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!

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.

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
x

Greetings! We have brand new treats available now from The Hermit Crabs, Math and Physics Club, and The Lucksmiths, plus our special 10-year anniversary ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD, a new supply of t-shirts and badges, and exclusive singles on the way from four new Matinée artists. Yes, it’s true!

We are delighted to report the debut album ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from celebrated Glasgow band The Hermit Crabs is out now! 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 is highly respected music site Aversion.com, which is streaming the album in its entirety right now if you click here. Aversion has also conducted a great interview with the band and awarded the album a glowing review. 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 please have a listen. This is a good one so don’t miss it!

Also now featured on new release shelves across the globe is the fantastic ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) featuring four new songs from Seattle hipsters Math and Physics Club!

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.

‘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! To celebrate the release, the band is playing a special in-studio session on KEXP radio on November 13 at 1pm Pacific time and you can listen to it live even if you aren’t in Seattle through the wonders of internet streaming. Check the KEXP site for details.

‘Baby I’m Yours’ is now featured on the Matinée sounds page so have a listen! We’re streaming tracks from the EP on our Myspace page all month too, and if you pay attention there just may be a free download there as well. Assuming you want to hear the EP in its full stereo glory, why not head straight to the order page to secure a copy of your very own? The artwork is smashing of course and it would look so good sitting next to your ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) EPs, don’t you think?

If you can’t get enough of new songs from The Hermit Crabs or Math and Physics Club, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s more from each of them on our very exciting new compilation ‘The Matinée Hit Parade’ (matcd045)! 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 extraordinary collection serves as an essential new release for devoted followers and a wonderful introduction for label dilettantes. You can get a copy exclusively through the efficient and friendly Matinée mailorder RIGHT NOW, or from your favorite struggling record shop or online record emporium starting October 30. If you’re reading this page we trust you’ll find this release compulsory listening. Oh, did we mention the CD looks exactly like a tiny 45 rpm record (grooves and all)? 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 addition to contributing a new favorite 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.

We’re featuring a selection of tracks on the sounds page and the full tracklisting and more release information on the catalog page. You probably already have this but if not, get over to the order page pronto and we’ll send you your very own!

To celebrate the release, The Lucksmiths spent two weeks in the States last month playing live shows which by all accounts were some of their best. We had the honor of having them headline a Matinée 10-year anniversary show in Santa Barbara at the start of the tour supported by label mates Math and Physics Club, The Guild League (Tali White solo set), and Oxnard popstars Maria. The show was a fantastic success for everyone and generated some nice press including a brilliant full-page feature in our local Santa Barbara Independent and a great review on the hip new Los Angeles blog Square Girls. The show also generated numerous video posts on Youtube that you can watch here (Lucksmiths/Guild League) and here (Math and Physics Club…including a grand cover of ‘Sally Cinnamon’ by The Stone Roses). Thanks to everyone who came out to the show including some long time Matinée mailorder customers…it’s really nice to put a face to the emails!

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!

Moving on to some especially enticing forthcoming releases, we are delighted to report details of Matinée debuts from four fantastic new artists! The debut release from Glasgow, Scotland’s Bubblegum Lemonade is the four song ‘Ten Years Younger’ EP (matinée 064) featuring ace tracks ‘Ten Years Younger,’ ‘The Tomorrow People,’ ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’ and ‘That Thing You Do!’ 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 EP is in the hands of our trusty pressing plant now and on course for late November release. In the meantime, lead track ‘Ten Years Younger’ is playing on the Matinée sounds page and you can hear several other songs on the band’s Myspace page so head there for a taste of what’s to come. We’ll be featuring tracks from the EP on Myspace the entire month of November so you may want to check there once a week as well. Bubblegum Lemonade has also contributed an exclusive song called ‘Tyler’ to the brand new ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045), which as you know is available right now from the friendly Matinée shop so get going!

Also now at the pressing plant is the debut ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ EP (matinée 065) from new Glasgow noise pop act 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 hipster 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. We’re featuring ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ on the sounds page right now and you can hear additional songs on the band’s Myspace page. As with the above single we’ll be featuring tracks from the EP on the Matinée Myspace page the entire month of November so you’ll want to check there for a pop fix once a week as well. 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 from the trusty order page!

As if those two weren’t exciting enough, we are thrilled to announce details of the Matinée debut from Swedish sensations The Electric Pop Group! A quartet hailing from the indiepop hotbed of Gothenburg, 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 2008, plus additional non-album tracks ‘This is the Town,’ ‘Summer’s Day,’ and ‘Come And See Me.’ We are finalizing artwork for the EP now and should have copies available by the end of November 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. We’ll be featuring tracks from this EP on the Matinée Myspace page in November so you might as well bookmark it so you don’t miss out. The Electric Pop Group has also contributed a fantastic new song ‘My Only Inspiration’ to the brand new ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD (matcd045), which is available now exclusively right here or in shops from October 30th. We have limited copies of their debut self-titled album for sale on the order page too so grab one before it sells out.

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.’ The recordings are nearly completed and we’ve just finished the artwork so we’re hoping to have this out before the holidays as well. You can preview ‘Crazy’ and two other Northern Portrait songs on the band’s Myspace page, and we’ll be featuring Northern Portrait on the Matinée sounds page and our own Myspace page very soon as well. Stay tuned for additional release details!

Our merchandise selection has expanded tremendously lately with the addition of a dozen new badges and some great new t-shirts too! The badges include new designs for Brighter, The Fairways, Harper Lee, The Hermit Crabs, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, The Pines, Tender Trap and Matinée and they’re all now displayed on the updated fanclub page. You can buy them singly or in economical packs of five or ten on the order page.

The t-shirts include great new Lucksmiths and Math and Physics Club designs that we made for their recent US shows plus a fantastic Matinée 10-year anniversary shirt. All shirts are ultra trendy American Apparel models and we even have a small stash of kids sizes (2, 4 and 6 just like the images above but all on navy blue shirts) for those wee indiepop fans out there! The shirt designs are also now displayed on the fanclub page so check them out soon because quantities are limited and they’re going fast. See the order page for availability and sizes.

Our new Myspace page continues to be a happening place so check it out if you haven’t lately. We are showcasing tracks from all the new and forthcoming releases for the next month including songs that you can’t even hear on the website yet so if you’re after new music from Bubblegum Lemonade, Clay Hips, The Electric Pop Group, The Guild League, Harper Lee, The Hermit Crabs, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Northern Portrait, The Pines, Slipslide, Strawberry Whiplash or Would-Be-Goods, check there as we are uploading new songs every week this month.

As expected, The Lucksmiths ruled a significantly overhauled hit parade of best sellers for the month of September. Here’s the top ten:

10. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
9. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
8. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
7. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
6. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
5. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
4. Harper Lee – Go Back To Bed CD
3. The Hermit Crabs – Saw You Dancing CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Baby I’m Yours CDEP
1. The Lucksmiths – Spring A Leak 2xCD

We’ll be back in a few weeks with more new release information, our annual fanclub poll, and other exciting news!

Regards,
Jimmy

So here’s the news you’ve been waiting for… information on nine (!) new Matinée releases, upcoming US dates for The Lucksmiths and Math and Physics Club, Matinée’s 10-Year anniversary festivities, our very special ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD, that Harper Lee repressing we’ve been promising, a fifth new band for the label in just two months, and so much more.

After a notable two-year absence from the new-release racks, The Lucksmiths return with an exhaustive new collection of lost treasures in the form of new double album ‘Spring a Leak’ (matcd044). No mere greatest hits collection, the album compiles over a decade’s worth of great recordings that have never made it onto a Lucksmiths full-length: b-sides, alternate versions (from 7″ singles and demos), songs recorded especially for compilations, live, radio and TV sessions, cover versions, remixes, and various previously unreleased ephemera. Forty-five songs in all (please see tracklisting on the catalog page), packaged in a deluxe double-CD digipak. A major undertaking 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.

By the nitpickingly precious Lucksmiths’ own admission, the bar was lowered just a little on this one (although a few tracks originally slated for inclusion were eventually deemed unlistenable, and consequently omitted): there’s the odd bum note, and, inevitably, given the nature of the project, varying degrees of quality across the recordings. In its entirety, however, ‘Spring a Leak’ exhibits both the remarkable consistency and ongoing development of one of this generation’s most esteemed and distinctive pop groups. It’s also our first co-release with the band’s own Lost and Lonesome Recording Company in Australia which is of course further cause for celebration!

The album is released September 10th but we’ll start shipping copies on the 5th so get your orders in now for speediest delivery. In the meantime, we’re featuring one of the unreleased tracks on the sounds page—a cover of ‘Dolly’ by fellow Australian legends The Sugargliders – and an additional seven songs on the catalog page so check it out for the full tracklisting and more release information.

To celebrate the release of ‘Spring A Leak,’ the band is treating us to a short US tour later this month with the following dates:

September 21 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ El Cid with Math and Physics Club
September 22 – SANTA BARBARA, CA @ Reds Espresso and Wine Bar with Math and Physics Club + The Guild League + Maria
September 23 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ 12 Galaxies with Still Flyin’ + Fred Astereo
September 24 – SEATTLE, WA @ Crocodile Café with Math and Physics Club + Fred Astereo
September 25 – PORTLAND, OR @ Holoscene with Andrew Kaffer + Fred Astereo
September 26 – CHICAGO, IL @ Schubas with The Brunettes + Ferraby Lionheart
September 27 – CAMBRIDGE, MA @ TT The Bears with The Ladybug Transistor + Still Flyin’
September 28 – NEW YORK, NY @ The Knitting Factory with The Ladybug Transistor + Still Flyin’
September 29 – BROOKLYN, NY @ Europa with The Ladybug Transistor + Still Flyin’
September 30 – WASHINGTON, DC @ DC9 with The Ladybug Transistor + Still Flyin’
October 1 – DURHAM, NC @ Duke Coffeehouse with The Ladybug Transistor + Still Flyin’
October 2 – ATHENS, GA @ Caledonia Lounge with The Ladybug Transistor
October 3 – NEW ORLEANS, LA @ venue TBC
October 4 – AUSTIN, TX @ Emo’s with Our Solar System

We’re taking advantage of their quick run through the States to have a little celebration on September 22 here in Santa Barbara in honor of 2007 being the 10-year anniversary of the label. Who knew our humble Sweet William 7″ (matinée 001) back in 1997 would lead to everything we have accomplished in the past decade? Of course The Lucksmiths have been with us since nearly the beginning, releasing their amazing ‘Untidy Towns’ EP (matinée 004) in September of 1998 and an additional eleven releases on Matinée plus contributions to eight of our label compilations since then. The band played the magnificent Soirée Matinée in Paris in 1999, our wedding in Washington, DC in 2001, and additional shows in London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Madrid, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Sydney, and Washington that we had the honor of attending so we really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate with them in town.

