Sorry for the erratic web updates lately but hey, it’s summer and we were slightly preoccupied with the World Cup. Now that it’s over we can focus on pop music again!

This week marks the official release of spectacular new EPs from popular Matinée artists Harper Lee and Lovejoy! We are offering simultaneous release dates—sort of a modern day Blur vs. Oasis battle although I don’t think these groups have many similarities with Oasis. Or Blur for that matter. (Unless you like Oasis and Blur in which case they sound EXACTLY LIKE THEM.) Here are release details so you can decide for yourself:

The magnificent new 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 fancy 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. The bottom line is this one’s a gem, folks and it’s limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the mailorder or your favorite shop soon!

The new ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) is Lovejoy‘s impressive follow-up to last year’s ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035). Lead track ‘Brightness Falls’ is perhaps the finest Lovejoy song to date, mixing keyboards and jangling guitars in a twinkling pop hit with ace vocals from Lovejoy supremo Richard Preece. If we lived in a just universe this would be blasting from car stereos all summer long in place of the latest inane hip hop flavor-of-the-week, but we’ll settle for its current feature atop 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). Hurrah! This one is also limited to 1000 copies in our custom minijacket sleeve so get going if you want one!

In other release news, the brand new ‘6 Billion People’ album (matcd040) from Tender Trap is causing quite a stir these days with good reviews popping up in trusted magazines like Magnet, Uncut, Venus, Q and Rivet. Some of our favorite press quotes include Tasty calling it “one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year,” I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused suggesting “opening track 6 Billion People is about 6 billion times better than anything any band has released so far this year—a modern day ‘My Girl’ all full of ba-ba-ba-ba’s, clever lyrics and an impossible to forget killer of a tune,” Kisschase writing “the new Tender Trap record feeds in to the recent, very welcome tradition of albums that are actually solid all the way through,” and, alluding to lead singer Amelia Fletcher’s impressive back catalog in Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, Plan B Magazine calling the new album “as refreshingly infectious and as downright fab as anything she’s done in the past.” Read more about the album and check out the latest reviews on the updated catalog page, where you can also listen to four tracks from the album! Tender Trap played a handful of UK dates to launch the album last month and we hope to see them on American soil sometime soon so buy lots of records and we’ll see what we can do. They’re ace live you know…

Just finishing up in the Matinée art department (translation: trying to decide among three different sleeve options) is the fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter! As we mentioned last month, and probably the one before that, the album includes all eight songs from the 1991 Sarah Records mini-lp ‘Laurel’ plus five songs from the ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the rare ‘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. The CD is going to the pressing plant imminently which puts us on course for a September release. In the meantime have a listen to the brilliant unreleased track ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page. Trust us this will be well worth the wait.

Also coming soon is the highly anticipated debut album from our good pals Math and Physics Club! If the demos are anything to go by, this album is going to be a smash. Among your future favorite songs are ones entitled ‘April Showers,’ ‘In This Together,’ ‘Last Dance,’ ‘Cold As Minnesota,’ ‘Darling Please Come Home,’ ‘Look At Us Now,’ ‘Holidays and Saturdays,’ and my personal favorite ‘I Know What I Want.’ The album should contain 10 previously unreleased songs and to say we’re eagerly awaiting it would be a massive understatement. We’re shooting for an early autumn release so start saving your pennies now. The band will play a handful of album launch shows including their first along the American East Coast so stay tuned here or check the MAPC website for details.

We released four solid EPs over the past few months which the smarties amongst you already have but for those of you looking to catch up, we’re talking about the ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths, ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from Tender Trap, ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club. They all contain ace exclusive tracks you can’t find anywhere else so you know you need them. Check the catalog pages for reviews and the sounds page for full-length soundclips. These are perfect additions to your Tender Trap, Lovejoy and Harper Lee new release orders, don’t you think?

In upcoming European live action, Pipas are set to play Sweden’s Emmaboda Festival on August 12th; Airport Girl, The Lucksmiths, and Would-Be-Goods all help Fortuna POP! Records celebrate 10 years of love, ineptitude and independence at the August 30th F-POP! Fest in London; and The Lucksmiths take in a dozen European cities in early September, including dates in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Spain and Italy. For more details see the Pipas, Fortuna POP, and Lucksmiths websites.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from Would-Be-Goods, The Liberty Ship and Harper Lee! Each release is specially priced for the next month to persuade you to continue building your Matinée collection. Here are several reasons why you should:

This month’s spotlight album is the luxurious 2004 full length ‘The Morning After’ (matcd032) from Would-Be-Goods! Their third release for Matinée following the triumphant ‘Emmanuelle Béart’ EP (matinée 030) in 2001 and ‘Brief Lives’ (matcd017) album the following year, we happen to think it’s the best Would-Be-Goods release to date. In reviewing the album, All Music Guide suggested “you would be hard pressed to find a better indie pop record this year,” calling it “a miniature gem that indie pop fans should add to their collection right away.” Tasty concurred, writing “easily the best WBG album so far, and their most accessible… pop at its most righteous.” The album has some bona fide modern classics on it, including the title track, ‘Pantomime Devil,’ ‘Miss La-Di-Dah,’ ‘Big Cat Act,’ ‘What Adam and Eve Did Next’… check out soundclips on the sounds page and take advantage of the bargain price all this month at the mailorder! You’ll be glad you did because Would-Be-Goods rule, okay?

The back catalog CD single of the month is the March 2003 ‘Northern Angel’ EP (matinée 046) from The Liberty Ship, the Nottingham, England four-piece led by former Bulldozer Crash frontman Marc Elston. The title track is one of those should-have-been hits with perfectly shimmering guitars, harmonica, tambourine, great harmonies and one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long while. Seriously… go to the sounds page for a listen because it’s really worth hearing. The EP was a favorite at All Music Guide, which wrote “all four songs have a chiming, Byrds-influenced, classic indie pop sound… Northern Angel has lovely minor chords, a soaring chorus, and is reminiscent of late-’80s bands like the great East Village.” Meanwhile, Careless Talk Costs Lives said “guitars shimmer, tambourine shakes, harmonies harmonize… business as usual from Nottingham, then,” while Wide Open Road called it “a strong EP all round, especially if you like heartfelt guitar pop from the Postcard school.” See the catalog page for more reviews. Three of the EP’s four tracks did not appear on the subsequent Liberty Ship album ‘Tide’ (matcd029) so it’s well worth the money especially at the sale price this month. See the mailorder page to secure your copy.

Our featured 7″ this month is the October 2000 ‘Bug’ 45 (matinée 019) from Harper Lee! The second single from Brighton, England duo featuring Keris Howard (Brighter, Hal, Trembling Blue Stars) on vocals and guitar, and Laura Bridge (Hood, Kicker) on guitar, keyboards, and drums, this double A-side showcased idyllic, earnest pop with beautifully layered keyboards and guitars. In reviewing the single, In Love With These Times called it “two songs of impossible beauty” and we couldn’t agree more. The title track will always be a highlight of the Matinée catalog… I could write a page about it easily but sounds speak louder than words so just listen for yourself over at the sounds page and you’ll soon decide this is essential listening. The exclusive b-side ‘You Kill Me’ is just as good and perhaps most famous as a Pipas cover version on the Matinée 50 compilation (deservedly one of Matinée’s top sellers) which means more people own the Pipas version of this song than the original Harper Lee version and that’s just not right is it? If we sell roughly 100 copies of the ‘Bug’ single this month they’ll be on equal footing so get going because 7″ singles are ace, especially when they’re just $2!

Those of you who are not fans of Real Player may be happy to know that sometime over the next few weeks you will be able to sample virtually every song released on Matinée via iTunes! Yes, we’ve given in to the digital revolution and are currently in the process of uploading releases to iTunes for download… hurrah! Of course we’ll still maintain stock of the physical releases too so either way we’ll keep your stereos and iPods happy. The process takes awhile but hopefully everything will be up by mid-August. We plan to provide direct links from the website to make it easy so check back here if you are interested.

We’ll end this missive as always with our hit parade of the top sellers from the past month. This one is a special combined May/June chart which sees Tender Trap just barely edging out a Harper Lee debut to remain at the top:

10. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
9. Pale Sunday – Summertime CD
8. Lovejoy – England Made Me CDEP
7. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
6. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
5. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
4. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
3. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
2. Harper Lee – He Holds A Flame CDEP
1. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD

Stay cool!
Jimmy
x

Hello comrades! We’ve some vital news this month as we proudly release the brand new album from Tender Trap; preview imminent EPs from Harper Lee and Lovejoy; provide details on a forthcoming Brighter compilation; gush about recent EPs from The Lucksmiths, The Snowdrops and Tender Trap; announce live summer dates for select Matinée artists; drop hints about future recordings; brag about some old gems; and more! Here’s the skinny:

Our latest release is the magnificent album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) from new indie legends Tender Trap! Twenty years on from the NME’s legendary C86 cassette, with anniversary shows featuring key artists planned at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts and a Bob Stanley-produced documentary in the works, Tender Trap’s new album is striking proof that some of the original protagonists of that movement are still making intelligent and engaging pop music. As lead singer of the seminal Talulah Gosh, the proto-riot grrrl Heavenly and the classy pop act 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, releasing the coolly electronic album ‘Film Molecules’ and a clutch of fine singles to date.

With the addition of the crisp drumming of 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.

In pre-release review action, Tasty agreed, writing “6 Billion People is one of the best pop albums you’ll hear this year,” while Erasing Clouds described it as “another fantastic addition to Amelia Fletcher’s lengthy discography.” The full tracklisting and soundclips are now posted on the catalog and sounds pages. Although the official release date is May 29 in the shops, you can pick up your copy RIGHT NOW via the Matinée mailorder for just $10. We have fashionable Tender Trap buttons and postcards too so what are you waiting for? The CD is available in Europe from the good people at Fortuna POP!

Before we shut our trap (ahem…), don’t forget about their recent ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) featuring the non-album tracks ‘Unputdownable,’ ‘Friendster’ and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’! It’s the perfect appetizer for the ‘6 Billion People’ full length and a wonderful EP all its own. It’s a press triumph too, with Losing Today writing “Talking Backwards is three minutes of feverishly honed sweetly turned shimmer like 60’s inflected jangle pop that sees the classic indie glamour of the Primitives curvaceously diluted and lovingly draped by the crisp, breezy Francophile la la bachelor pad mindset of Stereolab all married to an audacious good to be alive melodic thread found casually basking in the softened haze of sultry summer afternoons and garnished with the kind of rash like infectiousness.”

Other recent reviews include Magnet Magazine writing “[Tender Trap] sports familiar, churning neo-new wave melodies that’ll have you jonesing for a microbrew and a clove cigarette,” Pop Matters calling it “a rousing girly guitar-pop joy that takes at least ten years off the soul,” and All Music Guide concluding “Amelia Fletcher has never made a record anything less than wonderful and this is no exception.” The title track is playing on the sounds page for your listening pleasure, and the EP is available from all good record shops or the Matinée mailorder now so get your copy today!

While you’re at the mailorder, you may want to pick up newly stocked copies of classic K Records releases from Tender Trap, Marine Research, Heavenly and Talulah Gosh! We have fresh copies of the debut Tender Trap album ‘Film Molecules,’ plus ‘Sounds from the Gulf Stream’ and ‘Parallel Horizontal’ from Marine Research; ‘Heavenly vs. Satan,’ ‘Le Jardin de Heavenly,’ ‘The Decline and Fall of Heavenly,’ ‘Operation: Heavenly’ and ‘P.U.N.K. Girl’ from Heavenly; and ‘Backwash’ from Talulah Gosh. Each of these bands features Amelia Fletcher from Tender Trap, while the first three also include Rob Pursey of Tender Trap and the latter three also feature the unmistakable guitar playing of Peter Momtchiloff (now in Would-Be-Goods). But you knew that. Any serious student of indiepop most likely has these already but if you’re missing any from your collection do yourself a favor and add it to your next order. You won’t be disappointed! The lovely K mailorder has stocked a handful of Matinée releases in return so head over there for more from the international pop underground.

Turning now to some exciting forthcoming releases, the brilliant new five track ‘He Holds A Flame’ EP (matinée 061) from Harper Lee is due back from the pressing plant in a matter of days! As we reported last month, the EP includes two versions of the title track, a quirky sing-along that recalls the more upbeat moments of lead singer Keris Howard’s former band Brighter, plus the Go-Betweens-by-numbers acoustic pop of ‘I Could Be Wrong,’ the moody and churning ‘William Blake’ which would have fit nicely on the last Harper Lee album ‘All Things Can Be Mended’ (matcd033), and a chiming lullaby called ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head’ which is a simply sublime way to end an EP. No mere single, this is an astonishing EP where every song could have been the lead track. You can preview ‘He Holds A Flame’ right now on the sounds page, but if ever you trust my advice on these matters, head straight to the order page because this release is one of the very best we have ever had the honor of assigning a Matinée catalog number. Yes, it’s that good! The official release date is still a few weeks off but we’ll start shipping mailorder copies from June 1st so you can be the first on your block to hear one of the very best releases of the year.

