Hello again and welcome to a very quick update of the Matinée site to give you news of some upcoming shows and new releases! First off, mark your calendar for two shows in London...both on Saturday, October 27th but luckily at different times so you can catch both:

The afternoon program is one of the brilliantly done RoTa shows sponsored by Rough Trade at the Notting Hill Arts Centre, and it features performances from The Windmills, Would-Be-Goods and Liberty Ship. The Windmills are playing in support of their brand new CD "Sunlight" which is on the new release shelves in most places as we speak. Would-Be-Goods also have a new release to promote called the "Emmanuelle Béart" CDEP-plus an imminent 7" out on Fortuna Pop! called "Sugar Mummy" which they may just play as well. Liberty Ship could be a bit of a mystery to some of you so let me just say it's a new band with Marc Elston (ex-Bulldozer Crash vocalist) at the helm and they make a beautiful racket peppered with 1960's Americana and 1980's British indie influences. They have just recorded their debut Matinée single for release early next year and are coming all the way from Nottingham to impress the in-crowd so be there early so you don't miss it. The show starts at 4pm sharp and the Arts Centre is located at 21 Notting Hill Gate just across from the Notting Hill tube.

Immediately following the RoTa gig, the festivities recommence at the Bull & Gate for a Matinée/Fortuna Pop! evening featuring The Lucksmiths, Airport Girl, Slipslide and Partition. This show will be the final London date for the Lucksmiths on their swinging UK tour and their second-to-last before heading off to Sweden in November. They are supporting a new Fortuna Pop! 7" "Cassingle Revival" and UK release of recent album "Why That Doesn't Surprise Me." Airport Girl are playing just to remind us that they're great (and possibly to preview tracks from their forthcoming "Do You Dream In Colour?" EP scheduled for January), while Slipslide have a new single called "Sleeptalk" out November 5th that they are sure to play. We'll have advance copies available at the show so stop by the merchandise table if you want to be hip or just say hello. Partition are a band I've not heard of but Sean says they're great so it must be so because Fortuna Pop! rules, even if they do rock out from time to time. Get on over to the Bull & Gate and find out for yourself. The show starts at 8pm, and the B&G is located quite close to the tube in Kentish Town.

I should also mention that you may still have time to plan a quick trip to Paris for this weekend, as the Lucksmiths are playing there on Sunday the 21st with The Chemistry Experiment and Comet Gain. It's on a boat called La Guinguette Pirate, 11 quai Francois Mauriac (13e); Métro: Bibliothéque et Quai de la Gare. Doors are at 6pm so get there early.

Four new releases since the last update and all will be available at these shows. As mentioned above, The Windmills returned with their second full length "Sunlight" (matcd014) last week and the response so far has been excellent. Featuring ten tracks, the album combines the skilled songwriting, sincere vocals and impressive melodies of previous releases with a new air of fervor and conviction. In addition to the RoTa gig on the 27th, the band is scheduled to play a show in the Czech Republic on November 24th but I don't have any details on it yet so check the band website for more information.

Also mentioned above, a new single from Slipslide (matinée 031) will be out November 5th including the songs "Sleeptalk" and "Six Strings." The A-side is the most immediate song the band has recorded to date, with jangling guitars, farfisa, a tambourine, and a nice bit of reverb. The flip employs classic 12-string guitar, more tambourines and a slight folky edge reminiscent of the best moments of Shack. Sounds rather good, don't you think? Graeme has promised an update of the Slipslide site so click here to see what he has to say.

Also in the new release category, Melodie Group return on November 5th after a year absence with their third release - a three song 7" called "Summerness" (matinée 033). The title track is reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen's heyday with swirling guitars, haunting amounts of reverb, and captivating vocals. The b-sides are acoustic affairs called "Nineteen Eighty Nine" and "Small Grinning Thing" and they're rather swell too.

Finally, the much anticipated Lovejoy "Plays Biff Bang Pow" 7" (matinée 028) will also see the light of day on November 5th. This popular English band's homage to Creation Records features brilliant acoustic cover versions of Biff Bang Pow! songs "Hug Me Honey" and "The Beat Hotel" and the first 500 copies are available on red vinyl so act fast if you want one. For more Lovejoy news, visit their cool IndiePages site here.

In November, The Lucksmiths head north to Scandinavia for shows in Stockholm, Linkoping, Lund, Gothenburg, and Uppsula, Sweden...plus Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark. Some things are yet to be confirmed still but if you want details write to us here or check back as this sentence may be updated in the next two weeks.

The coming soon category this month takes the form of the following easy-to-read list. I've written about most of these before so if you didn't already read about them check the archive for the skinny. In probable order of release:

matinée 035 matinée 029 matcd 010 matcd 015 matcd 016 matcd 017 matinée 036 matinée 037

PIPAS - Troublesome 7" THE SNOWDROPS - Mad World 7" VARIOUS - France On A Bicycle CD SPORTIQUE - Modern Museums CD/10" SIMPATICO - The Difference Between Alone and Lonely CD WOULD-BE-GOODS - Brief Lives CD LIBERTY SHIP - She Don't Care About Time 7" AIRPORT GIRL - Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP

That should take us through January, and following soon thereafter will be the long delayed (thank you Sony Music) RAZORCUTS "R Is for Razorcuts" CD and new LOVEJOY 10" album "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" plus a few surprises.

The Matinée shop will be closed from October 18th through the 29th but back in business on the 30th to ship the new releases to all points of the globe. In addition to our own new wares we will have limited quantities of the Lucksmiths "Cassingle Revival" and Would-Be-Goods "Sugar Mummy" 45's on Fortuna Pop!, as well as the Pines "Dieppe Won't You" 7" and Pipas "Chunnel Autumnal" 10" on Long Lost Cousin.

Until next time, enjoy your October and hope to see some of you in Paris or London next week! Jimmy xx