I just wanted to let everyone know about a couple of new releases coming Feb. 3rd from Noble Rot:

Talk about a project with a pedigree! Los Angeles-based Toy Matinee was formed by keyboardist, arranger and producer Patrick Leonard, collaborator with Elton John, Madonna, Roger Waters and Jewel, and the late singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert, who had worked with Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson and Tina Turner. These two albums (3rd Matinee was Leonard’s subsequent project sans Gilbert) present the kind of smart studio pop you would expect, with some hot playing, special guest stars (e.g. Julian Lennon) and superior, even Beatle-esque songwriting. They also happen to be hotly sought after by fans of ’90s alternative rock; we got ‘em with bonus tracks (on Toy Matinee) and new notes in our special digi-pak Noble Rot packaging. Out February 3rd, 2009!

Artist: Toy Matinee
Title: Toy Matinee
Beatles, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd…you can hear the AOR influences on this album loud and clear, but band leaders Leonard and Gilbert had enough of an original vision to prevent this 1990 album from sounding derivative. Includes Last Plane Out; Turn It on Salvador; Things She Said; Remember My Name; The Toy Matinee; Queen of Misery; The Ballad of Jenny Ledge; There Was a Little Boy; We Always Come Home, and Eenitam Yot Eht (read it backwards), plus the BONUS TRACKS Blank Page and demos of Things She Said; There Was a Little Boy, and Last Plane Out.

Artist: 3rd Matinee
Title: Meanwhile
After Patrick Leonard broke with Kevin Gilbert, he carried on with the Toy Matinee rhythm section of drummer Brian MacLeod and bassist Guy Pratt and added Mr. Mister vocalist Richard Page for this excellent 1994 release. You’ll hear ballads, spirituals and even a little folk alongside Leonard’s trademark, alternative pop-rock sound on I Don’t Care; Freedom Road; Holiday for Sweet Louise; She Dreams; Ordinary Day; Family Tree; Echo Hill; All the Way Home; Silver Cage; Trust Somebody, and Meanwhile.