Whew! Right down to the wire getting in a March update but then again, there are other things happening in the world
so I suppose we can be excused. You’ve undoubtedly reached this page because you are looking for an escape, so
escape we shall give you in the form of some overdue pop music news!

Out now and (as Madonna once sang) causing a commotion is the brand new “Club Life” EP (matinée 044) from Simpático. Five of the greatest songs EVER penned by Jason
Sweeney on one convenient EP is just too much to miss. While reviews of the Simpático album “The Difference
Between Alone & Lonely” (matcd016) were uniformly excellent, we doubt anyone
could have predicted the quality of this new EP. The most upbeat song penned by Jason since the days of Sweet
William, “Club Life” boasts a hypnotic rhythm track that could make it a potential dancefloor filler if we lived in a more
tolerable universe. The balance of the EP further hones the characteristic Simpático recipe of atmospheric pop blending
layered, swirling guitars with keyboards, heaps of reverb, exceptional songwriting and warm, emotional vocals. The
tracklisting and a soundclip of “Club Life” can be found on the catalog page and your
very own copy can be obtained now via the order page so get it.

Also out now is the second single from Nottingham quartet The Liberty Ship! Last summer, their debut single
“I Guess You Didn’t See Her” (matinée 036) earned them a clutch of favorable reviews
and new fans across the globe. Following the addition of a drummer and a number of successful live dates in the UK,
the band is back with the solid four-song “Northern Angel” CDEP (matinée 046). The
title track has nice jangling guitars, harmonica, tambourine and one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long
while. Listen for yourself on either the catalog page or the sounds page and you’ll see what I mean. The three b-sides are all great too, especially
“Final Kick” featuring some beautiful lead female vocals.

Following last October’s retrospective collection “R is for.. Razorcuts” (matcd012),
we have managed to negotiate the release of a further EP worth of songs from the Razorcuts archive, combining
lead cut “A is for Alphabet” from the aforementioned retrospective with four more beloved and much requested classics.
The signature Razorcuts jangle is in full effect throughout this EP, from the formative simplistic beauty of rare early demo
tracks “Sometimes I Worry About You” and “For Always” to the Gene Clark inspired lushness of “Snowbound.” It
makes a fine companion to the recent retrospective album or a fantastic introductory sampler in its own right. Check
out the title track now playing on the sounds page, and feel free to preorder this EP now via
the order page. The official release date is April 14th but we should have copies sooner than
that.

Pale Sunday is a very exciting new band from Brazil and their debut “A Weekend With Jane” EP (matinée 049) will be on every hipster’s shopping list when it comes out April 21st. While
demonstrating a love for classic bands from the Creation and Sarah rosters, the band manages to sound entirely modern
with four of the catchiest songs we have heard in a long while. Think perfectly jangling and sometimes fuzzy guitars,
sing-along choruses, superb melodies and sha-la-la’s set upon a beefy rhythm track and you’ll have an idea of what we
mean. The title track is now spinning on the sounds page and we’ll soon start taking
preorders so get ready for your new favorite band!

Also now scheduled for the 21st is the debut single from The Snowdrops! I am beginning to feel like the boy
who cried wolf in describing this single and most of our regular readers could probably write this paragraph for me. For
those that couldn’t, what we have here is a double A-side 7″ (matinée 029) featuring
“Mad World” and “Don’t Buy Anything” and the band is an occasional collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler
(Beaumont, Blueboy, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy, Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo
Worm, Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.) Just so you know we’re not bluffing again, we’re now featuring “Don’t
Buy Anything” on the sounds page and we have the vinyl in our hands. Once we have
assurance that the sleeves are on course for delivery we’ll start accepting preorders. Next month this will be squarely
in the released category or I will fire myself and get somebody in here to run things a bit better in the future. The band
is in action once again with a song just completed for the Matinée 50 compilation and thousands of ideas for the
follow-up release which we (that’s me or the new guy I’m hiring…pay attention!) will get in your hands in record speed.

Now, the debut 7″ from The Young Tradition (matinée 043) is somewhat out of
my hands as we await the delivery of yet another test pressing…but we’ve been assured this is the one that will set the
world on fire. We’ve told you their story before…two chaps named Erik Hanspers and Brent Kenji who have never
actually met but have created two of the finest popsongs nevertheless. Of course Brent has some experience in these
matters, having created some very fine popsongs for Matinée in the past with his group The Fairways and also as a collaborator in the very fine Guild League. The songs on this 7″ are called “California Morning” and “All Up To
Me” and both are beautifully orchestrated, with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and superb vocals.
You can listen to “California Morning” on the sounds page now, and we’ll start accepting
preorders once we have a schedule for vinyl delivery.

Note to self: why are we still releasing vinyl singles?

Finishing off the month April 28th is the new mini-album “Communiqué No. 9” (matcd024) from Sportique! Their first release since their astounding “Modern
Museums” (matcd015) album last January, the album includes eight new songs and
will be released on CD and very limited 10″ vinyl in conjunction with WIAIWYA
Records. Produced by the hottest property in London right now – Liam Watson at Toerag – this is the sound of
music stripped of artifice…eight fantastic new songs that will instantly lodge in your brain. Our favorite “Other Peoples’
Girlfriends” is now spinning on the sounds page, and we will begin accepting preorders
shortly on the order page once advance copies arrive at Matinée HQ. The band will preview
the album at three UK dates later this month (details below).

Coming up in May are great new releases from Airport Girl and Slipslide! The “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP
(matinée 037) from Airport Girl will in fact have the tracklisting I suggested it
might last month, with “When You Fall”, “Easier to Smile” and “Been Waiting” joining the title track for one fantastic little
EP. It is the first release from our Nottingham pals since 2001’s album “Honey, I’m An Artist” (matcd011) and what a welcome return it is! Check out “When You Fall” up now on the
sounds page.

The debut album from Slipslide is also nearly finished and scheduled for May release. Entitled “The World Can
Wait” (matcd025), the album includes 11 new classics from the Graeme Elston
school of melodies and is the first Slipslide release since the superb “Sleeptalk” 7″ (matinée
031) in 2001. The tracklisting for the album is: 1. Sleeptalk, 2. Back To Work, 3. Baked Alaska, 4. The Right Time,
5. Watching, Waiting, 6. Halfway Over Town, 7. Signs Of Life, 8. X Supplies The Answer, 9. Palm House Crawling, 10.
Will You Lead Me?, 11. The World Can Wait. We expect it will take the world by storm so prepare to be dazzled.
There is an audio clip on the sounds page now for “Baked Alaska” so have a listen.

Two releases stuck in the art department include the now mythical “France On A Bicycle” compilation (matcd010) which
is nearly ready to go except I hate the cover I’ve designed …and the debut Matinée single from The Pines!
Entitled “True Love Waits, Volume 2” (matinée 048), the CDEP includes the tracks Ungrammatical, Anita O’Day, Marie
Claire, Familiar, and The Rest. I have changed my mind six times about which is my favorite, but today I’ll give the nod
to “Familiar” since we already posted it to the sounds page for your listening pleasure.
More on these releases next month.

The deadline for artist submissions to the “Matinée 50” compilation is coming up, and it looks to be a brilliant
album from start to finish. We have songs confirmed from Airport Girl, The Fairways, The Guild League, Harper Lee,
Kosmonaut, The Liberty Ship, Lovejoy, The Lucksmiths, Melodie Group, Pale Sunday, The Pines, Pipas, Simpático,
Slipslide, The Snowdrops, Sportique, The Visitors, Gregory Webster, The Windmills, and Would-Be-Goods, and there
may be at least one more if all goes as planned. They are all covers of songs previously released by another band on
Matinée, including most of the artists just mentioned plus The Siddeleys, Edson, and Monterey. Everything we have so
far is superb, but expect a few surprises because many of the bands are branching beyond the realm of their usual
sound for a unique take on an old classic. Every day is like Christmas around here as we receive masters for this very
special compilation, and we’ll be working hard to get it ready for release as soon as possible. We will reveal the full
tracklisting in the next update.

In addition to Matinée 50, the summer should bring new releases from Pipas, Lovejoy, Harper
Lee, The Windmills, The Fairways, The Lucksmiths and a very special retrospective
CD from a band you all know and love, so stay tuned.

In live reports, three cheers for Angel at Canciones Huérfanas for
his splendid job coordinating Spanish dates for Harper Lee and Lovejoy last month. It was all rather
hectic but what a fantastic week! The Spanish crowds were unbelievably enthusiastic and genuinely gracious. It was
nice to meet so many people who appreciate the work of the bands and the label and we will hopefully be back in Spain
for more Matinée events later this year.

In addition to packed shows in Barcelona, Madrid and La Coruña, the bands performed acoustic sessions for
Radio Nacional de España and Viaje A Los Sueños Polares, and we were
interviewed by RNE in Madrid and Radio Ciutat Vella in Barcelona. Muchas gracias to Angel for coordinating everything,
driving us through the Spanish towns and countryside, and accommodating our challenging vegetarian requests.
Thanks also to Luis, Munci and Rafa at Elefant Records for their splendid
hospitality, Julio Ruíz at RNE for the excellent radio broadcast, Edu and everyone else at Radio Ciutat Vella, Señor
Sound for his technical wizardry, and all the wonderful people we met across Spain.

If you missed it, here are a few photos from our journey: Lovejoy at Sala Barbarella in Madrid, Harper Lee at Sala
Barbarella in Madrid, and all of us at the RNE studio (left to right: Dick (Lovejoy), Luis (Elefant), Angel (Canciones
Huerfanas), Munci (Elefant), Jimmy (Matinée), Julio (RNE), Alex (Harper Lee), Keris (Harper Lee), Laura (Harper Lee),
Bob (Trembling Blue Stars), and Beth (Trembling Blue Stars).

For those in and around London, April is shaping up to be the best chance EVER to see a Matinée band playing live,
with no fewer than five bands in action:

The Windmills start things off with an April 3rd show at the Hope & Anchor in Islington. They are on about 9:30
so get there early! The band also plays Thursday, May 22nd at the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town. I should have more
details on that show next month.

On April 6th, Pipas play a surprise date at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon along with a band called the
Cut-Outs featuring a former Fat Tulip. Remember them? Not sure which tulip it is but it should be a good night no
matter what. This just in…the Cut-Outs apparently also feature Sean Price of Airport Girl! Sometimes we’re the last
to know about these things…

Would-Be-Goods play on Saturday, April 12th at The Arts Café, 28 Commercial Street in London with a band
called Florida who I suspect are not from our infamous southern state. Would-Be-Goods are currently working on new
songs so you may just get treated to something very exciting if you go.

Traveling south to sunny Brighton on Wednesday the 16th will reward you with a rare live set from Sportique,
playing the Careless Talk Costs Lives Disco at The Albert. The
band also plays Wednesday April 30th at Bitterscene in Chelmsford with
Kicker, and Saturday May 3rd at a Track & Field show at the Arts Café, London with the Radio Dept. and Kicker. All
shows are highly recommended! Kicker is always fantastic live, even if we
know them best around these parts as the “other” band for Laura Bridge of Harper Lee. Check out their fine releases on
the Track & Field label. The Radio Dept. is the latest Swedish
sensation with a brilliant new record out on Labrador in Sweden and
Shelflife in the US.

A rare gig with Slipslide will occur on Friday, April 18th as part of a massive show at The Garage with Ballboy,
Bearsuit, Fosca, the Cut-Outs and two others. I think this is a Strange
Fruit event, and tickets are on-sale now through The Garage and Ticketmaster. This is a great lineup with Ballboy
supporting a recent album on SL Records, Bearsuit celebrating their new
release on Fortuna POP!, Fosca keeping it real for the legendary
Shinkansen, and the Cut-Outs apparently still sporting a former
Fat Tulip (and Sean).

In non-UK action, Pipas are set to be the first Matinée band to play in Italy with dates confirmed April 18th in
Milano, April 19th in Genova and Bologna, and April 20th in Rome. Check the Long Lost Cousin site for complete details.

Finally, The Lucksmiths are in action in Australia this month promoting their brand new album “Naturaliste” out
on Candle. If you’re lucky enough to be around Melbourne at the
moment, check them out Wednesday the 2nd at the Evelyn Hotel (special 10-Year anniversary show with The
Steinbecks and Droplet), Sunday the 6th at Gaslight Records (instore performance, 2pm), Monday the 14th at the
Museum Victoria lawn (all ages – 4:30 pm), and Saturday the 26th at the Corner Hotel (Melbourne album launch with
Rob Clarkson, Mid-State Orange and Smallgoods). For details on these shows and an up-to-the-minute schedule of
May dates across Australia, check out the band’s spiffy new website here.