To make the occasion even more magnificent we’ve asked our good pals Math and Physics Club to come down too! As the sole American band on the Matinée roster they’re as local as it gets even though they are thousands of miles up the coast in Seattle and we are delighted to have them play Santa Barbara at last.

We’re also happy to report the show will feature a solo set from Tali White of The Guild League! Anyone who saw Tali perform at the San Francisco Popfest picnic in 2003 will remember his amazing set and this one is sure to be equally brilliant as Tali will be featuring songs from the forthcoming third full length from The Guild League as well as old favorites. Hurrah!

Finally, we have invited special guests Maria to open the show. Hailing from nearby Oxnard, California and purveyors of the fine Yay! record label, they are among the most enthusiastic people we’ve encountered and they have a sound that recalls those early releases from The Orchids so we’re looking very forward to having them play as well.

Being a Matinée celebration, we’re planning to start things early in the day (doors at 4:00 pm, first band at 4:45) to take advantage of the daylight hours. It’s an all-ages affair, and did I mention it’s scheduled to happen outside just off the beach? Yes way! The location is Reds Espresso and Wine Bar at 211 Helena Avenue one block east of State Street (@ Yanonali) and two blocks from the beach. Despite it being an outdoor show we’re potentially limited on space so we’re selling advance tickets now for the special price of $6. If you are interested simply email your request to matineepop@hotmail.com and we’ll hook you up. Tickets should be available at the door as well but please order an advance ticket if you know you are coming (or traveling from out of town) to make sure you get in. We’ve already heard from people coming from all over California and even some loyal fans coming in from places like New York and Ohio. Hope to see you there!

Not one to let their Australian labelmates outshadow them, Math and Physics Club have delivered the new release goods for the anniversary show too! The brand new ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP (matinée 066) is nearly finished at the pressing plant and scheduled for release on October 1st although we’ll have copies available sooner exclusively via the Matinée website and at upcoming Math and Physics Club shows. Featuring exclusive new tracks ‘Baby I’m Yours,’ ‘Nothing Really Happened,’ ‘In This Together’ and ‘Do You Keep A Diary’, the EP is the band’s first release since the best selling self-titled album (matcd042) last year. The title track is an amazing little number on which MAPC drummer extraordinaire Kevin was reportedly encouraged to break out his drumsticks instead of brushes so it’s really cooking! ‘Nothing Really Happened’ is a special one for us because it was (in different form) one of the four songs on the original demo tape we received from Math and Physics Club back in 2004. It is also allegedly the first original Math and Physics Club song so its release is probably long overdue. A classic! ‘In This Together’ has also been around for awhile…I first heard it live at the 2005 San Francisco popfest if memory serves me correctly and Saundrah’s prominent violin part impressed me as much then as it does now. Finally, ‘Do You Keep A Diary’ finishes off the EP with a bit of a surprise. The song was actually kicking around at the time of the album recording sessions but didn’t seem to fit on the album for some reason. Math and Physics Club 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 Charles’ 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! You can hear ‘Baby I’m Yours’ on the sounds page and we are taking preorders for the EP right now so don’t delay getting your MAPC fix. We will ship all preorders starting on the 12th which isn’t too far away now, is it?

Also now at the pressing plant and scheduled for release October 1st is the debut album ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) from Glasgow band The Hermit Crabs! The band’s ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) has spent much of its young life atop the Matinée top sellers chart and with good reason. Following numerous live appearances the past six months, the band is set to return with its debut album containing ten new Scottish pop classics: 1. Tonight; 2. Goodbye My Friend; 3. Closet Fan; 4. Lean, Free Summer; 5. Bad Timing; 6. Friend’s Folk Festival; 7. Secrets and Lies; 8. Feel Good Factor; 9. Third Time Lucky; 10. Soulmate. Trust me when I say this is one for the record books! We’re featuring ‘Closet Fan’ on the Matinée sounds page, and the catalog page features three others including our current favorite ‘Friend’s Folk Festival.’ The band has a few tracks streaming on their Myspace page too so you can hear a good portion of the album as we speak. You can preorder the album right now too on the order page and we’ll start shipping on the 19th so you can be the first hip kid on your block with a copy. You know you want it!

Also in production is the very special new compilation ‘The Matinée Hit Parade‘ (matcd045), featuring 13 exclusive tracks from some of our favorite Matinée artists helping us celebrate ten years of independency. Each band has contributed an exclusive new A-side, 45-caliber song (to match the matcd045 catalog number) for this special anniversary collection. Lesser labels might celebrate such an occasion with a stroll through their back catalog but we’ve opted to deliver fresh goods instead so add this to your wish list because it will be an instant label highlight. The tracklisting for the CD is: 1. Math and Physics Club – A Little Romance; 2. Would-Be-Goods – Temporary Best Friend ; 3. The Lucksmiths – Good Light; 4. The Electric Pop Group – My Only Inspiration; 5. Clay Hips – Failure; 6. Bubblegum Lemonade – Tyler; 7. The Hermit Crabs – Sophia; 8. Harper Lee – Ilene; 9. The Guild League – Call To Prayer; 10. Strawberry Whiplash – Summershine; 11. Slipslide – Let Things Fall Apart; 12. The Pines – Train From Wycombe; 13. Lovejoy – Astronauts. 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. We’ve done some special packaging for the CD too so this will not be ready until sometime next month but we’re showcasing tracks from the album on the sounds and catalog pages now and will be featuring more of the songs all month long over on Myspace.

In the coming soon category, we are finalizing artwork and release details now for the next batch of Matinée gems including the debut singles from Bubblegum Lemonade, Strawberry Whiplash, and The Electric Pop Group. There is also a new album from The Guild League and more planned for later this year so watch this space for even more great forthcoming releases! There are a few tracks up for preview on the sounds page and we’ll be adding release details to the website over the next few weeks. In the meantime, here’s a little information on the new bands to whet your appetite:

As we reported last month, Bubblegum Lemonade hail from Glasgow, Scotland and their debut EP (matinée 064) will feature ‘Ten Years Younger’, ‘The Tomorrow People’, ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’ and ‘That Thing You Do!’ In case you were wondering if the last track is a cover of THAT song from THAT movie, the answer is yes and it’s fantastic! Despite the conglomeration of C-86 band names, they actually sound nothing like Bubblegum Splash or Baby Lemonade…instead they pay homage to their Scottish roots with a sound recalling the legendary Jesus and Mary Chain with hints of The Byrds, Razorcuts and early Primal Scream thrown in for good measure. ‘Ten Years Younger’ is now playing on the Matinée sounds page and you can hear several more songs on the band’s Myspace page so head there for a taste of what’s to come. We’re finalizing artwork for this release now so it should be in your hands in October!

Also hailing from Glasgow is an impressive new duo called Strawberry Whiplash and their debut EP (matinée 065) includes the infectious lead track ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ plus ‘It Rains On Other Planets’, ‘My Day Today’ and ‘Factory Girl.’ While Strawberry Switchblade and Meat Whiplash aren’t a million miles off, The Shop Assistants and The Primitives are probably better reference points for this duo. The songs are all ace and this is another classic Matinée EP in the making! We’re featuring ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ on the sounds page and you can hear additional songs on the band’s Myspace page. We’re finalizing artwork for this release now too so look for it sometime in October. You’re going to love it!

Our third new band is the amazing The Electric Pop Group from Gothenburg, Sweden! This quartet astonished everyone late last year with a self-released debut album that came out of nowhere to make numerous year-end lists. The band has a sound that somehow captures the brilliant influence of Razorcuts and Brighter in one band so we’re confident they will become a firm favorite for a large majority of the Matinée faithful. Having sufficiently impressed us here, we are proud to announce their forthcoming Matinée debut, the four song ‘I Could See The Lights’ EP (matinée 067). The EP will contain the ace title track that will preview a second album planned for early 2008, plus three additional non-album tracks. We’ll be finalizing release details over the next few weeks (and adding the lead track to the sounds page) so stay tuned for one of the singles of the year. In the meantime, please visit the band website or Myspace page where you can listen to several songs and download others. We now have copies of their debut self-titled album for sale on the order page too so grab one before it sells out!

With their contributions to the ‘Hit Parade’ compilation complete, we have added new Matinée artist pages to the site for Bubblegum Lemonade, Clay Hips, The Electric Pop Group, and Strawberry Whiplash so check those out via the artist page.

As if four new Matinée artists weren’t exciting enough, we’ve just this week confirmed a fifth new band to join the label—Copenhagen, Denmark’s Northern Portrait! The first Danish act for the label, Northern Portrait list indie legends The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Housemartins among their influences which is a nice starting point to be sure. Matinée has the honor of releasing the debut single ‘Crazy’ in the near future and the band is also working on its debut album so expect good things soon from this exciting new band. You can preview ‘Crazy’ and two other Northern Portrait songs on their Myspace page. Check back soon for more release information. New bands sure are exciting, eh?

In other release news, we’ve just taken delivery of a very welcome repressing 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. I know some of you thought this repressing would never happen but it has at last so get ordering!

Our new Myspace page is the happening place to be these days so drop by if you haven’t already. We are showcasing tracks from all the forthcoming releases for the next month including songs that you can’t even hear on the website so if you’re after new music from Bubblegum Lemonade, Clay Hips, The Electric Pop Group, The Guild League, Harper Lee, The Hermit Crabs, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Northern Portrait, The Pines, Slipslide, Strawberry Whiplash or Would-Be-Goods, check there as we are uploading new songs ever Sunday night in September.

As you plan your order for new releases, don’t forget to include some of our recent gems as well including the ‘It’s Been A While’ CD (matcd043) from The Pines, ‘Math and Physics Club’ CD (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Out To Sea’ CD (matcd041) from Brighter, ‘6 Billion People’ CD (matcd040) from Tender Trap, ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs, ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy, and ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee. Please see the catalog pages for tracklistings, soundclips, and reviews, or skip straight to the order page to make it happen. Check the order page later in the month for some new button and t-shirt action too.

The hit parade is about to have a major overhaul with new releases but for the last two months these were the ones to watch:

10. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
9. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
7. Harper Lee – All Things Can Be Mended CD
6. Slipslide – The World Can Wait CD
5. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
4. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
3. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
2. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD

That’s all for now. Hope to see some of you in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara later this month with The Lucksmiths and Math and Physics Club! We’ll be back in a few weeks with more new release information and other exciting news.

Regards,
Jimmy
x

Happy summer! It’s far too nice to be sitting in front of the computer these days but we have news that just can’t wait any longer so prepare to be wowed. How’s this: four (!) brand new Matinée artists, a 10-year anniversary compilation with 13 exclusive new songs, the debut album from Scottish sensations The Hermit Crabs, a 45-track double CD from The Lucksmiths, a great new EP from Math and Physics Club, and much more!

