BEAUMONT
10"
Discotheque À La Carte
Siesta
This fabulous EP by the duo of Keith Girdler and Paul Stewart, famous for their works with legendary Sarah records outfit Blueboy, were released in 2001 – soon after the lovely debut album “This Is...”. “Discotheque À La Carte” is a sophisticated take on disco – it sounds almost like the disco genre were invented on the Riviera back in 1966! The other three tracks include a cover of Bacharach’s “The Look Of Love”, a sketch performance and a remix of the title song. Tracklist: “Discotheque À La Carte”, “The Look Of Love”, “In Conversation With” and “Discotheque À La Carte (Le Salon Mix)”.
100 SEK
BROWN RECLUSE
12"
The Soft Skin
Slumberland
Brown Recluse formed in 2006 around the core of Timothy Meskers and Mark Saddlemire. Taking influence from the psych pop of The Zombies and Margo Guryan, the tropicalia of Os Mutantes, and 60s producers like Joe Meek and Phil Spector, the two recorded the bulk of the six-song “Black Sunday EP”. A brilliant blast of pop invention, Black Sunday easily rates as one of our favorite records of the last five years. It’s blend of blinding songcraft, skilled arrangements and gorgeous playing is an absolute joy; it’s rare to hear a record so assured from such a young band. 2006 and 2007 saw the duo expand to a six-piece live band that played numerous shows on the east coast, writing new material and winning new fans along the way. Cut at 45 rpm for maximum sound quality, the four songs on “The Soft Skin” show an increasingly confident full-band line-up stretching out and reaching a new plateau. A pastoral, psychedelic vibe permeates the EP, bringing to mind the sunshine pop of Curt Boettcher’s The Millennium/Sagittarius projects, and such familiar touchstones as Brian Wilson, Belle & Sebastian, The Clientele and the Elephant 6 collective. This is pretty heady company to keep, but perfectly-realized songs like “Night Train” and “Rainy Saturday” more than hold their own. Included is a code that allows you to download the songs in mp3 format. Tracklist: “Rotten Tangerines”, “Night Train”, “Rainy Saturday” and “Contour And Context”. Highly recommended!
65 SEK
CAUSE CO-MOTION!
12"
Because Because Because
Slumberland
Hot on the heels of their critically-lauded singles collection, “It's Time!”, Cause Co-Motion! have hit the studio to bring you their latest installment of earnest DIY pop in the form of this fab six song 12” EP entitled “Because Because Because”. Over the last few years Cause Co- Motion! have made quite a name for themselves as purveyors of crash- pop of the finest quality, blending 60s garage impulses with Messthetic-inflected post-punk and the scrappy end of the 80s indie scene, as exemplified by groups like Television Personalities, Beat Happening and The Pastels. “Because Because Because” begins a new chapter in the Cause Co-Motion! story. Committed to tape in the course of a day spent with Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor at his Marlborough Farms studio, this EP balances the band’s frenetic attack with a more open approach to arrangements and space. The songs are all top-drawer too, and we fully expect the driving “Leave It All” and the Buddy Holly-esque “You Lose” to take their places in the Cause Co-Motion! pantheon of future classics. Fired by a love of classic pop and a punkish devotion to short songs, eager tempos and enthusiasm-over-technique, Cause Co-Motion! have busted out of their native Brooklyn to garner a world-wide fanbase and critical acclaim. “Because Because Because” is further proof of their mastery of exuberant, hooky garage pop, a ten minute blast of racket, reverb and energy that’s as timeless as it is perfectly of-the-moment. All copies come housed in a hand-painted and silkscreened jacket. Tracklist: “And You Wonder”, “Is What You Say What You Mean?”, “It's Time!”, “Because Because Because”, “Leave It All” and “You Lose”.
65 SEK
FREE LOAN INVESTMENTS
10"
Ever Been To Mexico
Where It´s At Is Where You Are
Stockholm’s Free Loan Investments, originally formed by Roger Gunnarsson (Nixon) and Amanda Aldervall back in 2000, released a series of three 7” singles on various labels. This release showcases their more dynamic live sound, courtesy of two newer members, Christer Nilsson (The Shermans, Aerospace) and Jesper Nyrén (Mobile Unit Seven) who fill in the rhythm section. “Ever Been to Mexico?” features six tracks full of jangly guitars, fizzing distortion, and blazing fast melodies - all grounded by Amanda's vocals. With a nod towards U.K. guitar pop (Talulah Gosh and Shop Assistants) and 80s post-punk (Au Pairs and Dolly Mixture), FLI’s songs have just the right amount of classic style and sensibility, while still retaining a modern and fresh sound.
90 SEK
KRISTALLIN
10"
Kristallin
Marsh-Marigold
The second album from Northern German guitaroholics Kristallin, featuring members from The Legendary Bang. Upbeat and jangly guitar pop in the tradition of The Wedding Present, McCarthy and The Brilliant Corners (“Intro/Davey” is actually performed by Davey Woodward and Chris Galvin of The Brilliant Corners in 1989). Tracklist: ”Intro/Davey”, ”The People I Don’t Want To Know”, “Cool”, “It’s Over”, “My Godchild (Is Franka)”, “Radio”, “The Smell Of Cinnamon”, “The Way It Goes” and “Steven”.
