Slumberland Records

Black Friday: Black Tambourine?!

Friday, January 29th, 2010 | musiX | No Comments

Black Tambourine is about the furthest thing from metal you can get. But they get the nod for Black Friday today … because I don’t feel like writing about the latest Haemorrhage record.

Slumberland Records has been churning out precious indie pop records for two decades now. What can I say? I’ve become quite smitten over the past few years. Long before The Pains of Being Pure at Hearts and the Crystal Stilts there was Black Tambourine. The D.C. four-piece formed in 1989, releasing a couple of 7-inches for Slumberland (the first for the label in the early-’90s) and playing only a handful of shows … basically around long enough to secure cult-status.

I didn’t listen to the band way back when … too busy taking in the new Helmet and Soundgarden records. But the words Black Tambourine can be found on many modern-day indie bands’ lists of influences. Deservedly so. The band found that irresistible balance between too-precious twee and noise-filled post-punk. It’s a template that’s been aped a million times since.

Slumberland is gearing up to release a new compilation simply titled Black Tambourine on March 30. Unlike 1999’s Complete Recordings package, the new record will include six unreleased track as well as four newly-recorded songs including covers of Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat” and Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream.”

I’m going to go out on a limb and say there will be a handful of reunion shows that coincide with the release. I could be wrong, but I’m feeling very Nostradamus today.

“For Ex-Lovers Only” - Black Tambourine

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TDoL gets Pantsed … holla!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

I like the word “pants.” I’m not sure why; it just sounds funny … especially when used as a verb.

Follow it with the word “yell” with an exclamation point and you have an entirely different thing going on. Pants Yell! have been around for a few years now, assembling jangly pop songs from their home-base in Cambridge, Mass. It’s the sort of (borderline) cutesy, melancholic indie rock you’d expect to hear on—wait for it—Slumberland Records … which, of course, also puts out albums by artists like Black Tambourine, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the Crystal Stilts. Me likes.

Pants Yell! will release Received Pronunciation (its first for Slumberland) on Nov. 10, an album that delivers more pop-meets-noise tunes taken to playful levels by Andrew Churchman’s hushed vocals and quirky wordplay … what would you expect? The band’s name is Pants Yell! fer gawd’s sake.

“Cold Hands” - Pants Yell!

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A threesome in Liechtenstein

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

If you haven’t gathered already from reading TDoL, I’m a sucker for a good pop song. Don’t give my feeble brain a clutch of odd time-signatures, give me a hook (and warm production) that I can ride until the cows come home. Hold on … Sweden’s Liechtenstein just gave it to me …

The three-piece is set to release Survival Strategies In a Modern World June 2 on Slumberland Records. If the songs themselves don’t grab you, the shimmering vocals will. The surnameless Renée, Naemi and Elin blend their voices in buttery ’60s girl-group harmonies. There’s also a little yé-yé in songs like “Postcard” and “The End” and some post-punk gnarliness in “Roses In the Park.” Did I mention the harmonies?

I can see it now: Liechtenstein the three-member Swedish pop group that produces jangly, catchy songs will forever have to compete with Liechtenstein the 35,000-population micro-state that produces the majority of the world’s false teeth for Google search supremacy. So far the country has the edge. I’ll make it easy for you—find Liechtenstein the band right here.

“Roses In the Park” - Liechtenstein

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The love of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 | interviewZ, musiX | 1 Comment

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been busy little buggers. Since the release of the New Yorkers’ first full-length in February, they’ve become one of the most talked about bands on these here Interwebs. Endless touring and press has made it a challenge for TDoL to snag an interview with TPoBPaH … to that I say OMG (!), WTF (?), BYOB (!) and WKRP (in Cincinnati).

Well, it finally happened—just as the band added new tour dates, including a stop here in Portland on July 23 at Backspace. I was giddy. I’ve been taken by the band’s rambunctious power-pop since hearing them a couple of months ago at Your New Favorite Song … not to mention TPoBPaH tugged at my heartstrings with a tune called “Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan.” The songs are bite-sized sugar-bombs of pure ear candy: Shiny, shiny hooks and cheery boy-girl vocals courtesy of guitarist Kip Berman and keyboardist Peggy Wang, sullied to perfection by a thin layer of crackling distortion. It’s the type of music that makes you feel like you can fly … although I don’t recommend trying such a thing.

TPoBPaH just released a 7-inch for “Young Adult Friction” on Slumberland, a song that would sound just as at home at a dance party as a dingy punk-rock hub. Impossible not to like. Te prometo.

So, without further ado—after two months of enduring the pains of being patient—The Days of Lore caught up with Kip Berman (who bares a striking resemblance to Jason Biggs) to discuss the state of the economy and the power of pop music.