Let’s start with a welcome update to our singles discography, which will soon include four exclusive new EPs for your listening pleasure. First up is the debut release from one of our four new bands – Bubblegum Lemonade from Glasgow, Scotland! We’ve had a superb time listening to ten songs from this lot over the past few months and have finally decided the tracklisting for their debut EP (matinée 064) to feature ‘Ten Years Younger’, ‘The Tomorrow People’, ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’ and ‘That Thing You Do.’ Despite the conglomeration of C-86 band names, they actually sound nothing like Bubblegum Splash or Baby Lemonade… instead they pay homage to their Scottish roots with a sound recalling the legendary Jesus and Mary Chain with hints of The Byrds, Razorcuts and early Primal Scream thrown in for good measure. And yes, I realize that’s a tall order but they have that magical sound that doesn’t crop up all that often and we think they rule! We’ve added lead track ‘Ten Years Younger’ to the Matinée sounds page and you can hear several more songs on the band’s Myspace page so head there for a taste of what’s to come. We’ll be finalizing release details and adding a Matinée artist page to the site soon. The EP should be out in September if all goes as planned. Hurrah!

Also hailing from Glasgow is an impressive new band called Strawberry Whiplash (honestly… I am not making this up)! While Strawberry Switchblade and Meat Whiplash aren’t a million miles off, The Shop Assistants and The Primitives are probably better reference points for this duo. The tracklisting for their debut EP (matinée 065) is nearly decided, including infectious lead track ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ along with ‘Factory Girl’ and ‘My Day Today’ plus a mystery fourth track. It’s another classic EP in the making! We’ve just added ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ to the Matinée sounds page and you can hear additional songs on the band’s Myspace page. We’ll be finalizing release details and adding a Matinée artist page to the site soon so stay tuned. In the meantime, you’ll be singing ‘Who’s In Your Dreams?’ around the clock and if you have a two-year old this will likely become a favorite song for dancing as it has in this house over the past few months. We suspect our neighbors may be calling social services after hearing so many requests for Strawberry Whiplash (and our other recent family favorite Cats on Fire). What can I say… we breed good taste here in Santa Barbara!

The third forthcoming EP is from another glorious new signing – Göteborg, Sweden’s amazing The Electric Pop Group! This quartet astonished everyone late last year with a self-released debut album that seemed to come out of nowhere to make numerous year-end lists. Having sufficiently impressed the bosses here at Matinée HQ, we’ve just inked a deal with them to join the label and are proud to announce their forthcoming Matinée debut, the four song ‘I Could See The Lights’ EP (matinée 067). The EP will contain an absolutely brilliant lead track that will preview a second album planned for early 2008, plus three additional non-album tracks. In the meantime, we are expecting delivery of a case of their debut self-titled album for which there are only 250 copies left so you’ll probably want to grab one of those while you can. We don’t have them yet but you can preorder a copy on the website order page now and we will send it out as soon as they arrive. You won’t be disappointed. If you want to hear the band first, visit their website or Myspace page where you can listen to several songs and download others. If you are in the UK, you can also check them out live at the wonderful Indie Tracks Festival July 28 and 29 along with new labelmates The Hermit Crabs! As with the above two bands, we’ll be finalizing release details and adding an Electric Pop Group Matinée artist page to the site soon. New bands sure are exciting!

Before you start thinking we’ve abandoned all our existing artists, we’re delighted to report a splendid new EP (matinée 066) from Seattle megastars Math and Physics Club! Featuring exclusive new tracks ‘Baby I’m Yours,’ ‘Nothing Really Happened,’ ‘In This Together’ and ‘Do You Keep A Diary’, the EP is the band’s first release since the best selling self-titled album (matcd042) last year. Anyone who has seen the band live will likely recognize ‘Nothing Really Happened’ and ‘In This Together’ as they have been part of their live set for what seems like ages now. The other two songs are brand new classics that will remind you why you fell in love with Math and Physics Club back in 2005. The band’s debut ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) is now sold out and the second EP ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) is on its way to the same fate so watch for this one so you don’t miss out. The final recordings happen in two weeks time so we’ll be adding a preview to the sounds page in early August and working night and day to have this ready for September release. New songs from Math and Physics Club are always instant classics and this EP is shaping up to be the strongest one yet!

Turning to albums now, we have three in the imminent release category that should make you smile. First up, the debut long-player from Glasgow hitmakers The Hermit Crabs! Seriously, what’s in the water in Glasgow these days with all of these brilliant new bands popping up? Of course The Hermit Crabs can now count themselves among the label veterans as they have a hit single under their belt and what a glorious single it is! Their ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) has spent most of its young life atop the Matinée top sellers chart and with good reason. Following numerous live appearances the past six months, the band is set to return with its debut album ‘Saw You Dancing’ (matcd046) in September. Featuring ten new Scottish pop classics, it’s one for the record books. The tracklisting is: 1. Tonight; 2. Goodbye My Friend; 3. Closet Fan; 4. Lean Free Summer; 5. Bad Timing; 6. Friends Folk Festival; 7. Secrets and Lies; 8. Feel Good Factor; 9. Third Time Lucky; 10. Soulmate. We’ve just added ‘Closet Fan’ as our preview track on the Matinée sounds page, but what a difficult decision it was as the album is especially solid from start to finish. We hope you like it. The band has a few more tracks streaming on their Myspace page if you fancy a listen. As mentioned above, the Hermit Crabs play the Indie Tracks Festival July 28 and 29 along with new labelmates The Electric Pop Group so if you’re in the UK or feel like a last minute booking you can hear them preview the album live. We’ll create a catalog page with more album details and soundclips in the next few weeks.

Also in the forthcoming release category is a remarkable new double CD from Australian popstars The Lucksmiths! The album is appropriately titled ‘Spring A Leak’ (matcd044) because it’s literally what they’ve done here, collecting 45 of their finest non-album recordings from the past decade. The album features 7″ tracks, b-sides, compilation songs, live gems, unreleased rarities, cover versions, radio sessions, and remixes across a specially priced two-disc set. Even the most devout Lucksmiths fan is bound to find a new gem hidden here! We’ll reveal the sensational tracklisting in about two weeks once we finalize some last minute artwork and licensing issues. (The matcd044 in the first sentence of this paragraph will magically become a link to a new catalog page for the release so check that for further details). In the meantime, we’re featuring one of the unreleased tracks on the sounds page – a cover of ‘Dolly’ by fellow Australian legends The Sugargliders! You’ll love it, naturally. Weren’t the Sugargliders ace? Our good pals at Microindie have just released the new album from Sugargliders follow-up band The Steinbecks which is always cause for celebration but in this case possibly more so because Lucksmiths vocalist Tali White provides guest vocals on two album tracks. He’s their cousin you know. Small world, eh? Tell Mike the Vice President sent you when you place your order.

A third album in production is the very exciting ‘Matinée Hit Parade‘ compilation (matcd045), featuring 13 exclusive new tracks from new and old Matinée artists helping us celebrate ten years in the music business. The concept is simple, asking some of our favorite artists to contribute an exclusive new A-side, 45-caliber song (to match the matcd045 catalog number) for this special anniversary collection. Lesser labels might celebrate such an occasion with a stroll through their back catalog but we’ve opted to deliver fresh goods instead so add this to your wish list because it will be an instant label highlight. We are jumping up and down to great new songs from The Guild League, Harper Lee, The Hermit Crabs, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, The Pines, Slipslide and Would-Be-Goods plus splendid tracks from our newest friends Bubblegum Lemonade, Strawberry Whiplash and The Electric Pop Group too! We are also using this album to launch the brand new band Clay Hips which is the latest project of Brent Kenji (The Fairways, The Young Tradition) working together again with Fairways bandmate Andrew Leavitt! We hope to bring you more from this duo soon, but at this point we’re excited to have them contribute to the compilation as they have been releasing records for the label in various guises since the very beginning. You can listen to a few Clay Hips songs at the band’s Myspace page.

The ‘Matinée Hit Parade’ CD is on track for September release to coincide with a Santa Barbara anniversary celebration and some other West Coast live action. We’re hoping to sponsor additional celebrations later in the year too so stay tuned for details. For now, check out the splendid Would-Be-Goods contribution to the CD ‘Temporary Best Friend’ as it’s a massive summer favorite here. It’s now playing on the sounds page of course…

If all this talk of forthcoming releases is giving you a craving for some new pop NOW, we’d be remiss to not remind you of our most recent releases – including the ‘It’s Been A While’ CD (matcd043) from The Pines, ‘Math and Physics Club’ CD (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Out To Sea’ CD (matcd041) from Brighter, ‘6 Billion People’ CD (matcd040) from Tender Trap, ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs, ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy, ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee, and ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths. With all the new releases coming soon, you’ll be hopelessly behind if you don’t pick up some of these gems now! See the catalog pages for tracklistings, soundclips, and reviews, or skip straight to the order page. You know you want to.

So what’s the sudden fascination with Myspace you ask? Well, we’ve finally launched our own page right here and now we fully acknowledge the addictive nature of the site. I’m not quite sure if I understand Myspace etiquette just yet as we’ve received friend requests from people who obviously know nothing about us and perhaps are just trying to increase their own friend score or something. Is that really the point? We haven’t taken that route, but of course we’re happy to add YOU as a friend if you’re interested so check it out. There are links to many of the Matinée artist pages there too in case you need even more friends.

We owe Myspace already as it was instrumental in connecting us with our four new bands so who knows what else will happen as a result of joining the Myspace generation. We are planning to use the page to showcase a mix of new and old tracks, including some unreleased songs and free downloads too so check it regularly because our plan is to rotate the songs every Sunday night.

We had a massive back catalog sale throughout May and June and as a result our hit parade is a bit wacky. The chart should return to normal with the next update, but here’s the top ten from the last two months:

10. Tender Trap – Six Billion People CD
9. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
6. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
5. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
4. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
3. Razorcuts – A is for Alphabet CDEP
2. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP

We’ll be adding bits to the website over the next few weeks and will return in August with more details on new releases, reports on upcoming live shows, new Matinée badges and t-shirts and some other surprises. My dayjob has taken most of my time lately but I’m taking the month of August off to work full time for Matinée to bring you some of the best releases we’ve seen in awhile.

Until then, have a great summer!

Jimmy
x

Afraid we forgot about you? Not a chance! We are working behind the scenes to bring you a proper release schedule for our ten-year anniversary and have a few exciting bits to report. Although we have no new release this month, we have several in progress (see below) and as many as ten more releases planned for this year!

Warehouse Clearance Sale!

