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

Thursday, May 9 Brooklyn, NY Galapagos Art Space 70 North Sixth Street with: Jinx doors at 10:00 pm

Friday, May 10 Philadelphia, PA The Ethical Society Building 106 S Rittenhouse Square with: deejays doors at 8:00 pm

Saturday, May 11 Washington, DC Signal 66 Art Gallery 926 N Street NW (rear) with: deejays doors at 8:30 pm

Sunday, May 12 Washington, DC The Metro Café 1522 14th Street NW with: The Secret History doors at 9:30 pm

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:

May 13  Washington, DC - The Black Cat with Stars May 14  Boston, MA - Venue TBC with A Boy Named Thor May 17  Detroit, MI - Jacoby's with Hot Paws, 100 Times Yes + The Fullerenes May 18  Chicago, IL (Day) - University of Chicago Summer Breeze Festival May 18  Chicago, IL (Night) - The Empty Bottle with The Weakerthans + The National Trust May 19  Madison, WI - Catacombs Coffeehouse with Joey Sweeney, Bill Ricchini + Fred Thomas May 20  Detroit, MI - Venue TBC with Joey Sweeney, Bill Ricchini + Fred Thomas May 27  Los Angeles, CA - The Knitting Factory with Allen Clapp, Majestic + Charming May 28  San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill with Allen Clapp, Majestic + Charming May 29  Portland, OR - Venue TBC with Allen Clapp, Majestic + Charming May 30  Sacramento, CA - Capital Garage with Allen Clapp, Laura Watling, Majestic + Charming May 31  Sacramento, CA - Venue TBC with Allen Clapp, Laura Watling, Majestic + Charming

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