Within a grainy film-still between a summer sunset and the end of times lies the post-punk squall of Weekend. Weekend filter the aggression, tempo and sneer of punk through a wall of reverb, haunting melody, feedback and primitive garage guitar. Formed in San Francisco in late 2009 by three childhood friends, the band have quickly developed a totally distinctive take on the history of post-punk noise rock. Where many bands who share similar influences are content to bludgeon the listener with noise, Weekend pay special attention to texture and atmosphere, and leaven even the most riotous moments with unexpected shards of melody. Weekend have instinctively staked out a unique sonic territory where feedback guitars, crunching riffs and pounding rhythms are harnessed in the service of, rather than in opposition to, their haunting tunes. Says singer Shaun Durkan: “Our goal has always been to balance the abrasive qualities of punk and noise with something more introspective and vulnerable. Creating that simultaneous push and pull. Like the beauty of an oil fire.”

If the press reaction to their debut release Sports is any indication Weekend have achieved that goal. From an 8.2 rating at Pitchfork to glowing reviews from the likes of Brooklyn Vegan, the Fader, the San Francisco Bay Guardian and many more it is clear Weekend have wowed the right people and opened the door of the indie world. In barely a year of existence Weekend have landed opening spots for the likes of Japandroids, Little Girls and others, played tastemaker Gorilla Vs Bear’s insanely stacked 2010 SXSW showcase, signed to Slumberland Records, played a Daytrotter Session and now released their debut LP Sports. If their next year of existence is even half as eventful who knows where they could be. One thing is certain; with the release of Sports Weekend have made their mark on the ever changing world of indie post-punk.

From Pitchfork:
“This is a Slumberland release, so there’s a good deal of fuzz-pop here, too; however, moments that recall that still in-vogue sound aren’t presented as-is– rather, they’re recontextualized to fit Weekend’s dense, screeching sonic swirl. In case you haven’t gotten it yet, Sports is loud as all hell, as even the sweetest melodies (the doe-eyed blare of “End Times”, especially) are surrounded with a maelstrom of negative sonic waves, which can be attributed to the band’s focus on the lower end of things.”

Grab the stellar single “Coma Summer” right here:

Weekend
“Coma Summer” (mp3)
from “Sports”
(Slumberland Records)

More On This Album

So, it was initially our plan to follow-up the east coast Slumberland anniversary shows with shows on the west coast just a few weeks later. But logistics got complicated, we got even busier than usual, and it became obvious that we’d have to wait until 2010. Well, we’re super pleased to announce that March 27th and 28th we’ll be hosting a pair of shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles that are practically brain-melting to think about. The current roster will be represented by the A-team of Brown Recluse, Summer Cats, Pants Yell!, Neverever, Devon Williams and Brilliant Colors. Where things get even crazier is with some of the bands that we’ve somehow managed to coax out of retirement.

Hold onto your hats: Henry’s Dress (first show in 13 years, full original line-up), Go Sailor (first show in 14 years!), The How (third show ever) and Boyracer (last shows ever? only Stew knows for sure!). That’s quite a line-up, no?

In honor of their anniversary and those stellar line-ups here’s a few Promotracks from Slumberland artists who performed at the shows:

Black Tambourine
“For Ex-Lovers Only” (mp3)
from “Black Tambourine”
(Slumberland Records)

More On This Album

Summer Cats
“Super” (mp3)
from “Songs for Tuesdays”
(Slumberland Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Brown Recluse
“Night Train” (mp3)
from “The Soft Skin”
(Slumberland Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Pants Yell!
“Someone Loves You” (mp3)
from “Received Pronunciation”
(Slumberland Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Brilliant Colors
“English Cities” (mp3)
from “Introducing”
(Slumberland Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Artist: Summer Cats
Title: Songs For Tuesdays
Label: Slumberland
Genre: Indie : Alternative Rock
Release Date: 7/14/09
UPC: 749846010124
Territory: Worldwide

Summer Cats follow up the release of their irresistibly catchy new record Songs For Tuesdays (out today on Slumberland) with a Pitchfork TV release for the video of their lead single “Super.”  Clearly these Australian indie-pop maestro’s know how to drop a summer release. With a sound that their press kit calls “Stereolab-meets-Go-Betweens” Summer Cats are poised for a big summer.