Also now at the pressing plant is the fantastic new ‘England Made Me’ EP (matinée 062) from Lovejoy! The first new material since the ‘Everybody Hates Lovejoy’ album (matcd035) early last year, the EP features brand new songs ‘Brightness Falls,’ ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘Made In England’ plus a great cover of ‘In the Rain’ originally by The June Brides. In the short time since we received the masters, ‘Brightness Falls’ has already established itself as one of the very best Lovejoy songs to date. Check it out now playing on the sounds page…it’s ace, don’t you think? ‘Made in England’ is up there too…a return of sorts to the chiming pop of the debut album ‘ Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008), while ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘In the Rain’ sport a bit more of the electronica that first showed its face on the popular ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ (matcd018) set. Oh, it’s all good…everybody loves Lovejoy. Still several weeks away from release but we’ll start taking preorders in June so keep checking the order page for your earliest opportunity to own the latest Lovejoy masterpiece.

Moving through the Matinée art department is the fantastic new 20-track compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041) from Brighter! As we mentioned last month, the album includes the eight songs from the 1991 mini-lp ‘Laurel’ originally released on Sarah Records plus five songs from the ‘Next Summer’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ flexis, a contribution to the rare ‘Beckett House’ compilation LP, and six previously unreleased tracks…you read that right! All remastered in glorious stereo sound of course. 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. We’ll reveal complete release details soon, but in the meantime have a listen to the brilliant unreleased track ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page. To say we’re eager for this release is a bit of an understatement. Just you wait…

Still gracing new release shelves around the globe is the splendid ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The second single lifted from the astonishing ‘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.

In new Lucksmiths review action, hipster blog You Aint No Picasso concluded “the new songs are every bit as good as those on Warmer Corners – it’s easy to see ‘Macaulay Station’ as the next step from Warmer Corners, and if this is where they’re headed, I couldn’t be more excited.” Meanwhile, Friends of the Heroes declared it “the best single of the year so far,” Losing Today called it “absolutely essential – could well be their finest and most focused moment to date,” while Tangents warned “you would have to be dim or demented not to pick up a copy post haste.” So, assuming you’re not dim or demented, you probably need to follow the advice of Tangents and pay a visit to the Matinée mailorder (or your trusty local indie shop) today.

Also still dazzling on the new release shelf is the ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, Glo Worm)! The EP features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track (now playing on the sounds page) with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘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 and some other nice touches.

The EP continues to generate enthusiastic press, with Losing Today describing it as a “laid back take on New Orders’ ‘Run 2’ with the added accompaniment of a particularly chilled Pet Shop Boys on hand to sprinkle their mercurial laced coffee table pop authority upon…the resulting thread work a softly curdling shimmer like slice of numbing hand holding gracefulness that glides seductively from the grooves into your headspace in the blink of an eye with all the crafted charm of the Field Mice at their most alluring found swapping notes with Fosca.” Are you with us? In other words, they like it! Other recent reviews include Vanity Project calling it “ambient electro indie-pop with a rocking chair St. Etienne groove;” Stylus Magazine writing “the members of the Snowdrops might want to reconsider the band’s status as a side project: their subdued synth-pop moves like a less-kinetic Postal Service, prizing atmosphere over rhythm or groove,” and Mundane Sounds commenting “if you’ve ever wondered what The Field Mice might have released after their swan-song single “Missing the Moon,” Sleepydust answers that question quite nicely.” Indeed. The EP is available now from all good retailers or your trusty Matinée shop.

In other top news, the warm weather has brought some Matinée artists out of hibernation for live action over the next 30 days. Each of these artists are working on new albums so expect exclusive previews of new material in addition to the usual classics. Check this out!:

Saturday, May 27th: Mark Monnone (The Lucksmiths) and Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez (Pipas) @ Smallmusictheatre, Koukaki, Athens (Greece) with The Occasional Flickers. Doors at 10pm, 8 euro, details: http://sprinkledpepper.net/funwhileitlasted/

Thursday, June 1st: Math and Physics Club @ The Crocodile Café, Seattle, WA (USA) with Ghost Stories, Young Sportsmen, and Panda & Angel. Doors 9pm, 21+, free!

Thursday, June 8th: Sportique @ The Windmill, Brixton, London (UK) with The Salty Pirates and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by How Does It Feel…?; tickets available from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/10654

Sunday, June 18th: Math and Physics Club @ The Fremont Fair, YMCA Fusion Café Emerging Artists Stage (outside!!), Seattle, WA (USA). ALL AGES, play time TBD, free!

Friday, June 23rd: Would-Be-Goods @ The Buffalo Bar, London (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Fortuna POP!, 8pm; £5 advance/£6 at the door including free CD.

Saturday, June 24th: Would-Be-Goods @ Junktion 7, Canning Circus, Nottingham (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble, The Chemistry Experiment and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Tasty fanzine, 8:30pm; £5 at the door including free CD.

Sunday, June 25th: Would-Be-Goods @ The Cellar, Oxford (UK) with Les Très Bien Ensemble and The Cut Outs. Sponsored by Shogun Panda, 7:30pm; £5 advance/£6 at the door including free CD.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from Melodie Group, The Lucksmiths and Kosmonaut! Each release is specially priced for the next month if you care to add to your Matinée collection. Further enticement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the splendid full length ‘Updownaround’ (matcd022) from Melodie Group! Featuring the consummate songwriting skills of The Windmills vocalist and guitarist Roy Thirlwall, Melodie Group has enjoyed some of the highest praise lofted at a Matinée artist, including comparisons to The Go-Betweens, Echo and the Bunnymen, East Village, and Felt. ‘Updownaround’ showcases relaxed, melodic popsongs that achieve a rare mixture of melancholy and catchiness. Lusciously paced, with gorgeous vocals delivered in the most dulcet of tones, the album is a triumph for Thirlwall’s esteemed catalogue and a testament to the brilliance of his creativity. Tasty described it as “the sort of record any sort of serious fan wishes Morrissey would make, instead of pissing about with those rockabilly chancers,” and Mundane Sounds declared it “a fine debut album from a proven talent.” Among its ten tracks are favorites ‘Summerness’, ‘Bathtub Full of Water’, and ‘I Do Not Not Love You’ – all of which you can preview on the sounds page before picking up a copy of your very own. It’s a nice one.

The November 2002 ‘Midweek Midmorning’ EP (matinée 042) from The Lucksmiths is our back catalog CD single of the month. The title track is a fantastic pop affair that mines typical Lucksmiths themes: sunshine, laziness and unemployment. Its jangling guitars, trumpet, tambourine and excellent vocals provided a highlight of the band’s ‘Naturaliste’ album the following year. The real selling point of the single, however, is its two exclusive non-album tracks: ‘Point Being’ is a catchy affair with handclaps and tambourines and a prominent bass line, while ‘Requiem for the Punters Club’ is an earnest tale about the closing of the band’s favorite hometown purveyor of adult beverages – a lovely remembrance that builds to a wonderful sing-along chorus before concluding with the solitude of a wailing harmonica. More than one reviewer listed ‘Requiem for the Punters Club’ among their favorite Lucksmiths songs to date and overall the EP enjoyed tremendous praise in the music press. Among our favorite quotes, All Music Guide wrote “The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop collection,” while Shredding Paper called it “compact, catchy pop with smart lyrics and huge hooks,” and Splendid declared it “a low-cost introduction to your new favorite band.” See the catalog page for more reviews and soundclips. No Lucksmiths fan can afford to be without this.

Our back catalog 7″ of the month is the ‘Desert Song’ 45 (matinée 041) from Kosmonaut! An English band featuring Stephen Maughan (ex-Bulldozer Crash and creator of the legendary This Almighty Pop! fanzine) and Geoff Suggett (ex-Lavender Faction), this one-off 7″ followed previous Kosmonaut releases on the esteemed Motorway and Firestation Tower record labels. In addition to having the honor of being the final Matinée 7″ pressed, the single was well received in the press with comparisons to The Sugargliders, Fantastic Something, Teenage Fanclub, Aztec Camera, Avocadoclub, The Clientele and Biff Bang Pow! Tangents reported “Kosmonaut offer us the delicious ‘Desert Song’ and ‘Bee Song’, both of which glint like silver strings in the Mojave,” while Wide Open Road wrote “Desert Song is a sumptuous recording, as delicious as the season’s first blueberries” and In Love With These Times called it “road music at its finest.” The band later deconstructed The Liberty Ship for the ‘Matinée 50’ (matinée 050) compilation before disappearing altogether, but we’ll always have this perfect 7″ with which to remember them. Surely not enough of you have this one so remedy that situation pronto because 7″ singles are ace, especially when they’re just $2!

As always, we conclude with our list of top sellers from last month which sees Tender Trap debut at the top of the heap. Do you have your copy yet? We happen to think it’s the perfect Father’s Day gift. Here’s the top ten:

10. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
9. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
8. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
7. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
6. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
5. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
3. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. Tender Trap – 6 Billion People CD

Until next month,
Jimmy
x

Oooh…April already? More top news this month as we unveil a brand new release from Tender Trap; gush about a new Lucksmiths EP; divulge information on forthcoming releases from Harper Lee, Lovejoy and Brighter; post exclusive new soundclips; announce upcoming live dates for Matinée artists; and more!

Leading off with Tender Trap, we can now reveal complete release details of the new album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040)! Twenty years on from the NME’s legendary C86 cassette, with anniversary shows featuring key artists planned at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts and a Bob Stanley-produced documentary in the works, Tender Trap’s new album is striking proof that some of the original protagonists of that movement are still making intelligent and engaging pop music. As lead singer of the seminal Talulah Gosh, the proto-riot grrrl Heavenly and the classy pop act 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, releasing one album to date, the coolly electronic ‘Film Molecules’.

With the addition of the crisp drumming of 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.

Full tracklisting and soundclips are now posted on the catalog and sounds pages. Although the official release date is May 29 in the shops, you can pick up your copy RIGHT NOW via the Matinée mailorder for just $10. We have snazzy Tender Trap buttons and postcards too so what are you waiting for? For those of you in Europe, the CD is available from our good friends at Fortuna POP! so tell Sean we said hello!

To celebrate the arrival of the album, Tender Trap are making some rare live appearances next week in London featuring for the very first time a real live drummer (Claudia) in place of the faithful old CD player:

Thursday April 13th: How Does It Feel To Be Loved? at The Windmill, Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, with Fosca and Strange Idols. Doors open 7:30pm. Advance tickets are £5 from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/9462.
Saturday April 15th (afternoon): Fortuna POP! showcase at RoTa, Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, with Cannonball Jane and Simon Fanfarlo. Doors open 4pm and it’s free!

In addition, Amelia will be guest DJ on Friday April 7th at How Does It Feel To Be Loved? at the Canterbury Arms in Brixton. The club runs 9pm to 2am, and Amelia is doing a 90-minute girl-based set sometime between 10pm and midnight. Get your dancing shoes on! More details on this and the live shows at the Tender Trap website.

In other new release news, the magnificent ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths is now available in all good record shops! The second single lifted from recent album ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039), coupled with three exclusive new tracks, validates yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously 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 need to have a listen. Its magnificent b-sides are all set in actual places: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, ‘Rue Something’ a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris, and ‘To Absent Votes’ a tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. Combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they create a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. The EP comes housed in one of our signature minijacket sleeves (matte coated…oh so nice!) with liner notes from comedian Daniel Kitson.

The EP is already generating some world-class press, with each of the new songs receiving mentions as the favorite. Among the early reviews, Pitchfork and Tasty laud ‘From Macaulay Station,’ while All Music Guide opts for ‘Rue Something’ and Erasing Clouds chooses ‘To Absent Votes.’ Our favorite changes daily so the jury is out until the next batch of reviews. You Ain’t No Picasso recently published a fine interview with Marty Donald too so check it out for even more Lucksmiths fix.

Finally, lucky readers in Australia (or anyone else with a penchant for last minute travel) can catch a trio of EP release shows coming up this weekend:

Friday April 7th: Karova Lounge, Ballarat, with Fred Astereo. Tickets $12 at the door.
Saturday April 8th: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, with Fred Astereo. Tickets $15 in advance or $18 day of show from the venue.
Sunday April 9th: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, with Mid State Orange (tickets as above).

The recent ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops, ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from Tender Trap, and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club continue to fly off the shelves and generate excellent press. Check the catalog pages for the latest reviews and get your copies now because they all contain exclusive tracks that you probably need to hear. These are part of a magnificent run of Matinée EPs that we trust one day will be looked upon as a classic moment in indie history. See the sounds page for further encouragement.