In the meantime, we’re having a massive sale at the mailorder to clear space for the new releases and to help us organize a spiffy new office for the label, the construction of which has taken most of our time these last few months. The end is in sight and it’s going to be a fantastic space in short order. Virtually every release from the label is now discounted 20 to 50 percent off regular price so take advantage of the savings to stock up on our splendid back catalog. The US dollar is at historic lows against most currencies right now too so if you’re overseas the prices are even more enticing. As always, there are additional releases that have now fallen into the sold out category and several more on the endangered list so don’t kick yourself for waiting because this sale should mark the end of a few more classics. The sale runs through June 30th so check the order page for details.

Our release schedule resumes in July with a long overdue repressing of the debut Harper Lee album ‘Go Back To Bed’ (matcd009), originally released in 2001 and sold out for a few years too many now. We’ve promised this repressing for awhile and will finally deliver it to satisfy unprecedented public demand.

The Lucksmiths, never happy to laze about for too long, are set to return to the new release shelves with not one, not two, but three new releases in the pipeline! First up is a dandy of a rarities retrospective, followed by a new single and album later in the year. You’ll be swooning over these for sure. The band is making plans for a visit to these fine shores later this year…hurrah!

Our newest band The Hermit Crabs will follow their smashing debut ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) with an as-yet untitled debut album planned for late July. If you think the EP is good, wait until you hear some of these ace album tracks!

Following their magnificent self-titled debut album (matcd042), Seattle megastars Math and Physics Club will get back in the game in early autumn with an exclusive new CDEP. We’ve heard two of the songs already and it’s going to be another smash of course!

London lovelies Would-Be-Goods are busy finalizing details on a new set of enchanting songs for release this year. An album is on the agenda but it could be preceded with a single too if we’re lucky. The new songs are iPod favorites at the moment and certified fun for dancing with two-year olds if you’re looking for that sort of thing. Does anyone else have kids with such exquisite taste?

Similar story for our Aussie pals The Guild League who are working towards an album but are also entertaining release of an advance single. Fingers crossed…

Also now confirmed is an exclusive new compilation called ‘The Matinee Hit Parade’ (matcd045) which is a special celebration for our 10-year anniversary. Containing exclusive new songs from your favorite Matinée artists, the album promises ten 45-caliber hits that you won’t find anywhere else. Speaking of compilations, we plan to fill those pesky discography holes with the mythical ‘France On A Bicycle’ (matcd010) and ‘Matinée Idols’ (matcd013) collections this year too.

September and October should bring a set of Matinée anniversary shows, with plans afoot for gigs in our hometown Santa Barbara plus perhaps Los Angeles and San Francisco. There may be a European party of sorts too so stay tuned for all the details and if anyone is interested in helping with shows please get in touch.

There are a few Matinée bands playing live in the near future too so please take note:

The Hermit Crabs have two upcoming English dates—May 20th in London and July 28th at the fantastic Indie Tracks Mini Festival in Derbyshire. See more details here.

Lovejoy make an annual pilgrimage to their core fan base in Sweden with an appearance at the Rip It Up! festival on July 6 and 7. See the Lovejoy website for details and other news.

The Lucksmiths have a handful of Australian shows in the next week, including May 18th in Sydney, May 19th in Canberra, and May 26th in Queensland. See the band website for details.

Pipas are about to start a short California tour with stops May 17th in San Francisco, May 19th in Modesto, May 20th in Sacramento, May 21st in Isla Vista, and May 24th in Los Angeles. The band also plays Brooklyn and New York City on May 27th and June 8th, respectively. See the Pipas website for details.

If recorded sound is what you’re after, don’t sleep until you pick up our latest crop of new releases! The press continues to swoon over our new albums, with Magnet Magazine setting the tone for its review of ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) by The Pines with opening line “Pam Berry is a legend,” Pitchfork calling the self-titled Math and Physics Club album (matcd042) “music to hold hands to,” and Erasing Clouds declaring ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter “a treasure trove of music from a truly remarkable band.”

Meanwhile, gushing about the ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs, Scottish magazine Is This Music? concluded “the EP definitely shows they’ve got legs of their own to carry on with, or at least pincers,” All Music Guide called the ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy “one of their finest releases,” and Delusions of Adequacy described the ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee as “five songs that are as wonderfully catchy as anything they’ve done.”

Surely some of these are perfect to round out that big order you’re placing? Please see the catalog page for full release details and all the latest reviews.

In a combined March/April hit parade, The Hermit Crabs continue to make lots of new friends while fending off label veterans. Have you heard these hipsters yet?! Here’s the top ten:

10. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
9. Tender Trap – Six Billion People CD
8. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
7. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
6. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
5. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
4. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
3. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
1. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP

We’ll be adding bits to the catalog and sounds pages and will return with a full update including new release details next month. Until then, please take advantage of our sale so we have less to move when the new office is finished!

Cheers,
Jimmy

Hello! We’re back with reports on the latest Matinée releases and results of our fifth annual fanclub poll so keep reading as you may be the winner of some free CDs!

Our latest release is the outstanding 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album showcases the strong songwriting, intricate guitars, and exquisite harmonies of amiable English gent Joe Brooker and legendary American songstress Pam Berry. Smart students of indiepop know Joe is a prolific songwriter and one-half of English pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with notable indie bands of the last decade including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. She’s also the subject of a track on the recent #2 on the Billboard charts album from Sub Pop megastars The Shins!

Beginning in 2000, The Pines released a series of limited edition singles for international record labels Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), Long Lost Cousin (UK), and Matinée (USA) and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). In addition to highlights from these releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from a rare self-released Christmas CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow.

As expected, The Pines continue their regime as music press darlings. Diskant called the album “a must-have record,” adding “Pam Berry is one of the most recognizable voices in American indiepop, with a dulcet croon and a perfect sense of timing and timbre, and we’ve stuck with her since her days in the fetishized Black Tambourine though her work with The Pines, with good reason. Meanwhile, Tasty described the album as “over an hour of gorgeousness,” Erasing Clouds wrote “these 20 songs contain a bounty of breakups, hurt feelings, lonely nights, and reconciliations, and a cornucopia of gorgeous moments, of two singers’ voices joining each other to perfectly express a feeling,” and Chickfactor concluded “it’s a joy to hear, so get one already!”

You can see the full tracklisting, read reviews, and listen to songs on the catalog page. The CD is available now from your favorite shop or the Matinée mailorder so get going because The Pines are ace and you know you need some of their magic in your life!

Our second new release is the remarkable ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from new Glasgow act The Hermit Crabs! Band members Melanie Whittle and Des McKenna are veterans of Scottish favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson and Tony McDonald complete the current lineup. Lead track ‘Feel Good Factor’ is rich with instrumentation and simply spectacular…the sort of song that comes along only once in awhile but sticks with you forever. The track is one of the winners in Scotland’s Burnsong song writing competition so prepare for something truly remarkable. Have a listen to it on the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean. Nice, eh?

The EP also features ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time’—three more quality tracks featuring violin, classical guitar, keyboards, superb vocals and strong lyrics. Perfect for fans of Camera Obscura, Tender Trap, Belle and Sebastian or Sambassadeur, the Hermit Crabs are a very welcome addition to the Matinée roster.

We’re happy to report that the press loves our newest band just as much as we do! Among the excellent reviews so far, I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused called the EP “essential listening,” adding “Feel Good Factor does everything you’d hope it would, the kind of upbeat song that’ll have you clapping your hands and skipping round your room like you’ve just got your hands on a copy of Tigermilk’s original vinyl pressing.” Tangents described it as “sweet succinct Pop that snaps and crackles in all the right places,” while All Music Guide called it “classic Scottish indie pop,” and Tasty declared it “a thousand times better than anything Belle and Sebastian have done in the last four or five years.”

The Hermit Crabs continue to turn heads, with CDReviews.com calling them “Glasgow’s latest band-to-be-heard,” Eardrums concluding “definitely a band to watch in 2007,” and Aversion.com suggesting “Scotland might have another minor sensation brewing.”

You can read all the magnificent reviews on the catalog page. The EP is available now from your favorite record merchant or the trusty Matinée mailorder. The band is currently working on its debut album for release later this year so now’s the time to get hip to one of the greatest new bands we’ve heard in a long time!

In other top news, thanks to everyone who voted in our fifth annual Matinée Fanclub poll! The results are now posted on the archive page and summarized below:

The prestigious album of the year award goes to ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club (60 votes), followed by “Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (42) and ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines (22).

In the singles category, Harper Lee captured the top spot with the ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) earning 40 votes. ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths and ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP from newcomers The Hermit Crabs (matinée 063) were the other top picks, earning 39 and 27 votes respectively.

In the coveted song of the year contest, Math and Physics Club took top prize with ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ (30 votes), followed by ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ from The Lucksmiths (29), ‘He Holds A Flame’ from Harper Lee (24), ‘April Showers’ from Math and Physics Club (22) and ‘Feel Good Factor’ from The Hermit Crabs (20). ‘La La La Lisa’ from Math and Physics Club (17), ‘Made in England’ from Lovejoy (13), ‘Sleepydust’ from The Snowdrops (11), ‘Talking Backwards’ from Tender Trap (11) and ‘Wallflower’ from Brighter (8) completed the top ten.

In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths held the number one spot again this year (44 votes), followed by Math and Physics Club (32), Harper Lee (19), Brighter (17), Tender Trap (13), The Pines (12), Razorcuts (12), Pipas (11), Would-Be-Goods (10), and The Fairways (9).

The Lucksmiths also topped the favorite Matinée release of all time category with last year’s ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) album (26 votes). New release ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club proved a serious contender (25 votes), while ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (19), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (19), ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club (17), ‘Everything’s Going To Be OK’ (matcd020) from Harper Lee (16), ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (16), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter (13), and ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (12) completed the top ten.

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who entered. We received responses from a record 21 countries this year, and the lucky winner of the five CD prize pack is Eric Atencio from Salt Lake City, Utah. Nicely done! Wish you had won? Join the Matinée Fanclub and you may be our next lucky winner.

Your 2006 favorites continue to amass dazzling reviews in the music press, with All Music Guide calling the self-titled Math and Physics Club album (matcd042) “a solidly crafted, sweet-as-sugar pop record”, Pennyblack declaring ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter “no mere collection of bits and scraps, many of the songs on this CD are longtime fan favorites and it seems that some of the unreleased songs may become favorites as well,” Aversion.com calling ‘England Made Me’ (matinée 062) from Lovejoy “a stunning reminder that guitars and keyboards and drum machines have been playing nicely together for years,” and Tasty commenting on the ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee: “Quite how a band can maintain such a high level of output is beyond me, but Harper Lee do it effortlessly.” Check the catalog pages for links to these and other recent reviews. As with all Matinée releases the order page is just a click away.