Summer Cats
“Super” (mp3)
from “Songs for Tuesdays”
(Slumberland)

More On This Album

Summer Cats
“Hey You” (mp3)
from “Songs for Tuesdays”
(Slumberland)

More On This Album

Liechtenstein
“Roses In The Park” (mp3)
from “Survival Strategies In A Modern World”
(Slumberland)
More On This Album
Release Date: 6/9/09
UPC: 749846209627
Territories: Americas

Sweden’s latest indie post-punk export, Lichtenstein, has announced their first full length LP entitled Survival Strategies in a Modern World will be available this June. The all girl three piece has created much hype in their homeland over their 7’’ singles 2007′s Stalking Skills and last year’s Apathy and are slowly but surely gaining a fan base here in the states. Destined to be played in vintage clothing stores everywhere, your little sister will love it. Their full length features charming songs filled with interweaving vocal harmonies, bass hooks, and post punk jangle and reverb for their guitars. A Slumberland record, Survival Strategies will be released in conjunction with the band’s hometown label, Gothenburg’s Fraction Discs.

They sit somewhere between the Pipettes and the Detroit Cobras or Delta Spirit; often the counter melodies in the background harmonies form a duality with the main hooks, creating a sort of bittersweet mood, half dark and mysterious, half young and joyful. “Postcard” sounds like the title song for a 90’s teen comedy (think Letters to Cleo’s prominent part in Ten Things I Hate About You). “Roses in the park” has a Neko-like sweetness to it. For a darker selection, check out “Refelctions.” The Album concludes with the haunting and whimsical acoustic and appropriately titled “The End” (McCartney gonna’ sue a foo!). The girls manage to create a distinct sound amidst the emerging Swedish indie-rock juggernaut captained by bands like Peter, Bjorn, and John and Shout Out Louds.

Three cute Scandinavians playing catchy 80’s post punk revival, what’s not to like? Buy one copy for your little sister and keep one for yourself; this is a band to watch out for.

Check out this sweet stop-motion video for and older track, “Security By Design:”

“I think labels are as important as ever,” maintains Mike Schulman of the Bay Area indie pop shrine Slumberland, which is currently experiencing a new burst of recognition thanks to bands such as Crystal Stilts and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. “With the increasing fragmentation and atomization of genres and scenes and markets, customers rely on labels as a curatorial enterprise, a shorthand signifier for what they’re into, and a useful tool to help sort through the mountain of new music.”

Read the full article at sfbg.com and also check out the article, “Great Expectations?- Labelmania: Indie labels ride the ups and downs of buzz and bluster”.

Exciting, right? Congrats Pains!

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
“Young Adult Friction” (mp3)
from “The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart”
(Slumberland)

Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Puretracks
Buy at mTraks
More On This Album

Get free tracks from 5 bands on their roster after the jump, including: Crystal Stilts, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cause Co-Motion, The Aislers Set and The Lodger:

Crystal Stilts
“Shattered Shine” (mp3)
from “Alight of Night”
(Slumberland)

Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

Cause Co-Motion!
“Baby Don’t Do It” (mp3)
from “It’s Time – Singles and EPs 2005-08″
(Slumberland)

More On This Album

The Aislers Set
“The Way To Market Station” (mp3)
from “The Last Match”
(Slumberland)

Buy at eMusic
More On This Album

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
“Young Adult Friction” (mp3)
from “The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart”
(Slumberland)

More On This Album

The Lodger
“The Good Old Days” (mp3)
from “Life Is Sweet”
(Slumberland)

Buy at Slumberland Web Store
More On This Album

Tuesday, March 17th 2009

End Sounds Second Annual Pre-SXSW Music Party/Show
7pm@Red Seven (611 E 7th St)

Filler (one time only Minor Threat cover band)
Madball
Death in the Park
Reign Supreme
Mike Herrera’s Tumbledown
Call to Preserve
True Widow
Bitter End
The Ramonahs
The Escape Frame

Wednesday, March 18th 2009

Anticon/Ghostly International Present
7:30pm@ Mohawk (912 Red River St) (All Ages)

Christopher Willits- 7:30pm
Restiform Bodies- 8:10pm
Michna- 9pm
Anathallo- 9:40pm
Dosh- 10:30pm
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?)- 11:10pm
The Chap- 11:40pm
Themselves- 1am