If you’re here in the US, don’t despair because the new Lucksmiths album will be out courtesy of our good friends at
Drive In Records in April and the band will play a healthy dose of US
dates to support it in July and August. We will have copies of the new album available through the Matinée
order page later in the month. The band is recording a new single for Matinée for release
later this year, most likely to coincide with UK and European dates in October.

Switching over to press action, we have six features to mention, including a chat with Lovejoy in Pennyblack
Magazine, words from Pipas in Tasty fanzine, articles on
Would-Be-Goods and new signings Pale Sunday in Esquizofrenia, and interviews with The Guild League in both
Mundane Sounds and
Tasty. We are just finishing up a new Matinée interview with Italian
webzine Musicboom too so look for that shortly.

More than 30 new reviews were added to the site this month. Some of our favorite quotes include:

“From toe-tappers to tear-jerkers, this is one collection that any pop fan won’t want to miss out on.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

“All told, Private Transport is a grand little affair that is much greater than the excellent “Jet Set…Go!” single hinted at.”
Mundane Sounds

“… this stuff is reminiscent of The Go-Betweens, Lloyd Cole and, for those familiar with them, East Village – but none
of those bands can boast a lyric like “In the hot, hateful summer/I’m a loser, I need a doctor,” as Roy intones on the
brooding “Inner Space 1971.” You don’t get enough people saying that sort of thing in indiepop. Take note, kids.”
The Big Takeover

“Cheers to Melodiegroup for a job well done.” Splendid

“Though less than 20 minutes in length, A Cat Escaped manages in this short time to be one of last year’s best and
most innovative releases, straying completely from the norm, with two tantalizing talents in Nunez-Fernandez and Powell
mixing complicated riffs and tongue-twisting lyrics with simplicity and an exact style purposefully taking their time to
eventually blow your mind.”
Pop Matters

“Pipas is cute and fun, but they deserve more than just a quick listen. With songs that are short but sweet, Pipas’ A
Cat Escaped will be stuck in your CD player for weeks.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

“OK, I don’t know how many different ways I can say “This band is amazing” without sounding like an idiot. Their debut
full-length of last year, Go Back To Bed, made my year end list and this is even better. Absolutely wonderful.”
Dagger

“Howard needn’t bother himself with connections to the likes of Radiohead, as — demonstrated by this gorgeous record
— his talent is strong enough to stand on its own.”
Pop Matters

“Razorcuts always sounded like the greatest summer of your life, three minutes at a time. Listening to R is for…,
a 21-track collection of the group’s recordings, one can scarcely believe the songwriting partnership of Tim Vass
and Gregory Webster was a product of such an aesthetically unforgiving era; but this, too, is why it now transcends
it.” Splendid

“During their run, Razorcuts recorded for both Subway and Creation, and their slightly dazed but irrepressible jangle-pop
defines those labels’ early aesthetics: nasal schoolboy harmonies, simple DIY melodies and everywhere the feeling of
that moment in ’60s pop when drugs were not quite there, yet everyone seemed to know they were on the way…As
such, this CD is one of the more compelling time capsules of that era currently available.”
Time Out Magazine

“This is a much-needed retrospective, containing colourful snippets of brilliance.”
Record Collector Magazine

“The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop
collection.” All Music Guide

“…the fact remains that The Lucksmiths are just about the most compulsively likeable group in the entire world. Their
songs are well-crafted, catchy as hell, witty and insightful; they have one of the most entertaining live shows around,
and overall, they’re just damn nice guys.”
Splendid

“The Lucksmiths’ Midweek Midmorning EP is a solid pop effort from a country known for its kangaroos and wild dogs.
… While the most popular Australian musical exports at the moment seem hell-bent on recreating Seattle grunge, the
Lucksmiths are decidely low-key. And they’re refreshingly cheery.”
Delusions Of Adequacy

In distribution news, popfans in Sweden should find it easier to locate Matinée releases in shops there thanks to a new
distribution deal with Border Music. We also have a new deal with Pastel Music in
South Korea so don’t hesitate to ask for the latest releases in your favorite shops.

If you prefer to buy your Matinée pop direct from the website, of course that’s fine with us too! Please note that several
of the early singles are close to selling out, so if you want any of the releases between matinée 001 and matinée 014
you may want to get them soon so you don’t miss out. Check the catalog page for the updated
discography. We recently added some great releases to the order page from Long Lost
Cousin, Annika, WIAIWYA and Fortuna POP! so happy shopping. A special combined February and March hit parade
returns Razorcuts to the top of the heap:

10. The Windmills – Walking Around the World CDEP
9. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
8. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
7. The Liberty Ship – Northern Angel CDEP
6. Simpático – Club Life CDEP
5. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
4. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
3. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
2. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
1. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD

peace
Jimmy
x

Hello pop lovers and happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it! I happen to love it but my wife is not such a
fan so we tend to splash out on other minor February holidays like Groundhog Day instead. Funny thing though…
here in California they don’t make as big a deal over Groundhog Day as they do on the East coast because the
weather is always pretty nice. For those of you from other countries who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s
not important… just a silly American holiday celebrating or mourning the remaining weeks of winter but it’s all a
sham anyway. Especially when your winter is 70 degrees every day. But back to pop music…

We are on the brink of a great run of new singles, with five new releases in about as many weeks! First up is the
brand new 5-tracker from Simpático I mentioned last month. Called the “Club Life” EP
(matinée 044), it features five of the strongest songs to date from our jet-setting
Jason Sweeney and the first new material since “The Difference Between Alone & Lonely”
(matcd016) album last March. The most upbeat song penned by Jason since
the days of Sweet William, the title track contains a smart electronic edge that makes it thoroughly modern and a
potential dancefloor filler if we lived in a more tolerable universe. The full tracklisting and a soundclip of “Club Life”
can be found on the catalog page, and you can preorder this title on the
order page now for delivery on the official release date of March 10th. In other Simpático
news, one of Jason’s many 2003 projects is a grand plan to create a series of videos for Simpático songs and the
first of these (“Arrogance”, taken from the last LP) is now up on the band website.

Following on the 24th of March is the second single from Nottingham tunesmiths The Liberty Ship! The
band released its debut “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” 7″ last summer to general applause and positive reviews that
drew comparisons to heavy hitters like the Weather Prophets, East Village, Hurrah! and even the Byrds. Now
they’re back with four enticing new songs on the “Northern Angel” EP (matinée 046)
and we think it’s just swell. The title track has perfectly jangling guitars, harmonica, tambourine and one of the
catchiest choruses we’ve heard in a long while. It will have you shaking your hip like a beatnik in four minutes flat.
The EP also includes “This World” and “Small Lives” (both with Marc Elston on lead vox) and “Final Kick” featuring
more mean tambourine and ‘shipmate Rachel Eyres at the helm. You all know what Marc sounds like from the first
Liberty Ship 7″ and his previous hits as Bulldozer Crash, but wait until you fall in love with Rachel’s voice before you
ascertain your opinion of this exciting young band. A soundclip of the lead track is up now on the
sounds page, so have a listen and check back soon to order your very own copy.

In what seems to be par for the course these days, vinyl singles tend to face absurd delays before finally seeing
the light of day. I suppose that’s one reason why most other indie labels have abandoned them? Following a fairly
ordinary delay and a fairly extraordinary delay, we are proud to announce release dates for new 7″ singles by The
Young Tradition and The Snowdrops!

The Young Tradition 7″ (matinée 043) is the first fruit of a partnership
between a Swedish lad named Erik Hanspers and fellow Californian Brent Kenji (The Fairways, Uni, The Guild
League). The two have still not met, collaborating instead through the marvels of our international postal service
and a keen shared sense of songwriting. For their debut they chose the songs “California Morning” and “All Up
To Me” and what wise choices! Both songs are beautifully orchestrated, with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet,
rich melodies and superb vocals that will cause you to return the needle to the start to have another listen again
and again. We’re completely hooked and already look forward to future recordings from this unique band. The
single will be released on March 31st, but you can have a listen now to the “California Morning” soundclip on the
sounds page. We’ll be adding a Young Tradition artist page to the site very soon.

The Snowdrops 7″ (matinée 029) is a double A-side featuring “Mad World”
and “Don’t Buy Anything” and as we mentioned in various news updates during the past 16 months, one of those is
a cover of a massive hit by Tears for Fears that all of you know and love (unless you are 19 or younger, in which
case you may not have heard it since it was originally released 20 years ago). So yes, we faced some
extraordinary delays with the single for various reasons but now we are prepared to come clean and admit that it
was all just a stalling tactic so we could release it EXACTLY 20 years after the original (which in our version of the
history of the world was released on March 31st,1983 so we’ll release our version on March 31st as well). Of
course, I made some or most of that up. The release date is for real though. The band is an occasional
collaboration of indie legends Keith Girdler (Beaumont, Blueboy, Arabesque, Lovejoy), Dick Preece (Lovejoy,
Beaumont) and Pam Berry (The Pines, Shapiros, Glo Worm, Castaway Stones, Black Tambourine, etc.) so it’s a
no brainer for most of you and will probably sell out rather quickly. Fact. Which is good because the catalog
number is matinée 29 so it should be getting on in age by now anyway. We’ll be adding a Snowdrops artist page
to the site and a soundclip shortly, but for now, why not check out the handsome new
Snowdrops website hosted by those crafty kids at IndiePages?

Completing a March 31st trifecta is a single that will take even the most devout Matinée insiders by surprise. The
“A is for Alphabet” EP (matinée 047) from Razorcuts is a 5-track CDEP
combining one song from last October’s “R is for Razorcuts” CD with four beloved Razorcuts classics that for
various reasons (mostly the fact that it already had 21 songs on it!) were left off the compilation. Given the
excessive praise for the CD, we have breathed new life into four more songs to craft a sublime EP that should
make a lot of you smile from ear to ear. Joining the title track on this EP is the final song from the Flying Nun 12″
(“First Day”), another magnificent album cut from The World Keeps Turning (“Snowbound”) and two rarities from the
sought-after 7″ on Bob Stanley’s Caff label (“Sometimes I Worry About You” and “For Always”). All songs have
been remastered to sound extra sparkly. Full details and a soundclip for the title track are up now on the
catalog page.

There may be a sixth single out by the end of March too but Airport Girl is being rather taciturn about it at
the moment. I think it will look like the image at right and I think it will contain four songs…the title track “Do You
Dream In Colour?” plus “When You Fall” (previewed on last August’s Matinée Summer Splash CD), “Been Waiting”
and “Easier to Smile” which may or may not feature some bongo playing and handclaps and backing vocals by
yours truly while I was in Nottingham last summer. Sorry for being rather vague but that’s all I know at the moment.
It may come out in March or it could be September. The catalog number is matinée 037 for anyone who keeps
tracks of these things. For now, you can hear a soundclip for “When You Fall” on the current
sounds page.

In addition to these superb singles, we are finalizing work on a few new albums. The “France on a Bicycle”
compilation (matcd010) is still in progress, but there is not much to say about it other than what we reported
last month.

I can, however, provide some details on the spunky new Sportique mini-album “Communiqué no.9”
(matcd024) because we have just had the pleasure of a nice California visit from
Mr. Gregory Webster himself! In addition to his daily duties of helping me carry loads of mailorder parcels off to the
post office and selecting which of the delicious Santa Barbara eateries we would try for lunch, he also delivered
some mighty fine master tapes for this forthcoming classic! It’s an 8-song mini-lp and we are working again with
WIAIWYA Records to release this on CD and lovely 10″ vinyl. The full
tracklisting is: 1.The Edgeware Kick-back; 2.Arthouse Cinemas; 3.Angry Street; 4.Other Peoples’ Girlfriends;
5.Tips for Artists Who Want To Sell Records; 6.Stereotype; 7.Communiqué no.9; 8.Requiem for the Avant-Garde.
Anyone who saw Sportique live in the past 12 months will recognize a few of these hits. Our current favorite is
“Other Peoples’ Girlfriends” which is now playing on the sounds page so go have a
listen! The scheduled release date is April 28th, and full details are up now on the
catalog page.