120 SEK
LIECHTENSTEIN
10"
Survival Strategies In A Modern World
Fraction Discs/Slumberland
Liechtenstein is about to become the band that every indie kid’s younger sister wishes she had started. Making a splash on the international indie pop scene with two attentiongrabbing singles, 2007’s “Stalking Skills” and last year’s “Apathy”, the Swedish trio of Renée, Naemi, and Elin will make waves with their unique take on the girl-group post-punk sound of early ’80s groups like The Au Pairs and Kleenex. Fraction Discs is thrilled to team up with the excellent US label, Slumberland, to bring their subversive pop to a larger audience in the form of their new mini-LP, “Survival Strategies In A Modern World”. With the nine-song “Survival Strategies In A Modern World”, Liechtenstein not only delivers the spooky harmonies and loping basslines that earned their singles such critical attention, but they also stretch out into realms only hinted at before. The band not only gives Love Is All a run for their money in the Swedish post-punk revival department, but they can also fit right in alongside Slumberland labelmates The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (not to mention “lost” bands of the C-86 era like Swiss buzzsaw-pop girl-group Chin Chin) in delivering manic pop thrills. Clocking in alongside the post-punk flavour of lead track “All At Once” and “White Dress”, for example, comes the bubblegum sugar rush of “Roses In The Park.” Liechtenstein also has more than angular post-punk tricks up their sleeve; they channel the naïve-yet-proper Oxford charm of Talulah Gosh or The Carousel on songs like “Postcard” and “The End”. Mixing its ’80s influences with a very fresh and contemporary enthusiasm, “Survival Strategies In A Modern World” packs so much excitement into less than 23 minutes that you will discover a new favorite song with every spin. At least, that is, until your sister sneaks into your room, snatches it (along with your Vivian Girls records and rare Mo-Dettes singles), and takes her own shot at indie stardom. Better buy two.. Tracklist: “All At Once”, “Postcard”, “Sophistication”, “By Staying Here (We Will Slowly Disappear)”, “Wallpaper Stripes”, “Roses In The Park”, “Reflections”, “White Dress” and “The End”. The 10" vinyl edition comes with a download code for the entire album as mp3 files. Coloured vinyl!
100 SEK
LOVE IS ALL
12"
Make Out Fall Out Make Up
Parlophone
Three track 12” single with tracks from Love Is All’s remix album “Love Is All Mixed Up”. Tracklist: “Turn The Radio Off (Remake by Studio)”, “Make Out Fall Out Make Up (Chicken Lips Malfunction)” and “Busy Doing Nothing (An Optimo (Espacio) Mix)”.
65 SEK
OUTMEN
10"
Outmen
Fridlyst
10” + CDR. Outmen is Carl and Pär, from Lindome, south of Göteborg, Sweden. After meeting at a canoe party, where they ended up talking about their shared love of American lo-fi music, they started Outmen in Pär’s parents basement. This eight track debut album is filled with original, unnacountable but yet beautiful pop music. Comes with a CDR of the album. Tracklist: “I Wrote Your Name In Snow”, ”This Is How”, ”Despite The Facts”, ”The Dog Boy”, ”On And Off”, ”Blood Red Kite”, ”Over And Out (Funeral)” and ”In My Arm”.
90 SEK
SARANDON
10"
Kill Twee Pop!
Slumberland
Since their formation by Crayola in 2003, Sarandon have marked themselves as a potent group of post-punk tacticians on a mission to save indie from wetness, knee-jerk twee posturing and careless cardigan wearing. Taking their cues from the rough angularity beloved by bands on labels like Ron Johnson and Slampt, Sarandon are the proud parents of a string of five 7" EPs (and one compilation thereof) fairly bursting with short, sharp tunes, wiry riff-mad guitars, spastic drumming and terse-yet-clever lyrics. Trimming all musical and lyrical fat, Sarandon cram more ideas and passion into 1:30 than many bands do across a whole record. Some points of comparison that spring to mind include Big Flame, The Minutemen, Boghsed, Fire Engines and The Fall, and though Sarandon share some musical DNA with those groups they've also forged their own path and unique sound. Crayola has a notable (and widely-noted) talent for somehow managing to marry naggingly catchy tunes to corruscating blasts of guitar mayhem, combining the punchy, driving tunes with surprisingly memorable melodies and smart lyrics. It's pop, but possibly the angriest and most aggressive pop you've heard. As we enter 2008, Sarandon have settled on a line-up consisting of Crayola, Tom Greenhalgh on drums and ex-Big Flame/Great Leap Forward legend Alan Brown on bass. Kill Twee Pop! is the first fruit of this new line-up and a mighty record it is indeed. Alan and Tom are an incredibly tight and powerful rhythm section, providing Crayola with such a sure foundation that he's now letting the songs stretch out a bit, one tune even breaking the unheard of (for Sarandon) three minute barrier. Which is fitting as this is the first proper Sarandon album, and it shows them at their itchy, spiky, angular, aggressive, enthuiastic best. From the chugging "Welcome" to the blues-by-way-of-The Birthday Party "The Completist's Library" to the insanely catchy "Mike's Dollar" and the croon-tastic "The Discotheque Is My Lover", this album is packed with great tunes, recalling the best of 80s post-punk and bringing it bang up-to-date with passion, humor and wit. “Kill Twee Pop!” is a call to arms for those tired of paint-by-the-numbers indie, a ration of passion in these cynical times, an antidote to your massive haircut, a soundtrack for your next dance party, an updated cubist pop manifesto. Tracklist: “Kill Twee Pop!”, “Welcome”, “Lippy”, “Remember Mavis?”, “The Completist's Library”, “Joe's Record”, “Very Flexible”, “Good Working Practice”, “Mike's Dollar”, “The Discotheque Is My Lover”, “Mark” and “Massive Haircut”.
125 SEK
SPORTIQUE
10"
Communiqué No.9
Matinée
“Communiqué No. 9” is the third album by Sportique. Songwriter Gregory Webster, known from jangle-pop masters Razorcuts, and his band of indiepop legends (Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey & Sir Mark Flunder) give you explosive art-punk songs with black humour. 8 tracks in 17 minutes 25 seconds!
90 SEK