Eardrums

“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.” -Kisschase

“More stars in Matinée’s parade of hits.” -Erasing Clouds

“All told, compilation or not, this is one of the better albums of this year.” -Ink 19

“Excellent compilation of the cream of the label’s roster.” -Pennyblack Magazine

matcd046
The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD

“The group’s jangle-pop pedigree is fairly impeccable, … and the album’s 10 bite-sized tracks breeze by with such a casual ease that it’s tough to find much fault.” -MAGNET Magazine

“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.” -Aversion.com

“Indiepop perfection.” -XFM Scotland

“Ten tracks of perfect little pop songs that are just as heartbreaking and poignant during the upbeat and jangly songs as they are during the slower ones!” -IndiePages

“A solid debut which should provide the band with a sure footing on which to build.” -Is This Music?

“An essential pop album.” -Heaven Is Above Your Head

matinée 066
Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP

“Pop songwriting that presses all the right buttons” -Erasing Clouds

“The finest Math and Physics Club release yet.” -Left Hip

“What The Smiths would have sounded like with a sunny side…Baby I’m Yours presents a case that the time is ripe for Math and Physics Club to earn some notice.” -Pop Matters

“With this EP the bar is raised just that higher.” -Indiemp3.co.uk

“Math and Physics Club are BACK and they haven’t lost it either, with their tender marriage of Smithsian tales of youthful indiscretion and delicate, spinning guitars. -Kisschase

“Math and Physics Club continue to produce some of the finest melancholy modern rock on this (or any) continent.” -Three Imaginary Girls

“The perfect bit of pop sunshine to get me through a dreary winter weekend day.” -Delusions of Adequacy

matcd044
The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD

“This is a generous compilation, rewarding equally generous listens.” -Pitchfork

“The Lucksmiths aren’t just impressive, they’re impressively consistent.” -Aversion.com

“If the band can be this good on its cast-offs, imagine what the albums are like.” -Time Out Chicago

“Enough to make a skinny cardigan wearing kid uncuff his rolled up jeans and jump up for joy.” -Luna Park 6

“A testament to The Lucksmiths’ long and fame-worthy career.” -Delusions of Adequacy

“Essential for Lucksmiths fanatics and newbies and pretty much everyone in between.” -IndiePages

“An excellent chronicle of a distinctly Australian and intelligent pop group.” -Rave Magazine

Strawberry Whiplash and Bubblegum Lemonade continue to outpace the competition in sales, swapping places atop the January Hit Parade. Here are the best sellers on the website for last month:

10. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
9. Matinée Recordings – turntable t-shirt
8. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
4. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
3. Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD
2. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP
1. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP

We have officially launched our 2008 release schedule with debut singles out today from brilliant new Glasgow bands Bubblegum Lemonade and Strawberry Whiplash! Here are the complete release details:

catalog number: matinée 064
BUBBLEGUM LEMONADE – TEN YEARS YOUNGER EP

Tracklisting:
1. Ten Years Younger
2. The Tomorrow People
3. Unsafe At Any Speed
4. That Thing You Do!

Magnificent debut release from a 60’s influenced indie-pop affair from Glasgow, Scotland. Bubblegum Lemonade is principally a man called Laz, a 12-string Rickenbacker enthusiast with more than a few Velvet Underground, Byrds, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Razorcuts records in his collection.

Title track ‘Ten Years Younger’ updates the Mary Chain’s take on The Velvets with nice bursts of electronica and beautiful female backing vocals courtesy of Sandra from fellow Glaswegians Strawberry Whiplash.

‘The Tomorrow People’ is a wonderful 60’s-drenched jangle pop gem that should please even the most ardent Byrds or Razorcuts fan, while ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’ is Ralph Nader meets the Mary Chain with liberal dollops of reverb and distortion.

Finally, ‘That Thing You Do!’ is a glorious cover of the title song from the mid-90’s hit movie of the same name. Written by Adam Schlesinger (Ivy, Fountains of Wayne), the song was originally credited to the fictitious band The Wonders and needed to be roughed up a bit as it is here. A fantastic closer to an impressive debut EP.

With insanely catchy songs, masterful 12-string guitars, shimmering pop melodies, and the feedback drenched sounds of the Mary Chain, Bubblegum Lemonade is an extraordinary addition to the Matinée roster proving that old school indie will never go out of style. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve.

For band photos, soundclips, and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and Bubblegum Lemonade pages on Myspace.

catalog number: matinée 065
STRAWBERRY WHIPLASH – WHO’S IN YOUR DREAMS EP

Tracklisting:
1. Who’s In Your Dreams?
2. It Rains On Other Planets
3. My Day Today
4. Factory Girl

Astonishing debut from a promising new band from Glasgow, Scotland where everyone is in a pop band—it’s in the blood, it’s in the water and it’s in the contract. Sandra and Laz have built a feedback wall of sunshine sound out of old fuzz boxes and reverbed drums that recalls some of the best C-86 pop from The Shop Assistants, Talulah Gosh, The Primitives, or The Revolving Paint Dream.