As part of our 2006 poll, one respondent suggested we provide updates on some out-of-the-spotlight Matinée bands and we think that’s a splendid idea so we’ll try to bring you up to speed on some happenings over the next few months. The short of it is that nearly everyone’s having babies and sleeping is taking precedent over new recordings, but we’ll start with three exciting bits and promise additional updates in the coming months:

Slipslide, despite producing one of those aforementioned babies, have been steadily working on songs for that difficult sophomore album. Last time we checked there was a splendid song called ‘You Won’t Find It Again’ previewed on the band’s Myspace page. Slipslide is also set to play the highly publicized March 2 London show with Sarah Records legends The Orchids + Lost and Lonesome stars The Zebras. Click here for show details.

Airport Girl have not had any babies that we know of, but have just released their difficult sophomore album ‘Slow Light’ on the excellent Fortuna POP! label following five years of recording and rerecording. The band’s Myspace page features a few teasers including a nice one called ‘Show Me The Way.’

Pipas have also not produced any babies yet (although this Chickfactor photo might suggest otherwise) but released their ‘Sorry Love’ album on their own Long Lost Cousin label last year. They have some other bits of news here.

Apologies to anyone who experienced problems with the Matinée mailorder in the past month. We had a server problem that caused a delay in some orders reaching us, but the trusty people at IndiePages saved the day and retrieved (hopefully) everything that went missing. If you placed an order recently and haven’t heard back please let us know. We are happy to have everything working just fine again.

If you’re after one of our spectacular new releases and are looking for something else to round out the order, perhaps you should contemplate one of the top sellers of the last two months. As you would expect, they’re all swell!

10. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
9. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
8. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
7. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
6. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD
5. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
4. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
3. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
2. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD

We’ve kept quiet about our 2007 release schedule but will return soon to divulge some news. It’s our 10-year anniversary so you know we have something planned!

Regards,
Jimmy

Happy New Year! In addition to customary reports on new releases, this month we present lists of 2006 favorites from Matinée artists and our slightly belated fifth annual Matinée fanclub poll!

The first of two brand new releases is the impressive ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from new Glasgow act The Hermit Crabs! Band members Melanie Whittle and Des McKenna are veterans of Scottish favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson and Tony McDonald complete the current lineup. Lead track ‘Feel Good Factor’ is rich with instrumentation and simply spectacular…the sort of song that comes along only once in awhile but sticks with you forever. The track is one of the winners in Scotland’s Burnsong song writing competition so prepare for something truly remarkable. Have a listen to it on the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean.

The EP also features ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time’—three more top quality tracks featuring violin, classical guitar, keyboards, superb vocals and strong lyrics. Perfect for fans of Camera Obscura, Tender Trap, Belle and Sebastian or Sambassadeur, the Hermit Crabs are a very welcome addition to the Matinée roster. The band is currently working on its debut album for release later this year so now’s the time to get hip to one of the greatest new bands we’ve heard in a long time! Check out the early reviews while you listen to ‘Feel Good Factor’ on the catalog page. The EP is available now from your favorite record merchant or the trusty Matinée mailorder. Hurrah!

Also fresh on the new release shelves is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album showcases the strong songwriting, intricate guitars, and exquisite harmonies of amiable English gent Joe Brooker and legendary American songstress Pam Berry. Smart students of indiepop know Joe is a prolific songwriter and one-half of English pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with notable indie bands of the last decade including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. She’s also the subject of track three on the imminent album from Sub Pop megastars The Shins!

Beginning in 2000, The Pines released a series of limited edition singles for international record labels Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), Long Lost Cousin (UK), and Matinée (USA) and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). In addition to highlights from these releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from a rare self-released Christmas CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow. You can see the full tracklisting, read some early reviews, and listen to songs on the catalog page. The CD is available now from your favorite shop or the Matinée mailorder so get going!

Still shining is the wonderfully received debut album (matcd042) from indie darlings Math and Physics Club! The world fell in love with this Seattle band as soon as its debut ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) was released in 2005. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now earned the distinction as the best selling single on Matinée. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) was released later that year to worldwide acclaim and proved the success of the debut was no happy accident.

The self-titled album features ten highly melodic songs about relationships and heartbreak. The album kicks off with a new indie classic called ‘Darling, Please Come Home.’ The lyrics draw you in immediately with images of fireflies and coals burning low, while the jangling guitars, precise drumming, and keyboards keep things moving. What would normally be a difficult one to follow for most bands is handled with ease by second track ‘I Know What I Want,’ a strings-laden jangler that builds to a superb Softies-inspired finish. It swings!

‘April Showers’ comes next and shows that here’s a band that holds the Housemartins in the high regard they deserve. Written staring out the window at the rain (of course…this is Seattle), it recalls the brilliance of the famous Hull act with its ba-ba-ba’s and jaunty melodies. ‘Holidays and Saturdays’ is the moody one of the bunch, showcasing plaintive lyrics and violin to match, while ‘La La La Lisa’ picks it back up with the story of a high school crush that is made especially grand with some genuinely inspired trumpet parts. ‘Look At Us Now’ is perfect café music with its sparse bossa nova beat, ba-ba-ba’s, and violin…perhaps the best Style Council song Paul Weller never wrote? ‘You’ll Miss Me’ is classic Math and Physics Club with a surprise rollicking piano in the second chorus, while ‘Cold As Minnesota’ has a bit of Motown/Supremes flavor to it—full of tambourine, handclaps, organ and violin flourishes along with some very Peter Buck guitar work. ‘Such A Simple Plan’ is another perfect three-minute pop song with excellent lyrics and a toe-tapping quotient that can’t be beat, and final track ‘Last Dance’ is a swanky little number that will make you want to dance like Fred Astaire.

The sensational reviews continue for this album, with Pitchfork writing “10 brazenly sweet songs of quiet heartbreak, late-summer acoustic guitar, reverb-laden Rickenbacker, tambourine, and occasional violin;” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused declaring “this is THEE indie pop album of the year, maybe of the decade thus far;” CDReviews.com calling it “a truly remarkable effort;” PopMatters concluding “for those searching for an album of genuine notions and enchanting melodies, this just might be the perfect fit;” and Erasing Clouds calling Math and Physics Club “a rising star of a band, already creating timeless pop music.”

The album has appeared on numerous year-end lists including the band walking away with #1 favorite band honors and #2 album of the year on the annual Tweenet Poll. Congratulations! You can listen to three album tracks on the catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. Get to the mailorder if you haven’t heard this album yet because it really is a modern indiepop classic that continues to sell like hotcakes for good reason!

Of course the above releases are just three gems competing in our annual Matinée fanclub poll! We’re slightly delayed with the polling this year due to some December baby action, but thought it still made sense to collect your votes and give away some free CDs in the process. In the best album of 2006 category, contenders include ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043) from The Pines, ‘Math and Physics Club’ (matcd042) from Math and Physics Club, ‘Out To Sea” (matcd041) from Brighter, and ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from Tender Trap. Which one gets your vote? Favorite 2006 single contenders are the ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) from The Hermit Crabs, ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy, ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths, and ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops. Some excellent choices if I say so myself.

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 minute 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 February 12th so go here to complete your entry today and best of luck in the prize draw!

We also surveyed Matinée artists regarding their top musical moments of 2006 and some early responses are up now on the archive page. Additional lists will be added throughout the month.

The Matinée mailorder will be closed January 30 to February 12 but please continue to place orders and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. All orders during this period will ship February 13. Apologies in advance for the delay. If you’re looking for something to buy, why not consider some of the top sellers of the last two months:

10. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
9. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
7. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. The Pines – It’s Been A While CD
4. The Hermit Crabs – Feel Good Factor CDEP
3. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
2. Brighter – Out To Sea CD
1. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD

We’ll be back in mid-February with results of the fanclub poll and news of our 2007 release schedule. Thanks to everyone for another great year!

Regards,
Jimmy

Happy holidays! Our final missive of the year includes news of another new release, our annual year-end poll, big savings at the mailorder, special seasonal offerings, and oh so much more.

Surrounded again with boxes of just delivered new release goodness, this time courtesy of mysterious Matinée musicmakers The Snowdrops! The second single from the occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm), the new ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. The song is now playing on the updated sounds page for your listening pleasure. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ current favorite ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ featuring Dick on lead vocals and a guest appearance from Keris Howard (Harper Lee, Brighter), a short one called ‘Teddy Dragons’ and a remix of ‘Sleepydust’ with more Pam (always a good thing) and some other nice touches. The single will appear in shops just after the first of the year but you can get your very own copy exclusively via the Matinée mailorder right now! As with all our singles, the EP is limited to 1000 copies in our custom designed minijacket sleeves so they don’t take up too much space and look great without all the unnecessary plastic. We’re so green. So yeah, this single DOES in fact exist. Hurrah!

Also on every hipster’s shopping list is the excellent ‘Language Lessons’ CDEP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap! As we mentioned last month, the EP finds band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) in absolutely top form. Amelia is arguably the voice of the indiepop generation, fronting legendary acts Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research from the mid-80s to the turn of the century and adding her unmistakable vocals to hits from The Wedding Present, Hefner, The Brilliant Corners, and Sportique, among others. Since forming in 2001 as Tender Trap, Amelia, Rob and John have released three singles and the superb album ‘Film Molecules,’ once described as “the unholy alliance between Blondie and The Magnetic Fields.” This long-awaited follow-up features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming Tender Trap album (matcd040) in early 2006. The song is a refreshing pop hit, full of chunky guitars, mellifluous vocals, smart drumming (courtesy of Claudia Gonson of The Magnetic Fields), ba-ba-ba’s and shimmering enthusiasm as it builds to its highly harmonious conclusion. Check it out now on the updated sounds page. The EP also includes three non-album tracks: ‘Unputdownable’ showcases more of Claudia’s ace drumming as it mixes lush string-filled verses with a shouty chorus that recalls the heady days of Heavenly’s P.U.N.K. Girl; ‘Friendster’ is a lovely ode to a certain online forum; and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’ is a frighteningly catchy electropop hit featuring a bilingual duet between Amelia and special guest Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of fellow Matinée superstars Pipas. Another classic single and a very welcome return for Tender Trap! The single is also limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the order page for your copy now!

In early press action, Kisschase wrote “Tender Trap have taken a step back from recent electro-pop outings to deliver up a delightfully jangly and harmonic single that reminds me more of the early Heavenly 45s on Sarah than anything Amelia or Rob have done since.” Meanwhile, Tangents summarized the EP as “everything you would expect and more,” and Vanity Project reported “Talking Backwards cements their position through their long morph-friendly history (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly etc.) as life-presidents of the ‘proper’ indie/bowlie/twee pop scene.” The band has just completed an interview with Tasty fanzine as well which you can read on the Tender Trap artist page.