In the coming soon category we have a pair of EPs that will surely only add to this classic singles run:

The new EP from Harper Lee is entitled ‘He Holds A Flame’ (matinee 061) and is heading to the pressing plant imminently to make you smile sometime next month. The EP includes five tracks—two versions of the title track plus ‘I Could Be Wrong,’ ‘William Blake’ and ‘Come Rest Your Weary Head.’ Of course they are all brilliant but our pick this very moment is the Go-Betweensy acoustic pop of ‘I Could Be Wrong’ which has us singing out loud as we type this sentence. You’ll have to wait to hear that one but can preview the ace title track right now on the sounds page. Harper Lee are keen to play live dates around Europe to support the EP so if anyone is interested in bringing them to your home town please let us know! In an ideal world I would convince them to visit America as well so cross your fingers and buy lots of Harper Lee releases and we’ll see what we can do.

Something is apparently in the water in Brighton because in addition to new releases from The Snowdrops and Harper Lee, Lovejoy are set to return with a four track EP of their own! Entitled ‘England Made Me’ (matinée 062), the EP features new songs ‘Brightness Falls,’ ‘Are You Analogue or Digital?’ and ‘England Made Me’ plus a fourth track that is still under consideration. Lovejoy recently contributed songs to compilation albums released in Australia, Sweden and Ireland too so see the newly updated Lovejoy website for details. More details on this release next month but for now you can preview ‘Brightness Falls’—surely one their very best so far, no?—on the sounds page.

In other Harper Lee news, we are at long last reissuing the magnificent 2001 debut album ‘Go Back To Bed’ (matcd009) which has been sold out for several years. Featuring the debut single ‘Dry Land’ plus early classics ‘Bug,’ ‘Only Connect,’ and ‘Brooklyn Bridge,’ the album is a Matinée favorite that will once again grace a new release shelf near you so stop spending £30 for it on eBay!

Ditto the £50 or so you’ll need for a copy of the sole Brighter album ‘Laurel’ released on Sarah Records way back when because we’re reissuing those eight songs plus 12 other Brighter classics very soon on a new Brighter compilation ‘Out To Sea’ (matcd041). We’ll reveal complete release details next month, but you can listen to the brilliant unreleased song ‘Wallflower’ on the sounds page now to help you get excited for this splendid release.

Continuing now with our back catalog spotlight feature, this month we showcase classic releases from The Windmills, The Guild League and The Snowdrops! Each release is specially priced for the next month if you care to add to your Matinée collection. Further encouragement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the sophomore full length ‘Sunlight’ (matcd014) from The Windmills! Released in October 2001, the album built upon the skilled songwriting, sincere vocals and impressive melodies of previous Windmills releases with a new air of fervor and conviction. Among its ten tracks are fan favorites ‘Drug Autumn’, ‘When It Was Winter’, ‘Unkiss’ and our personal pick ‘Cloud Five.’ You can preview each of these songs on the sounds page if you like. The album did very well in the music press, with Careless Talk Costs Lives describing it as “some of the finest, most upliftingly down-beat Pop since East Village ripped hearts apart with their awesome beat noise back in the late ’80s;” IndiePages writing “with just the right mix of jangly pop and melancholy, this is one of those classic bands that can’t really do much wrong” and PopMatters calling it “a real corker of an album.” Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. As we always say, The Windmills rule and if you’ve not already discovered their brilliance this is a fine place to start.

The July 2002 ‘Jet-Set Go!’ EP (matinée 039) from The Guild League is our back catalog CD single of the month. While the band has boasted a revolving lineup on its three releases, the ‘League was launched as an Australian coterie featuring Lucksmiths vocalist and percussionist Tali White, fellow Candle Records artist Richard Easton, and members of Sodastream and Art of Fighting, and its debut single was a wonderful racket with guitars and drums and handclaps that you couldn’t get out of your head. The three-song EP also featured acoustic tracks ‘A Faraway Place’ and ‘Cornflakes’ which showcased Tali’s signature voice and presaged some of the magnificent softer moments on subsequent releases ‘Private Transport’ (matcd023) and ‘Inner North’ (matcd034). The Guild League were instant press darlings, with Mundane Sounds awarding the EP “single of the week,” Tangents calling the EP “a real gem that has been stuck on repeat all morning,” and Tasty writing “a perfect debut single—hug it hard.” See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. You probably need this too.

Our back catalog 7″ of the month is the ‘Mad World’ 45 (matinée 029) from The Snowdrops! Serious students of the label know this was a release that nearly didn’t happen due to a frustrating licensing holdup but in the end the publishing gods smiled on us and the single saw its release nearly two years later in May 2003. The debut single from an indie supergroup featuring Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy), Pam Berry (The Pines, Castaway Stones, Glo Worm, Shapiros, Black Tambourine, etc.) and Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont, Spinning Wheels), the A-side is a cover of the Tears For Fears hit which later topped the UK singles chart as a Gary Jules cover from the film ‘Donnie Darko.’ We always knew the song was a hit and if we had only sorted out the licensing issues earlier might have had our very own UK number one but alas, we settled for the single topping the Matinée hit parade for several months running instead. The flip is an original called ‘Don’t Buy Anything’ with Keith on lead vox and Dick and Pam backing in a style recalling the earliest days of Blueboy. Erasing Clouds wrote “this is what a pop 7″ should be—a little document of lovely moments,” while Tangents declared the Snowdrops “ace” for their “absolute peach of a version of the aforementioned ’80s electropop chart-topper.” The band later contributed brilliant songs to the ‘Matinée 50’ (matinée 050) and ‘Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware’ (matcd030) compilations before recording the recent ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053)…but the ‘Mad World’ 7″ is where it all started and you probably should have a copy all your own. The artwork is quite nice too and let’s face it, 7″ singles still rule, right?

Last month you bought lots of buttons so our selection now stands at 29 different designs. See the fanclub page for scans of the designs or the order page for availability. Still quite a bargain for the 5-pack or 10-pack so get yours before they all sell out. We will have new designs before too long too so watch this space.

As always we leave you with the list of top sellers from the previous month…our official hit parade. This one’s actually a combined February/March sales chart which puts the Lucksmiths squarely on top and proves that singles are still alive:

10. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
9. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
8. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
7. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
6. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
5. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP
4. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Lucksmiths – A Hiccup In Your Happiness CDEP

Hurrah!
Jimmy
x

Hello! Exciting times here as we present a brand new release from The Lucksmiths, unleash a slew of Matinée badges on an unsuspecting indie public, rave about great new releases, unveil some exclusive new soundclips, divulge exciting news about Brighter and Would-Be-Goods, gush about some old releases, and more!

Our premiere 2006 release is the new ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! The glorious title track, perfect for repeat plays on your car stereo or iPod, is lifted from the recent Lucksmiths album ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039). We trust you knew that. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, the song is a dancefloor sizzler that just had to be a single. Check it out now playing on the sounds page if you haven’t heard it. The EP also includes three exclusive new tracks that validate yet again why The Lucksmiths are among the most popular indie bands of our time: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, ‘Rue Something’ a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris, and ‘To Absent Votes’ a tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. Collected with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they create a brilliant EP designed to give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves. Housed in one of our signature minijacket sleeves (matte coated for all you printing buffs) with liner notes from comedian Daniel Kitson, the single is released to shops on February 20 but you can get your very own copy right here right now! Life is good with a new Lucksmiths single, don’t you think?

In other top news, last month we promised you badges so badges you shall have! As evidenced in the above photo and detailed on the fancy new fanclub page, we currently have 36 badges available to adorn your shirt or satchel or whatever you kids use these days. Some of them are quite old… leftovers from the original Soirée Matinée badge pack from 1999 plus tour badges for Monterey, Sportique and The Lucksmiths. Others were made for a series of London shows in 2001 and 2002, while 20 are brand new. We have at least one design each for 24 different Matinée artists plus two Matinée label designs and they’re all ready to include with your orders. Stock on older badges is quite limited and when they’re gone they’re gone so act fast if you want any. To launch our new line, we are offering a FREE badge with every order this month, oh yeah! If you just can’t decide on one, you may want to check out our 5 and 10-badge packs and choose your favorites. Please see the order page for details.

Hanging with The Lucksmiths on the new release shelf is the second single from The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, 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 (now playing on the sounds page) with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘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 and some other nice touches.

The EP continues to generate positive press, with Vanity Project calling it “ambient electro indie-pop with a rocking chair St. Etienne groove;” Mundane Sounds commenting “if you’ve ever wondered what The Field Mice might have released after their swan-song single “Missing the Moon,” Sleepydust answers that question quite nicely;” and The Big Takeover writing “gorgeous, stylish, melancholy pop music with an ’80s sheen, one song overtly alluding to Pet Shop Boys.” Finally, Tangents weighed in with its usual discerning prose, describing the single as priceless and writing “the sound of breathy kisses and dreamy-eyed devotion; of The Field Mice skywriting love letters to Ellsworth Kelly; of Pet Shop Boys on Brighton pier in a video by Caravaggio.” The single is limited to 1000 copies in a gorgeous minijacket sleeve and available now from the Matinée mailorder and all good retailers so get going!

Also garnering lots of attention is the wonderful ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap! Since forming in 2001, band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) have released three singles and the superb album ‘Film Molecules.’ Of course 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. This long-awaited follow-up features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on the forthcoming Tender Trap album ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040) in April. 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 harmonious conclusion. Check it out now on the 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; ‘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.

The magnificent EP reviews continue, with All Music Guide concluding “Amelia Fletcher has never made a record anything less than wonderful and this is no exception,” and Pop Matters writing “all in all, Talking Backwards is a rousing girly guitar-pop joy that takes at least ten years off the soul.” Indeed! As with all our new singles, it is limited to 1000 copies in another stunning minijacket sleeve so get to the order page or your favorite shop now!

Staying with Tender Trap, we can now divulge details of the highly anticipated new album! Entitled ‘6 Billion People’ (matcd040), the album features dazzling new songs 6 Billion People, Talking Backwards, Inuit Beauty Queen, I Would Die For You, Applecore, Fahrenheit 451, Ampersand, (I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You, Dreaming of Dreaming, and Dead and Gone. Of course they’re all dead good but we’ve just uploaded four current favorites to the catalog page and ‘Applecore’ is also featured on the sounds page. We’ve just finished the artwork too so it’s off to the pressing plant and on schedule for release in late April if all goes well. The band talked about the new album and more in a recent interview with Pop Matters so head over there if you want the inside scoop. More release details next month.

While on the sounds page, you will undoubtedly notice there is also a new soundclip of a song called ‘Wallflower’ from Brighter! While we are still working out the release details, I can confirm that we will release a very exciting compilation of Brighter material including the entirety of the ‘Laurel’ LP released on Sarah all those years ago, plus tracks from flexis and compilations and a healthy number of frankly stunning unreleased songs including the one now featured on the sounds page. The CD is tentatively entitled ‘Out To Sea: The Rest of Brighter’ (matcd041), and could contain as many as 20 tracks. More definitive news soon! New recordings from Lovejoy and Harper Lee are also nearing completion so watch this space for more new release information next month.

Would-Be-Goods are back in the spotlight with a quick set of dates in Spain this week with ace Elefant act Les Très Bien Ensemble! The shows are Thursday February 16th at Apolo in Barcelona, Friday February 17th at El Loco Club in Valencia, and Saturday February 18th at El Sol in Madrid. For additional show details please see the Elefant website. The shows are a collaboration between our friends at Elefant and Fortuna POP!, and the bands are scheduled to play three dates in the UK later this year. Entrance to the shows includes an exclusive Elefant/Fortuna POP! sampler CD “Que viva le pop!” featuring highlights of the two labels’ rosters. Would-Be-Goods have been busy in the recording studio recently and should have new release plans sorted soon as well. Hurrah!

In other band news, The Guild League have two new songs available on the latest Candle Records compilation ‘Hamper;’ Sportique have joined forces with the Myspace generation with a page of their own; and Pale Sunday have an alternate Myspace page as well.

After a month off, we are reviving our back catalog spotlight feature with classic releases this month from Simpático, The Young Tradition and Slipslide. Each release is on sale for the next month if you want to add to your Matinée collection. Further endorsement follows:

The back catalog spotlight album is the March 2002 full length ‘The Difference Between Alone and Lonely’ (matcd016) from Simpático! Not content to rest on the laurels of his prior band Sweet William, vocalist Jason Sweeney set out to create a debut Simpático album featuring warm, summery and melancholic tunes that reflect the harsh and dramatic Australian landscape matched with a longing and desire for lost loves. The resulting 12 tracks blended some of the strongest songwriting of Jason’s career with masterful keyboards, perfectly strummed guitars and his oh-so-dulcet voice. The album was greeted with glowing reviews, including Tangents writing “Simpático makes the sounds that you’d imagine the Field Mice making if their world were filled with more of a heat haze than a steady light drizzle;” Delusions of Adequacy concluding “borders on a work of genius;” In Love with These Times calling it “all killer, no filler;” and All Music Guide commenting “If you had to play the standard rock critic comparison game, saying Simpático is the Field Mice having tea with Brighter at the Razorcuts’ flat would be pretty close to dead on.” Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. We suspect this is an album you should probably not miss.