The “Matinée 50” compilation is coming together nicely too, with new versions of classic Matinée hits by The
Lucksmiths, Sportique, The Windmills, Airport Girl, Would-Be-Goods, The Siddeleys, Harper Lee, Razorcuts, The
Visitors, Melodie Group and more reinterpreted by just about everyone who has ever recorded for the label.
Sixteen tracks are confirmed to date, and the few we’ve heard are great! We’ll keep the tracklisting a secret for
awhile longer, but pencil this in as a May release.

If live music is your thing, we have details on some rare appearances by Matinée artists over the next two weeks.
First off, The Windmills play three UK dates: February 21st at Agricultural College in Chelmsford, February
22nd at The Grand in Leigh on Sea, and February 24th at The Dublin Castle in London. Check the
Windmills website for last minute details, and come say hello if you
are at the London show. I’ll be the nerd in the audience with a lousy new haircut (who knew you needed to be
fluent in Spanish to get a decent haircut in California?)

Two days later we’ll be in Spain for the first ever continental dates from Lovejoy and Harper Lee!
Join us February 26th in Barcelona (Sala Razzmatazz 3), February 28th in Madrid (Sala Barbarella) and March 1st
in La Coruña (Sala Playa Club). All dates are with Trembling Blue Stars. The previously scheduled Valencia date
on the 27th fell through but the bands will be busy with interviews and a radio show that day and there may be
another Madrid date added so check the Canciones Huérfanas
website for the latest. Muchas gracias to Angel of Canciones Huérfanas for coordinating the shows!

The Matinée mailorder will be closed from February 19th through March 5th while we are in London and Spain,
but we will be answering emails from the road and can ship all orders when we return on the 6th.

In press action, check out a groovy new interview with Roy Thirlwall of Melodie Group on the Pennyblack
website in which he talks about changing the name of his band every so often to keep things fresh. Close to
40 reviews of recent releases have come in since the last update and they are all now posted to the release pages
accessed via the catalog page. Some of our favorite quotes include:

“… a gem of a record that swings, sashays and skips through grey urban streets pricked with the hope of Spring.
Private Transport is a gorgeous album that holds an enviable arsenal of talent and texture, and is certainly one of
the delights of the year so far.” Tangents

“There is a strong balance of dynamics throughout with a nice mix of up-tempo tracks and ballads and even a
dazzling near-a cappella tune, the album-closer “A Faraway Place.” Private Transport is an early favorite for an
indie pop best of 2003 list.” All Music Guide

“An interesting, intelligent diversion of pop… Updownaround is a fine debut album from a proven talent.”
Mundane Sounds

“This is just perfect jangle pop that will make any fans of East Village and Go Betweens very happy!
Recommended!!” Pop Polar

“I happen to think Pipas are the brightest stars in the Matinée constellation. The shyness of their last EP has been
usurped by a glowing self-confidence. There are tints of Birdie, Stereolab, Strawberry Switchblade in here but
there’s a freshness and continentalism to their sound. … ‘Barbapapa’ is St. Eteinne’s ‘Nothing Can Stop Us’ but
from the rough side of town.” Wide Open Road

“Such is the sound of Pipas, who have made one of the sweetest pop albums of the year and which, incidentally,
with “Being with you is like killing Bob Dylan – if I had to do it I would die.” contains the year’s finest line too. Get
’em while they’re hot.” Careless Talk Costs Lives

“Razorcuts always sounded like the greatest summer of your life, three minutes at a time. Listening to R is for…,
a 21-track collection of the group’s recordings, one can scarcely believe the songwriting partnership of Tim Vass
and Gregory Webster was a product of such an aesthetically unforgiving era; but this, too, is why it now transcends
it.” Exclaim Magazine

“Razorcuts, at their finest, were the sounds of innocent abandon on acid; naiveté on speed. Or alternatively the
music of a heaven where the headline band is Curt Boettcher jamming with Joey and Dee Dee. That good. That
special.” Careless Talk Costs Lives

“The Lucksmiths are making the best music of their career and this disc is an essential part of any indie pop
collection.” All Music Guide

“The Lucksmiths make me smile, The Lucksmiths let the sunlight creep from behind the clouds and guide it
streaming through the windows, catching the cigarette smoke curling through the room.”
Tangents

“Melancholy often goes down best with superbly crafted melodies and harmonies; these two songs are more proof
of that.” Erasing Clouds

“…road music at its finest, and the lingering sentiments of “Desert Song” in particular hang long in the mind.”
In Love With These Times

“The amount and quality of territory covered by the Windmills on 2002’s Walking Around the World EP is staggering,
and that it is done with such grace and confidence should make listeners eager to hear what these British lads will
accomplish with their next LP.” All Music Guide

Finally, the top sellers from the month of January:

10. Slipslide – Four Day Weekend CDEP
9. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP
8. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
7. The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″
6. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
5. Various – Matinée Summer Splash! CD
4. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
3. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
2. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
1. The Guild League – Private Transport CD

Hope to see some of you in London or Spain later this month.

adios!
Jimmy
x

Hello and happy 2003! Matinée had an excellent year in 2002 with 15 great releases, and we are even more excited
about our release schedule for this new year.

The first of two brand new releases is the debut full-length from Melodie Group. Entitled “Updownaround”
(matcd022), the album has been named “the sort of record any sort of serious fan
wishes Morrissey would make” by the proven editors at Tasty
fanzine. And while we wait with you for a long-overdue new release by the Mozzer, this will suit us just fine. Previous
Melodie Group releases have earned comparison to other venerable vocalists of yore, including Grant McLennan of the
Go-Betweens and Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen. Not bad company you must admit. In the small chance
you don’t believe us, then why not have a listen to the soundclips showcased on the Matinée Sounds page, which should lead you nicely to the Order page where
you can secure your very own copy.

Also now hopefully featured on a new release shelf near you is the debut album from The Guild League called
“Private Transport” (matcd023). And what a triumph it is!
In Love With These Times calls it “an admirable way to start the new year,” while
Tasty predicts “Private Transport could well be your favourite
album of 2003…already.” Everyone seemed to love the band’s debut single “Jet-Set..Go!” last summer, but believe me
when I tell you that was only a taste of the brilliance found on this album. We have highlighted a few of the eclectic
songs from the album on the Matinée Sounds page so give it a test spin if you like.
We’re sure you’ll be back for this one.

We are now busy at work finalizing artwork and other details for several new singles that should see the light of day
between now and April 1st.

Atop the coming soon category is a new 5-track CDEP from Simpático called the “Club Life” EP (matinée 044).
This is the first new material from Simpático since the critically acclaimed album “The Difference Between Alone &
Lonely” (matcd016) released last March. Since then, Jason has toured the US and
played a few shows in Australia, all the while perfecting five of the strongest songs he has crafted to date. The
tracklisting for the EP is: 1. Club Life, 2. Inseparable, 3. Garden Greene, 4. First and Last Warning, 5. Self-conscious…
and we have just posted a real audio version of the lead track on the Sounds page so go
have a listen! Look for the EP in February if everything goes as planned.

Also nearing completion is the debut single from a new band called The Young Tradition. It’s a 7″ single
(PUNK rock!) with the songs “California Morning” and “All Up To Me” and they’re both absolute gems… the sort of
single that you’ll play over and over and hope for an album coming soon. And your wish might just come true because
the group is already working on new songs for the follow-up. But just who is this mystery group? There is a soundclip
for the A-side up on the Sounds page now, and the more astute among you will recognize
the singer as Brent Kenji of The Fairways. His partner in crime for The Young Tradition is a chap named Erik Hanspers
who lives in Sweden and the two collaborated on the songs for this single via the trusty old postal service without ever
meeting. One listen to the songs though, and you’ll realize that these gents have a keen sense of songwriting and
melodies that will make loads of established traditional bands jealous. This one is subject to the whims of the vinyl
pressing plant but we should have it for release in February as well.

In addition to songs from these imminent releases, the updated Sounds page features
exclusive previews of forthcoming releases from The Liberty Ship, Airport Girl, and Sportique.
The Liberty Ship song is the title track from a forthcoming CDEP entitled the “Northern Angel” EP (matinée 046),
Airport Girl‘s “When You Fall” is taken from the upcoming “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP (matinée 037),
and “Other People’s Girlfriends” is from the forthcoming Sportique mini-album “Communique No. 9” (matcd024).
We are finalizing artwork for these releases now, so look for more information and release dates in the next update.

Other releases on the horizon include albums from The Fairways and Slipslide and singles by The
Pines, The Snowdrops, and a solo outing from Gregory Webster! Plus a few surprises…

The compilations we mentioned in the last update are progressing well, with the singles compilation “France On A
Bicycle” (matcd010) now fully mastered and awaiting artwork. The tracklisting for the album is: 1. Sweet William
– Dutch Mother; 2. Sportique – Love and Remains; 3. The Lucksmiths – Untidy Towns; 4. The Windmills – Three Sixty
Degrees; 5. Harper Lee – Bug; 6. The Fairways – Darling, Don’t You Think?; 7. Slipslide – Unlucky Charm; 8. Lovejoy –
Getting Away With It All; 9. Bella Vista – Was the Last; 10. Melodie Group – You’ve Got The Whole Of The World In
Your Mouth; 11. Monterey – Another You; 12. Remember Fun – Train Journeys; 13. Ego – Do You Want To Be My
Love ‘Till 1998?; 14. Sweet William – Not Actual, Not Lasting; 15. The Lucksmiths – T-Shirt Weather; 16. Edson –
Sunday, Lovely Sunday; 17. Sportique – Don’t Believe A Word I Say; 18. The Windmills – Everything Is New Each
Day; 19. Simpático – The Postal Museum; 20. Harper Lee – No Happy Ending. We can’t stop listening to it and hope
you’ll have the same reaction when it is released next month.

The list of songs for the very special “Matinée 50” compilation (with each Matinée artist contributing a cover
version of a song by another Matinée artist) is growing every day. Tracks are now confirmed by Lovejoy, Sportique,
Airport Girl, Slipslide, Pipas, Melodie Group, Harper Lee, Simpático, The Lucksmiths, The Windmills, The Pines,
Gregory Webster, The Young Tradition and Pale Sunday…plus the first recordings in a very long while from
Razorcuts and The Visitors! Other bands are yet to confirm their selections but we can’t wait for this release. More
details and perhaps a list of confirmed tracks in the next update.

Speaking of Matinée artists, we’ve asked them all for a list of their favorite things from 2002 and you can see their
lists now on the updated Archive page or by clicking here.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the Matinée Newsgroup
year-end poll! We received nearly 100 responses and the results proved interesting. It was a simple five-question poll,
where respondents could select their favorite Matinée album and single of 2002, favorite song ever released on Matinée,
favorite Matinée bands, and the best place to purchase Matinée releases.

In the favorite album category, all eight albums from 2002 received votes but top honors went to Harper Lee’s
“Everything’s Going To Be OK”. In the singles category, the race was close with the Pipas 7″ “A Short Film About
Sleeping” coming out on top by a mere two-vote margin. In the favorite band category, The Lucksmiths and Harper Lee
claimed the top spots, followed by a tie for third place between Pipas and Lovejoy. The Matinée website was naturally
the clear winner for best spot from which to buy our releases, although Twee Kitten deserves a mention for a dedicated
clientele as well.

The final question (best song ever released on Matinée) proved the most interesting because there was virtually no
consensus. Over 50 songs were nominated and only a dozen received more than one vote. For what it’s worth, three
songs emerged with seven votes each…”Untidy Towns” by The Lucksmiths, “Train Not Stopping” by Harper Lee,
and “T-Shirt Weather” by The Lucksmiths. Bravo!

As we promised when we announced this year-end poll, simply entering made you eligible for a prize of five free
releases of your choice, and the lucky winner of this prize pack is Derek Ang of Del Mar, California. Congratulations!
Wish you had won? Then why not sign up for the Newsgroup
to stay hip to this sort of thing.

We are excited to be named label of the year by trendy Brazilian webzine Esquizofrenia. They have written a
great article on the label, but you’ll need to
break out your Portuguese dictionary! Thanks to Gilberto for this wonderful surprise.