TDoL: I interviewed JB Townsend last year, and he said that while he had read some great reviews of the Crystal Stilts, some of the references to influences were a bit lazy. How do you feel about being compared to other bands, and the comparisons that come from that?
Kip Berman: Just that anyone rates us along their favorites is super sweet. Plus, I hope people who like our music go back and discover the bands we draw a lot of inspiration from, as a bunch of those bands are pretty under-appreciated.

What might someone be surprised to find in your record collection?
Let me check … The Hunches Yes. No. Shut It. alongside Belle and Sebastian’s This is Just a Modern Rock Song EP. Those records are probably eying each other suspiciously, though I love them both.

How have the songs changed since the band started?
I think the biggest change was when Kurt [Feldman] joined up on drums about a year and a half ago. Up until then, we relied on a drum machine which we programmed lazily with one of two possible drum beats.

If the band were to make a departure in its sound, which direction could you see it going?
It’s not a self-conscious “now let’s play doom metal” sort of thing, but more of wanting to always continue to get better and make pop music that we love. I feel that pop is so wonderfully broad a style of music that you could never ever get bored or fully exhaust it—it’s infinite.

Is it difficult to be in a band these days with state of the economy and the music industry?
The economic situation is pretty scary, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy for “The Music Industry.” There’s so much great music coming out now that I find it hard to see how, as a fan, things are bad. Maybe Metallica is only making 20 million this year instead of 35? We’re just happy to have people be excited for our shows and come out and have fun. Getting to make music with your friends and getting to tour and meet new people is pretty much the best thing ever.

What’s your motto for being in a band?
“Peggy is always right.”

And motto for life?
Be excellent to each other … and party on, dudes!

“Come Saturday” - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

“Young Adult Friction” - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

“Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan” - TPoBPaH (split 7-inch with Parallelograms)

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Kingdom of the Crystal Stilts

Friday, November 7th, 2008 | interviewZ, musiX, pdX | No Comments

It’s hard to imagine what kind of music Brad Hargett and JB Townsend would be making had they stayed in Florida. The two met there, moved to Brooklyn in 2002 and formed Crystal Stilts soon after. The band just released its first full-length Alight of Night last month—although it sounds like these guys spent some time at The Factory. It’s chilly, dark and spacious, but allows just enough sunlight to break through. Hargett sings with little change in inflection while Townsend strums jubilant chords and drummer Frankie Rose (formerly of Brooklyn popsters Vivian Girls) provides clang and clamor on drums and tambourine. I bet they’ve listened to Galaxy 500.

Slumberland labelmates Cause Co-Motion! are a little more to the point. The fellow Brooklynites just released an album of singles called It’s Time!, 14 short bursts of ’60s bubblegum and snottiness—so happy together. Both bands play with local garage outfit Hornet Leg tonight at Holocene. They’ll be right at home in misty Portland.

[Note: Shortly after the band's Portland show Crystal Stilts guitarist JB Townsend got in touch with TDoL to answer a few questions.]

TDoL: Tell me what it was like to have Hamish Kilgour [NZ's The Clean] come up to you after your first show.
JB Townsend: It was extremely encouraging. At that time we had little concept of what we were doing live and to have someone like that say nice things gave us a bit of confidence.

How much of an influence is the New Zealand, Flying Nun sound?
The Flying Nun sound is definitely a big influence on our production and songwriting. We’re huge fans of The Clean etc., and are glad they’re getting the influential attention they deserve.

How long did it take to record Alight of Night?
Recording only took us a total of probably about 15 hours spread out over a month or two and then a few quick overdubs this year. I did most of the overdubs myself besides two or three bass tracks. Mixing, because of finances and multiple approaches on songs with varying drums, extra overdubs, mono/stereo mixes, took us about two years.

There’s definitely something going on musically in Brooklyn; which band(s) are you listening to?
Cause-Co-Motion!, German Measles, The Beets.

How does it feel to have music blogs/Pitchfork clamoring over you? Good? Strange?
It’s definitely good on one hand—a lot of what’s said is a bit safe and at times shallow in my opinion. References to influence are a bit lazy. It’s strange to have songs that are roughly four or five years old with lyrics that are even older on some songs being reviewed as an up to the minute record along with bands that recorded LPs this year. This LP is extremely dear to us and our formative times, yet our new songs are definitely a bit more structurally realized. Some of the more repetitive songs on Alight of Night stemmed from songs that were sometimes very long freakouts that we made more compact. On the other hand, I’ve read some honest and well-rounded reviews that are quite flattering.

What can people expect live from Crystal Stilts?
We surely are not trying to replicate the recordings, but some songs are very similar. It’s great to have such talent in the group with Andy, Frankie and Kyle—who never cease to amaze and encourage me. I think what we have going now live is a different and better approach to the same songs with some new ones thrown in there for a taste of future records.

“Shattered Shine” - Crystal Stilts

“I Lie Awake” - Cause Co-Motion!

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