The July 2003 ‘California Morning’ EP (matinée 043) from The Young Tradition is our back catalog CD single of the month. At the time of their debut, group members Brent Kenji (The Fairways, The Guild League, Skypark) and Erik Hanspers had never met, collaborating instead through the marvels of our international postal service and a shared sense of songwriting. Featuring three beautifully orchestrated songs with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and Brent’s captivating vocals, the single was the sort that demanded repeat listening and engendered gushing praise from all corners. Wide Open Road awarded it single of the year (so far), writing “California Morning is intoxicating, mesmerising, and totally huggable, recalling the beauty of those late 1960s San-Fran anthems you can all name yourselves quite easily.” Meanwhile, All Music Guide wrote “California Morning is a magical EP that will leave indie pop fans desperate for a full-length,” Tasty called it “cracking grown-up pop,” and The Big Takeover concluded “California Morning soars way above most indiepop—like a great track from 60s softrock giants The Millenium or a hidden gem of Simon & Garfunkel song that’s somehow only just been discovered. The EP includes two songs—including a cover of ‘Isolation’ from San Francisco popstars Poundsign—that did not appear on the subsequent album ‘Northern Drive (matcd038) so it’s well worth picking up. See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. You’ll soon see that ‘California Morning’ is one of the very best songs we’ve ever released!

One of a trio of 7″ singles released in November 2001, the ‘Sleeptalk’ 45 (matinée 031) from Slipslide is our back catalog classic 7″ of the month. Featuring current and former members of Astronaut, the Love Parade, Eva Luna and Pure, Slipslide are merchants of swirling guitar pop with addictive choruses, keyboards, and rich production that sits nicely beside treasured records from Aztec Camera, Go Betweens, Pale Fountains, or New Order. ‘Sleeptalk’ features superbly jangling guitars, farfisa, a tambourine, and a bit of reverb, making it one of the most immediate songs the band has recorded to date. The flipside ‘Six Strings’ employs classic 12-string guitar, more tambourines and a slight folky edge reminiscent of the best moments of Shack. It remains one of our favorite Slipslide tracks to this day. Tangents liked it, writing “like a daydream beamed into my Saturday morning from fifteen years ago, making my spine creep and jangle.” Strange Fruit did too, concluding “this is a bit of a gem, basically. Charming vocals, C86 style melodies and guitars, and a happy, jolly, wonderful sound. An instantly delightful pop song that trundles along with a fey vigour all its own, it’s unassuming, charismatic and ideal to dance to. Lovely.” Lovely indeed. See the catalog page for reviews and soundclips. It’s on sale right now so a perfect time to pick one up and you could also use a nifty Slipslide badge too right?

That’s enough for this month. As always we leave you with the list of top sellers from the previous month…our official hit parade. Nice work Snowdrops!

10. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
9. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
8. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
7. The Snowdrops – Mad World 7″
6. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
5. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
4. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
3. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP

Adios!
Jimmy
x

Happy New Year! In addition to reports on top new releases, this month we offer lists of 2005 favorites from Matinée artists and official results of the fourth annual Matinée fanclub poll, yes way!

Our foremost release of 2006 is a new 4 track EP (matinée 060) from The Lucksmiths! As soon as we received the master for last year’s magnificent ‘Warmer Corners’ album (matcd039), we knew lead track ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ had to be a single and after months of cajoling and some fancy studio work its day has finally arrived. Boasting strings, horns, some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice, the song is a smash and we are excited to finally see it grace the Matinée singles discography page. Making the release possible was tricky for several reasons: 1) a one track single – even one as tremendous as this – isn’t very exciting; 2) there were no available b-sides; and 3) Lucksmiths bassist Mark Monnone was living abroad most of the past year which made recording new songs a bit of a challenge. But alas, this is the Lucksmiths we’re talking about.

Magically, three magnificent b-sides appeared on my doorstep just last week along with some fresh artwork and 24 hours later we had a package ready for the pressing plant. Those magnificent b-sides are all set in actual places: ‘From Macaulay Station’ is an ode to one of the unlovelier stops on Melbourne’s rail network, while ‘Rue Something’ is a more-or-less factual account of an evening spent on tour in Paris and ‘To Absent Votes’ is the tale of election night in the Australian outback town of Lake Cargelligo. They’re all lovely of course, and, did I mention… exclusive to this EP?! Combined with ‘A Hiccup In Your Happiness’ they make quite a brilliant EP that will hopefully give ‘Warmer Corners’ another shot at the glory it deserves.

The EP is set for release on February 20th although we’ll have copies to send out the prior week for anyone who preorders it. See the order page to preorder. The EP will be available through Candle Records in Australia on the same date.

The new Lucksmiths EP is the first of 12 releases planned for this year as part of the 2006 Matinée Hit Parade! Future volumes should appear roughly monthly and include exclusive new songs from Matinée idols Harper Lee, Lovejoy, Slipslide, Sportique, Would-Be-Goods and more. The 2006 release schedule also includes new albums from Tender Trap and Math and Physics Club and a handful of seriously wonderful surprises including at least one retrospective release so stay tuned for details.

Now featured on new release shelves across the globe is the second single from mysterious Matinée musicmakers The Snowdrops, an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, 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. You can listen to it now on the sounds page. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ the wonderful ‘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 EP is already generating positive press, with Stylus Magazine suggesting “the members of the Snowdrops might want to reconsider the band’s status as a side project…their subdued synth-pop moves like a less-kinetic Postal Service, prizing atmosphere over rhythm or groove.” Meanwhile, Erasing Clouds described ‘Sleepydust’ as “romantic and lovely” and “another stylish, melancholy pop song for the ages,” while Tasty offered seasonal advice “if the winter is stretching out in front you like a miserable frozen lake, reach for this ep, put a warm jumper on and eat some chocolate… you’ll feel better again before long.”

The single is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve and available now from the Matinée mailorder and all good retailers so get yours before they’re all gone.

Also gracing the new release shelf, the wonderful ‘Language Lessons’ EP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap finds band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and John Stanley (DJ Downfall) in 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 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.

We’re getting new Tender Trap reviews on a daily basis now. Some of our recent favorites include 75 or Less writing “infectious sing-song melodies, sweet girl-on-girl harmonies and an ounce of synthesizer for good measure… pop-a-licious!” and Pennyblack concluding “the whole of this EP is pretty much near perfect… welcome home, Amelia!” Do all Tender Trap reviews end with exclamation points, or am I imagining it? Let’s see… Mundane Sounds? Check: “A sweet little treat, this!” IndiePages? Check: “Talking Backwards” is taken from the band’s forthcoming second album, and if that album is as good as the single, it should be a delight! Tasty? Check: “A brighter, clearer sound [with] much simpler, bolder arrangements and lyrics to rival Heavenly’s cheekiest yet dark offerings… quite frankly, this is unmissable!”

The single is limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the order page or your favorite shop now so you can see what all the hoopla is about!!

Thanks to everyone who voted in the fourth annual Matinée Fanclub poll! We had responses from 18 countries this year and the results are now posted on the archive page. Here is a summary:

The winner of the album of the year award is ‘Warmer Corners” (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths (71 votes), with “Chunnel Autumnal” (matcd036) from Pipas (36) and ‘Summertime?” (matcd037) from Pale Sunday (33) coming in second and third. Hurrah!

In the singles category, newcomers Math and Physics Club took top prize with the ‘Weekends Away’ EP (matinée 056) earning 63 votes. ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths and ‘Movie Ending Romance’ from Math and Physics Club (matinée 059) were the other favorites, with 43 and 34 votes respectively.

In addition to the top album and singles categories, we added a new category this year for song of the year. As expected, votes were fairly dispersed with 66 of the 76 eligible songs earning votes. In the end, Math and Physics Club took the prize with ‘Weekends Away’ (34 votes), followed closely by ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ from The Lucksmiths (31), ‘Another Sunny Day’ from The Happy Couple (23), ‘Movie Ending Romance’ from Math and Physics Club (22) and ‘California Morning’ from The Young Tradition (20). Additional songs from these bands plus hits from Lovejoy, Pipas, The Snowdrops and Tender Trap also made the top tier.

In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths captured the number one spot this year (56 votes), followed by Math and Physics Club (33), Pipas (31), Harper Lee (23), The Fairways (23), Would-Be-Goods (14), Razorcuts (12), Brighter (11), Pale Sunday (10) and The Pines (8).

Finally, we replaced the ‘favorite song ever released on Matinée’ category with the more limited ‘favorite Matinée release of all time.’ Although the list of choices still numbered over 100, it seemed a bit more manageable than the 700+ songs released to date. Of course votes were still spread among virtually all the releases, but in the end a few firm favorites emerged. Top honors went to ‘Singles 1989-1992’ (matcd026) from Brighter (31 votes), followed by ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) from The Lucksmiths (25), ‘R is for Razorcuts’ (matcd012) from Razorcuts (21), ‘A Cat Escaped’ (matcd021) from Pipas (20) and ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club (18). Other releases earning more than 10 votes each include ‘T-shirt Weather’ (matinée 018) from The Lucksmiths (17), ‘This is Farewell’ (matcd031) from The Fairways (15), ‘Where Were We?’ (matcd019) from The Lucksmiths (15), ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) from Pipas (13), ‘Slum Clearance’ (matcd005) from The Siddeleys (13), the Matinée 50 (matinée 050) compilation (13), ‘Everything’s Going To Be OK’ (matcd020) from Harper Lee (13), and ‘Staring At The Sky’ (matcd004) from The Lucksmiths (12).

Congratulations to all the Matinée artists and thanks very much to everyone who entered. The lucky winner of the five CD prize pack is Nancy Ostrander from Seattle, WA. Hurrah! Wish you had won? Join the Matinée Fanclub and you may be our next lucky winner.

We also surveyed all the Matinée artists at the end of the year regarding their favorite things of 2005 and as expected there was great variety in the responses. See responses from members of Airport Girl, The Happy Couple, Harper Lee, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Melodie Group, Simpático, Slipslide, The Snowdrops, Sportique, Tender Trap, and The Windmills on the archive page.

This update has gone on long enough so we’ll skip the back catalog spotlight this month but I promised to mention new Myspace pages for Slipslide and Tender Trap! They join fellow Matinée artists The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club and Pale Sunday on the popular website and are looking for friends, as the lingo goes. I’m still not sure what all of this means, but if you click on the band names in this paragraph you’ll be whisked away to myspace and can, indeed, become friends with these bands and probably thousands of others. Have fun!

Also, we are making new buttons and thinking about making new t-shirts. Thanks very much for your input. We are fairly certain buttons can’t be downloaded so this is likely your only place to get them. Full details in the February update, or check the fanclub page later this month. If you go there now you’ll see lots of postcards and some rather outdated t-shirt information but not a word about buttons. Trust me, you’ll need a new backpack with what we have planned.

People bought lots of records in December so we had a nice Christmas. Here is the final hit parade of 2005, with a brand new number one:

10. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
9. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
8. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
7. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
6. Various – Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware CD
5. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
4. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
3. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
2. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP
1. The Snowdrops – Sleepydust CDEP

Until next month,
Jimmy
x

Hello! We’re back, full of autumnal cheer and surrounded by freshly delivered boxes of our penultimate release of the year.

That release, the excellent new ‘Language Lessons’ CDEP (matinée 058) from London trio Tender Trap, 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,’ described in one respected music magazine as the “unholy alliance between Blondie and The Magnetic Fields.”

The long-awaited follow-up, the ‘Language Lessons’ EP features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming Tender Trap album 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 limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve so get to the order page for your very own copy.

The band is currently finalizing artwork for the forthcoming album ‘Talking Backwards’ (matcd040) which includes great new songs Six Billion People, Inuit Beauty Queen, Ampersand, Talking Backwards, Fahrenheit 451, I Would Die For You, Dead And Gone, Applecore, (I Only Love You When I’m) Leaving You, and Dreaming of Dreaming. More details on the newly updated Tender Trap website.

Good news this month for fans of The Snowdrops too as we finally received the audio master for the new ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053)! The single has made its way to the pressing plant so we will have copies available early next month for your holiday shopping. As you may know, the band is an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo Worm, Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.) but they like to keep things mysterious so you never know who might contribute something in the end. The new EP features five tracks including a Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track (now playing on the sounds page) with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. Other tracks include the beautiful atmospheric number ‘Too Cold To Snow,’ a wonderful song called ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ with 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. We’ll start taking preorders later this month so check the order page for availability. As with all our singles, the EP is limited to 1000 copies in our custom designed minijacket sleeves.