There is also a nice Pipas article on Think Small but it is in
Dutch so I don’t know exactly what it says. Pipas are big winners on the TweeNet
2002 Poll, coming out on top of the best band category, #2 favorite album of the year (behind Harper Lee), and having
numerous other mentions including votes for song of the year, most promising new act, best live experience and best
single. Harper Lee, The Lucksmiths, Would-Be-Goods, Razorcuts, and The Pines also featured prominently in the
voting so congratulations to them all and thanks to anyone who cast their votes for a Matinée artist this year.

New reviews are now posted for recent releases by The Guild League, Melodie Group, Kosmonaut, The Lucksmiths,
Pipas, Razorcuts, Harper Lee, Lovejoy, The Liberty Ship, Simpático and Sportique so go to the
Catalog page for links to the individual release pages.

In upcoming live action, The Liberty Ship are playing in Nottingham February 8th at the Social, while The
Windmills are undertaking a mini-tour of the UK with dates scheduled February 21st at Agricultural College in
Chelmsford, February 22nd at The Grand in Leigh on Sea, and February 24th at The Dublin Castle in London.

We will be in Spain at the end of February for a very special set of shows with Harper Lee and Lovejoy
February 26th in Barcelona (Sala Razzmatazz 3), February 27th in Valencia (Sala Wha Wha), February 28th in Madrid
(Sala Barbarella) and March 1st in La Coruña (Sala Playa Club). All dates are with Trembling Blue Stars and sponsored
by our good friends at Canciones Huérfanas. These dates mark
the first live performances from Harper Lee and the first from Lovejoy outside the UK, so they really shouldn’t be missed.
See you there!

Several Matinée bands will be in the US later in the year, including The Lucksmiths, Sportique and
Pipas who may all be part of the San Francisco popfest scheduled for July. Everything is still in the planning
stages, but now that we are California based look for some West Coast action from your favorite Matinée bands soon!

Given the list of forthcoming singles described above, we are having a sale on all existing singles via the
Matinée mailorder: bargain prices of $2.50 for every 7″ and $4.00 for every CDEP while
supplies last. There are a handful of the early 7″ that are pretty close to deleted so if you were thinking of stocking up
this might just be the time to do so. The sale’s on until February 14th as our Valentine’s gift to you.

In December Mailorder action, Pipas fought off all competition to climb to the top of the chart with their recent album A
Cat Escaped. The full chart follows:

10. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
9. Airport Girl – Honey, I’m An Artist CD
8. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
7. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
6. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
5. Melodie Group – Updownaround CD
4. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP
3. The Guild League – Private Transport CD
2. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
1. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD

Until next time, thanks for reading and hope you are enjoying a splendid year so far. Regards, Jimmy

Happy December! As you presumably have noticed, with this update we are launching a new and improved
Matinée website with a lavish new design and about 100 times the content of our former site. In addition to
substantial improvements to the News, Catalog and Order pages,
we have added individual release pages with full tracklistings, soundclips, and reviews, plus pages for each
Artist including photos, discographies, contact information and more.

There is also a handy new Sounds page where you can listen to Real Audio clips from
every release and mp3’s of tracks from the new releases, a new Fanclub page where you
can sign up for the Matinée newsletter or view available fan merchandise, and a new Archive
page containing all past news updates, year-end lists and Matinée interviews.

We are very excited about the new site and hope you find it easy to navigate and a good resource for information on
Matinée releases and artists. A million thanks to Chris and Arianne at IndiePages for their tireless
and expert work! I am still amazed at the facility with which they distilled my miscellaneous ideas into a workable site.
If you have any comments about the design or content let us know here.

Mary and I have just returned from a lovely trip to Australia where we had the pleasure of hanging out with our good
friends The Lucksmiths, Simpático and The Guild League. Each band played a show while we were there and it
was excellent to see them perform for the home crowd. Thanks to Marty, Emma, Mark, Tali, Nicole, and Jason for
the warm hospitality and to everyone else we met on the trip! We hope to be back soon.

Now that we’re back in California, it’s nearly time for another batch of new releases! As previewed in the last update,
next up are full-length albums from Melodie Group and The Guild League.

The new Melodie Group album is called “Updownaround” (matcd022) and it is a showcase for the
accomplished songwriting of Windmills vocalist and guitarist Roy Thirlwall. Previous Melodie Group releases have
earned comparisons to Grant McLennan and Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens, plus Echo and the Bunnymen,
East Village and Felt. Although the official release date is scheduled for January 6th, we will begin shipping
advance copies on December 15th so place your preorders now via the Order page.
Complete release details and soundclips can be found on the new release page.

The debut album from The Guild League is called “Private Transport” (matcd023) and is an absolute gem!
Featuring 13 songs with heartfelt lyrics, superb vocals from Tali White of The Lucksmiths, and a fine cadre of hired
hands from Sodastream, Poundsign, The Fairways, The Aislers Set, Red Raku, Art of Fighting, The Killjoys,
Blackeyed Susans and The Lucksmiths, this is truly a release not to miss. Check out the tracklisting and listen to
soundclips on the release page now, and watch for new soundclips later in the
week. Advance copies are available for immediate delivery from December 15th so place your preorders via the
Order page and we’ll send them out as soon as the discs arrive.

In forthcoming singles action, look for the long-awaited “Do You Dream In Colour” CDEP (matinée 037) from Airport
Girl, the debut “California Morning” 7″ (matinée 043) from a new Swedish/American band called The Young
Tradition, five new songs by Simpático on the “Club Life” CDEP (matinée 044), the superb “Northern
Angel” CDEP (matinée 046) by The Liberty Ship, and the long delayed “Mad World” 7″ (matinée 029) from
The Snowdrops all in the next three months. Look for release details on these singles in the January update.

There are several Matinée compilations in the works and all will be on the new release racks before too long.
“France On A Bicycle” (matcd010) will be the first, compiling 20 tracks from the early singles on the label
and featuring songs from Sweet William, The Lucksmiths, Sportique, Harper Lee, The Windmills, Lovejoy, Melodie
Group, Bella Vista, Remember Fun, Slipslide, Simpático, The Fairways, Monterey, Edson, and Ego. It will be the
first time on CD for 10 of the songs and an excellent introduction to the label now that the discography is spiraling
out of control.

Following a similar agenda but compiling songs from the ever-expanding list of Matinée albums, “Matinée
Idols” (matcd013) will follow with superb cuts from Sportique, The Windmills, The Visitors, The Lucksmiths,
The Siddeleys, Melodie Group, Lovejoy, Harper Lee, Airport Girl, Razorcuts, Simpático, Would-Be-Goods, Pipas,
and The Guild League. It should prove a handy companion to “France On A Bicycle” and a good way to sample
songs from each of the Matinée albums.

To commemorate the achievement of reaching 50 releases in the singles category, we are hard at work planning a
compilation called Matinée 50. Each Matinée band will contribute a cover version of a song by another
Matinée artist and we’ll pull it together on a CD that celebrates the label! All bands that have appeared on Matinée
are invited to contribute a song, and we are expecting one-off reunions from a few of the old timers so this will be a
very special release indeed!

Other releases on the horizon include a new mini-lp from Sportique, a highly anticipated Matinée single
from The Pines… the second full length from The Fairways… that long threatened full length by
Slipslide… and much more!

In December gig action, check out The Liberty Ship at two shows in Nottingham, England: Friday the 20th
@ Junction 7 with Tender Trap and The Farming Incident (£3 entry; 8.30pm start) and Saturday the 21st @ The
Social with Frankie Machine (free; 4pm start). Some great live shows are planned for 2003 so watch this space for
complete details.

Later this week we will be conducting a poll of your favorite 2002 releases through the Matinée newsgroup and every
entry will give you a chance to win 5 free CDs of your choice! If you’re not already signed up, click here to remedy that situation now. The list of
contenders includes:

Singles:
Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″ (matinée 035)
The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″ (matinée 036)
The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP (matinée 038)
The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP (matinée 039)
Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″ (matinée 041)
The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP (matinée 042)

Albums:
Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD (matcd012)
Sportique – Modern Museums CD (matcd015)
Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD (matcd016)
Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD (matcd017)
Lovejoy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? CD (matcd018)
The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD (matcd019)
Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD (matcd020)
Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD (matcd021)
Melodie Group – Updownaround CD (matcd022)
The Guild League – Private Transport CD (matcd023)

We will publish the full results next month along with 2002 Best-Of lists from Matinée artists. In the November
Mailorder chart, new releases from the Lucksmiths and Kosmonaut made strong debuts alongside a stellar batch
of recent releases. The full results follow:

10. Remember Fun – Train Journeys CDEP
9. The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP
8. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
7. Lovejoy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? CD
6. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
5. Various – The Matinée Summer Splash! CD
4. Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″
3. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
2. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD
1. The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP

Thanks to all of you for your patronage in 2002. Until next time, hope you enjoy surfing the new website and happy
holidays!

cheers,

Jimmy

G’day mate! In 12 hours I will be aboard a flight from LAX to Melbourne so I figure it’s time to practice my Australian vernacular
and get in a short update of the Matinée website at the same time.

We are truly excited to be visiting our Australian artist colony for the first time, and in true Matinée fashion, we’ll be welcomed
with a slew of superb shows once we lose a full day and land on their fine soil. Although this won’t really help most of you out
there shivering in the gloom of an early winter, if you happen to be around Melbourne for the next week you’re in for a treat!
Saturday, November 23rd, The Lucksmiths play the Queenscliff Festival… Sunday, November 24th, a rare performance
from The Guild League (+ Richard Easton) at Bar Open on Brunswick Street…and Wednesday, November 27th,
Simpático (+ Tugboat) play an equally rare show at Good Morning Captain. Wow!

So, the mailorder will be closed until December 4th, but feel free to place your orders and we will process as much as possible
from the road and ship everything when we return. The new release category is bulging at the moment with brand new records
just out from The Lucksmiths, Kosmonaut, Pipas and Razorcuts, plus superb new-ish
releases from Harper Lee and Lovejoy! We had complete details of these releases announced in the
last update, and you can read about them now on the catalog page.

We are also taking preorders for forthcoming releases from Melodie Group and The Guild League that will be ready shortly after our return!

The new Melodie Group album is called “Updownaround” (matcd022) and includes 10 relaxed, melodic popsongs that achieve a rare mixture of melancholy and catchiness. 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 Grant McLennan and Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens, as well as Echo and the Bunnymen, East Village and Felt. Lusciously paced, with gorgeous vocals delivered in the most dulcet of tones, “Updownaround” is a triumph. Although the official release date is scheduled for January 6th at the request of our trusty distributors, we’ll have advance copies ready for immediate delivery from December 15th so place your preorders now via the order page.

Also out January 6th, the debut album from The Guild League is called “Private Transport” (matcd023) and is an absolute gem! The album features 13 wonderfully eclectic songs about love and travel, heartfelt lyrics and ace vocals courtesy of The Lucksmiths Tali White, and a truly collaborative musical cast including members of The Lucksmiths, Sodastream, Poundsign, The Fairways, The Aislers Set, Red Raku, Art of Fighting, The Killjoys, and Blackeyed Susans. Highlights include the jangling-guitar travelogue “Jet-Set…Go!” which takes in Spain, Yorkshire, Las Vegas and Thailand before its joyous finale in San Francisco…”The Photographer,” a strum and bass still life memory of a sea-side moment sung over a loping, looping bass line, with layers of acoustic guitars and frantic drums… and “Siamese Couplets”, a lazy hip-hop/pop tune with junky percussion, a soaring chorus and lyrics that attempt to capture the sensory overload of south east Asia while maintaining the distinction of being the first and possibly last song on Matinée to be rapped! Advance copies are available for immediate delivery from December 15th so place your preorders now via the order page.

We are skipping the usual Virgo-like details and blow-by-blow accounts of everything happening around Matinée headquarters this time because we’re also in the final stages of a massive website overhaul that will have you all cheering. The new site is not live yet but will be launched the first week of December with significantly expanded catalog pages including full tracklistings, reviews and soundclips…plus we’ve designed artist pages with biographical and discography and contact information for each band…plus a greatly enhanced order page, a fantastic sounds page with mp3 and real audio clips of lots of Matinée songs, and a whole lot more. A million thanks to Chris and Arianne at IndiePages for their tireless and expert work on the site!

