Hey! We're posting news early this month because our friends at IndiePages are taking off for a month of travels in Australia. Yes, we are envious! This will be rather quick so I can get it posted before they leave. September is a big new release month for Matinée, with no fewer than four hits coming your way in as many weeks!

First up is a sparkly new mini-album from our good friends The Lucksmiths! It's called "A Little Distraction" (matcd027) and yes, it's a winner. The band has had a remarkably busy year, recording recent album "Naturaliste" and playing sold out live dates in Australia, USA, and Japan...with the UK, Spain and Sweden still to go. Now they spoil us again with a brand new mini-album "A Little Distraction" featuring six exclusive, eclectic songs. The tracks are 1. Transpontine; 2. Successlessness; 3. Little Distraction; 4. Moving; 5. After the After Party; 6. Honey Honey Honey. The music is warm and familiar - recalling the classic jangle of The Pastels and The Wedding Present as well as the infectious summery strum of Jonathan Richman. Housed in a gorgeous matte digipak, "A Little Distraction" is the Lucksmiths at their very best! We've had a preview of "After the After Party" up on the sounds page for a few weeks, but now you can hear the CD in its entirety. You'll find it in shops from September 8th but you can probably get a copy earlier than that from our handy order page.

Our second September release is the highly anticipated debut single by The Young Tradition! First product of a partnership between Brent Kenji (The Fairways, The Guild League) and a Swedish lad named Erik Hanspers, the "California Morning" EP (matinée 043) marks the auspicious beginning of your new favorite band. So take note! Brent and Erik have yet to meet, collaborating instead through the marvels of our international postal service and a keen shared sense of songwriting. These songs are beautifully orchestrated, with jangling guitars, keyboards, trumpet, rich melodies and superb vocals that will cause you to have another listen again and again. This brilliant debut single features two inspired originals and a cover of "Isolation" by San Francisco pop heroes Poundsign. A definite score for the Matinée roster, the duo will meet this month to work on tracks for the debut Young Tradition album. In the meantime, you can listen to "California Morning" on the sounds page and preorder the EP on the order page for delivery as soon as we have copies available. The official release date is September 22nd. Come on, shouldn't you hear your new favorite band as soon as possible?

Speaking of favorite bands, we are honored and amazed to help bring one of our all-time favorites back to the new release shelves on September 29th. It's legendary indie band Brighter with their "Singles 1989 - 1992" compilation CD! As the name suggests, this CD (matcd026) compiles singles that were released between 1989 and 1992 on Bristol pop imprint Sarah Records, home to lots of ace pop bands like the Orchids, Blueboy, Heavenly, Sea Urchins, Field Mice, Sugargliders and more. As far as Sarah bands go, though, Brighter leads the pack as this wonderful 15-track CD will evidence. A trio of Alison Cousens, Keris Howard and Alex Sharkey, Brighter recorded four singles and a mini-album for Sarah before calling it a day in 1993. Keris and Alex collaborated on the splendid "Election Day" single as Hal in 1994. More recently, Keris has delighted the world with Laura Bridge in the beloved Harper Lee, while Alex has released top quality popsongs as Pinkie. This highly anticipated CD compiles the 15 tracks from Brighter's four Sarah singles - long out of print and highly sought after - and is an essential release for any good student of indiepop. The tracklisting is: 1. Inside Out; 2. Tinsel Heart; 3. Around the World in 80 Days; 4. Things Will Get Better; 5. Noah's Ark; 6. I Don't Think It Matters; 7. Does Love Last Forever?; 8. Poppy Day; 9. Half-hearted; 10. So You Said; 11. Killjoy; 12. British Summertime; 13. Hope Springs Eternal; 14. Never Ever; 15. End. We will begin taking preorders for the CD later this month, so save up your clam shells because this one's essential!