In addition to the new Tender Trap and Snowdrops releases, we are also finalizing details of a 2006 singles club called The Hit Parade comprising a new EP every month with insanely catchy a-sides, exclusive tracks and more! We’re committing to twelve EPs in as many months from Matinée favorites The Lucksmiths, Sportique, Would-Be-Goods, Lovejoy, Slipslide, Harper Lee and more, plus some surprises. Stay tuned for details! Of course we have a few albums planned as well so 2006 is shaping up to be another top year for the label.

Looking backwards for a moment, the most recent release from Math and Physics Club is the magnificent ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059)! In a few months the band has gone from relative obscurity to indie acclaim, with two successful singles, features in respected publications like Pitchfork, Magnet and Rockpile, heavy rotation at some of the best radio stations in the land, and live appearances alongside heavyweights like The Lucksmiths, The Pixies, Tullycraft and Modest Mouse. Released in July, this new EP has only helped to solidify their stature as one of the best new bands of 2005. Among its four songs, ‘Movie Ending Romance’ is a pure jangler with soaring guitars, tambourines and an ace drumbeat, ‘White and Grey’ is an earnest song featuring strings, keyboards, and harmonica plus some magnificently poignant vocals, ‘Graduation Day’ is a swinging pop hit with more jangling guitars, tambourine, violin, and great lyrics, and ‘You’re So Good To Me’ is a Pacific Northwest take on a Beach Boys classic. As always, the lead track is available for streaming or download on the sounds page. The band continues work on its debut album so check here for updates and song previews soon. In the meantime, go straight to the order page to secure your copy.

Earlier this year we released fantastic albums from The Lucksmiths (matcd039), The Young Tradition (matcd038), Pale Sunday (matcd037), Pipas (matcd036) and Lovejoy (matcd035), plus singles from The Lucksmiths (matinée 057), Math and Physics Club (matinée 056), and The Happy Couple (matinée 054). See the catalog pages for complete release details, soundclips and reviews. We think it’s the best year ever for Matinée and continue to be excited about the label and our plans for the future. We hope you’ll join us.

Our continuing back catalog spotlight features classic releases this month from Sportique, Melodie Group and Sweet William. Each release is on sale for the next month if you want to complete your Matinée collection. Here is further encouragement:

The ‘Modern Museums’ LP (matcd015) from Sportique was released in January 2002 and marked a fairly substantial evolution from the band’s 1999 debut. The press loved it, and the album amassed scores of positive reviews. Among our favorites, Everett True wrote in Careless Talk Costs Lives: “Modern Museums is immaculate in a bittersweet, madcap, loud petulant sort of way…I want to marry it and have its children,” while Tasty concluded “twisted genius in glorious stereo” and Wide Open Road wrote “a still breathless meth-amphetamine art punk (g)rumble through the underground with the spray can of hate and love.” The best review ever (for any Matinée release) came from Japanese magazine Cookie Scene which reported “sounds like a guy whistle with a grin in underground after packed up a dead body of himself in a fat suit case popped up a leg a little.” You read that right. How can you not want to hear that?! Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. If you haven’t heard Sportique this is a perfect place to start.

With release of the ‘Raincoat’ EP (matinée 020) from Melodie Group in November 2000, we went with a surefire attention grabber on the sleeve: pornography. Admittedly, we made it a bit arty with some clever photoshopping and pixelization but as the Supreme Court told us, you can’t define pornography but you know it when you see it. In keeping with the sleeve art, we called lead track “You’ve Got the Whole of the World In Your Mouth” a two-minute pop explosion with chiming guitars and superb vocals that recall the jangling best of early Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Still a fair comparison we’d say, so if you remember the goodness of hits like ‘Perfect Skin’ or ‘Lost Weekend’ this might be for you. The EP includes three other tracks—the wonderfully sublime ‘Raincoat’ which seemed to be the favorite for most people, ‘Magic Robot’ which appropriately introduced a hint of modern electronica, and a moody one called ‘Goodbye’ that still makes us smile. English zine Robots and Electric Brains concluded “Melodie Group are on the side of the angels…Pastels, Wedding Present and 1986 are all here along with charm and chiming brilliance.” Of course Melodie Group mainman Roy Thirlwall is also lead vocalist of The Windmills and of all the Melodie Group releases this one is perhaps closest in spirit (or production) to The Windmills. Listening to it now we still think it is four A-sides that deserve to be heard by the masses and with all exclusive tracks (plus free porn) it’s a bargain as well. Listen to some Melodie Group soundclips on the sounds page and get a copy while it’s on sale this month. You’ll be glad you did.

This month’s back catalog classic 7” is the ‘Lovely Norman’ EP (matinée 006) from Sweet William. While this Australian band generally gets props for having the very first Matinée release ever (the ‘Dutch Mother’ EP from 1997), the spotlight this month is on their second single from January 1999. Confusingly, ‘Lovely Norman’ is the first song we heard from Sweet William and therefore more responsible for the launch of the label than even ‘Dutch Mother.’ Do you follow? Yes, this song is that good! You can listen to it on the sounds or catalog pages if you don’t believe me. In addition to the title track the EP includes ‘Run for Your Life’ and ‘Not Actual, Not Lasting’ (later covered by South London folk legends and Matinée labelmates The Pines). Three exclusive songs that sadly marked the end of the band but luckily we have this single to remember them always. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jason Sweeney went on to even greater acclaim in Simpático…a subject for a future back catalog classic feature for sure! ‘Lovely Norman’ is a key chapter in the Matinée history books so get a copy before it is gone for good.

Alright then…a combined hit parade for September and October keeps Math and Physics Club on top. Here’s the top ten:

10. Various – Matinée 50 CD
9. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
8. Brighter – Singles 1989-1992 CD
7. Harper Lee – All Things Can Be Mended CD
6. Various – Matinee Winter Warmer CD
5. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
4. Tender Trap – Language Lessons CDEP
3. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP

Thanks, as always, for supporting the Matinée mailorder!

Until December,
Jimmy
x

We keep forgetting that endless summer doesn’t apply far from Santa Barbara and that some of you actually expect news from us now that it’s officially autumn, so here we go…

Our latest release is the magnificent ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club! Judging from our postal receipts the past month it’s hard to believe everyone doesn’t have one of these already and with very good reason because our Seattle pals have delivered another winner. The title track is a summertime jangler with soaring guitars, tambourines and a drumbeat that will put a skip in the step of indie hipsters across the globe. ‘White and Grey’ is an earnest song featuring strings, keyboards, and harmonica plus some magnificently poignant vocals. ‘Graduation Day’ is a swinging pop hit with more jangling guitars, tambourine, violin, and great lyrics—a possible contender as the best MAPC song to date. Closing track ‘You’re So Good To Me’ is a Pacific Northwest take on a Beach Boys classic and a mighty fine one at that.

The band adds to its stockpile of positive reviews in the music press: Friends of the Heroes called the EP “without doubt the perfect summer record,” while Canadian hipsters Left Hip wrote “Movie Ending Romance is one of my faves from the dazzling current Matinée roster.” Erasing Clouds continued its string of spot-on reviews, saying “the feeling that Math and Physics Club is aiming to write classic pop singles may be merely because these songs are so damn good that throwing the word classic around doesn’t seem disingenuous.” Finally, Tasty delivered our choice quote: “If you thought that the quality quotient down at Matinée was every gonna wane, think again. This is the best single they’ve released in a while, and, amongst a throng of very great singles, too. ‘Movie Ending Romance’ by Math and Physics Club is quite simply stunning.”

Soundclips on the sounds page, of course, or just click straight to the order page so you’re not the last person on your block with a copy. The band is currently working on songs for its debut album and my, oh my, is it gonna be good!

Following the success of recent singles from Math and Physics Club, The Happy Couple and The Lucksmiths, we are officially declaring the single is not dead (!) despite industry reports to the contrary. To validate this point we are finalizing two more singles for imminent release:

First up is the highly anticipated return of London trio Tender Trap with the ‘Language Lessons’ CDEP (matinée 058)! The follow-up to the 2002 album ‘Film Molecules,’ the EP features lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ (a preview of the band’s forthcoming second album later this year) plus non-album tracks ‘Unputdownable,’ ‘Friendster’ and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’ As you probably know, Tender Trap is Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, and John Stanley who individually and collectively are responsible for various hits as Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and DJ Downfall. On this EP they are in top form, and joined by special guests Claudia Gonson (The Magnetic Fields) on two songs and Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez (Pipas) on another. The single is scheduled for release late next month but ‘Talking Backwards’ is playing on the sounds page now if you just can’t wait. We have just added the official Tender Trap artist page to the site as well so check that out if you are keen to learn more about the band.

Also scheduled for release at last is the ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) from The Snowdrops! The artwork is actually finished for this one so we are just waiting on the final master recording to get it into production. This has been a long time coming but not without good reason and you will be rewarded for your patience. You see, The Snowdrops aren’t really a band but instead a figment of the imagination of the inimitable Keith Girdler (Blueboy, Beaumont, Lovejoy). Core “members” include Dick Preece (Lovejoy) and Pam Berry (The Pines, etc.) but you never know who might contribute something in the end. They communicate only via handwritten note usually delivered by carrier pigeon. The Snowdrops are also the only band we know that designs artwork first and then attempts to record songs that fit the sleeve. At this stage it’s a five-track EP including a very Pet Shop Boys-inspired title track with brilliant lead vocals from Keith plus backing from Pam. You can listen to that on the current sounds page. Other tracks include a beautiful atmospheric number called ‘Too Cold To Snow’ (partly responsible for our desire to not release it in the summer), a wonderful new song called ‘The Boy With The Hummingbird Eyes’ with 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. Most likely out in November, but we’ll keep you posted…

Earlier this year we released fantastic albums from The Lucksmiths (matcd039), The Young Tradition (matcd038) and Pale Sunday (matcd037). We’ve written about them a lot already so check the archives if you are a sucker for my prose or simply click straight to the catalog pages for complete release details, soundclips and reviews. There you’ll also find details on other 2005 releases from Pipas (matcd036), Lovejoy (matcd035), The Lucksmiths (matinée 057), Math and Physics Club (matinée 056), and The Happy Couple (matinée 054). Not a bad year for Matinée, eh?

In band news, we have added recent interviews and other features to the Lucksmiths and Math and Physics Club pages. Also, a handful of October live performances to add to your calendar:

October 1: Math and Physics Club at Neumos in Seattle, WA (KEXP benefit show with M83, The National, Athlete, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and John Vanderslice). The show is broadcast live on KEXP from 6pm – 9pm Pacific time so you can all listen in).

October 2: Pipas and Mark Monnone (The Lucksmiths) plus Michelmas at The Light Programme in London, England. See the Pipas website for more details.

October 22: Lovejoy and Pipas plus Love Dance and Professor Pez at Kamelon, Bergen, Norway (Some Gorgeous Accident festival). See the Kamelon website for show details.

We are starting a new back catalog spotlight feature this month, shining a light on some classics from our respected discography which is now approaching 100 releases! Each month we’ll feature one CD album, one CD single and one 7” single that we think deserve another chance in the spotlight. Each of the releases is also on sale for the next month if you are looking for buying suggestions or just want to complete your Matinée collection. This month, the honors go to:

Ah, The Windmills. We have released a total of seven gems from this Southend-On-Sea lot and each one has proven more astonishing than the last. So, no better place to kick off our back catalog album spotlight than their most recent full-length ‘Now Is Then’ (matcd028) from November of 2003. Including the should-have-been hits ‘Walking Around The World’ and ‘Summer Snow’ and ‘Now Is Then,’ the album is a solid one start to finish and earned the band the loftiest acclaim of its career. Among our favorite quotes, All Music Guide praised it as “classic guitar-driven indie pop… rich and full of emotion” while IndiePages awarded it “favorite Windmills record to date” status and Aversion.com called it “an unfaltering collection of uplifting pop that demands repeat listening.” Check out full reviews and soundclips on the catalog page. If you haven’t heard The Windmills yet this is a great place to start.

Yeah, we know you’ve heard it before…‘Train Not Stopping’ from Harper Lee happens to be my favorite song ever released on Matinée but you must admit, this EP (matinée 032) is rather spectacular. In addition to the flawless title track, the EP includes exclusive songs ‘I Could Be There For You’ and ‘The Sea Gently Lifting’ which are minor gems in their own right. The single had the unfortunate fate of being released on September 11th of 2001 so needless to say it was a bit difficult to get people jumping up and down about it back in the day. Over time it has established itself as a bit of a masterpiece but we reckon there are many of you out there who still NEED to hear this. In reviewing the single, Strange Fruit wrote “straightforward and very, very effective, a starkly moving and sparkling little gem,” while In Love With These Times concluded “I could happily do nothing but listen to these songs ‘til Christmas.” Our favorite press quote, however, came from the ever-trusty Tasty, saying “There’s only two of ‘em, but they make a sound like an orchestra on valium, filling every corner of a song.” What could I possibly say to follow that? Read more reviews and listen to the title track on the catalog page—this one’s a gem and no serious student of the label should be without it.