With the new website launch, we’ll also be conducting a poll of your favorite 2002 releases through the Matinée newsgroup with a chance to win 5 free CDs! If you’re not already signed up, click here to remedy that situation in a jiffy. To jog your memory about the spectacular year we’re about to close, we offer you the following list of our 2002 releases:

	Singles of the year: Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″ (matinée 035) The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″ (matinée 036) The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP (matinée 038) The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP (matinée 039) Kosmonaut – Desert Song 7″ (matinée 041) The Lucksmiths – Midweek Midmorning CDEP (matinée 042) Albums of the year: Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD (matcd012) Sportique – Modern Museums CD (matcd15) Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD (matcd016) Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD (matcd017) Lovejoy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? CD (matcd018) The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD (matcd019) Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD (matcd020) Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD (matcd021) Melodie Group – Updownaround CD (matcd022) The Guild League – Private Transport CD (matcd023)

…and if you haven’t heard all of those yet then get yourself over to the Order page so you can cast an
honest vote in the year end poll. Look for complete poll details in the December update.

In the heated race for top position on the Matinée Mailorder chart, the following contenders put in a valiant effort but didn’t stand
a chance against our new number one:

10. The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP
9. Lovejoy – Plays Biff Bang Pow! 7″
8. Harper Lee – Train Not Stopping CDEP
7. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
6. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
5. Various – The Matinée Summer Splash! CD
4. Lovejoy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? CD
3. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
2. Pipas – A Cat Escaped CD
1. Razorcuts – R is for…Razorcuts CD

Coming in early 2003… the return of Simpático with a fantastic new EP… the debut single from a mysterious
international project called The Young Tradition… the much anticipated Matinée single from The Pines… the
first release from The Fairways in quite a long time… a brilliant new mini-lp from Sportique… that long
threatened full length by Slipslide, a real corker of a new single from The Liberty Ship… a new million seller
from Airport Girl… and much more! Details in three weeks.

Sorry this is rushed…we have a plane to catch so happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it, and if you don’t, give it some
thought as it’s one of the loveliest holidays around.

regards,

Jimmy

Hello again, and sorry for the prolonged silence while we relocated to the West Coast. Santa Barbara is a great place to live
and we’re excited to call it home now. Since the last update, we’ve been occupied with office organization and design work for
the next batch of releases, the first of which hits the shelves of a record shop near you in just ten days!

Yes, that’s right. The “R is for Razorcuts” CD (matcd012) from Razorcuts is finally back from the pressing plant and on
course for official release on October 28th. This definitive collection includes 21 tracks selected by the band (most previously
available only at inflated import or collector prices in the US, plus previously unreleased material) with the signature Razorcuts
chiming 12 string guitar, harmonies, Hammond organ and tambourines. This lovingly prepared package includes a 12-page
booklet with extensive archive photos, plus sleevenotes from the band and two early Razorcuts champions – St Etienne’s Bob
Stanley and legendary British music writer Everett True. By now the history of this pivotal UK indiepop band is well known and
their influence is evident in the work of countless indie bands across the globe. We divulged the CD tracklisting in the last update,
and you can read more about the release on the updated catalog page. We are taking preorders as
we speak via the Matinée order page, so if you want to secure a copy before anyone else you know
what to do.

To further tempt you into buying mode, we have also just received copies of the brilliant new long-player from London-based
international pop duo Pipas! Entitled “A Cat Escaped” (matcd021), the album features ten new infectious popsongs with
guitars that jangle in all the right places, breezy vocals and plenty of ba-ba-ba’s. The band has developed an avid international
fanbase on the strength of previous releases “A Short Film About Sleeping” and “Chunnel Autumnal”, plus a clutch of highly regarded
live sets in England, Scotland, Sweden and Spain. They will be launching the album with three special live dates in New York,
Philadelphia and Washington DC later this month (see details below). The CD will be available through the usual agents on
October 28th, but you can order a copy now exclusively from the Matinée order page. The full
tracklisting for the album is: 1. What Nobody Does, 2. The Conversation, 3. Barbapapa, 4. Rock and/or Roll, 5. Old Kent Road, 6.
The Witches, 7. Cruel and Unusual, 8. A Cat Escaped, 9.Emblematic, 10.Run Run Run. Album details are now up on the
catalog page. So, what are you waiting for?

Following on November 11th is the debut Matinée single from Kosmonaut, a great band from northern England featuring
Stephen Maughan (ex-Bulldozer Crash and creator of the legendary This Almighty Pop! fanzine) and Geoff Suggett (ex-Lavender
Faction). Succeeding previous releases on the esteemed Motorway (Japan) and Firestation Tower (Germany) record labels,
Kosmonaut mark their debut US release with multi-layered guitar pop gems “Desert Song” and “Bee Song” on a beautiful 45 rpm
slab of vinyl (matinée 041). With superb melodies and vocals reminiscent of early Creation Records bands, Kosmonaut are a
band to watch. They also contributed the fantastic “Was It You?” to the recent Matinée Summer Splash sampler so there are
two more reasons to pay a visit to that updated order page.

Also out November 11th is a surprise new single from The Lucksmiths! It’s a three-track CDEP (matinée 042) with new
songs “Midweek Midmorning” plus “Point Being” and “Requiem for the Punters Club.” The lead track is a fantastic pop affair
about sunshine, laziness, and unemployment with jangling guitars, trumpet, tambourine and excellent vocals. It is a preview of
the band’s forthcoming full length scheduled for release next spring, while the other tracks are exclusive to this EP. We will have
advance copies available through the order page from October 30 so place your order now!

As we mentioned above, Pipas are launching the new album “A Cat Escaped” with a handful of live dates along the
Northeast corridor at the end of the month. They will be traveling with fellow Matinée superstars Would-Be-Goods,
stateside for their first US dates in support of the album “Brief Lives.” The following shows are part of the
Chickfactor 10 Year Anniversary Celebration at Fez in New York City:

— Friday, October 25th: Pipas (with Lois + Glo-worm + Honeybunch + more)

— Saturday, October 26th: Would-Be-Goods (with All Girl Summer Fun Band + The Pacific Ocean + Gilmore
Tammy + The Legendary Jim Ruiz)

Fez is located at 380 Lafayette Street (at Great Jones Street). Tickets are
$12 each night or $26 for a three-day pass (the third night is Sunday the 27th with The Aislers Set, Future Bible Heroes, The
Aluminum Group and more) and tickets are available at Other Music.
Complete details are up on the Chickfactor site.

Following the New York City bash, Pipas head south…

— Monday, October 28th: Pipas (with The Snow Fairies + special guests) at The Fire, 412 West Girard Avenue. This is an all-ages show, doors are at 6:30pm, and admission is $7.

…and then Pipas and Would-Be-Goods unite for a final show in our nation’s capital:

— Tuesday, October 29th: Would-Be-Goods and Pipas (with Future Bible Heroes + Glo-worm) at the
9:30 Club, 815 V Street, NW. Tickets are $12 and available from the 9:30
Club box office or tickets.com. This is also a Chickfactor show.

In upcoming UK gig action, Kosmonaut play October 31st at The Cluny in Newcastle upon Tyne (with Bluetta Dawn and
Parklandsway), and The Liberty Ship play another Tasty
showcase on November 16th at Junktion 7 in Nottingham (with Chris TT, The Lollies and The Fairy Traders).

We are planning a series of Matinée shows in Spain next year, with the help of our fantastic Spanish distributor
Canciones Huerfanas. Nothing is confirmed yet, but we’ll
provide complete details as soon as everything is sorted. There are also several Matinée bands anxious to play the American
West Coast now that we’re settled in California, so watch for 2003 tour news shortly.

In the final design stage are two brilliant albums slated for release this year and about which we are delighted! Melodie
Group is poised to make it three November releases in a row with the new “Updownaround” CD (matcd022). The first release
since last year’s excellent “Summerness” 7″, the new album is the group’s strongest work to date. The full tracklisting is: 1.
Everybody Loves You, 2. Hold, 3. Bathtub Full of Water, 4. When Love Comes Along, 5. Xiao, 6. Hairdresser in the Sky, 7. Inner
Space 1971, 8. I Do Not Not Love You, 9. Butterfly:Tart, 10. Summerness. Complete details to be disclosed in the next update.

The debut album from The Guild League is also on course for late November release. Entitled “Private Transport”
(matcd023), the album’s 13 eclectic songs are a celebration of travels by League president Tali White. The full tracklisting is: 1.
Jet-Set…Go!, 2. The Neatest Hand, 3. Cosmetropolis (London Swings), 4. Balham Rise, 5. The Photographer, 6. Baggage
Handling, 7. Dangerous Safety, 8. What Adults Do, 9. Siamese Couplets, 10. Gravity, 11. A Maze of Greys, 12. Cornflakes,
13. A Faraway Place. Check back soon for more information.

There may be one or two more releases late in the year, but the remainder of the forthcoming release schedule will likely have
2003 release dates. Check back soon to see how we sort it all out!

Recent albums from Harper Lee and Lovejoy are beginning to generate a buzz with the press. Some of the early quotes follow:

“This record is an organic development in terms of the shape of Laura and Keris’ overall sound: although “Go
Back to Bed” shone with some wonderful and deserving, heartrending songs, not least its gorgeous singles, with the
sophomore album it’s harder to see any breach to the pattern… Each song is like a slide show of pictures shot from a train
window, reproduced in grainy black and white, the passing fields and branches beautifully pixellated.”
In Love With These Times (UK)

“Any album with song titles like “I Can Bear This No Longer” and “Miserable Town” is no doubt going to be drenched in sadness,
but something about the candid way in which the songs are presented, mixed with the exquisite mood, makes the album less
depressing than melancholy, exuding the placidity that comes with turning inward. In other words, there’s a tranquility to it all
which is truly alluring.” Erasing Clouds (USA)

“Una delicia de pop altamente recomendable!” Canciones Huerfanas (Spain)

“That’s possibly the beauty of this album. The issues it covers are of intense frustration, yet its soundtrack is made up of the
lushest, most precious pop music. Not many people can do this. The Smiths again come to mind as a band who mixed that
sense of frustration with some sparklingly handsome music, but with your average band, you can only have it one way. Lovejoy
make sure they give you the whole package. An absolute joy.”
Tasty (UK)

“Who wants to be a millionaire when you can have Lovejoy instead? Maybe, but Dick, Ally, Keith and Paul give the million bucks
a good run for the money.” Peekaboo (Singapore)

“It achieves the grace of sympathy, not undermined but carried by the so-Dan Treacy vocals (though there appears to be a
Lawrence-from-Felt impression in the spoken word break on “Nothing Happens Here”), and this sympathy is perhaps the key to
the album, and arguably differentiates it from the work of others such as the Trembling Blue Stars.”
In Love With These Times (UK)

Information on these releases is up now on the newly revised catalog page.

Two recent interviews should be online soon: a great discourse in Tasty fanzine with Dick Preece of Lovejoy where he
talks about pop music and politics and modern society in general; and five questions pitched to Matinée HQ by Italian
webzine Kathodik just before we packed up the computer in the
Washington DC office.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support the online mailorder. We are happy to be back to business from our Santa
Barbara post office box so send some mail our way! The top sellers for the months of August and September were:

10. Harper Lee – Go Back To Bed CD
9. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
8. The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″
7. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
6. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP
5. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
4. The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP
3. Harper Lee – Everything’s Going To Be OK CD
2. Lovejoy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? CD
1. Various – The Matinée Summer Splash! CD

We will return to regular monthly updates now so stop by soon for the latest pop happenings.

cheers,

Jimmy

Hello again and happy August! Things are moving swiftly here at Matinée HQ so sit back for a sampling of the latest news.

First off, we’re less than ten days away from our late summer pop celebration, the Matinée Summer Splash! What’s
that you ask? Well, it’s your chance to see seven Matinée artists in the span of six days…assuming you are in the vicinity of
London or Nottingham, England that is. Here is the complete skinny:

Saturday, August 24th: Would-Be-Goods, The Windmills, Pipas and Lovejoy play the
Notting Hill Arts Centre (21 Notting Hill Gate) in London. This is a free event sponsored by RoTa, doors are at
4pm, and we’ll also have top tune spinning from celebrity deejays Tim Hopkins (The Visitors) and Pam Berry (The Pines).

Monday, August 26th: The Liberty Ship and Kosmonaut play at Junktion 7 (Canning Circus) in Nottingham
alongside Darren Hanlon, the Lollies and Dallas Burn. This is a great event sponsored by Tasty fanzine and our first foray into the Nottingham
scene so come check out the latest Matinée signings and say hello. Kickoff is 7pm and admission is £4 including a free
fanzine.

