Slumberland was one of the most important indiepop labels in the early 90s and is still around today. It was started in the late 80s, at a time when the US alternative scene consisted mainly of punky/heavy music, and inspired by UK labels such as Sarah, Subway and 53rd & 3rd, Slumberland was one of the first US labels to specialise in indiepop. It went on to inspire a whole host of other people to get into this scene, and it seems now that there are far more indiepop labels/bands in the States than there are over here. Over the years Slumberland have released records by Velocity Girl, Boyracer, The Ropers, Jane Pow, Stereolab etc and are still releasing great indiepop/noisepop records today.

Black Tambourine was the late 80s/early 90s band of Mike Slumberland (also in Whorl, Powderburns and The Magpies), and also included Pam Berry (Glo-Worm, Shapiros, Castaway Stones), Archie Moore (Velocity Girl, Heartworms) and Brian Nelson (Whorl, Velocity Girl). Slumberland have released their Complete Recordings on a CD, which brings together their two singles, plus compilation appearances and a previously unreleased track. The music is a mixture of fuzzy, at times harsh noise and often reverbed female vocals singing real TUNES. They're yet another indiepop band influenced by Love - they cover Can't Explain on here. The overall sound is a cross between the fuzzy side of 80s indiepop, and something rather more dark, and there's also Drown which is still noisepop but is melodically reminiscent of something any of the 60s girl-groups could have done. The 'dark' element shows through in the lyrics as well as the melodies - just listen to Throw Aggi Off The Bridge, in which an obsessive fan of Stephen Pastel is trying to persuade him to kill his girlfriend... A brill collection of noisepop songs which can now, thanks to Slumberland, be heard by a whole new audience.

Slumberland have recently released The Last Match by The Aislers Set. This band includes Amy Linton (Henry's Dress), Alicia Vanden Heuvel (Poundsign), Yoshi Nakamoto (Scenic Vermont/Poastal), Wyatt Cusick (Track Star) and Jen Cohen (The Fairways) and the album mixes equal amounts of 60s pop and 80s-ish indiepop. Across these 14 songs you'll find jangle, 60s organ, la-la-las, ba-ba-bas, tambourine, fuzzy noise, vocal harmonies, oh and a 14 Iced Bears cover (Balloon Song). And it was recorded in a garage. Brass instruments appear at times but this is no way a pompous album. A must for fans of the sort of indiepop bands in the 80s who were doing a non-arrogant, non-fashionable kind of 60s inspired pop.

slr@dropbeat.com

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