if things were perfect

We’re excited about the upcoming Summer Cats 7″ entitled “Your Timetable,” due out on March 8. And I dare say we’re just as excited that they’re coming back over to play a string of shows stateside, culminating in the Slumberland 20th Anniversary shows on March 27th and 28th. Yeah!

March 5 – New York, NY – Don Hills w/Mondo DJs

March 6 – Philadelphia, NY – England Belongs to Twee at King Fu Necktie

March 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Bruar Falls

March 11 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean w/ City Center and Very Truly Yours

March 12 – Detroit, MI w/ City Center and Very Truly Yours

March 13 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom w/ City Center and Afternoon Naps

March 15 – Boston, MA – Great Scott w/ One Happy Island and Standard Fare

March 19 – Austin, TX – End of an Ear records in-store w/ Brown Recluse, Devon Williams

March 20 – Austin, TX – Waterloo Cycles w/ Brown Recluse, Devon Williams, Sunny Day in Glasgow, Depreciation Guild, Allo Darlin’

March 27 – San Francisco, CA – Slumberland 20th Anniversary Show at The Rickshaw Stop

March 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Slumberland 20th Anniversary Show at The Echo

2009 was one insane year for me. Between the label, work and young Mr. Slumberland it’s been about the busiest year I’ve ever had, and yet somehow I managed to find time to buy and listen to mountains of new records. And man were there some killer records this year. Here are some of the highlights for me.

Albums
A Sunny Day In Glasgow – Ashes Grammar (Mis Ojos Discos)
The Bats – The Guilty Office (Yesboyicecream)
Build An Ark – Love Part 1 (Kindred Spirits)
The Clientele – Bonfires On The Heath (Merge)
The Ganglians- Monster Head Room (Weird Forest)
Grass Widow LP (Make A Mess)
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw)
Let’s Wrestle – In The Court of The Wresting Lets (Stolen Recordings)
Letting Up Despite Great Faults (self-released)
The Mantles (Siltbreeze)
Martyn – Great Lengths (3024)
Pastels/Tenniscoats – Two Sunsets (Domino)
Saint Etienne – Fox Base Beta (Heavenly)
Allen Toussaint – The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
Trus’me – In The Red (Fat City)
 

Singles/EPs
Abe Vigoda – Reviver (PPM)
The Cave Weddings – Bring Your Love (Hozac)
Dum Dum Girls EP (Captured Tracks)
Floating Points – J & W Beat (Planet Mu)
Grass Widow EP (Captured Tracks/Cape Shok)
Jose James – Blackmagic (Joy Orbison Remix) (Brownswood)
Joy Orbison – Hyph Mingo (Hotflush)
Linkwood Family – Miles Away (Intrusion Dubs) (Firecracker)
Mayyors – Deads EP (no label)
Moon Duo – Love On The Sea (Sick Thirst)
Nodzzz – True To Life (What’s Your Rupture?)
Omar S – Blown Valvetrain (Sound Signature)
Nick Solé – Simple Things (Mojuba)
Pearson Sound – PLSN (Hessle Audio)
Ramadanman – Humber (Apple Pips)
 

Comps/Reissues
Leron Carson – Red Lightbulb Theory (Sound Signature)
Robert Hood – Minimal Nation (M Plant)
Joyce – Visions of Dawn (Far Out)
Little Ann – Deep Shadows (Timmion)
Jimmy Radway & The Fe Me Time All-Stars – Dub I (Pressure Sounds)
Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo de Cotonou – The Voudon Effect 1972-1975 (Analog Africa)
Saint Etienne – Fox Base Alpha/So Tough Deluxe Editions (Heavenly)
v/a – Africa Boogaloo (Honest Jons)
v/a – Fire In My Bones (Tompkins Square)
v/a – Ghana Special (Soundway)
v/a – Marvellous Boy (Honest Jons)
v/a – Ouaga Affair (Disques Savannaphone)
v/a – Panama! Vols 2 & 3 (Soundway)
v/a – The World Is Shaking (Honest Jons)
v/a – Tumbélé! (Soundway)

You don’t want to caught naked without one of these excellent new Pants Yell! shirts. Snazzy!
Ordering info on the band’s MySpace page.

Pants Yell! “Someone Loves You” from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.

Taken from their fabulous album “Received Pronunciation,” in stores November 10. Directed by Rene Dongo.

The estimable Rough Trade label has put together an excellent compilation rounding up the current state of that wooly beast know as indiepop. Slumberland bands past, present and future feature prominently: Cause Co-Motion!, The School, The Faintest Ideas, Liechtenstein and The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Pretty cool.

It’s out in the UK on November 9, but available for pre-order now.

The Boy In The Cloud has put together a smashing SLR mix to help us celebrate our 20th anniversary. Check it out!

Twenty Years of Envy

Boston’s Pants Yell! have set up a nice series of shows to back up the release of their album “Received Pronunciation,” which is out on Slumberland November 10th. Mark your calendars:

Weds. November 11th – Bronxville, NY – Sarah Lawrence College
Thurs. November 12th – Philadelphia, PA – Pi Lam at University of Pensylvania
Fri. November 13th – Washington, DC – Black Cat
Sat. November 14th – Brooklyn, NY – Bell House
Sun. November 15th – Bethlehem, PA – Secret Art Space (rink st. between vine and new st.)
Mon. November 16th – Cambridge, MA – Zuzu
Fri. November 20th – Portland, ME – Space Gallery
Sat. December 5th – Brooklyn, NY – Bruar Falls

Philly’s pop masterminds Brown Recluse are playing a string of live shows to support the release of their excellent The Soft Skin EP. Make the scene, they’re swell live.

9/18 – Bethlehem, PA – Secret Art Space
9/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Pi Lam (Record Release)
9/27 – New York, NY – Cake Shop
10/24 – Philadelphia, PA – Green Line Cafe
11/04 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
11/05 – Brooklyn, NY – Cameo Gallery
11/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Pi Lam
11/13 – Washington, DC – Black Cat
11/14 – Brooklyn, NY – Bell House

Just a little news round-up for you…

• The Pains of Being Pure At Heart’s Come Saturday 7″ and Brown Recluse’s The Soft Skin 12″ are in-stores now. You can also now get them digitally from your favorite download store.
• The Pains nationwide tour is ongoing, see dates here. Cheeky kids that they are, they’ve also posted a few songs from their upcoming Higher Than The Stars on their MySpace.
• Devon Williams is also currently on the road, dates here. He’s also got copies of his new Slumberland single to sell. Grab one!
• It’s official: The Champagne Socialists are now called Neverever.

MTV vet VJ John Norris interviews The Pains for his new Noisevox site. Lots of chatter about C86 ensues…