Tuesday, August 27th: Slipslide play the Dublin Castle in London (94 Parkway, Camden), with The Fades, The Mule
Boom and Kapowski. This gig is sponsored by Club Fandango,
doors are at 8pm and Slipslide are scheduled for a 9pm start so get there early. Admission is £5 or £4 with a flyer, which you
can’t download anymore.

Thursday, August 29th: Would-Be-Goods team up with Darren Hanlon for another London show at the Spitz (109
Commercial Street, Old Spitalfields Market). This is sponsored by the hip cats at Strange Fruit and tickets are £5 in advance from
Ticketweb.

To celebrate this uncharacteristic abundance of live action, we are releasing a low-price 12-song sampler CD featuring exclusive
tracks, rarities, and previews of forthcoming releases from the participating bands and a handful of other top acts from the
Matinée roster. Sharing the title the Matinée Summer Splash! (matinée 040), the tracklisting for the CD is: 1.
Harper Lee – Fine Bones, 2. Would-Be-Goods – Dilettante, 3. Airport Girl – When You Fall, 4.
Slipslide – X Supplies The Answer, 5. Melodie Group – I Do Not Not Love You, 6. Pipas – Cruel and
Unusual, 7. Sportique – Rollercoaster, 8. The Windmills – Walking Around The World. 9. The Liberty
Ship – Don’t React, 10. The Pines – Leavin’ On Your Mind, 11. Lovejoy – You Fell From Grace, 12.
Kosmonaut – Was It You? For anyone keeping track of these things, that makes nine unreleased songs and they
are all spectacular! It will be available at the aforementioned shows at the insanely low price of a single so its purchase is
compulsory for all of you, no? For everyone not in England, you can get a copy straight from the Order
page or from your favorite shop next month.

We’ll also have advance copies of new releases from Lovejoy and Harper Lee with us in England although supplies will be
limited so come to RoTa if you really want one. The new Lovejoy album is entitled “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
(matcd018) and includes nine songs that further demonstrate the innovation and creativity flowing from Lovejoy headquarters.
The album bends the band’s classic pop template slightly to encompass a bit more electronica (think New Order or the Wake)
and even a song that will make you get up and dance like you just don’t care. The album features a new version of the Biff
Bang Pow! classic “The Beat Hotel” with drums and electric guitars and other sparkly magic only possible in Lovejoy studios.
And it looks great! The official release date is September 2nd but you can get one now exclusively via the
Order page.

Another new release is the second album from Brighton’s Harper Lee called “Everything’s Going To Be OK” (matcd020).
In the past year, Harper Lee have earned great respect from the music press with positive reviews of recent single “Train Not
Stopping” and debut album “Go Back To Bed” piling up around the globe. This new album includes nine straightforward classics
that will surely engender a new set of superlatives. We think it’s the band’s finest release so far which is saying quite a lot.
Out officially on September 9th so get ready…we’ll have exclusive copies available via the Order page
very soon.

The Harper Lee album marks the temporary end of an era (yes, I realize that makes no sense)…as it is the final release to
come out while Matinée is headquartered in our nation’s lovely capital. Immediately following my return from the UK shows we’ll
be packing up our house and the overflowing Matinée warehouse to move all the way across the country to an equally lovely
place called Santa Barbara, California. The move should have no impact on the label aside from some unavoidable shipping
delays on all orders while our moving van traverses its way through 15 of the 50 US states. From September 2nd through the
15th, your best bet is to order your Matinée titles from one of the many fine establishments identified atop the Order page. We will have virtually no access to email during this time too so please be patient while we
get situated in California. Any orders that come in during this time will be filled no later than the 15th. Most importantly,
please do not send anything to the Washington DC post office box for delivery after September 2nd because we won’t be here
to receive it. It will eventually get forwarded to Santa Barbara but avoid unnecessary delays by playing it safe. There will
be a new Santa Barbara post office box ready for your envelopes and parcels sometime in the next two weeks so check the
order page for the updated address and send me some welcome mail! We plan to return to DC eventually because we love it
here, but we expect to call Santa Barbara home for a few years at least. It’s on the beach so how could one complain? We
will try our best to keep sand off the CDs.

Okay, so once we are situated in our new office we’ll get to work on the autumn release schedule, which begins with the debut
Matinée record by Kosmonaut – two new tracks called “Desert Song” and “Bee Song” on opposite sides of a beautiful
45 rpm slab of vinyl. As I mentioned last time, Kosmonaut is a relatively new band featuring Stephen Maughan (ex-Bulldozer
Crash) and Geoff Suggett (ex-Lavender Faction). They have so far released a 7″ on the eternally hip Firestation Tower Records
and contributed a song to a Motorway Records compilation 45. For a taste of the band’s sound, check out the
suberb song “Was It You?” on the new Matinée Summer Splash sampler and come to their debut gig at the Tasty showcase
on August 26th in Nottingham.

The “R is for Razorcuts” CD (matcd012) from Razorcuts is still in the works and now on track for an early October
release. The CD includes 21 hits carefully selected from the band’s former works on Creation, Subway and Flying Nun plus a
few rarities including a previously unreleased lost recording. The full tracklisting is: 1. I’ll Still Be There (LP version), 2. Big Pink
Cake, 3. Summer in Your Heart, 4. Mary Day, 5. Sorry to Embarrass You, 6. A is for Alphabet, 7. 8 Times Around The World,
8. I Heard You The First Time, 9. Jade, 10. A Contract With God, 11. Brighter Now, 12. Storyteller, 13. Everyday Eyes, 14. Try,
15. Across The Meadow, 16. I Won’t Let You Down, 17. The World Keeps Turning, 18. The Last Picture Show, 19. Sad
Kaleidoscope, 20. The Horror of Party Beach, 21. I’ll Still Be There (single version). Don’t miss it!

Other autumn releases on the way include the outstanding new album from Pipas called “A Cat Escaped” (matcd021),
the debut “Updownaround” full-length by Melodie Group (matcd022), the tasty “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP
(matinée 037) from Airport Girl, the Matinée debut from The Pines called the “Familiar” EP, and the return of
The Fairways with their “Don’t Call Me Dear” CDEP. More details on these releases next time.

Since the next update will not occur until at least the middle of September, we will give you advance notice of a few upcoming
gigs: September 7th – Sportique play the Spitz in London with the Butterflies of Love; September 28th and 29th –
The Pines, Pipas and Would-Be-Goods play a Chickfactor show at Bush Hall in London (alongside
the absolutely lovely Camera Obscura, The Montgolfier Brothers, Future Bible Heroes, The Clientele, and A Girl Called Eddy).
All shows are sponsored by Strange Fruit so have a
look at their website for details.

Here at Chez Matinée, we pride ourselves on staying atop of all press action, so we were troubled to learn of an interview that
slipped below our radar recently…a lengthy and humorous discussion with the lovely and outspoken Johnny Johnson of The
Siddeleys that appeared on IndieSpinzone. It’s
really good so check it out! There are several other interviews in the works as we speak so look for links to those next month.
In other press news, summer singles from The Liberty Ship and The Guild League continue to generate
positive reviews. Some recent quotes include:

“Three songs of surprisingly lovely pop from a band certainly worth watching…Single of the Week!”
Mundane Sounds

“Worth hurrying back from Yorkshire, Andalucia, Londres or any other of the jet-set locations mentioned within these
super-suave grooves to secure your copy.” In Love With These Times

“The group’s sound is remarkably relaxed…with sweet harmonizing and melodic guitar lines that for some reason evoke
holidays and summer vacations.” Erasing Clouds

“This all reminds me of 1986 before I had hassles like relationships, bills and keeping a job down…It will bring the summer
into your heart.” Pennyblack

“Rich and laid-back, this is pop for all seasons.” In Love With These Times

For more information on these releases check out the newly revised catalog page.

Finally, the mailorder will be closed from August 20th through August 28th while we are in England, and again from September
2nd until September 15th as we move across the country. In an attempt to count you among our friends during this period, we
are extending the Matinée summer clearance sale prices to all orders received through September 15th so go crazy! The top
sellers for the month of July were:

10. Harper Lee – Train Not Stopping CDEP
9. Airport Girl – Honey, I’m An Artist CD
8. Lovejoy – Songs In The Key Of… CD
7. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
6. Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD
5. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
4. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP
3. The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″
2. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
1. The Guild League – Jet-Set…Go! CDEP

Hope to see you at the shows later this month!

cheers,

Jimmy
x

Happy July pop patrons! Hope your summer is going well and thanks for perusing the current Matinée news.

The latest release is the debut “Jet-Set…Go!” single (matinée 039) by The Guild League – an Australian coterie
headed by esteemed Lucksmiths vocalist and percussionist Tali White. The Guild League is Tali’s first project outside the
Lucksmiths and highlights his superb songwriting and vocal talents. On the infectious title track, Tali is joined by Pete
Cohen & Karl Smith (both from Sodastream), Marty Brown (Art of Fighting) and Richard Easton to create a wonderful racket
with guitars and drums and handclaps that you can’t get out of your head. The EP also features acoustic tracks “A Faraway
Place” and “Cornflakes” which showcase Tali’s signature voice. An album called “Private Transport” is scheduled for release
later in the year, but you’ll want to get hip to the Guild League now because the single is limited to 1000 copies and they’re
moving fast.

Up next is the sophomore album from Lovejoy entitled “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” (matcd018). Currently at
the pressing plant, this CD will be released in mid-August and features nine fantastic songs that further demonstrate the
innovation and creativity flowing from Lovejoy HQ along the coast of southern England. The album bends the Lovejoy
template ever so slightly to encompass a bit more electronica (think New Order or the Wake) on a few tracks and even a
song that will make you get up and dance like you just don’t care. The album also features a new version of the Biff Bang
Pow! classic “The Beat Hotel” with drums and electric guitars and other sparkly magic only possible in Lovejoy studios.
We think it’s their strongest release to date and encourage you to find out for yourself next month.

Following that in late August is the Matinée Summer Splash! (matinée 040), a low-price 12-song sampler CD
featuring exclusive tracks, rarities, and previews of forthcoming releases from Airport Girl (“When You Fall”),
Harper Lee (“Fine Bones”), Kosmonaut (“Was It You?”), The Liberty Ship (“Don’t React”),
Lovejoy (“You Fell From Grace”), Melodie Group (“I Do Not Not Love You”), Pipas (“Cruel and
Unusual”), The Pines (“Leavin’ on Your Mind”), Slipslide (“X Supplies the Answer”), Sportique
(“Rollercoaster”), The Windmills (“Walking Around the World”) and Would-Be-Goods (“Dilettante”). We’ll
be selling it at the price of a single, which for 12 tracks (nine previously unreleased) is quite simply a deal no matter how
you slice it. The CD is a celebration of several UK shows late next month featuring Matinée bands:

Saturday August 24th at the Notting Hill Arts Centre in London (sponsored by RoTa) featuring Lovejoy,
Pipas, The Windmills and Would-Be-Goods.

Monday August 26th at Junktion 7 in Nottingham (sponsored by Tasty
fanzine) featuring The Liberty Ship and Kosmonaut (plus Darren Hanlon, the Lollies and Dallas Burn).

Would-Be-Goods team up with the fantastic Darren Hanlon for an additional London show on Thursday, August
29th at the Spitz, and we are still working to set up a gig with Slipslide (and possibly others) for Tuesday,
August 27th so make plans for that and we will get details posted shortly.

In more immediate gig news, Sportique and Pipas are off to Sweden next week for two shows each.
Both play the Mitt Bästa Liv festival in Kalmar on July 24 and 25 with other top acts like Tender Trap, Darren Hanlon,
Aerospace, Free Loan Investments, Nixon, Dorotea and more. Sportique and Pipas are both scheduled to play on the 25th…
Both stay on for a Stockholm show Saturday the 27th at Café Mix with Tender Trap, Aerospace and Free Loan
Investments… a surely fantastic lineup that has me searching for last minute fares to Stockholm as we speak.

Thanks again to everyone who helped to make the Sportique US mini-tour with Tender Trap last month a great success.
Big shouts out to Tim Bean and the rest of the WBAR posse; Eric, Steve and Tom at Signal 66; Skippy and Graham for the
well-intentioned CD delivery service; the Butterflies of Love, the Mad Scene, Bunsen Honeydew and Allan Clapp for sharing
bills and loaning gear; and all the popkids in Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia and Washington who came out for
the shows.