Our featured 7” is the debut release from Nottingham quartet The Liberty Ship. Released in June 2002, the single (matinée 036) includes two songs exclusive to this release—‘I Guess You Didn’t See Her’ and a splendid cover of Gene Clark’s ‘She Don’t Care About Time.’ A very promising debut indeed! IndiePages applauded its “jangly guitars that sparkle and shimmer and great boy/girl vocal harmonies,” while Tasty called it “one of the essential purchases of your pop-drenched summer” and In Love With These Times said “rich and laid-back, this is pop for all seasons.” Of course The Liberty Ship went on to release the stunning ‘Northern Angel’ EP and ‘Tide’ album the following year but the songs from this 7” remain exclusive to this release so get it while you can. The 7” is one of six Matinée 7” that came in a proper glued jacket instead of a foldover sleeve and it looks rather smashing if you ask me. Bonus points if you can tell me who the rock star is on the sleeve…

In merchandise news, we have nearly sold out of the Lucksmiths US tour t-shirts, and the Matinée and Razorcuts shirts are just about gone as well. Check the order page for color and size availability and order soon if you want one. We are taking preorders now for a small number of Math and Physics Club t-shirts…available in light blue adult sizes and pink ladies sizes with a nifty paper airplane design. This is the same shirt available at recent MAPC shows on the West Coast and we have just 30 available so go here now to secure yours. Shirts will ship next week as soon as they arrive. More shirts and a new range of buttons/pins/badges (call ‘em what you like) are on the way. Look for complete details on the fanclub page sometime soon.

Finally, a combined hit parade for July and August demonstrates further love for Math and Physics Club. Thanks, as always, for supporting the Matinée mailorder! Here’s the top ten:

10. The Guild League – Inner North CD
9. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
8. Razorcuts – R is for Razorcuts CD
7. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
6. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
5. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
4. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
3. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance CDEP

Back next month with more news!
Jimmy
x

Greetings popfans and hope you are enjoying your summer so far! Things are especially good here this week as we present another splendid new chapter in the Matinée discography:

Just back from the pressing plant is the highly anticipated ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059) from Math and Physics Club! The band’s debut ‘Weekends Away’ EP sold out almost immediately, thanks in part to tremendous support from hip radio stations KEXP and WOXY plus a groundswell of underground buzz around the band. In reviewing the EP, venerable music publications pulled out all the punches, with All Music Guide calling it “a four track gem that manages to escape any charges of imitation,” Losing Today concluding “a classic all said and done,” Pitchfork reporting “sounds like The Clientele performing the first Smiths record after a Saturday night alone with Go-Betweens b-sides,” and Splendid hailing Math and Physics Club “a great new band.”

With ‘Movie Ending Romance’, the Seattle quintet proves the success of its debut was no fluke. The title track is one of those seamless summertime janglers with soaring guitars, lots of tambourines and a precise drumbeat that will put a skip in the step of indie hipsters across the globe. ‘White and Grey’ is an earnest song featuring exquisite strings, keyboards, and wailing harmonica plus some magnificently poignant vocals. ‘Graduation Day’ is a swinging pop hit with more jangling guitars, tambourine, violin, and great lyrics – perfect for summertime beach parties and a possible contender as the best MAPC song to date. Closing track ‘You’re So Good To Me’ is a Pacific Northwest take on a Beach Boys classic and a mighty fine one at that.

The single is officially released today although we had advance copies last weekend at the San Francisco Popfest. Math and Physics Club were among the featured performers, playing a brilliant set on the Saturday night bill with Remedy ‘n Wren, The Autocollants, The Consultants and The Baskervilles. The band also performed live on KALX radio Saturday afternoon with various Popfest bands. To promote the new release, Math and Physics Club have a handful of upcoming Seattle dates including a record release show at Chop Suey on July 28th, a special appearance at the Seattle Art Museum on August 18th, and a spot at the Bumbershoot Arts Festival on September 4th. See the band website for complete show details. You can also read a new MAPC interview at ace website You Aint No Picasso, based in Kentucky which of course wins lots of points with us.

The band is currently working on its debut full-length scheduled for release early next year. In the meantime, you can score copies of ‘Movie Ending Romance’ and ‘Weekends Away’ from the Matinée order page or any decent record shop. Soundclips for the two title tracks are now playing on the sounds page if you need a taste. I might go have a listen myself as I write a bit more…

Also performing at the San Francisco Popfest was Gregory Webster of Razorcuts and Sportique fame and oh, what a set! All hits: Love and Remains … I Heard You The First Time …. Don’t Believe A Word I Say … I’ll Still Be There … Art & Shopping … Sorry To Embarrass You … plus cameo appearances on Razorcuts covers by Math and Physics Club (A is for Alphabet) and The Autocollants (I Won’t Let You Down). Greg and DJ Downfall (of new Matinée signings Tender Trap) visited Santa Barbara last week en route to San Francisco and, being the perfect houseguests they are, helped me listen to 30-some demos that have come in over the past few months. It was a good night and helped me nearly catch up so if you are one of the bands that recently sent a demo and want to check in feel free to email us.

Speaking of Tender Trap, details of their debut Matinée release are now final. While the band is a new addition to the Matinée roster they have an esteemed discography already on top indie labels Elefant, Fortuna POP!, and K Records…and of course band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, and John Stanley (aka DJ Downfall) individually and collectively have a celebrated past with indie legends Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and Sportique. The long-awaited follow-up to the debut Tender Trap album ‘Film Molecules’, the new release is the four song ‘Language Lessons’ CDEP (matinée 058) featuring lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming album of the same name later this year. The single also features non-album tracks ‘Unputdownable,’ ‘Friendster’ and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’…the latter taken from a recent Spanish-only single on Elefant Records and featuring fellow Matinée megastar Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of Pipas in duet with Amelia. It’s a winner! We are still deciding on artwork so the exact release date is undetermined but should be in September. We will report on the album tracklisting and release details next month. In the meantime, ‘Talking Backwards’ is now playing on the sounds page if you just can’t wait. It’s on high rotation here at the moment and is sure to be a hit on your late summer playlists.

Switching to some recent gems, the fantastic debut album ‘Northern Drive’ (matcd038) from The Young Tradition is now available in shops worldwide. Comprised of Japanese-American vocalist Brent Kenji (formerly of The Fairways and Skypark) and Swedish multi-instrumentalist Erik Hanspers, the duo created its classic debut single ‘California Morning’ (matinée 043) entirely through the postal service in 2003. The single earned praise from all corners, including comparisons to 60s legends The Byrds, The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel; 80s favorites The Springfields, Sea Urchins and Teenage Fanclub; and contemporaries Belle & Sebastian, The Ladybug Transistor and Camera Obscura. Transcending decades with seriously impressive songwriting and beautiful orchestration, the duo gained attention before physically meeting in San Francisco last year to record the songs for this debut album. ‘Northern Drive’ includes ten new Young Tradition classics featuring jangling guitars, keyboards, and strings plus prominent bursts of trumpet, flute, and saxophone along with supremely rich melodies and Brent’s enchanting vocals. Fans of the Fairways will undoubtedly rejoice but 60s pop aficionados should take note as well because this album is a sophisticated pop mix that will delight indie kids and hip parents alike.

All Music Guide awarded the album four-and-a-half stars, saying “The Young Tradition have crafted a real gem of a record, full of emotion, hooks, and depth…an instant classic album.” In other press news, Erik Hanspers recently completed an interview for Swedish magazine Musiklandet so practice your Swedish by clicking here. You can preview four songs from the album on the sounds page and order the CD right now from the Matinée webshop or from your favorite store. While you’re at it, we still have copies of the classic debut ‘California Morning’ EP (matinée 043) which includes exclusive non-album tracks ‘All Up To Me’ and ‘Isolation’…come on, you won’t be disappointed! The Young Tradition are swell.

The new Pale Sunday album ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) also continues to impress. The Brazilian trio debuted with the 2003 single ‘A Weekend With Jane’ (matinée 049) earning acclaim from international music press and comparisons to indie legends Another Sunny Day and Razorcuts plus contemporary bands Brideshead and Aerospace. Since then, the band has contributed covers of Smiths and Sportique songs to Matinée compilations ‘Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware’ and ‘Matinée 50’ while writing and recording the ten new songs for this album. ‘Summertime?’ has all the essential POP! ingredients…jangling guitars, addictive choruses, tambourines, trumpets, handclaps, sha-la-la’s and perfect melodies. Sometimes the guitars get fuzzy in classic shoegaze fashion but in the end the bright shimmering pop songs and spirit of ’86 take over. The band wears 80s British pop influences on its sleeves but somehow manages to sound completely modern with some of the catchiest songs of the year. In addition to nine English language hits the album features one song in the band’s native Portuguese, which of course is the most beautiful language in the world.

Among the latest reviews, Finnish webzine One Chord to Another called it “a great summer soundtrack and one of the best indie pop albums in 2005,” while Italian kids-in-the-know Indiepop.it said “Summertime is a passionate rendition of Pale Sunday’s love for pop music…a record that speaks more about love (imaginary and real) than about summer, and an outstandingly good one.” You can also read an interview with Pale Sunday this month at Indiepop.it. If those superlatives aren’t enough to get you clicking to the order page, have a listen to ‘The White Tambourine’, ‘My Punk Girl’ and ‘Strangeways’ on the sounds page. ‘Summertime?’ is available now from the Matinée webshop or your favorite pop emporium, and if you don’t already have the ‘A Weekend With Jane’ EP (matinée 049) then you might just want to pick that up too because it contains four superb non-album tracks and the artwork is pretty ace too.

The tremendous press continues for the latest Lucksmiths masterpiece ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039). Some of our favorite recent reviews include Time Off Magazine calling it “an album that’s concurrently vibrant, restrained, mature and brimming with zeal,” Fufkin writing “effortlessly literate and terminally effervescent, this album is a gem,” and our local Santa Barbara Independent concluding “Warmer Corners brims with some of the finest indie-pop you are destined to be listening to this year.” You can preview four songs from ‘Warmer Corners’ on the sounds page, and see complete release details and all current reviews on the catalog page. The CD is available now from the Matinée shop and all good retailers. You know you want it.

During their recent US tour, The Lucksmiths stopped at KEXP radio in Seattle for an interview and in-studio performance which is now archived here. Also just up is a nice interview with PopMatters magazine. In other press action, the band completed an interview with BBC America that will feature on the Global Hit program on Friday, July 22nd. The feature is the last ten minutes of the BBC program The World, which airs on hundreds of radio stations in the US. Some of these stations also broadcast live on the web if you are not near a station or if you want to listen outside the US. The interview will be archived later this month on the Global Hit website, and we will add a link to it from The Lucksmiths artist page. This should be great exposure for the band, so when your granny asks you about The Lucksmiths at your next family reunion don’t be shocked!

Finally, we have about 50 Lucksmiths t-shirts available now from the Matinée mailorder. These are the same shirts they were selling on tour featuring the Lucksmiths guitar logo. The shirts are forest green (in adult medium and adult large) or indigo blue (in adult small and youth large). All shirts are Gildan 100% cotton and if you’re looking for a smaller size the youth large is your best bet. Shirts are just $10 each and they will likely go pretty fast so order now if you want one. We also have a handful of Matinée and Razorcuts t-shirts left for your summertime wardrobe so get ’em before they sell out for good.

Our fine batch of Spring singles – ‘Fools in Love’ (matinée 054) from The Happy Couple, ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) from Math and Physics Club, and ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths – are all still making waves in the music press. Check out the latest reviews for each on the updated catalog page. All are four track EPs with exclusive non-album tracks and all come in our classic new custom minijackets which look really nice, especially when lined up on a shelf so you can read the tiny spines. Singles rule, don’t you think?

Finally, a quick roundup of happenings with some of the other Matinée hitmakers: The Windmills play a rare live gig with Picture Center July 30th at Water Rats in London…The Snowdrops really are finishing up their long delayed new single…Pipas are up to their usual jet-set lifestyle but promise new recordings by the end of the year…Lovejoy look set to play in Denmark this September… Slipslide are currently recording nearly a dozen new songs … Would-Be-Goods are planning a series of autumn dates in the UK and Spain…and Sportique are contemplating world domination with a slightly revised lineup. Stay tuned for details.

Right. I will leave you with a rundown of the top sellers for the month of June. Thanks, as always, for supporting the Matinée mailorder! We truly appreciate your patronage.

