Tag: Slumberland Records

Cool Stuff from San Francisco: April Magazine + Reds, Pinks and Purples

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Honestly, there’s not a scene in the States that’s been so consistently up my alley as San Francisco, and of course, there’s so much of it, sometimes you can’t get to all the posts in one day…so here’s me catching up on two deserving bands and their jams from last week. First, there’s April Magazine, who will release Sunday Music for an Overpass this Friday via Paisley Shirt Records. The tune I’ve got below is this short haunting ballad, like a beautiful little candle flickering in the dark before sputtering out. Then, of course, The Reds, Pinks & Purples officially released their latest 7″, which was originally a bonus if you ordered their latest Uncommon Weather from Slumberland Records.

 

The Umbrellas Drop Pictures Video

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Another day and another great pop tune from the current pop epicenter of San Francisco; today’s new track is the latest single from the Umbrellas. They waste no time jumping right into the twisting turn of jangling guitar sounds, steeped in the rich history of California. That would normally be more than enough to whether this critics meaningless opinions, but the dueling vocals craft this blossoming melody that I can’t get out of my head. It begins with Matt offering up some heavier tones, akin to Calvin Johnson, but as the track moves forward, Morgan jumps in; I love it because these aren’t mere backing vocals; they’re dueling lyrics, meeting in the end to unite for effect. Fine, okay, this band rules. They’re debut self-titled LP is out on August 6th via Slumberland Records.

The Reds Pinks & Purples Share the Biggest Fan

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If this new tune from The Reds, Pinks and Purples isn’t on every “best of” list for this week, then I assure you that pop music is 100% dead. You can’t listen to this song and not absolutely swoon at the carefully crafted emotion, all which seems to call out folks like me fawning over our favorite bands! I just imagine the video treatment opens up with Glenn hopping on his bike and riding off through any city center; the song feels upbeat and energetic, despite the haziness of Donaldson’s vocals. It feels like you’re on the verge of something magical, yet you can’t quite get there; it’s wistful and longing, and maybe even harsh, yet you want to smile and hop on your bike to join him on this trek. The best way is to be better than the biggest fan and buy Uncommon Weather from Tough Love/Slumberland before its out on April 9th.

The Reds, Pinks and Purples Share The Record Player & the Damage Done

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Glenn Donaldson’s The Reds, Pinks and Purples have a new LP on the way, and rumor has it that it’s flying off shelves. Take one listen below, and you’ll hear the eternal pop sensibility that Donaldson brings to the fold. There’s a light strum fighting against an angular guitar stepping in and out; the drums have this steadying stomp, keeping the song’s balance…all the way to the push towards higher vocal notes. Oddly, the song is kind of stepping on its own toes, with the tune’s thematic reference, discussing the passionate affair of collecting great pop records, of which we have not doubt that Uncommon Weather will soon find its place in that pile. The new LP drops on April 9th via Tough Love/Slumberlandand the damage will be done.

The Reds, Pinks and Purples Announce Uncommon Weather

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Every list that really mattered at the end of 2020 had You Might Be Happy Someday by the Reds, Pinks & Purples at the top of their list (my personal list too!); it looks like the band will stake their claim to that same acclaim in 2021, as today they announce a new album, Uncommon Weather. Contrasting guitars jut against each other from the open, one ringing melodic and true, while the other seems intent on butting up against it with its angular discord. Fading away, it allows Glenn Donaldson to steady the ship, coolly feathering his vocals across the front of the mix, softly soothing slackers like Bob Pollard singing a bedtime lullaby. Perhaps my favorite bit survives beneath that voice; it recalls the timelessness of Sarah Records or even early K Records, with DIY jangles recorded to tape in solitude. This new record has a great new home too, with Slumberland Records slated to drop the LP on April 9th.

Real Numbers Drop Darling Single

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I’ve barely even gotten used to the idea that there will be a great new Real Numbers EP coming next year, and already there’s another jangle out there. Spritely angular guitar rifts thrust you onto the dancefloor, spinning you about with a buoyant rhythm section that has your arms flailing in the air. Those disaffected vocals give just the faint hint of wistfulness, though there’s just a hint of hope on the way the vocals bound through the song in the far off horizon. Please 2021, bring me tons more great indiepop just like this! If you’re a fan, Brighter Then will be out on January 22nd via Slumberland and Meritorio. Buy it for me for my birthday! (January 16th)!

Neutrals Share Personal Computing Video

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If you were lucky to grab all the Slumberland 30 Singles, the last one in your batch was this incredible 7″ from Neutrals. While I loved their Kebab Disco, the two tracks on this 7″, including the video below, show this sharpness in their playing that really pops. Allan’s delivery has this very punk feel to it, balanced out by these really careful backing melodies from the rest of the group. Personally though, I think the guitar work just after the 1 minute mark is my favorite bit of this tune; I don’t know why, but its just this infectiousness I can’t get outta my head. Plus, you get a great video from Jenn Dorn Heard that plays off the band’s color scheme while honing in on the track’s thematic influence. But, if you didn’t grab the SL30 Series, you can grab this individual single from Slumberland Records, which is a ripper!

Real Numbers Announce Brighter Then EP

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It’s been quite some time since Real Numbers dropped the stellar Wordless Wonder LP (2016), so I’m really stoked that there’s a new EP on the way, and it comes with this sparkling bit of pop in the announcement. I say this, knowing full well I’ll be proven wrong, but the sort of pop they’re presenting here is definitely a lost art, mastered by only a few in the world as of late. It’s got that sharp guitar churn, hanging the melodic vocals out on the clothesline in the wind, letting them breeze right through until the song introduces a light little stomp to shake the pop right out of you. Honestly, might be one of the best indiepop tunes this year…no lie. Brighter Then EP is out in January via Slumberland Records/Meritorio Records.

Lunchbox Share Over Way Too Soon Video

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In less than two weeks, Lunchbox will be dropping After School Special, their enchanting new LP. But, in listening to this brand new single, I think the world over is going to have some strong feelings to the track’s thematic message; it’s set “against the backdrop of the ever-changing Oakland cityscape,” with a friendly ghost frolicking about town to emphasize that all the things we love and hold dear, “nothing can ever stay the same.” Of course, two decades of pop from Tim and Donna definitely feel familiar, giving off a sense of comfort amidst the harrowing theme. I love how the horns sort of burst through those jangling guitar stabs and push the pop envelope just a bit more. There’s no such thing as too much pop! After School Special will be out on October 30th via Slumberland Records/Lost Sound Tapes.

Slumberland Annouce Last Singles of the SLR30 Series

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It’s been a gift that continues to give me things I love, with Slumberland’s SLR30 Series wrapping up with its final singles on December 4th! It looks as if we’re going out with a bang, with one 7″ from UK’s Flowers and the other a new 7″ from one of my personal favorites, Neutrals! We’re treated to the A-Sides for both singles, and man, pretty sure we all win with these being added to the fold. The Flowers track is more powerful than I remember the band from some of their earlier releases, though it still hones in on the band’s penchant for melodic pop. Neutrals on the other hand do what they do best, buzzing through 2 minutes with infectious power pop punk; I think this might be the best recording from the band, with Allan’s voice spitting the lines out with this incredible sharpness. If you didn’t get the subscribe to the SLR30 Series, don’t worry, you can grab your own copy from Slumberland Records shop!

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