But enough about live shows, what’s happening for our record players you ask?

Still sparkling in the new release category is the debut 7″ single from The Liberty Ship (matinée 036). Featuring the
original “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” and a great cover of the Byrds’ “She Don’t Care About Time”, the single has enjoyed
an excellent reception so far with the discerning editors at IndiePages commending its
“jangly guitars that sparkle and shimmer and great boy/girl vocal harmonies.” Meanwhile, the astute kids at
In Love With These Times said “you can sing along to
it and it gleams with musical optimism and a classic song arrangement…this song should be a staple for jukeboxes
anywhere…we are down with this.” Yes, so are we. Expect more from the Liberty Ship in the near future.

Steadily basking in the glow of their recent “Walking Around The World” EP (matinée 038) and US tour dates, The
Windmills have gone straight back to the studio to record three new classics that will see eventual release on the
band’s third album sometime next year. Meanwhile, the critics are lauding “Walking Around The World” as one of the
strongest Windmills releases to date: Pennyblack
asserting “the band who made the brilliant ‘Sunlight’ LP last year are still on top form”;
Erasing Clouds summing up the single as
“begging listeners to hit play again, like the best singles always do”; and In
Love With These Times describing it as “the sort of timeless, imperial spiral that ties you in little knots…
East Village with a spring in their step.” We were wondering just when the rest of the world (aside from the erudite among
you) would wake up to the Windmills and it looks like the time has finally come.

Starting off the autumn release schedule with a bang is the second album from Harper Lee! Entitled “Everything’s
Going To Be OK” (matcd020), the album includes nine classics sure to send thousands of lovestruck indie kids further into
thoughtfulness. The full tracklisting for the album is: “Miserable Town,” “Unreciprocated.” “Train Not Stopping,” “The Thought
of You and Him,” “The Forest Alone,” “City Station,” “Fine Bones.” “I Can Bear This No Longer,” and “This Better Life.” Our
favorite changes daily…the album is nine A-sides without a doubt. In other Harper Lee news, IndiePages is now hosting a
great fan site that includes lyrics to all the songs and other flashy bits. Check it out by clicking here.

The “R is for Razorcuts” CD (matcd012) from Razorcuts is also scheduled for September release, complete with
excellent sleevenotes from pop legends Bob Stanley and Everett True. The CD includes 21 hits carefully selected from the
band’s former works on Creation, Subway and Flying Nun plus a few rarities including a previously unreleased lost recording.
This is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the Matinée catalogue and should please both long-time listeners of the
band and the younger generation of pop patrons who have heard countless comparisons and references to the legendary
band but few if any of their long sold-out releases. Look for a full tracklisting and more release information in the August
update.

A third September release is the debut Matinée 7″ by Kosmonaut, a relatively new band featuring Geoff Suggett
(ex-Lavender Faction) and Stephen Maughan (ex-Bulldozer Crash). Back in the day, Stephen also wrote This Almighty Pop!,
one of the finest fanzines EVER in my humble opinion and one of the first places that I read about bands like Love Parade,
Razorcuts, Remember Fun, and the Visitors so you know this guy has impeccable taste. The new single includes superb
tracks called “Desert Song” and “Bee Song” and is on course for release in late September assuming full cooperation from
vinyl pressing plants and label manufacturers and sleeve printers across the country. We have a few copies left of their
debut 7″ on Firestation Tower so check the
Order page fast if you want one.

Also on tap for the autumn: Pipas have just completed recording the songs for their debut album “A Cat Escaped”
(matcd021), Melodie Group are currently in the studio finishing up the debut album “Updownaround” (matcd022),
and Airport Girl are still contemplating the release of the “Do You Dream In Colour?” CDEP (matinée 037). The
Pines have started work on the songs for their debut Matinée 45, and The Fairways have promised to have
something ready soon but I don’t know quite what yet. More details on these and other forthcoming releases next time.

In press news, spring albums from The Lucksmiths, Would-Be-Goods and Simpático continue to
pile up positive reviews around the globe. Some of our favorite recent quotes include:

“Fans of Belle & Sebastian should certainly check out the Lucksmiths. This is quite simply some of the best indie music
to come from down under since fey favourites Even As We Speak.” Record Collector

“The Lucksmiths reign supreme, they truly are the kings of indie pop and ‘Where Were We?’ is proof that this is one
monarchy we should never vote out.” Oz Music Project

“This is the sort of album you can play at least 15 times continuously without ever, EVER tiring of a single note. All hail the
Lucksmiths, for they do it for me.” Tasty

“Enough to make pop music fans starry-eyed, whether they already know about the wondrous Lucksmiths or they’re about
to discover them.” Erasing Clouds

“A soothing tonic for waking up alone the next morning.” Magnet

“Better even than the cult classic debut ‘The Camera Loves Me’…this is a worthy companion to your Magnetic Fields and
Belle & Sebastian collections.” Careless Talk Costs Lives

“You’d be hard pressed to find a better guitar-pop album released this year.” Delusions Of Adequacy

“One of those rare joys – an album in which nearly every track is just as enjoyable as the next.” Rockpile

“This is a wonderful little gem of a record. Unassuming, low-key, but deliciously compelling…it’s perfectly lovely.”
Strange Fruit

“An album that will thrill today’s crop of indie kids.” Amplifier

“Debuut van het jaar”! Think Small

“This is a record you have no excuse not to own.” dB Magazine

“Borders on a work of genius.” Delusions Of Adequacy

“Favourite record of the year to date…make space in your CD rack now!” Pennyblack

“Lush and beautiful.” Shredding Paper

Recent interviews with Matinée artists appear in the latest issues of Dagger (Keris
Howard of Harper Lee), Sense (Jason Sweeney of
Simpático), and Pennyblack (Pam Berry of
the Pines) so check them out if you want to be in the know.

Meanwhile, the Universal Records (Philippines) compilation I mentioned back in April is apparently now out. Called “I’d
Spend My Day With You,” the album features 20 tracks including “Butter Wouldn’t Melt” from our very own Lovejoy,
along with great songs by the Fairways, Aerospace, Birdie, Trembling Blue Stars, the Crooner, Club 8, Goldstoned and
more. I’m not sure where it might be available outside the Philippines but I hope to have a few copies available on the
Order page soon so check there if you can’t find it elsewhere.

Speaking of the Order page, a quick glance of it will reveal that there is now a
summer clearance sale going on! We need to move some records for a multitude of reasons
including a rather big one that shall reveal itself next month. If you need some suggestions, why not consider some of the
top sellers from the month of June?:

10. Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD
9. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
8. Lovejoy – Plays Biff Bang Pow! 7″
7. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
6. Sportique – The Kids Are Solid Gold 7″
5. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal 10″
4. The Liberty Ship – I Guess You Didn’t See Her 7″
3. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP
2. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
1. Sportique – Modern Museums CD

Arrivederci!

Jimmy
x

Hello then! It’s definitely summer here, and like many Americans I have drastically altered my sleep schedule lately to catch
some of the excellent World Cup games that air at the ungodly hours of 2:30, 5:00 and 7:30 AM for those of us on the East
Coast. And lucky for you, tonight’s activity to keep me awake until 2:30 is a long overdue web update!

This week we’re completing the final preparations for the second set of US dates from Sportique, who commence live
action next Tuesday in Somerville, MA before trudging on to New Haven, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and
Brooklyn. All dates but the last one are with new top pop combo
Tender Trap, while The Butterflies of Love,
The Mad Scene, Bunsen Honeydew and The Orange
Peels are joining at various points during the tour. The full skinny is as follows:

Tuesday, June 18th Somerville, MA – Bar 608 w/Tender Trap and The Orange Peels 608 Somerville Avenue doors at 8:00 pm $8 entry Wednesday, June 19th New Haven, CT – Rudy’s Bar w/Tender Trap and The Butterflies Of Love 372 Elm Street doors at 8-ish $cheap entry

Thursday, June 20th New York City, NY – West End Bar w/Tender Trap and Bunsen Honeydew 114th And Broadway doors at 8:00 pm $6 entry, $5 w/Student ID (sponsored by Columbia University and WBAR Radio) Friday, June 21st Philadelphia, PA – La Tazza w/Tender Trap, The Butterflies Of Love and Hallelujah! 108 Chestnut Street doors at 6:00 pm (early show!) $8 entry; $7 in advance at Spaceboy Music or here. Saturday, June 22nd Washington, DC – Signal 66 Art Gallery w/Tender Trap 926 N Street NW (rear) doors at 8:30 pm $7 entry Sunday, June 23rd Brooklyn, NY – Club Luxx w/The Mad Scene and Bunsen Honeydew 256 Grand Street (between Driggs and Roebling) doors at 8:00 pm $7 entry

Sportique may also be doing an on-air session at New York radio station WFMU on
Thursday afternoon the 20th. Details to be added as soon as confirmed. All dates are in support of the recent Sportique
album “Modern Museums” (matcd015) which is shaping up to be one of the most lauded Matinée releases to date. Some
of our favorite recent-ish quotes include:

“A sort of splash and dash art criticism, parody cum influence, snottiness, appropriations, wining, brilliant observation, a still
breathless meth-amphetamine art punk (g)rumble through the underground with the spray can of hate and love…”
(Wide Open Road)

“Modern Museums is immaculate in a bittersweet, madcap, loud petulant sort of way. I want to marry it and have its children.”
(Everett True, Careless Talk Costs Lives)

“There will be murmurs of discontent from disaffected indie snobs as to the fact that on the evidence of “Modern Museums”,
Sportique are rocking a bit, shouting a lot, they even sound like they’re enjoying it, and how dare they do an album that’s only
24 minutes long, and has no ballads on it? It’s not worth dignifying them with an answer. Anyway…South Londoners we may
be, we don’t know much about art, but we know what we like. Record of the month.”
(In Love With These Times)

“Twisted genius in glorious stereo.” (Tasty)

Just beginning their lives in the eyes of the Matinée press corps are new releases from The Liberty Ship and The
Windmills! The former is a two-track 7″ (matinée 036) pairing “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” with a brilliant cover of the
Byrds classic “She Don’t Care About Time.” The band is a four piece from Nottingham, England led by vocalist and guitarist
Marc Elston (ex- Bulldozer Crash). They’ve already earned comparisons to The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, East Village and
The Weather Prophets so rush out and pick up the single to see for yourself. It came out yesterday so demand it from your
groovy neighborhood record shop or favorite online emporium.

The new single from The Windmills is the “Walking Around The World” EP (matinée 038) and it was released to great fanfare
last month. Featuring lead track “What Was It For?” plus “Amelia” and “Walking Around the World,” the EP is in our
completely unbiased opinion the best thing they’ve ever released. As if that weren’t incentive enough, the single also
includes a video track of “What Was It For?” filmed at the Notting Hill Arts Centre in London last October. See above
directive about groovy neighborhood record shops and online emporiums for what to do next. The band celebrated the new
release with their very first US tour in May with Australian labelmates Simpático. We saw some of you at the shows
in New York, Philadelphia and Washington but for everyone else here are a few photos from our journey.

It was a great week thanks to extra effort from Chris & Wendy of Jinx and the folks at Galapagos in New York; Melissa and
Gabe in Philadelphia; and Eric, Steve, Tom, Will, Les, the Secret History and Nick in Washington. Cheers everybody!

Next up on the new release shelves is the debut “Jet-Set…Go!” single (matinée 039) by The Guild League. As we
reported last month, the band is a collaborative headed by Tali White of The Lucksmiths and featuring Candle Records star
Richard Easton plus members of Sodastream and Art of Fighting. The three track EP includes “Jet-Set…Go!” plus “A
Faraway Place” and “Cornflakes” and is scheduled for release in early July to help your summer sizzle. An album called
“Private Transport” is scheduled for release later in the year, but you’ll want to get hip to the Guild League now because this
one’s limited to 1000 copies.

This leads us rather nicely to the new “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” album (matcd018) from Brighton’s very own
Lovejoy. Also scheduled for July release, we can now report the full tracklisting as “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,”
“You Fell From Grace,” “Plastic Flowers,” “Nothing Happens Here,” “Snow Falling Softly (Bent Fabric),” “The Beat Hotel,”
“Night On Earth,” “Millionaire…Maybe” and “Don’t You (Wish You’d Never Met Me)?” And no, “Plastic Flowers” is not a cover
of the Wake song but “The Beat Hotel” is a cover of Biff Bang Pow! although a rather different version than the one included
on the band’s recent “Plays Biff Bang Pow! 7″…this one with drums and electric guitars and other sparkly magic only
possible in Lovejoy studios.