Of course the Snowdrops and Tender Trap EPs are but two of the six singles competing in the best single of 2005 category in our annual Matinée fanclub poll. Other contenders include the ‘Fools in Love’ EP (matinée 054) from The Happy Couple, the ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths, and the ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) EPs from Math and Physics Club. Which one gets your vote?

In other poll action, the five favorite album contenders are ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths, ‘Northern Drive’ (matcd038) from The Young Tradition, ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) from Pale Sunday, ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) from Pipas, and ‘Everybody Hates’ (matcd035) from Lovejoy. Such a tough choice.

In addition to the favorite single and album categories, we are also collecting votes for song of the year, favorite band, and favorite release of all time, plus soliciting your suggestions for making the label even better in 2006. Please take a minute to give us your thoughts. As with prior polls, simply entering earns you a chance to win five free CDs of your choice. This year we are also offering every entrant a 20 percent discount off anything ordered via the mailorder between now and January 15, so you can pick up a few last minute Christmas gifts or order what you really wanted after the holidays are over. To receive the discount you must first submit a poll entry. While you are in poll mode, don’t forget to support your favorite Matinée artists in other year-end polls like the official TweeNet poll.

Now this is the space in which we would normally entice you with details of some upcoming releases but in keeping with our year-end look back we instead will reveal that our back catalog spotlight highlights classic releases this month from The Visitors, The Windmills and Lovejoy. Each release is on sale for the next month if you want to complete your Matinée collection (and coupled with the 20 percent discount noted above means these could be yours for next to nothing). Here are some selling points:

The ‘Miss’ CD (matcd003) from The Visitors hails from May of 2000, but like CDs from Brighter, Razorcuts, Remember Fun and The Siddeleys, is a compilation of songs originally recorded in the late 1980s. The Visitors split up in 1988, following the release of one flexidisc, a play on the John Peel show, and the recording of a clutch of fine pop songs. The sought-after flexi, which featured the ace song ‘Goldmining’, was issued on the Sha-La-La imprint and has maintained a steady band of admirers since its release. We crossed the Atlantic to dig out the original tapes for Goldmining and ten other pop gems that are lost treats from a time when a particular kind of pure guitar pop still roamed the streets of the UK. The album received some lovely press, including a 4 1/2 stars out of 5 review in one of the very last issues of famed UK music paper Melody Maker before it turned into a third-rate Smash Hits and disappeared into obscurity. “Perfect for the Bowlie generation, these star-kissed melodies are tinged with a sweet regret and still sound fresh 12 years after this album was recorded,” they wrote, while longtime Visitors follower Tangents said “The Visitors Miss collection on the fine Matinée label is the sort of ignored and forgotten classic made by people who in a finer world and in finer times should have been Pop Stars. Miss is not a record of the past but is a record of Now because it sounds as fresh and as urgent a Pop record as I’ve heard.” So true… Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. If you haven’t heard The Visitors you should really check them out!

One of a handful of Matinée seasonal offerings, the ‘When It Was Winter’ EP (matinée 024) from The Windmills is our back catalog CD single of the month. The band’s third single for Matinée from March 2001 showed this English quartet in prime form. At the time, we suggested the EPs “unrestrained melodies, crisp guitars, and sincere vocals make it perfect for fans of the Go Betweens, Weather Prophets, Bodines, or Jazz Butcher” and I suppose those reference points still make sense today. In reviewing the EP, Splendid referred to another great band from the 1980s instead, saying “four deliciously shimmering slices of pure pop…its decidedly British demeanor and propensity for jangly, minor key musings should curry the group some favor with the more adventurous faction of the anglophile crowd, not to mention confused Smiths fans. Meanwhile, Pennyblack declared the EP would “undoubtedly delight all jangle-pop-picking-purists” and Tangents wrote “the new EP from The Windmills shows more than ever that here is a band who have been listening closely to their East Village records, which is to be applauded of course…the four tracks fuse a fine penchant for minor chords and a tension that might be akin to that felt by the great Last Party, or Hellfire Sermons even, at their most melodic and least abrasive.” The EP includes two songs that did not appear on the subsequent album ‘Sunlight’ (matcd014) so it’s well worth picking up. See the catalog page for reviews and sounds. Trust me, the Windmills rule!

Appropriately, our back catalog classic 7” is the ‘A Christmas Wish’ EP (matinée 025) from Lovejoy. Released in November 2000, the second of three celebrated Lovejoy 45s features three exclusive recordings in the holiday tradition and is perfect for fans of House of Love, Blueboy, or the Revolving Paint Dream. The superb a-side “I Dream of Angels” is an orchestral song that evokes the beautiful imagery of Christmas and features guitars, keyboards and magnificent female harmonies. Swedish fanzine Try Happiness loved it, writing “like running round with your tongue out your mouth, catching flakes in the crunching green-white grass,” while IndiePages suggested it was “like the Pet Shop Boys mixed with Pale Saints” and Parasol called it “gorgeous swooping pop with bells on.” Check the catalog page for more reviews and sounds. Lovejoy just go with the holidays so now is the time to click over to the order page.

In addition to the wintery Lovejoy and Windmills releases just mentioned, perhaps you should pick up the wonderful ‘Matinée Winter Warmer’ compilation (matinée 055) featuring seasonal hits from The Fairways, Harper Lee, The Liberty Ship, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Melodie Group, The Pines, Pipas, Slipslide, and The Windmills. It’s available for the price of a single and is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

We also have a handful of our nifty Matinée 45 holiday ornaments (matinée 045) left and if you act quickly there’s still time to have it in time for the holidays! Santa doesn’t have any of these so the Matinée mailorder is your only source. Hop to it!

[end of overt holiday commercialization]

We’ll leave you, as always, with our hit parade of top sellers from last month. No competition for the top this time as Tender Trap ruled supreme:

10. The Visitors – Miss CD
9. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
8. Various – Matinée Winter Warmer CD
7. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
5. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
4. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP

Check back in early January for the latest news, including lists of 2005 favorites from Matinée artists, results of the fourth annual Matinée fanclub poll, details of the 2006 release schedule, and more.

Seasons greetings to everyone and thanks again for your incredible support this year!
Jimmy
x

We’re back on board with brand new releases from Brighter and Math and Physics Club, a forthcoming CD from The Pines, and what’s this? A brand new Matinée band?! Yes way! You’re going to love them too… All this plus great new reviews for 2006 releases from Lovejoy, Harper Lee, Tender Trap and The Lucksmiths, a surge of new band interviews, and the return of our massive mailorder sale with prices slashed as much as 50 percent on some titles for the rest of this month only. Carry on then…

The highly anticipated debut album (matcd042) from indie darlings Math and Physics Club is now officially released and available from all decent record merchants. The world fell in love with this Seattle band as soon as its debut ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) was released in 2005. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now earned the distinction as the best selling single on Matinée. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ (matinée 059) was released later that year to worldwide acclaim and proved the success of the debut was no happy accident.

The band spent the past year writing and recording its debut album and the results are truly spectacular. The self-titled album features ten highly melodic songs about relationships and heartbreak. The album kicks off with a new indie classic called ‘Darling, Please Come Home.’ The lyrics draw you in immediately with images of fireflies and coals burning low, while the jangling guitars, precise drumming, and keyboards keep things moving. What would normally be a difficult one to follow for most bands is handled with ease by second track ‘I Know What I Want,’ a strings-laden jangler that builds to a superb Softies-inspired finish. It swings!

‘April Showers’ comes next and shows that here’s a band that holds the Housemartins in the high regard they deserve. Written staring out the window at the rain (of course…this is Seattle), it recalls the brilliance of the famous Hull act with its ba-ba-ba’s and jaunty melodies. ‘Holidays and Saturdays’ is the moody one of the bunch, showcasing plaintive lyrics and violin to match, while ‘La La La Lisa’ picks it back up with the story of a high school crush that is made especially grand with some genuinely inspired trumpet parts. ‘Look At Us Now’ is perfect café music with its sparse bossa nova beat, ba-ba-ba’s, and violin… perhaps the best Style Council song Paul Weller never wrote? ‘You’ll Miss Me’ is classic Math and Physics Club with a surprise rollicking piano in the second chorus, while ‘Cold As Minnesota’ has a bit of Motown/Supremes flavor to it—full of tambourine, handclaps, organ and violin flourishes along with some very Peter Buck guitar work. ‘Such A Simple Plan’ is another perfect three-minute pop song with excellent lyrics and a toe-tapping quotient that can’t be beat, and final track ‘Last Dance’ is a swanky little number that will make you want to dance like Fred Astaire.

The album has enjoyed a tremendous response in the music press so far, with the always spot on Tasty declaring “if you think you’ve heard your album of the year already, think again… because this is it,” and Coke Machine Glow writing “this is a record that would’ve fit in well ten years ago and will likely sound as smooth and sweet a decade hence.” The band has also proven popular on the blog circuit, with the fantastically named Renaissance Men Don’t Surf calling the new album “a must have for not only fall, but for 2006,” The Fire Note writing “not only is it a quality release but the album is timeless – providing the perfect soundtrack for any day of the week, any season of the year,” and Rawkblog declaring it “the year’s best pure indie-pop album.”

You can listen to three album tracks on the catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. Get thee to the mailorder if you haven’t heard this album yet because it’s a new Matinée classic and selling like hotcakes for good reason!

Also out now is the essential 20-track ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) collection from beloved English band Brighter! From 1989 to 1992, the trio of Alison Cousens, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey recorded four singles for the renowned Sarah Records imprint—previously compiled on the ‘Singles’ CD (matcd026) in 2003—and a wealth of other songs collected on this new compilation. ‘Out To Sea’ begins with eight tracks that originally formed the ‘Laurel’ mini-album released on Sarah. These tracks are archetypal of the Brighter sound—melodic, pastoral pop with carefully strummed guitars, keyboards, and wonderfully introspective, poignant vocals from Keris Howard. The album features several of the band’s best known songs including indie classics ‘Ocean Sky’ and ‘Christmas.’ Also showcasing Brighter’s ability to pen upbeat, jangly pop hits, ‘Out To Sea’ features five early recordings originally released on limited edition flexidiscs in Germany. Perhaps more than later recordings, these fan favorites demonstrate the band’s expertise in layering instruments and voice to form a melodic wall of sound. Elsewhere, the beautifully fragile ‘Still’ is a melancholy pop song originally found on the ‘Beckett House’ compilation.