10. The Guild League – Inner North CD
9. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
8. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
7. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
6. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
5. Lovejoy – Everybody Hates CD
4. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
3. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
1. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD

Until next month,
Jimmy
x

Greetings! More new releases plus announcement of two summer singles and another new band on the Matinée roster…hurrah! Here’s the skinny:

First up is the spectacular debut album ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) from Brazilian trio Pale Sunday! The band turned heads with its 2003 single ‘A Weekend With Jane’ (matinée 049) earning acclaim from international music press and comparisons to indie legends Another Sunny Day and Razorcuts plus contemporary bands Brideshead and Aerospace. Since then, the band has contributed covers of Smiths and Sportique songs to Matinée compilations ‘Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware’ and ‘Matinée 50’ while writing and recording the ten new songs for this album. ‘Summertime?’ has all the essential POP! ingredients…jangling guitars, addictive choruses, tambourines, trumpets, handclaps, sha-la-la’s and perfect melodies. Sometimes the guitars get fuzzy in classic shoegaze fashion but in the end the bright shimmering pop songs and spirit of ’86 take over. The band wears 80s British pop influences on its sleeves but somehow manages to sound completely modern with some of the catchiest songs of the year. In addition to nine English language hits the album features one song in the band’s native Portuguese, which of course is the most beautiful language in the world.

In reviewing the record, hip UK fanzine Tasty called it “the best indie pop album of the year so far” and of course Tasty is spot on with its reviews so what are you waiting for? You can listen to ‘The White Tambourine’, ‘My Punk Girl’ and ‘Strangeways’ on the sounds page and order the CD right now from the Matinée webshop or your favorite pop emporium. To celebrate the album, Pale Sunday has launched a new website and plans to announce live dates soon. Nice.

Also now available from shops around the globe is the magnificent debut album ‘Northern Drive’ (matcd038) from internationalists The Young Tradition! Comprised of Swedish multi-instrumentalist Erik Hanspers and Japanese-American vocalist Brent Kenji (formerly of The Fairways and Skypark), the duo created its classic debut single ‘California Morning’ (matinée 043) entirely through the international postal service in 2003. The single generated lofty praise from all corners, including favorable comparisons to 60s legends The Byrds, The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel; 80s favorites The Springfields, Sea Urchins and Teenage Fanclub; and contemporaries Belle & Sebastian, The Ladybug Transistor and Camera Obscura. Transcending decades with seriously impressive songwriting and beautiful orchestration, the duo gained attention before physically meeting in San Francisco last year to record the songs for this debut album. ‘Northern Drive’ includes ten new Young Tradition classics featuring jangling guitars, keyboards, and strings plus prominent bursts of trumpet, flute, and saxophone along with supremely rich melodies and Brent’s enchanting vocals. Fans of the Fairways will undoubtedly rejoice but 60s pop aficionados should take note as well because this album is a sophisticated pop mix that will delight indie kids and hip parents alike.

Venerable music reference All Music Guide awarded the album a very impressive four-and-a-half stars, saying “The Young Tradition have crafted a real gem of a record, full of emotion, hooks, and depth…an instant classic album.” You can preview ‘California Morning’, ‘Pink Opaque’, ‘Northern Drive’ and ‘Now You Know’ on the sounds page and order the CD right now from the Matinée webshop or in stores. Stay tuned for details of potential European live appearances this summer.

The latest Lucksmiths full length ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) is flying off the shelves and onto many midyear ‘Best of 2005’ lists. The album is receiving tremendous reviews and is on pace to be one of the top sellers for the label. Some of our favorite recent press quotes include the Erasing Clouds comment “Warmer Corners offers everything I would want in an album, which is why I plan to play it again and again and again and again…until their next one comes out,” and Stylus Magazine writing “the Lucksmiths deserve much more than merely being weighed against other acts from the so-called “twee” roster. Warmer Corners is a terrific and thoroughly enjoyable effort from a largely underappreciated band.”

The recent whirlwind US tour was a great success including several sold out shows so thanks to everyone who helped with booking, promotion, loaning equipment, or providing accommodation for the band. We have a handful of leftover tour t-shirts shipping back to us right now and will offer them via the mailorder later this month. The band is scheduled for an interview with the BBC in two weeks which will be used on the BBC America program ‘Global Hit.’ The feature will air in July or August and we will provide transmission details once confirmed. In the meantime, you can preview four songs from ‘Warmer Corners’ on the sounds page, and see complete release details and all current reviews on the catalog page. The CD is available now from the Matinée shop and all good retailers.

In addition to celebrating these new albums, we are just finalizing details for two exciting summer singles:

First up is an excellent new release from Seattle quintet Math and Physics Club! While the band’s debut release ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) continues to collect accolades and sales, they have wasted no time in recording another classic single, the ‘Movie Ending Romance’ EP (matinée 059). In addition to a brilliant title track, the EP includes new songs ‘White and Grey’ and ‘Graduation Day’ plus a cover of The Beach Boys song ‘You’re So Good To Me.’ These four songs prove the overwhelming success of the band’s debut EP was no happy accident. Straight off an appearance at last weekend’s Sasquatch Festival in Washington and a recent feature in Seattle Weekly, Math and Physics Club has been invited to play this year’s San Francisco Popfest on July 9 and is working to confirm a few Pacific Northwest shows around that time as well. Check the band’s website for complete show details. ‘Movie Ending Romance’ is now previewed on the sounds page. The single is scheduled for release in late July but we will have advance copies available at the San Francisco show so hope to see you there!

Also coming soon is a fantastic new single from London trio Tender Trap! While the band is a new addition to the Matinée roster they have an esteemed discography already on premiere indie labels Elefant, Fortuna POP!, and K Records…and of course band members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, and DJ Downfall individually and collectively have a celebrated past with indie legends Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and Sportique. So while no real introduction is necessary, we are truly excited to welcome Tender Trap to the Matinée roster and to announce details of their first new material in several years. The debut Matinée release is a four song CDEP (matinée 058) featuring the superb lead track ‘Talking Backwards’ which will appear on a forthcoming album of the same name later this year. The single also features non-album tracks ‘Ampersand,’ ‘Friendster’ and ‘Cómo Te Llamas?’…the latter taken from a recent Spanish-only single on Elefant Records and featuring ace vocal duties from fellow Matinée megastar Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez of Pipas! We have just added ‘Talking Backwards’ to the Matinée sounds page and will be finalizing artwork and other release details this month so stay tuned for more information on the single and album soon.

The debut Math and Physics Club EP ‘Weekends Away’ (matinée 056) continues to be a favorite with everyone…in fact the original pressing sold out in just two months but we now have a fresh supply to meet the fervent demand. It’s a great feeling to have a hit single again because the format is all but forgotten in this country! The EP includes four songs-‘Weekends Away’ (now playing on the sounds page), ‘Sixteen and Pretty,’ ‘Love, Again’ and ‘When We Get Famous.’ The single is in regular rotation at some of the best radio stations in the land including KEXP and WOXY. Meanwhile, Splendid is one of the latest media outlets praising the single, writing “these four short, simple tunes quietly announce the arrival of a great new band.” Even Pitchfork could not ignore this one, writing “sounds like The Clientele performing the first Smiths record after a Saturday night alone with Go-Betweens B-sides.” This, as you know, is hearty praise in Pitchfork-speak. Check out all the reviews on the catalog page. If you don’t have this single already get on board because Math and Physics Club are ace and now the world is finding out what made us smile from ear to ear when we discovered them last year.

The second of three magnificent recent singles is the ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) from The Lucksmiths. Now every Lucksmiths release is bound to be a hit but when you have a lead song as convincing as ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ you know you’re in for something good. Additional tracks ‘Young and Dumb,’ ‘The Winter Proper’ and ‘I Started A Joke’ only sweeten the pot and believe me when you get to the end of this EP all you can do is hit the repeat button to play it all again. The single has amassed a multitude of positive reviews, including Delusions of Adequacy recently writing “This is the indie-pop band [to which] all others should be compared.” Check out all the reviews on the catalog page. ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ is now featured on the sounds page and the EP is available from the Matinée mailorder and all other usual suspects.

The third release in our recent singles trilogy is the ‘Fools in Love’ EP (matinée 054) from German duo The Happy Couple! Featuring wonderful tracks ‘Another Sunny Day,’ ‘Hopeless Case,’ ‘The Pop Kid’ and ‘Don’t Call It,’ we’ve said the EP is a modern classic and the numerous reviews now featured on the catalog page confirm it. In recent review action, Splendid said “Sweet English-as-a-second-language female vocals elevate Fools in Love; the Hamburg-based group finds the same mature yet sexy tone that Ivy has and the Hidden Cameras aspire to.” Meanwhile TweeNet wrote “lead track ‘Another Sunny Day’ is probably my favourite pop song of the year…full production, great hooks, Janehoney’s lovely voice and the ba-ba-bas make it one of the songs that stays on repeat for hours.” Of course we agree. You can preview ‘Another Sunny Day’ on the sounds page now. The EP is available from the Matinée mailorder and all reputable record retailers.

Don’t forget we also have shining new releases from Lovejoy and Pipas at the moment. ‘Everybody Hates’ (matcd035) from Lovejoy continues to impress while ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ (matcd036) by Pipas is quickly becoming another modern classic. See the catalog pages for release details and reviews. Both bands are plotting live appearances this summer so check here or the band websites for details.

Pipas are one of several Matinée artists currently threatening new recordings. Others include Would-Be-Goods, Slipslide, Harper Lee, Sportique and The Snowdrops…really! If you haven’t figured it out yet part of the Snowdrops mystique is the tendency to postpone releases for months and months but the long delayed ‘Sleepydust’ EP (matinée 053) is about to have a brand new song called ‘The Boy with the Hummingbird Eyes’ added to it and this will surely make you smile. Other releases are in the planning stages so stay tuned for exclusive soundclips and release details in the coming months.

Now, a quick word about demos: We receive eight or ten emails a week from bands inquiring if they can submit a demo for consideration and of course this is our own fault because we have no stated demo policy on the website. We do accept demos but we are dreadfully behind on listening to them at the moment. We hope to rectify this situation in the next month so feel free to send anything you like to the following address: Matinée Recordings, Post Office Box 2181, Santa Barbara, CA 93120 USA. You do not need to contact us first. Please note that the release schedule is booked nearly a year out so we are not necessarily looking for new bands but then again we weren’t looking for Math and Physics Club last year and look where they are now. Please do not email us mp3s because we will never write you back. If you have further questions about submitting a demo please write to the matineepop@hotmail.com address and if you are one of the bands that recently sent a demo thanks for your patience! We will get back to you.

Finally, the three new albums all made strong debuts on the hit parade with The Lucksmiths’ ‘Warmer Corners’ taking top honors. Following are the top sellers for April and May combined:

10. Lovejoy – Everybody Hates CD
9. Harper Lee – All Things Can Be Mended CD
8. The Guild League – Inner North CD
7. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
6. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
5. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
4. Pale Sunday – Summertime? CD
3. The Young Tradition – Northern Drive CD
2. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP
1. The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners CD

Until next month,
Jimmy
x

Hello! The Matinée hit factory continues to operate at top capacity with three new releases since the last update. Thankfully they brew the coffee strong here in Santa Barbara!

First up is the greatly anticipated new album from Melbourne heroes The Lucksmiths! Entitled ‘Warmer Corners’ (matcd039) it’s the seventh studio album from Australia’s hardest-working band and follow-up to the excellent ‘Naturaliste’ album from 2003. As always, there are lots of guitars, some soothing basslines, and a singing drummer who’s far better than Phil Collins, but this time there’s also a horn section having a party, some fiery organs, a string section who dig Phil Spector, and a lazy pedal steel. ‘A Hiccup in Your Happiness’ kicks the album off with an uplifting nod of reassurance to a girl named Louise. Coincidentally, this song also marks the recorded debut for new Lucksmiths guitarist Louis Richter. It’s a dancefloor sizzler! As well as the aforementioned strings and horns, the song features some seriously funky guitar and a bassline possibly borrowed from Orange Juice. From there, the floor just keeps rumbling with ‘The Music Next Door’ and its pleasantly off-kilter guitar riff. By now it’s evident Marty Donald’s turns-of-phrase seem to have ripened with age, while Tali White’s vocals are as warm as ever. As with the last few albums, producer Craig Pilkington was put to work on string and brass arrangements, and he’s done some seriously wonderful things on ‘Warmer Corners’. Notably, the string section on first single ‘The Chapter in Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ drops the song off effortlessly at the bridge (and the monumental first ever use of wah-wah). Later, the fruits of bassist Mark Monnone’s relocation to Tasmania are on display, namely in the hobo lament ‘I Don’t Want to Walk Around Alone No More’ which meanders along gently and runs head first into ‘The Fog of Trujillo’. The former features superb whistling and beautiful acoustic guitar, while the latter, a sort of paean to a daydream, invites the horns back for another sangria and a rockin’ party again ensues. As if that weren’t enough, the album features seven more hits including a Rickenbacker jangler called ‘Sunlight In A Jar’ and the tale of a Kansas City barbecue called ‘Fiction’ that builds to a zydeco wigout! We kid you not. We called it the best Lucksmiths album yet last month and hopefully you’ll agree. Even Pitchfork gave it a positive review – what’s going on here? The band also did a short interview with Pitchfork which you can read here. See the sounds page for a taste, and get your very own copy NOW from the trusty Matinée webshop or your favorite retailer so you can learn all the words before seeing the band live.

