Target Practice
@slumberlandrecords
Slumberland started in 1989 as a collective effort consisting of members of DC-area bands Velocity Girl, Whorl, Black Tambourine and Powderburns. We were inspired by musical happenings like C86, early Creation, Postcard, Flying Nun, lower East Side noise, and also the renegade art & music of people like Cage, Burroughs and Duchamp. The explosion of punk had left behind a thriving network of 'zines, labels and distributors and we felt that there was room for our noise-loving, pop-obsessed aesthetic. While there were loads of US indie labels releasing a steady stream of 7"s, there wasn't much pop going on. Notable exceptions included K and Bus Stop, and we hoped to join them and help chisel out some space for melodies amongst the noise.
Early releases from Velocity Girl, Whorl and Black Tambourine struck a note, and we found like-minded popsters getting in touch from all over the world. As we expanded the label roster and our horizons, the goal was always to share great songs and interesting sounds from a range of styles. Our first burst of activity brought seminal records by legendary bands like Stereolab, Rocketship, The Ropers, Lorelei, The Aislers Set, Hood and Boyracer.
By the mid 2000s we were seeing a resurgence of interest in guitar pop and the start of the ongoing vinyl revival: the perfect environment for Slumberland! We launched into our latest phase of activity with as string of classic releases from The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Stilts, Frankie Rose, Veronica Falls, Allo Darlin', Joanna Gruesome and so many more.
2024 is our thirty-fifth year we are still here, ploughing our own furrow and bringing you unique, genre-defining (and genre-defying!) releases from bands like The Reds, Pinks & Purples, The Umbrellas, Neutrals, Artsick, Kids On A Crime Spree, Papercuts, Lightheaded, Tony Jay, Chime School, Lunchbox and many, many more.