Release Date: 2009

Frankie Rose – Thee Only One

My all-time favorite Slumberland band, Black Tambourine, has long been defunct, but lead singer Pam Berry’s influence still lingers in today’s shamble pop scene. Frankie Rose, the drummer from Crystal Stilts and Vivian Girls, is a prime example of this with her debut 7” Thee Only One. The single of the same name has all the throttling drums and bass of Black Tambourine’s best tracks, complete with delicate vocals and rollicking choruses. Second track, “Hollow Life,” is mellower but still maintains the dreamy pop sensibility that Slumberland has always championed.

Gregory Webster – Promised Land

As former frontman to bands like Razorcuts and Sportique, Gregory Webster knows a thing or two about making pop kids swoon. On his latest 7” Promised Land, he adds a tinge of folk and country to his sound to create a sweet and sincere dose of homespun lovesongs. With backing vocals provided by Pam Berry (sense a Slumberland theme?), “Promised Land” uses 12-string sounds to induce enough nostalgia to make even the most urbane among us long for a country cabin. Webster follows this up with a bittersweet cover of Hank Williams’ “Won’t You Sometimes Think of Me?” Having your heart broken never sounded so beautiful.

Various Artists – Spike Milligan’s Tape Recorder

In 1984, post-punk heroes, The Membranes, recorded a raucous ode to chaos, “Spike Milligan’s Tape Recorder.” Fifteen years later, destruction-bent prodigies, Sarandon, decide to cover the classic, adding a tighter, more cohesive sound – but keeping the crashing cacophony in tact. This seems like an unlikely release for Slumberland, but there’s something oddly lovable about both bands’ circa-1980 delinquent attitude. Should you decide to trade in your cardigan for a safety-pinned leather jacket, this 7” would be the perfect soundtrack to such an identity crisis.

The Bats – Don’t You Rise

The fact that the Bats have maintained their original line-up for 25 years is astounding enough, but their latest EP, Don’t You Rise, is further testament to their staying power. Opening track, “That’s How You Found Me” is a flawless pop gem, exhibiting the kind of lyrical flow of pop giants like the Lucksmiths and even Belle & Sebastian. Laid-back tempos and quietly pretty melodies make a song like “Don’t You Rise” the perfect backdrop for lounging around the house or the train ride home. At first listen, these tracks present themselves as simple pop songs, but with repeated listens, they bloom into something refreshingly familiar that is bound to linger in your mind for days.