Among the album’s six unreleased tracks are four songs from a scrapped debut album recorded in 1990. Other songs from this album were later rerecorded for ‘Laurel’ but these four—’There’s Nothing We Can Do,’ ‘Nothing At All,’ ‘Hope To God’ and ‘Amy Never Knew’—were passed over for newer compositions and remained unreleased until today. Additional unreleased gems ‘If I Could See’ and ‘Wallflower’ were recorded at the same time as ‘Laurel’ but dropped from the release and languished in the vaults. They are among the most immediate songs the band ever wrote and, with this release, are likely to become posthumous Brighter classics more than 15 years after their recording. Following the final release as Brighter in 1992, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey released the one-off ‘Election Day’ EP under the name Hal. Several years later, Howard formed the popular band Harper Lee and appeared as bassist for Trembling Blue Stars, while Sharkey joined Fosca for a time before launching a solo career as Pinkie. Packaged in a lavish digipak and digitally remastered, ‘Out To Sea’ is the perfect complement to the ‘Singles’ collection and another inspired entry in the Matinée discography.

As expected, the early reviews are ecstatic with Erasing Clouds calling it “a treasure trove of music from a truly remarkable band,” Derives declaring it “a true classic of 90’s intimate melancholic indie pop music,” Kisschase writing “Out To Sea is the business,” and The Rain Fell Down concluding “Brighter are even more deserving of our love and worship than we had thought… record of year!”

You can listen to four tracks on the sounds and catalog pages. The CD is available now from all good record shops or direct from the Matinée mailorder for a mere $10. Would I lie to you?

As if the new releases weren’t exciting enough, we’re also delighted to announce the latest addition to the Matinée collective – Glasgow band The Hermit Crabs! Ever since the early days of the label when we released the brilliant ‘Train Journeys’ EP from Remember Fun we have longed to have another Scottish band on the roster because, let’s face it, Scottish people are ace and there is quite a groovy scene happening in Glasgow at the moment. Although their influences range from The Magnetic Fields to Teenage Fanclub to Belle and Sebastian to Donovan (among others), the Hermit Crabs sound probably falls neatly between the playfulness of Pipas and the seriousness of fellow Glaswegians Camera Obscura. Band members Melanie Whittle (guitar and vocals) and Des McKenna (bass) are veterans of Shelflife favorites California Snow Story, while John Ferguson (guitar) and Tony McDonald (drums) complete the current lineup.

The debut Hermit Crabs release is the ‘Feel Good Factor’ EP (matinée 063) with a spectacular title track plus ace exclusive songs ‘China Girl,’ ‘Vegan Vows’ and ‘I Spend My Time.’ The title track was one of 15 winners in the Burnsong song writing competition in Scotland last year so prepare yourself for something truly remarkable. We’ve just added the song to the sounds page if you’d like a preview. The EP is released to shops on November 27th but we’ll have copies available here in advance of that date so go ahead and order your copy now! We won’t make you wait too long.

To celebrate the upcoming release, the band is playing a free acoustic set with California Snow Story on November 16th at Tchai-Ovna in Glasgow. They have a nifty website and are part of the myspace generation with an unfeasibly high number of friends who we hope all buy their records. If you follow those links you can actually listen to more great songs including some that we’re saving for their debut album next year. We trust you will welcome them with your usual vigor. It’s great to have someone new to rave about!

Our final release of 2006 is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Entitled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album is the first release from The Pines since their magnificent ‘True Love Waits, Volume 2’ EP (matinée 048) three years ago. In addition to Matinée, The Pines have graced the discography pages for Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), and Long Lost Cousin (UK), and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). Over the years they also recorded a handful of covers and other gems that saw limited release or languished in the vaults with no release at all. In addition to highlights from the aforementioned releases, ‘It’s Been A While’ includes three songs from the extremely rare self-released Christmas 2000 CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow! Of course being absent from the new release shelves for three years means there are some of you who may not know anything about The Pines at all so we’ll tell you that the band consists of an amiable English gent called Joe Brooker plus legendary American expat songstress Pam Berry. Joe is a prolific songwriter and also one-half of pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with numerous indie bands including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People, among others. The album is at the pressing plant now and is scheduled for release in early December but we’ll start taking preorders later this month so check the order page for details. In the meantime, have a listen to the splendid track ‘Milk Bar’ now playing on the sounds page. You can see the full tracklisting and listen to a few more songs on the catalog page too – I’ll tell you that for free!

Switching to recent release action, the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) continues to bolster the reputation of indie legends Tender Trap! As lead singer of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001 and released the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles.

With the addition of The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson on drums, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, while ‘Talking Backwards’ is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

In recent press, All Music Guide declared “Amelia Fletcher amazingly manages to show no drop-off in songwriting quality after 20+ years in the indie pop game,” while Magnet Magazine lauded the album as “infectiously melodic, hip shaking and laced with thick harmonies,’ concluding its review with the rhetorical question “twee wasn’t ever this good, was it?” Elsewhere, Tasty called it “one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year” and Plan B concluded “respect is entirely due.” You can listen to album highlights and read all the latest press on the sounds and catalog pages. You need a little new Tender Trap in your life don’t you think? Click here to remedy that situation.

Also making loads of new friends lately is the new four-song ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy! We think lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is possibly the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit. ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ sports a bit of the electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ set (matcd018) and also recalls the sparkling pop of The Human League, while ‘In the Rain’ is a lusciously paced and mesmerizing cover of the mid-80s indie hit from The June Brides. ‘Made in England’ closes the EP in top form, layering guitars, strings and percussion alongside a rhythmic vocal track with angelic backing—a return of sorts to the chiming orchestral pop of Lovejoy’s debut album ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008).

The release is riding a wave of magnificent reviews, including Friends of the Heroes calling it “a slice of poetic genius,” IndiePages concluding “Brightness Falls could be the band’s brightest moment,” All Music Guide declaring it “definitely one of [Lovejoy’s] finest releases,” Kisschase calling it a “delectable ep [that] boasts just the right blend of electronics and guitars,” and indie-mp3.co.uk saying “smashing stuff!”

If you don’t trust the press, have a listen to the title track now featured on the sounds page and decide for yourself. This one is limited to 1000 copies though, so head to the mailorder now if you want one!

Also in the spotlight, the wonderful new 5-track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) is the first release in two years from revered English duo Harper Lee! The exquisite title track, presented here in two takes, contrasts trademark Harper Lee melancholy with an upbeat, keyboard-driven tune that recalls the more optimistic moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter. Among the three other exclusive tracks, ‘I Could Be Wrong’ is a slice of Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop, its jangling guitars the perfect complement to a curiously hopeful message. The moody and churning ‘William Blake’ is a sumptuous textured pop gem that best demonstrates the multi-layered instrumentation characteristic of the band’s acclaimed previous releases, while ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head,’ a chiming lullaby featuring hypnotic percussion and the most plaintive of vocals, ends the EP in sublime fashion.

The music press continues to toss superlatives at Harper Lee, with All Music Guide writing “He Holds a Flame continues the group’s fine string of heartbreakingly good releases,” Aversion.com concluding “He Holds a Flame is just as relevant and meaningful as anything from Death Cab or The Shins,” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused calling it “lyrically perfect pop and heavy hearted hindsight,” and Mundane Sounds declaring it “one of the best records of 2006.”

‘He Holds A Flame’ is now featured on the sounds page so you can listen for yourself. This one’s also limited to 1000 copies so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

Also enjoying its stay on the new release shelf is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039) validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, a funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. The EP also includes exclusive tracks ‘From Macaulay Station,’ ‘Rue Something’ and ‘To Absent Votes,’ which combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ form a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves.

The superb reviews continue for this release too, with Mundane Sounds calling it “a satisfying platter of beautiful, melancholy pop,” Delusions of Adequacy writing “more light, summertime pop from Australia’s brilliant Lucksmiths proving themselves at the forefront of the genre,” and Amplifier Magazine warning “you should truly feel ashamed of yourself if you don’t get your hands on a copy.”

‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is playing on the sounds page now if you fancy a listen, but come on now, can you really resist a new Lucksmiths record? I didn’t think so. Yep, back to the order page for you.

In other press action, we have added numerous interviews to Matinée artist pages this month, including chats with Keris Howard of Harper Lee and Brighter on Aversion.com and Mundane Sounds, Lovejoy on Pennyblack Magazine, Math and Physics Club on Erasing Clouds, Tender Trap on Verbicide, Pennyblack and Wears the Trousers, and yours truly on indiemp3.co.uk.

While it’s hard to imagine cooler weather as we endure nearly triple digit temperatures here in Santa Barbara, I trust that some of you are breaking out the sweaters and gloves already which is a perfect excuse to plug our seasonal-themed compilations from a few years back, the Matinée Autumn Assortment (matinée 051) and the Matinée Winter Warmer (matinée 055). Both contain ten seasonally-appropriate tracks from Matinée favorites including exclusive songs you won’t find anywhere else. Right now they are just $3 each too so how could you go wrong?

While we’re at it, we’ve gone ahead and put the entire back catalog on sale again because our massive September sale was such a hit and we’re excited about all the newfound space we cleared out in the stockroom. Some titles are marked 50 percent off and there are additional releases likely to sell out by the end of the year so take advantage of the savings to expand your Matinée collection today. The sale ends November 30th though so get going!

Our final word as always is a recap of top sellers from the past month. This one is a combined September/October chart which demonstrates the royal battle between new releases over the past sixty days. Brighter ruled supreme the month of September but Math and Physics Club took over big time in October. In the special combined tally, however, the nod goes to Brighter by a mere two additional copies sold. They’re neck and neck so far in November so stay tuned…

10. Various – Matinée Winter Warmer CD
9. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
8. The Lucksmiths – T-Shirt Weather 7″
7. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
3. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Math and Physics Club CD
1. Brighter – Out To Sea CD

We’ll be back in early December with the final news of the year including our annual fanclub poll and maybe some hints about 2007 release plans. Take advantage of the big November sale to buy some early holiday presents and help us clear room for additional new releases!

Adios,
Jimmy
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Hey now! We’re winding down the extended summer holiday so sit back for top news including reports on brand new releases from Brighter, Math and Physics Club, and The Pines plus new-ish releases from Harper Lee, Lovejoy, Tender Trap and The Lucksmiths, a handful of upcoming live dates, and a colossal sale at the mailorder with prices slashed as much as 50 percent on some titles. Oh yes… You knew our latest web update would be worth the wait!

Let’s start with Brighter, shall we? Faithful followers of this label know that Harper Lee frontman Keris Howard can do no wrong in our book and if there is anything that rivals the brilliance of a new Harper Lee release it’s a new compilation of songs from his previous band Brighter. We had the honor of releasing the ‘Singles 1989-1992′ collection (matcd026) a few years back which compiled the four legendary Brighter singles released on Sarah Records but did you know that was only half the story? The fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) features the remaining eight songs from the Sarah Records catalog (all taken from the 1991 mini-lp ‘Laurel’) plus five songs from the rare German-released ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the impossible-to-find ‘Beckett House’ compilation LP, and six (!!!!!!) previously unreleased tracks, all remastered in glorious stereo sound. The full tracklisting is: 1. Christmas, 2. Frostbite, 3. Summer Becomes Winter, 4. Something To Call My Own, 5. Ocean Sky, 6. Out to Sea, 7. Maybe, 8. Journey’s End, 9. If I Could See, 10. Wallflower, 11. Airhead, 12. Don’t Remember, 13. Next Summer, 14. Looks Like Rain, 15. Falling, 16. There Is Nothing We Can Do?, 17. Nothing At All, 18. Hope to God, 19. Amy Never Knew, 20. Still. You can listen to four of these tracks on the updated sounds and catalog pages. The CD is just back from the pressing plant and scheduled for release to shops in early October but we have copies available RIGHT NOW exclusively via the Matinée mailorder for a mere $10. It’s true!