The band lands on US soil in a week’s time so hopefully you have your tickets bought and plans made to attend one (or more) of the shows on this criminally short tour. These will be the last Lucksmiths dates for a long while so you’d be remiss to miss them just because they’re up against Survivor or something. As we mentioned last month, Matinée labelmates Pipas and Math and Physics Club are joining them on select shows! Here are full tour details:

April 29 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ The Knitting Factory (AlterKnit Lounge) with Math and Physics Club
(EARLY SHOW! doors 7pm, music 7:30 sharp, ALL AGES, admission $10 from Ticketweb)
April 30 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop with Remedy & Wren + Math and Physics Club
(doors 8pm, 21+, admission $10 from Virtuous Tickets)
May 1 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ The Make Out Room with The Mosquitoes + Scrabbel
(tickets available at The Make Out Room, admission $10)
May 3 – PORTLAND, OR instore @ Anthem Records
(3:30pm, ALL AGES, FREE!)
May 3 – PORTLAND, OR @ Berbati’s Pan with Andrew Kaffer and more
(tickets available from Berbati’s Pan $7 advance, $8 day of show)
May 4 – SEATTLE, WA live on KEXP Radio
(4:30pm, tune in 90.3 FM in Seattle or at www.kexp.org)
May 4 – SEATTLE, WA @ Sunset Tavern with Tullycraft + Math and Physics Club
(doors 8pm, 21+, admission $10 from Ticketweb)
May 5 – CHICAGO, IL @ Beat Kitchen with Pipas + The Icicles + Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
(doors 8:30pm, admission $10 in advance, $12 day of show from Beat Kitchen)
May 6 – GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ Shuler’s Books and Music with Pipas + The Icicles
(EARLY SHOW! music at 7:30 pm, ALL AGES, FREE!)
May 7 – BOSTON, MA @ PA’s Lounge with The Ladybug Transistor + Pipas
(doors 8:30pm, 18+, admission $9 day of show from PA’s Lounge)
May 8 – NEW YORK, NY @ The Knitting Factory with The Ladybug Transistor + Pipas + In Interview
(doors 8pm, admission $12 in advance, $15 day of show from Ticketweb)
May 9 – PHILADELPHIA, PA @ Philadelphia Ethical Society with The Ladybug Transistor + Pipas + The Snow Fairies
(EARLY SHOW! doors 7pm, music 7:30 sharp, ALL AGES, admission $7)
May 10 – WASHINGTON, DC @ DC9 with The Ladybug Transistor + Pipas + Lil’ Hospital
(music at 9pm, 21+, admission $10 day of show from DC9)

Special note for fans attending the Los Angeles show: it’s an all-ages affair at an early hour…doors at 7pm with Math and Physics Club on stage at 7:30 sharp so get there early! It’s also in the Knitting Factory’s Alterknit Lounge so is likely to sell out. Best bet is to buy tickets in advance or get there early. We will have a full array of Matinée merchandise on display there as well so if you’re at the show please stop by to say hello. In addition to lots of CDs, the band has great new t-shirts printed courtesy of fellow-IndiePager Lo-Fi with Love so a big shout out to Joe and everybody there who worked overtime to get the shirts printed in time!

In other top news, just back from the pressing plant is the debut album ‘Northern Drive’ (matcd038) from The Young Tradition! Comprised of Swedish multi-instrumentalist Erik Hanspers and Japanese-American vocalist Brent Kenji (ex-Fairways), the duo created a classic three-track debut single “California Morning” (matinée 043) entirely through the post in 2003 before meeting in San Francisco last year to complete the songs for this debut album. The single generated lofty praise from all corners, with All Music Guide calling it “a magical EP that will leave indie pop fans desperate for a full-length,” Wide Open Road naming it “single of the year so far,” The Bee’s Knees saying “some of the most impressive recordings by a duo since Simon & Garfunkel” and Logo Magazine declaring it “a wonderful work of art.” ‘Northern Drive’ includes ten new Young Tradition classics demonstrating a sophisticated pop mix featuring guitars, keyboards, and strings with prominent bursts of trumpet, flute, and saxophone. Fans of the Fairways will undoubtedly rejoice but 60s pop aficionados should take note as well because this album is truly impressive. You can preview ‘California Morning’, ‘Pink Opaque’, ‘Northern Drive’ and ‘Now You Know’ on the sounds page and order the CD right now exclusively from the Matinée webshop. The CD is in stores the first week of May so get shopping because The Young Tradition are where it’s at!

Also just back from the pressing plant is the debut album ‘Summertime?’ (matcd037) from Brazilian trio Pale Sunday! The band turned lots of heads with its debut “A Weekend With Jane” EP (matinée 049) plus covers of Sportique and Smiths songs for the ‘Matinée 50’ (matinée 050) and ‘Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware’ (matcd030) compilations before recording the ten new songs for this album. ‘Summertime?’ is loaded with obligatory POP! ingredients…jangling guitars, sing-along choruses, tambourines, handclaps, trumpets, sha-la-la’s, keyboards, and perfect melodies. Sometimes the guitars get fuzzy in classic shoegaze fashion but in the end the spirit of C-86 wins out. You can listen to ‘The White Tambourine’, ‘My Punk Girl’ and ‘Strangeways’ on the sounds page and order the CD right now exclusively from the Matinée webshop. The CD is in shops the first week of May. Pale Sunday recently played some shows in Brazil and hope to play internationally soon so watch this space for the latest news. For now, enjoy the album!

Switching to our five recent releases, the early reviews are in and we have another few hits on our hands:

Generating plenty of love is the superb new ‘Fools in Love’ CDEP (matinée 054) from German duo The Happy Couple! Respected source All Music Guide described lead track ‘Another Sunny Day’ as ”a frothy sun-kissed track that features most of the hallmarks of classic indie pop, a swinging tambourine, walls of strummy acoustic guitars, cutie pie lyrics, swooning synth strings and “ba da ba” background vocals. It is the kind of song that you’ll want to program your personal music delivery device to play every morning when you wake up because it’ll help you start each day with a big smile.” UK mailorder Melody Bar acknowledged “The Happy Couple fly the kite for Germany and prove that the Swedes don’t have all the best tunes,” and Friends of the Heroes declared it an “instantly catchy slice of champagne-summer picnic-pop of ‘60’s vintage – all breezy acoustic rhythms, sweet female vocals and pah-pah backing.” Featuring ‘Another Sunny Day,’ ‘Hopeless Case,’ ‘The Pop Kid’ and ‘Don’t Call It,’ the EP truly is a modern classic and perfect for fans of Shop Assistants, Pipas, Even As We Speak, Tender Trap, or Club 8. You can listen to ‘Another Sunny Day’ on the catalog or sounds pages now, and order the EP from the Matinée mailorder or your favorite shop in minutes. Go on then!

Continuing to impress is the terrific ‘Weekends Away’ CDEP (matinée 056) from new Seattle quintet Math and Physics Club! We can’t say enough good things about this band, but luckily they have lots of new friends to help us out now, including Tasty reporting “this is their first Matinée release, and they’ve set a pretty high standard…I look forward to this band’s next moves with moist palms. Vanity Project joined in, calling the EP “archetypal Matinée stuff with Marr-like guitars rattling like a sunbeam chased around a barrel, drums tap-tapping like entertained feet,” while Friends of the Heroes warned “with these sweet tunes, luscious melodies and readily embraceable lyrics you’d be mad to miss out. It’s indie heaven!” In addition to the wonderful title track (now playing on the sounds page), the EP includes ‘Sixteen and Pretty,’ ‘Love, Again’ and ‘When We Get Famous.” The single is available in all good record shops or directly from the Matinée webshop now so get your very own copy soon because they’re selling fast! The band joins The Lucksmiths on West Coast dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle next week, and were just invited to play the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington state Memorial Day weekend along with 20 or so other bands including heavyweights Modest Mouse, The Pixies, Wilco and Bloc Party. In addition, the band has been nominated as Best New Artist in the 2005 Seattle Weekly Music Awards! Voting is open until May 2, so if you have a minute click here to cast your ballot. The band is already working on a follow-up EP so stay posted for details.

With all the attention on the new Lucksmiths album and US tour, don’t forget they also have a superb new CDEP out now! The ‘San Francisco’ EP (matinée 057) features the songs ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco,’ and ‘Young and Dumb’ from the new album plus non-album tracks ‘The Winter Proper’ and ‘I Started A Joke.’ The latter is a splendid cover of a classic Bee Gees track from the 60s before they went all disco and, it must be said, is arguably the finest cover the Lucksmiths have ever put to tape. More than a few of the EP reviews gush about this song in particular, including Oz Music Project calling it a “heartfelt, stripped down story of humiliation which, if it doesn’t make you go all tingly, then there’s something wrong with you,” and Losing Today commenting “blessed with a harmonica that’ll cut you in half and housing a numbing sensitivity that’ll leave you silent with jaw dropped for its entire duration.” We couldn’t have described it better. The song still kills me every time I hear it and it must be approaching its 100th play already. The wonderful title track is playing on the sounds page, and the EP is now available from all good shops and mailorders plus the Matinée webshop. The single is limited to 1000 copies so get yours soon so you don’t miss out! We should have a snazzy new video for ‘The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ in a few days too so if anybody has friends at MTV or other music channels please get in touch so we can get this played to the masses. How cool would it be to see The Lucksmiths on TV?!

On the album front, Lovejoy is making friends with the wonderful new album ‘Everybody Hates’ (matcd035). English webzine Friends of the Heroes reported “Lovejoy are slowly yet steadily building on a fine history, and seemingly getting better at every juncture. Packed full of chime and melody, ‘Everybody Hates’ cannot fail to impress.” Meanwhile, the always right-on Tasty concluded “the fact remains that no other band I can think of are making such wonderfully depressed pop music,” and top UK mailorder Melody Bar commented “Matinée’s hot streak continues with a beguiling new CD from Lovejoy that on various tracks recalls a more subdued Saint Etienne, a sleepy Sunday morning Pulp or the sombre genius of early Brian.” Expanding on the multilayered sound of previous albums ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ (matcd018) and ‘Songs In The Key of Lovejoy’ (matcd008) with a sophisticated mix of guitars, keyboards, and percussion plus exceptional melodies and harmonies, ‘Everybody Hates’ is undoubtedly the strongest Lovejoy release yet. The sounds page now features ‘Sid Vicious’, ‘Petrol Stars’ and ‘Everybody Hates Us And We Don’t Care’ so have a listen and see what you think. You can get your very own copy right now from the Matinée webshop, your favorite mailorder, or any decent record shop. So, has anybody noticed when you unfold the CD booklet it actually reads “Lovejoy Hates Everybody”?

Finally, favorite London duo Pipas stay above the fold with their latest ‘Chunnel Autumnal’ CD (matcd036). Although technically a reissue of the band’s debut release from 2001, this is really the first time many people have heard it because the original was limited to just 300 copies on 10” vinyl. The reaction, as is now customary with everything Pipas, has been outstanding. Our latest favorite review comes from UK magazine Unpeeled, reporting “Chunnel Autumnal has its genesis in 60’s London, its heart on the left bank, it sings about Amsterdam and has been signed by a Californian record label to be dribbled over by a bloke in Sussex.” Quite fitting for Mark and Lupe who have so many international stamps in their passports they need extra pages. Album tracks “Tout Va Bien,” “Wells Street” and “A Short Film About Sleeping” are now playing on the sounds page, and the CD is available from the Matinée mailorder and all good shops now. Pipas play the final six dates of the Lucksmiths US tour so lucky East Coasters watch out! Rumour has it they have tour goodies with them too. We’ll hopefully lure them to the West Coast again very soon.

Apologies to anyone who sent a demo in the past few months and is still awaiting a response. The pile has tipped over now so we plan to have a demo jukebox jury with members of The Lucksmiths and Math and Physics Club while they are in Santa Barbara next week. I am fairly certain some of them take bribes so do what you have to but do it soon because the jury is happening next Thursday the 28th.

With all the new releases the mailorder is doing a brisk business so thanks to everyone who has supported us the past few months. Upstarts Math and Physics Club retained the top spot on the hit parade for a second month with the ‘Weekends Away’ EP but face tough competition this month from the three new albums. Here are the top sellers for the month of March:

10. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
9. Harper Lee – All Things Can Be Mended CD
8. The Guild League – Inner North CD
7. Various – The Matinée Winter Warmer CD
6. The Fairways – This is Farewell CD
5. Lovejoy – Everybody Hates CD
4. The Happy Couple – Fools In Love CDEP
3. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal CD
2. The Lucksmiths – San Francisco CDEP
1. Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away CDEP

Hope to see some of you in Los Angeles!

Until next month,
Jimmy
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