We’re happy to report the “R is for Razorcuts” compilation CD (matcd012) from Razorcuts is now very much on
course for release this summer and we’ve expanded the tracklisting to include 20 of their greatest (almost) hits. Granted,
we nearly had to resort to extortion to get the rights to some of the songs but in the end it seemed to work quite nicely so if
you have someone you need to extort just click on the new extortion link on our website and we’ll see what we can do for
you. I would show you an image of the front cover but we’re still undecided between two at the moment so that, my friends,
will have to wait until next time. The album will feature songs from their legendary releases on Creation, Subway and Flying
Nun plus an old rarity and one previously unreleased song…all housed in a deluxe package with great photos and
sleevenotes from two of today’s top pop luminaries. Out when it’s out, it will definitely prove worth the wait.

I now also have the distinct honor of having in my possession the master tapes for the brand new album from Harper
Lee! Entitled “Everything’s Going To Be OK” (matcd020), the album is a masterpiece that will delight each and every
one of you as soon as we find something to use for artwork. Before you start thinking Harper Lee have gone all happy on us
with the uncharacteristically upbeat title, I should point out that the album includes songs called “I Can Bear This No Longer”
and “Unreciprocated” and “Miserable Town” alongside my current favorite “Fine Bones.” So expect more classic Harper Lee
melancholy and some of the best songs they have recorded to date. The anticipated release date is early September and
we’ll be smiling from ear to ear until then.

In the not coming very soon (or anytime we’re afraid) category is the doomed debut 7″ from The Snowdrops
(matinée 029). Those of you who check the site regularly will undoubtedly be able to recite the number of foiled release
dates I announced for this 7″ over the past year or so, but sadly I must report that our endless toil has resulted in, how do we
say it…a rejected sample? Ah yes, our first brush with controversy…just what every aspiring record label needs! So matinée
029 will remain unreleased forever, causing me to create an annoying new symbol for all future 45 inserts unless I just act
as if it sold out before you got one…We are moving forward with a new release as soon as possible using the 45’s original
b-side “Don’t Buy Anything” with new songs they plan to record in the next month and we’re betting that on the heels of a
banned debut single this new release will be a smashing success that will pull us all out of poverty. More news next time
following a pow-wow with the head Snowdrops.

I have nothing new to report about the forthcoming releases from Airport Girl, Kosmonaut, The Pines,
Pipas, or The Fairways…this due solely to the fact that the bands have nothing new to report…so check
out last month’s update to see what I knew back then. Sorry if that sounded surly…did I mention
that the World Cup games are on here at 2:30, 5:00 and 7:30?

There are several Matinée artists on the road this summer, including a Pipas date in Spain, Lovejoy and
Sportique shows in Sweden, an all-day affair in Nottingham (England) in late August, and a London show or two
around the same time. Not sure who will be playing yet but we will let you know soon.

Anyone who wants to know more about Matinée artists is in luck this month as no fewer than five (!) interviews have just been
published: read what makes Keris Howard of Harper Lee tick courtesy of
In Love With These Times, chat with Roy Thirlwall of
The Windmills over at Tasty, catch up with
Jason Sweeney of Simpático in his second interview with Pennyblack,
read about the brief lives of Would-Be-Goods Jessica Griffin at Pinoy
Central, and introduce yourself to The Liberty Ship at In Love
With These Times. Popfans in Greece should also check out the latest issue of Carousel fanzine, which includes an
excellent feature on Lovejoy and a nifty compilation CD as well.

Shouts out this month to the ace publications just mentioned plus All
Music Guide, Aquamarine,
The Bee’s Knees, Canciones Huerfanas,
Careless Talk Costs Lives, dB, Drum Media, Dusted,
Erasing Clouds, Exclaim!, IndiePages,
Indiespinzone, Magnet,
Organ, Popchild, Sete Polegadas,
Shredding Paper, Splendid, Strange
Fruit, Tangents, Think
Small, Twee Kitten, The War
Against Silence, Washington City Paper and Wide Open Road for writing
something in the past month that made us smile.

Bigger shouts out to those of you who actually bought something last month! The top sellers for the month were:

10. Sportique – Modern Museums 10″
9. The Windmills – When It Was Winter CDEP
8. Lovejoy – Plays Biff Bang Pow! 7″
7. The Windmills – Sunlight CD
6. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal 10″
5. Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD
4. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD
3. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
2. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
1. The Windmills – Walking Around The World CDEP

Hope to see you out at the Sportique shows!

Regards,

Jimmy x

Hello again! A massive amount of news to report this time about forthcoming releases plus a few Matinée bands on the road,
so grab another cup of coffee and sit back so you can take it all in. First up are the details of a handful of US dates coming
up quite soon with The Windmills and Simpático! As of today, their East Coast mini-tour looks like this:

The Windmills

Simpático

Apologies for the Philadelphia uncertainty but we had a few things fall apart and we’re trying to pick up the pieces now.
Watch this space for final details! The Windmills fly back to London on the 13th, but Simpático will stick around for
additional dates as follows:

All dates are in support of the recent Simpático album “The Difference Between Alone & Lonely” (matcd016) which the
smarties amongst you already have. It’s piling up positive reviews across the globe, with the reputable editors at
IndiePages calling it “his best work yet” and Pennyblack
awarding it “record of the year to date.” So what are you waiting for? Get one now or
come to one of the shows where we’re sure to have plenty of copies on hand.

The four dates with The Windmills are record release shows for their brand new “Walking Around the World” EP (matinée
038) featuring lead track “What Was It For?” plus “Amelia” and “Walking Around the World.” All songs are exclusive to this
release, which also includes a snazzy video track of “What Was It For?” filmed at last October’s Matinée showcase at the
Notting Hill Arts Centre in London. Alright! So no complaints from folks on the West Coast who can’t see the Windmills
because now you can host your very own show from the comfort of your home. We’ve said it before and we’ll probably say it
again, but the Windmills just keep getting better and better! In reviewing their recent “Sunlight” album,
Tangents claimed “there are so many minor pop classics present,
it’s simply criminal that they aren’t airing full time on MTV” while In Love
With These Times called it “an album of intelligent, breathy half-jangle which in any tolerable
universe would be gleefully outstaying its welcome in the top 5 album charts.” The official release date for the single is
May 13th but we’ll have copies available at the shows if you just can’t wait. The band has significantly expanded their
website recently to include lyrics, reviews and a gig history so
have a look.

May also sees the debut release by a new band from Nottingham, England called The Liberty Ship. It’s a two-track
7″ (matinée 036) coupling the catchy “I Guess You Didn’t See Her” with a brilliant cover of the Byrds classic “She Don’t
Care About Time.” The band turned a lot of heads when they opened the Notting Hill gig last year, and will surely win over
new fans with this debut release. Think East Village or Weather Prophets with a larger than customary dose of 60’s jangle
à la Byrds or Buffalo Springfield and you’re nearly there. Lead vocalist and guitarist Marc Elston used to be one-half of pop
combo Bulldozer Crash who released a clutch of excellent releases on Sunday and Heaven Records back in the day.
Having heard several of the band’s demos, those purveyors of impeccable taste over at
In Love With These Times wrote “whereas Bulldozer
Crash matured into something melodic yet understated, the Liberty Ship decide they’re just gonna stridently march into the
arrivals lounge playing positive, harmonic pop… it seems a bit too early to say that 2002 could be their year, but what the
hell. 2002 could be their year.” We concur. The Liberty Ship will follow this 7″ release with a six song mini-lp “Small Lives”
on the resurrected (hooray!) Sunday Records. We’re already
talking about the follow-up Matinée release so stay tuned.

Another debut release follows in June, this one from a slightly mysterious combo called The Guild League. It’s
a three-song CDEP (matinée 039) called “Jet-Set…Go!” which will surely be atop many playlists this summer. The band is
a collaborative effort headed by the esteemed Tali White, he of singing and drumming fame in a little band called The
Lucksmiths. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? On the title track, Tali is joined by Candle Records superstar Richard Easton
plus members of Sodastream and Art of Fighting to create a wonderful racket that you can’t get out of your head. “A
Faraway Place” and “Cornflakes” are the two other songs and they’re simply lovely in a Sugargliders-sort of way. All
of this in anticipation of a full length entitled “Private Transport” sometime later in the year if everything goes as planned.

June should also bring the sophomore album from our very own Lovejoy. Entitled “Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?” (matcd 018), the album features the latest brilliance from Lovejoy studios including a full-on dancefloor smash
“Millionaire…Maybe” plus my current favorite “You Fell From Grace.” As with the last Lovejoy album, my current favorite
seems to change every day which is the mark of a very good album indeed. Meanwhile, Lovejoy have contributed “Butter
Wouldn’t Melt” from the first LP to a Universal Records compilation in the Philippines called “I’d Spend My Day With You.”
With 20 tracks from bands like The Fairways, Birdie, Trembling Blue Stars, The Crooner, Club 8, Aerospace, Goldstoned
and more, this compilation is one worth tracking down!

Also in June, Sportique return to the US for another East Coast tour…this time teaming up with new London pop
trio Tender Trap for shows tentatively scheduled in Boston (June 19), New York (June 20), Philadelphia (June 21),
Washington (June 22) and Hoboken (June 23). Tender Trap features Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey (both ex-Marine
Research, Heavenly, Talulah Gosh and current Sportique members) plus DJ Downfall who joined them in Marine Research.
Look here for show details as soon as everything is confirmed.

Recent releases from Would-Be-Goods, The Lucksmiths, Pipas and Sportique are all
generating positive press, so believe what you read! Release details are on the catalog page
now, and watch for capsule reviews next month as part of a redesigned Matinée website. There is also an excellent
Matinée interview up now at Tasty zine, in which we pontificate on
Creation Records, the relative success of indie labels, and selling out!

Still in the works: the dreadfully tardy “Mad World”/”Don’t Buy Anything” 45 from The Snowdrops, still languishing
under the delays of a sample clearance to allow us all to keep our houses. I won’t promise another release date until I
know it for certain, but trust me that it will come out rather soon-ish. After a bit of feet dragging, a new single from Airport
Girl is finally coming together with four new songs including the superb lead track “Do You Dream In Colour?” and a
trumpet-rich one called “When You Fall” that gives “Wake Up Boo!” from The Boo Radleys a run for the money. The
mythical “R is for Razorcuts” compilation from indie legends Razorcuts is currently making its way through the
Matinée art department. We may be adding a few more rarities to the tracklisting to make up for the delay in its release
but whatever happens it will prove worth the wait. New English band Kosmonaut have delivered some mighty fine
demos to Matinée HQ and it looks like their forthcoming single will include the tracks “Desert Song” and “Bee Song” which
makes us quite happy. We have copies of their debut “Days Of Our Lives” 7″ on
Firestation Tower available on the
Order page and since it’s close to selling out at the label you best hurry if you want one. As we
write, Harper Lee are holed up in a studio in Brighton recording their next masterpiece which is to be called
“Everything Is Going To Be OK.” Rather positive title, no? It will be a full length or a mini-lp but whatever it is will make us
smile from ear to ear. Other releases on the horizon include a new single from The Pines, the highly anticipated
return of The Fairways, and the debut long player from Pipas but I’m afraid I can’t tell you much about any
of these just yet. Next time. If you’re good.

Finally, in our perpetual attempts to help you stay hip, following are the top sellers for the months of March and April.
If everybody’s buying them, why aren’t you?

10. Sportique – Modern Museums CD
9. Would-Be-Goods – Emmanuelle Béart CDEP
8. Remember Fun – Train Journeys CDEP
7. Pipas – Chunnel Autumnal 10″
6. The Siddeleys – Slum Clearance CD
5. Airport Girl – Honey, I’m An Artist CD
4. Simpático – The Difference Between Alone & Lonely CD
3. Pipas – A Short Film About Sleeping 7″
2. Would-Be-Goods – Brief Lives CD
1. The Lucksmiths – Where Were We? CD

Hope to see you at the upcoming shows!

Until next time,

Jimmy xx