In the imminent release category is the highly anticipated debut album (matcd042) from Seattle quintet Math and Physics Club! We’ve gone for a self-titled affair which is a first as far as Matinée albums go but once you hear the songs you’ll see that no title is necessary. The world fell in love with Math and Physics Club as soon as the debut ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) was released in February of last year. The EP sold out of its initial pressing in just a few months and has now surpassed even ‘T-Shirt Weather’ from the Lucksmiths as the best selling single on Matinée. Go figure. The follow-up ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) was released in July of last year and was even better in my humble opinion. Everyone loved it too and it has been a solid fixture inside the top five of the Matinée hit parade ever since. In a bold move the band decided to start from scratch on its debut album and the results are positively wonderful. The ten new tracks that comprise the album are: 1. Darling, Please Come Home, 2. I Know What I Want, 3. April Showers, 4. Holidays and Saturdays, 5. La La La Lisa, 6. Look At Us Now, 7. You’ll Miss Me, 8. Cold As Minnesota, 9. Such A Simple Plan, 10. Last Dance. From the first moment of the opening track you know you’re in for a treat and it doesn’t let up until the final note some 30 minutes later. You can listen to three tracks on the new catalog page, and ‘Darling, Please Come Home’ is also featured on the sounds page. The CD is at the pressing plant and we’ll have copies ready to ship by the 1st of October so you can order a copy RIGHT NOW if you’re the patient sort. Go on then! The CD is available in shops from October 16th.

The band will play a handful of album launch shows next month including their first along the East Coast. Please see confirmed dates below and check the MAPC website for further details. Hurrah!

Friday, October 6th @ Union Hall, New York, NY with The Envelopes.
Saturday, October 7th @ Pianos, New York, NY with The Icicles.
Sunday, October 8th @ The Elevens. Northampton, MA as part of the New England Popfest.
Saturday, October 14th @ Sonic Boom Records (Ballard), Seattle, WA – FREE 6pm in-store performance.
Saturday, October 14th @ Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA with Boat and The Seaworthies – RECORD RELEASE SHOW!!

Also now in production is a superb 20-track collection of singles, compilation appearances, and unreleased tracks from South London pop duo The Pines! Appropriately titled ‘It’s Been A While’ (matcd043), the album is the first release from The Pines since their magnificent ‘True Love Waits, Volume 2′ EP (matinée 048) nearly three years ago. That EP was one of six limited edition singles the band released on various labels from 2000 to 2003. In addition to Matinée, The Pines have graced the discography pages for Annika (Spain), Becalmed (UK), Foxyboy (USA), Gifted (Australia), and Long Lost Cousin (UK), and contributed compilation tracks to collections by Chickfactor (USA), Papercuts (UK), and Red Square (USA). Over the years they also recorded a handful of covers and other gems that saw very limited release or languished in the vaults with no release at all…until now! We’re doing what any respectable record label should by pulling songs from each of these fantastic releases to form the debut full-length for the band. In addition to highlights from the aforementioned releases, the CD includes three songs from the extremely rare self-released Christmas 2000 CD and unreleased covers of songs by Young Marble Giants and The Cat’s Miaow! Of course being absent from the new release shelves for three years means there are some of you who may not know anything about The Pines at all so we’ll tell you that the band consists of an amiable English gent called Joe Brooker plus legendary American expat songstress Pam Berry. Joe is a prolific songwriter and also one-half of pop duo The Foxgloves, while Pam’s distinguished resume includes association with numerous indie bands including Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People, among others. The tracklisting is sorted but we are still working on artwork so look for more release details next month. In the meantime, have a listen to the splendid track ‘Milk Bar’ just added to the sounds page and dream about listening to 70 straight minutes of Pines magic in the near future.

Switching to our fantastic summer releases, the fresh ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) is Lovejoy‘s impressive follow-up to the ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035) last year. Lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is possibly the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit with vocals from Lovejoy supremo Richard Preece. If we lived in a just universe this would be blasting from car stereos all day long in place of the latest inane hip hop flavor-of-the-week, but we’ll settle for its current feature on the Matinée sounds page instead so you can have a listen whenever you like. ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ sports a bit of the pesky electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ set (matcd018) and also rather nicely recalls the sparkling pop of The Human League, while ‘In the Rain’ is a lusciously paced and mesmerizing cover of the mid-80s indie hit from The June Brides. ‘Made in England’ closes the EP in top form, layering guitars, strings and percussion alongside a rhythmic vocal track with angelic backing – a return of sorts to the chiming orchestral pop of Lovejoy’s debut album ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy‘ (matcd008).

In review action, English zine I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused said “England Made Me [makes] me want to immediately go and get everything else they’ve ever released,” suggesting each song “could’ve quite happily been a single in its own right,” while Left Hip wrote “another all-too-brief spree of pop-perfection, England Made Me is beautiful music for fans of melancholy 80’s indiepop with an electronic twist.” This one is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get going if you want one!

Also just out, the 5-track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) is the first release in nearly two years from revered English duo Harper Lee! The exquisite title track, presented here in two takes, contrasts trademark Harper Lee melancholy with an upbeat, keyboard-driven tune that recalls the more optimistic moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter. The song is now playing on the sounds page if you’d like a listen. Among the three other exclusive tracks, ‘I Could Be Wrong’ is a perfect slice of Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop, its jangling guitars the perfect complement to a curiously hopeful message. The moody and churning ‘William Blake’ is a sumptuous textured pop gem that best demonstrates the multi-layered instrumentation characteristic of the band’s acclaimed previous releases, while ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head,’ a chiming lullaby featuring hypnotic percussion and the most plaintive of vocals, ends the EP in sublime fashion. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

As expected, the press has declared the EP an unequivocal hit. Among our favorite quotes, indie juggernaut Pitchfork wrote “I Could Be Wrong is the kind of gentle indie pop song that might easily be overlooked for lack of impenetrable avant-garde pretensions or fashionable time-signature changes – too obvious, Pitchfork! – but I listen to a lot of gentle indie-pop songs, and few are this effortlessly graceful.” Meanwhile, Aversion.com concluded “He Holds a Flame is just as relevant and meaningful as anything from Death Cab or The Shins,” and You Ain’t No Picasso declared “it’s like the solemn side of Morrissey and the romanticism of Stephin Merritt got put together in a mason jar with just the tiniest bit of The Lucksmiths, and was left to ferment for a couple years.” Aversion.com also conducted a new interview with the band which you can read here.

Finally, Harper Lee make a very rare live appearance September 16th at the Pop Revo Festival in Aarhus, Denmark. See the Pop Revo website for show details as well as another exclusive interview. Lucky Danish people (or those of you with a penchant for last minute travel)!

Still beaming on a new release shelf near you is the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from indie legends Tender Trap! As lead singer of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Amelia Fletcher was the voice and face that launched a thousand fanzines, an iconic presence whose influence can be traced in bands as diverse as Le Tigre and Belle and Sebastian. Together with her cohort in the latter two of those bands, Rob Pursey (guitar), and Marine Research drummer John Stanley aka DJ Downfall (bass), Tender Trap formed in 2001 and released the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles. With the addition of crisp drumming from The Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson, ‘6 Billion People’ marks a move away from the pared-down approach of its predecessor towards a sound recalling the best of the band’s previous incarnations. This is immediately evident on the big chorused title track, Rob Pursey’s sub-sonic backing vocals uncannily reminiscent of erstwhile collaborator Calvin Johnson, while recent single ‘Talking Backwards’ (matinée 058) is a pop rush of shimmering guitars and mellifluous vocals and ‘I Would Die For You’ marries a chugging rhythm to an ethereal melody. The short-but-spiky ‘Applecore’ ups the sass quotient as Amelia demands answers from an indecisive lover to a series of oblique questions over a stop-start bassline, whereas the spacey-keyboard sounds of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the heartfelt ‘(I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You’ and the haunting album closer ‘Dead and Gone’ lend the album variety and depth. ‘6 Billion People’ is Tender Trap’s most fully realized work to date, a collection of sumptuous tunes and bold arrangements that makes a claim to be one of the best pop albums of the year.

You can listen to album highlights and peruse the latest press on the sounds and catalog pages. Of particular note, American magazine Verbicide has just featured Tender Trap in its ‘bands on the rise’ spotlight, while Pennyblack is currently running a great three-part interview with frontwoman Amelia Fletcher. Get yours at the webshop today.

Also still gracing the new release shelf is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039) validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, a funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. We’re featuring the song on the sounds page now if you fancy a listen. The EP also includes exclusive new tracks ‘From Macaulay Station,’ ‘Rue Something’ and ‘To Absent Votes,’ which combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ form a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. Life’s good with a new Lucksmiths release around, don’t you think?

The back catalog spotlight is on hold this month because we are having a sale on the entire back catalog instead! The Super September Sale applies to virtually all releases and includes price reductions as much as 50 percent on some titles so stock up now to take advantage of the savings. The sale ends October 10th though so get going!

While you’re on the order page you may notice we have added a dozen or so splendid releases from our good friends at Labrador Records in Sweden. We have limited quantities of titles from Club 8, Edson, The Radio Dept. and Sambassadeur available at great prices so grab some of these essential releases while you can!

If you think buying CDs is so 2005 and have made the switch to downloading instead, we are happy to report that close to 50 Matinée titles are now available via iTunes! We are uploading releases in roughly reverse chronological order so expect to see more of the back catalog up over the next few weeks. We’ll be adding special links to the website shortly too to make it easy to find the releases online. Of course, iTunes gives you the ability to listen to 30-second soundclips of every song so if you’re just curious to sample songs before you buy the release now you can do that too.

With many releases now available for download, we will likely allow some of the back catalog to go out of print so if you’re after a physical copy of something please act now. At the sale rates many titles are selling quickly. We have added notations to the order page for releases that are close to selling out as an extra impetus to buy.

The final word as always is a recap of top sellers from the past month. This one is a combined July/August chart which gives a slight edge in the Blur/Oasis battle (see July news) to the new Harper Lee EP:

10. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We CD
9. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
8. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
7. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
6. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
5. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
4. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
3. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD
2. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
1. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP

farewell!
Jimmy
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