Our final September release is the "True Love Waits, Volume Two" CDEP (matinée 048) from London pop duo The Pines! We have grooved to the sound of The Pines since first seeing them live back in 1999 opening for The Windmills and Jasmine Minks at a church in Greenwich. Since then, the band has released top platters for Long Lost Cousin, Becalmed, and Annika plus a score of compilation appearances on the hippest labels of the land. Most recently, they released the astounding "True Love Waits, Volume One" CDEP on the fresh new DC imprint FoxyBoy. After making good on their numerous commitments for other labels, the band has finally completed its masterpiece and by coincidence, it just so happens to be a single for us here at Matinée! Hurrah! Now don't be confused by the similar sounding title to the Foxyboy release...the EPs, while thematically related and containing songs written at the same time, are in fact completely different. Volume One (the Foxyboy release) came out just last month, and Volume Two (on Matinée) follows on September 29th. Capiche? You'll need to buy both to understand, and to help you in this regard we have a handful of copies of the Foxyboy release available now via our order page. Oh, the Pines is a band featuring the prolific and wonderfully eccentric Joe Brooker (also one-half of The Foxgloves) and the incomparable loveliness that is Pam Berry. Pam has a little or a lot to do with countless indie undertakings of the past decade, including (in alphabetical order) Belmondo, Black Tambourine, Bright Coloured Lights, The Castaway Stones, Chickfactor, Glo Worm, The Seashell Sea, The Shapiros, The Snowdrops, and Veronica Lake, plus guest spots on recent recordings by The Clientele, Jasmine Minks, The Lucksmiths, The Relict, and The Saturday People. I've undoubtedly missed something but you probably get the point: this gal can sing! Look for a preorder button later in the month and have a listen to "Anita O'Day" now playing on the sounds page. You'll be singing it for days.

On tap for October is the welcome return of The Windmills with their third album "Now Is Then" (matcd028). We have waited patiently for the final mixing of this album and oh, was it worth the wait! Featuring 11 outstanding tracks, it's amazing that bands like Coldplay and Travis sell million of records and tour the world over while the Windmills are still releasing records on a lowly California indie like us. Oh well...good for us! The tracklisting is: 1. Ever to Exist; 2. Beach Girls 1918; 3. Now is Then; 4. Footprints; 5. Walking Around the World; 6. Your Fingers and Mine; 7. Something Spring; 8. Across the Playing Fields; 9. Amelia; 10. Summer Snow; 11. Time Machine. Although "Beach Girls 1918" and "Now Is Then" provide some serious competition, "Summer Snow" may just be the absolute best song this band has recorded. Ever. There, I've said it. We'll accept preorders as soon as we confirm a release date. In the meantime, dig "Something Spring" now featured on the sounds page.

Switching to the recent past, our summer releases are receiving some well-deserved praise in the music press. The wonderful debut Slipslide album "The World Can Wait" (matcd025) has made a lot of friends in a few short weeks. The esteemed Pennyblack Magazine called it "a joyous record and an immensely promising debut," while Splendid advised its readers: "Solid songcraft, beautiful vocals, clever lyrics - Slipslide is just itching to be the soundtrack to the waning days of your summer, as well as the cooler, more contemplative autumn. Let them." This is one of the best albums we've released to date, so have a listen to some samples on the sounds page and order your very own copy today!

The latest offering from Airport Girl, the "Do You Dream In Colour?" EP (matinée 037), received an honorary "Single of the Week" from Mundane Sounds, while Strange Fruit called it "gorgeous stuff indeed" and Tasty concurred, saying "it's bloody great, as ever." Believe it. This is one classic single worthy of your attention. The band is currently working on its sophomore album "Notes and Tones" but until then you'll want to get hip to the "Do You Dream In Colour?" EP. They're talking about it at all the coolest parties. Will you have something to say if you are invited?

...and then there's Matinée 50 (matinée 050)! We knew this would be a hit but the reviews so far are just exemplary so congratulations to all the bands involved! Mundane Sounds dubbed it "terribly brilliant," while All Music Guide said "a charming listen throughout." Erasing Clouds called it "a fantastic, diverse collection of superb pop songs," and In Love With These Times summed it up as "absolutely compulsory." Check out all the reviews and listen to soundclips on the Matinée 50 catalog page, and order your copy today!

In recent press action, we should point out a rather funny interview with Sportique up now on Pennyblack Magazine, and invite you all for a taste of our delightful hometown Santa Barbara, where the local paper The Independent just published a nice article on Matinée and The Lucksmiths. A local hipster quickly dubbed me a "minor celebrity." The article is featured on the Independent website this week, but we've archived it here if you're reading this sometime in the future.

On the hit parade, Matinée 50 continues its reign at the mailorder despite strong Matinée and Razorcuts t-shirt sales. If you want a shirt, check the fanclub page for further details and order yours today! Here is the top ten for August:

10. Pale Sunday - A Weekend with Jane CDEP
9. The Snowdrops - Mad World 7"
8. Razorcuts - A is for Alphabet CDEP
7. Pipas - A Cat Escaped CD
6. Airport Girl - Do You Dream In Colour? CDEP
5. Razorcuts - R is for Razorcuts CD
4. Razorcuts t-shirt
3. Slipslide - The World Can Wait CD
2. Matinée t-shirt
1. Various - Matinée 50! CD

Until next month...
Jimmy