Posts Tagged ‘Slumberland’
New Arrivals @ Red Onion
Red Onion Records and Books has scores of new records that are worth checking out. Among the best of the bunch: Real Estate’s debut LP, the Fred McDowell reissue on Mississippi, and some new Slumberland releases. Don’t forget to check out the new Best Coast single, Fuck Buttons latest LP, and the amazing Forge Your Own Chains psych compilation.
Used vinyl after the jump.
Guilty Feet Have Got No Rhythm: 20 Slumberland Memories, Part 2
The Aislers Set
Slumberland Records, the locally formed label that has released some of the best, noisiest indie pop ever pressed to seven-inch, turned 20 this year, and it’s celebrating all weekend. Tonight’s show at the Black Cat features current Slumberland bands Crystal Stilts, Brown Recluse, Frankie and the Outs and Pants Yell!, as well as three reunited bands from the area, the Ropers, Lorelei, and Nord Express.
We asked some of the people involved with Slumberland over the years to share their favorite memories of the label. We ran some yesterday, and here are the rest:
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Guilty Feet Have Got No Rhythm: 20 Slumberland Memories, Part 1
Few independent record labels make it to 20 years, and even fewer can claim the influence of Slumberland. Founded in 1989 by members of Black Tambourine, Velocity Girl, Whorl, and Powderburns, the label blended noise rock and shoegaze with melodic, underground guitar pop, laying the brickwork for what’s proved to be an enduring indie-pop aesthetic. Slumberland was initially based out of a house and record store in Silver Spring, and although the label’s head, Mike Schulman, moved to California in 1992, he continued to provide a showcase for great D.C. bands—like Lilys, the Ropers, and Lorelei—and, well, great bands, like the Aislers Set, Boyracer, Small Factor, Rocketship and many others. The current roster includes popular acts like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Crystal Stilts.
The label celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend with shows at the Black Cat and in New York, which is as good an occasion for nostalgia as any. City Paper asked some of the people involved with Slumberland over the years to share their favorite memories. Today and tomorrow, read what they had to say.
Read More “Guilty Feet Have Got No Rhythm: 20 Slumberland Memories, Part 1″ »
Slumberland Announces 20th Anniversary Show @ Black Cat
Sweater rockers of the greater D.C. area, it’s time to start knitting! Slumberland has just announced a 20th anniversary concert at Black Cat.
Way back in 1989, when DC was still more of an all-hardcore-all-the-time kind of place, Slumberland Records took a chance and pressed its first 7″, What Kind of Heaven Do You Want, a compilation featuring DC-based indie-pop bands Velocity Girl, Black Tambourine, and Powder Burns. Since then the label has become one of the most beloved purveyors of twee and fuzzy music, releasing a slate of well-loved records by Stereolab, Rocketship, and, more recently, Crystal Stilts, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
The anniversary concert will feature performances by label artists both new (Crystal Stilts) and old (The Ropers, Nord Express). Lineup details after the jump.
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So Why Did The Crystal Stilts Cancel Its DC9 Show?
On Sunday night, Pop Cesspool and I walked over to DC9 to check out the Crystal Stilts show only to be faced with a flier on the door telling us that the band had canceled.
The Cesspool was miffed by the sudden no show. So he decided to e-mail the band. One Crystal Stilts member replied. Apparently, the band’s van had broken down.
Slumberland notes that there are more tour dates so maybe you can catch the band in….Lawrence, KS on the 23rd. Or Harrisburg on the 26th.
*photo of Crystal Stilts courtesy of highrize.
Q&A: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Post-punk got a second chance, so did garage rock. Even disco has had a bit of come back lately. But when the indie-pop music of the early ’90s–naive but noisy sounding bands that populated labels like Slumberland, K, and Sarah–finally died out, it seemed like somebody pinned a “do not resuscitate” order on it. It was dead. Deader than IDM, even.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have made a pretty good argument for twee resurrection, though. The Brooklyn band’s chiming chords, swooning melodies, and blasts of guitar feedback place a defibrillator on indie-pop’s chest. Singer/guitarist Kip Berman spoke with Washington City Paper about the band, getting signed to Slumberland, and why it isn’t as hard as you might think to play kinda wimpy music in New York City.
The band performs tonight at Black Cat with The Depreciation Guild and The Sugarplums.
