News, updated December 16, 2008
On this page: read about recent releases from Crystal Stilts, Cause Co-Motion!, Sexy Kids, Bricolage and The Pains of Being Pure At Heart.
What the heck are all those little shopping carts on these pages? Click here to find out.
Crystal Stilts' long-awaited debut album out now
Following on from their great EP on Woodsist and a summer of packed shows and increasing anticipation, we are very proud to bring you Alight of Night, an album that more than delivers on the promise of their early singles.
So what's it like, you ask? There is a definite flavor of Velvet Underground to be had, but Crystal Stilts' spectral avant-garage also takes in such far-flung references as: the spooked 60s Texas psych of 13th Floor Elevators, the dark, experimental DIYism of early Flying Nun/Xpressway groups Pin Group and Plagal Grind, and a post-punk minimalism that brings to mind early Rough Trade and Factory releases. There is definitely a strong pop element as well, with the buzzsaw bubblegum of early Mary Chain b-sides and Meat Whiplash coming to mind.
You can go to the Alight of Night page for more info and preview MP3s. We think you'll agree that this is not only one of the best albums of 2008, but one of the most impressive debuts albums in years. Also, please note that the vinyl LP is a limited edition in a silk-screened jacket and comes with a free poster while supplies last. Quality!
| Listen: "Crystal Stilts" | add to my cart » | LP | CD |
Sexy Kids' Sisters Are Forever 7" out now
In the grand tradition of great pop music from Glasgow come Sexy Kids. Featuring three members of the sadly departed Royal We (their All The Rage single being one of THE anthems of 2006), Sexy Kids specialize in spiky post-punk pop with the emphasis on POP.
Since first hearing it at the beginning of the summer, we have been itching to drop Sisters Are Forever on you, the unsuspecting public. An absolute anthem of a tune, Sisters Are Forever recalls Girls At Our Best and The Raincoats, but is very much a Sexy Kids show all the way. Driving, catchy and sporting the finest sing-along chorus we've heard in ages. Pure class. B-side Drown Me is no slouch, either, a fine slice of minimal pop sparked by a bouncy bass riff, a little twang and handclaps.
What a single. Even Pitchfork agrees that Sexy Kids are pretty darn special. You can go to the Sisters Are Forever page for more info and an MP3. All copies are pressed on pink vinyl and come in a snazzy full-color sleeve.
| Listen: "Sisters Are Forever" | add to my cart » | 7" |
Bricolage's Turn U Over 7" out now
Since their debut single Footsteps, Bricolage have dazzled with their smartly updated Sound of Young Scotland. The band has forged a unique and immediately-identifiable sound from carefully chosen bits of 80s DIY pop, glam and 70s power-pop.
Turn U Over is taken from Bricolage's forthcoming debut album (out in February 2009) and is an excellent introduction to their stylish brand of pop. Bursting with melody and energy, Turn U Over veritably jumps from the speakers. Driven by a naggingly catchy guitar riff, the tune's background vocals hit all the right notes and will have you shouting along "shoop shoop ooh wah" in no time. Night Falls With Vertigo on the flip side is also a stunner, and here sees vinyl for the first time.
We think you'll agree that Bricolage are onto something pretty great here, and rest assured the album offers many more fab songs. You can go to the Turn U Over page for more info and a preview MP3.
| Listen: "Turn U Over" | add to my cart » | 7" |
Bits & pieces…
- This Almighty Pop! was one of our favorite fanzines back in the 80s, and we're happy to say that Stephen is still at it, sharing his enthusiasm and deep knowledge of pop with his website, fanzine and label. His debut Slumberland podcast, i will treasure you, is a fine compendium of state-of-the-art indie-pop. I just learned about a whole pile of great new bands from it, and we think you'll enjoy it just as much. Magic!
- The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's "Everything With You" 7" is SOLD-OUT. It can still be purchased digitally through iTunes.
- Back in stock: 14 Iced Bears In The Beginning compilation CD (last few copies forever!), Boyracer's AUL 36X 7" EP and The Aislers Set's The Red Door 7".
Cause Co-Motion! It's Time! out now!
Cause Co-Motion! have spent the last three years releasing a series of increasingly rad singles on What's Yr Rupture?, Cape Shok, Can't Cope and finally Slumberland. Their sound is a blazing chaos of jangle, clatter, and thump - busted strings and broken hearts. Hummable tunes to scratch that TVPs/Pastels/Comet Gain itch, with more than a dash of 14 Iced Bears and Desperate Bicycles in there too. Using reverb as a weapon, Cause Co-Motion! have honed their hyperactive sound into a formidable DIY pop lexicon. Dig their new language.
We're very happy to bring you It's Time!, a compilation of these fine singles. The fourteen songs race by in barely over twenty minutes, the compressed rush of melody, tunes and crash-bang energy perfectly mirroring the hormonal frenzy of adolescence and young adulthood. Classics like "This Time Next Year" and "Take A Look" have become mixtape staples, and are joined by more recent missives like "Say What You Feel" and "Cry For Attention" in the canon of crash-pop.
Check out the It's Time! page for MP3s and complete info. The singles compiled on It's Time! are some of our favorites from the last few years and are certain to please any fan of scrappy, hyperactive pop and punk.
| Listen: "This Just Won't Last" | add to my cart » | CD |
Cause Co-Motion! I Lie Awake out now!
Following a series of increasingly rad singles on labels like What's Yr Rupture? and the band's own Can't Cope, Cause Co-Motion! bring their patented reverb-happy pop to Slumberland in the form of the I Lie Awake EP, and it just fits like a glove.
A blazing chaos of jangle, clatter, and thump - busted strings and broken hearts. Hummable tunes to scratch that TVPs/Pastels/Comet Gain itch, with more than a dash of 14 Iced Bears and Desperate Bicycles in there too. Sounding for all the world like dispatches from a future Messthetics comp, there are three doses of pure DIY pop pleasure, straight from the garage to your ears, feet and heart. If you liked previous classics like "This Time Next Year" and "Take A Look" then you will love the I Lie Awake EP.
Check out the I Lie Awake page for an MP3 and complete info. Then use one of the handy buttons below to order the single and get a sporty Slumberland badge as a bonus. You can't beat that! Also, please note that all three songs on this single will also be included on Cause Co-Motion!'s It's Time! singles compilation CD, to be released on Slumberland October 28. If you dig vinyl as much as we do, though, you will want this ace single.
| Listen: "I Lie Awake" | add to my cart » | 7" |
Coming soon…
It's been quite a 2008 for Slumberland and we have no plans to let up in 2009. Look for two new Searching For The Now singles, a smashing Bats 7" EP, a Crystal Stilts 7" and crucial albums from Bricolage and The Pains of Being Pure At Heart all to drop in January and February.