The debut single includes the infectious lead track ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ which is creating quite the buzz on international indie blogs already. It’s a hip shaking pop gem with tambourines, splendid melodies, loads of reverb and just the recommended dosage of ba-da-ba’s.

‘It Rains On Other Planets’ is a shimmering wall of sound with noisy guitars, steady drumming, piercing organ and handclaps, while ‘My Day Today’ is an immediate 150 bpm pop hit with jangling guitars and keyboards that in a parallel universe would fill dancefloors to capacity. Final track ‘Factory Girl’ is a harmonic wall of pop based around the Warhol Superstar phenomenon—think Mary Chain meets The Primitives and you’re nearly there.

An especially invigorating addition to the Matinée catalog, Strawberry Whiplash are early contenders for favorite new band of 2008! Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve.

For band photos, soundclips, and more information please see the catalog and artist pages, or surf the Matinée and Strawberry Whiplash pages on Myspace.

Both new EPs are selling like hotcakes so get to the order page or your favorite shop to secure a copy today! We have somehow coordinated the iTunes release dates precisely this time too so if you’re after digital copies you know where to go for those. You can listen to the title tracks in their entirety on the Matinée sounds page, or tracks from each EP rotating weekly on MySpace, or 30-second samples of all the songs on iTunes. Enjoy!

Hey, it’s time to announce winners of the sixth annual Matinée fanclub poll! The results are now posted on the archive page and summarized below for your convenience.

The esteemed album of the year award goes to ‘Spring A Leak’ (matcd044) from The Lucksmiths (47 votes), just edging out the ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ (matcd045) compilation (45) and the debut album ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from The Hermit Crabs (29).

In the singles category, Math and Physics Club captured the top spot with the ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) earning 58 votes. Debut Matinée singles ‘Ten Years Younger’ (matinée 064) from Bubblegum Lemonade and ‘Who’s In Your Dreams’ (matinée 065) from Strawberry Whiplash were the other top picks, earning 44 and 35 votes respectively.

‘Baby I’m Yours’ also provided Math and Physics Club with its third consecutive victory in the coveted Matinée song of the year contest. The title track from the latest EP earned 26 votes, followed by ‘My Only Inspiration’ from newcomers The Electric Pop Group (24), ‘Feel Good Factor’ from The Hermit Crabs (19), ‘Ten Years Younger’ from Bubblegum Lemonade (15) and ‘Temporary Best Friend’ from Would-Be-Goods (14). ‘Good Light’ from The Lucksmiths (13), ‘Failure’ from Clay Hips (11), ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ from The Lucksmiths (11), ‘Call To Prayer’ from The Guild League (10) and ‘Ilene’ from Harper Lee (10) completed the top ten, followed by ‘Friend’s Folk Festival’ from The Hermit Crabs (9), ‘Nothing Really Happened’ from Math and Physics Club (9), ‘Summershine’ from Strawberry Whiplash (9), ‘Falling Off Of My Feet Again’ from The Lucksmiths (8), and ‘Do You Keep A Diary’ from Math and Physics Club (8).

In the favorite artist category, The Lucksmiths held the number one spot for the sixth consecutive year (43 votes), followed by Math and Physics Club (28), Harper Lee (15), The Pines (14), Brighter (13), Razorcuts (13), The Hermit Crabs (9), The Siddeleys (9), Would-Be-Goods (9), and Tender Trap (7).

Brighter topped the favorite Matinée release of all time category with the ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) compilation (26 votes). ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths provided a formidable challenge (25 votes), followed by ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (18), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (17), and ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club (16). ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (15), ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (13), ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club (13), ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (9), and ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) from Pipas (9) completed the top ten, followed by ‘All Things Can Be Mended’ (matcd033) from Harper Lee (8), ‘Staring At The Sky (matcd004) from The Lucksmiths (8), ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines (8), ‘Inner North’ (matcd034) from The Guild League (7) and ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008) from Lovejoy (7).

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who entered. We received responses from 20 countries this year, and the lucky winner of the CD prize pack is Katy Batsel from Marietta, Georgia. Hurrah! Wish you had won? Join the Matinée Fanclub and you may be our next lucky winner.

We are pleased to continue our annual tradition of looking back on the things from last year that made Matinée artists smile. This installment includes 2007 favorite lists from members of Airport Girl, Bubblegum Lemonade, The Electric Pop Group, The Guild League, Kosmonaut, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Northern Portrait, The Pines, Simpático, Strawberry Whiplash, Sweet William, and Would-Be-Goods. Check the archive page or click here to review the lists.

Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2008 with a slight revision to the Matinée news page that will offer shorter but more frequent updates so bookmark this page as we are planning several updates per month and you don’t want to miss anything now do you? We have a great year planned but for now here’s our top sellers hit parade for December in case you are looking for that perfect post-holiday present for yourself:

10. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
9. Various – A Smile Took Over 2×7”
8. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD
5. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
3. Various Artists – The Matinée Hit Parade CD
2. Strawberry Whiplash – Who’s In Your Dreams CDEP
1. Bubblegum Lemonade – Ten Years Younger CDEP

More soon…