Burnside Distribution
8pm@Submerged (333 E 2nd st) (21+)

Jackie Bristow- 8pm
The Summer Wardrobe- 9pm
The Service Industry- 10pm
Sweet Water- 11pm
Blind Pilot- 12am
The Slants- 1am

PASTE SXSW Showcase
Ace’s Lounge – 222 E. 6th St., Austin, TX Rotary Downs @ 9pm (21+)

Thursday, March 19th 2009

Tricycle Records/The Bay Bridged
12pm@Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St)

Mike Relm
Vetiver
The Morning Benders
Sholi
Thee Oh Sees
The Heavenly States
Wallpaper
Lilofee
The Frail
Two Sheds
The Union Trade
French Miami
The Red Verse

The End Records
8pm@The Ale House (310 E 6th St- Alley Entrance) (21+)

Junius- 8pm
Hull- 9pm
These are They- 10pm
Goes Cube- 11pm
Tub Ring- 12am
Early Man- 1am

IHEARTCOMIX
7pm@Beauty Bar (617 E 7th st) (21+)

Cerebral Ballzy- 7:30pm
Ninjasonik- 8pm
Team Robespierre- 8:30pm
Totally Michael- 9pm
The Death Set- 9:30pm
Juiceboxxxx- 10:15pm
Thunderheist- 11:45pm
Designer Drugs- 12:15am
Futurecop!- 1:15am
Beauty Bar Backyard:
Paparazzi- 7pm
Radioclit-8pm
The Golden Filter- 9:45pm
HEARTSREVOLUTION- 10:30pm
Ocelot- 11pm
The Toxic Avenger & Franki Chan- 12am
Drop The Lime- 1am

Western Vinyl
9pm@ Club 115 (115 San Jacinto St) (21+)

Mom- 9pm
Callers- 10pm
Balmorhea- 11pm
J. Tillman- 12am
Here We Go Magic feat. Luke Temple- 1am

Hometapes/Leaf
7pm@Habana Bar (708 E 6th St) (21+)

All Tiny Creatures- 7pm
A Hawk And A Hacksaw- 8pm
Stars Like Fleas- 9pm
CYNE- 10pm
Efterklang- 11pm
Megafaun- 12am
Slaraffenland- 1am

Standard Recording Co. / Undertow
11pm@Habana Calle 6 (709 E 6th St) (21+)

Christian Kiefer, Jefferson Pitcher, J. Matthew Gerken, These United States- 11:15pm

Absolutely Kosher
10pm@Prague (422 B Congress Ave) (21+)

Azeda Booth- 10pm
Sybris- 11pm
+/- {Plus/Minus}- 12am
The Wrens- 1am

Tee Pee Records
8pm@Room 710 (710 Red River St) (21+)

Kreisor- 8pm
Black Math Horseman- 9pm
Night Horse- 10pm
Ancestors- 11pm
Annihilation Time- 12am
Earthless- 1am

Siltbreeze
8pm@Soho Lounge (217 E 6th St) (21+)

Ratas del Vaticano- 8pm
Eat Skull- 8:45pm
Hank IV- 9:30pm
Psychedelic Horseshit- 10:15pm
Naked on the Vague- 11pm
U.S. Girls- 11:45pm
Los Llamarada- 12:30am
FNU Ronnies- 1:15am

Electronic Musician/reapandsow music SXSW Day party
Calle Habana 6 – 709 E. 6th St., Austin, TX Rotary Downs @ 3pm – INSIDE STAGE

NOLA Soul Presents
Historic Victory Grill – 1104 E. 11th St, Austin, TX Rotary Downs @ 5:45

Friday, March 20th 2009

End Sounds
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35)

The Escape Frame- 8pm
Death in the Park- 0pm
True Widow- 10pm

Burnside Distribution
12pm@Threadgill’s World Headquarters (301 W. Riverside Dr.)

Hillstomp- 12pm Main stage
Linda McLean- 12:30pm Folk Alliance Stage
Or, The Whale- 12:50pm Main stage
Jackie Bristow- 1:20pm Folk Alliance Stage
Blind Pilot- 1:40pm Main stage
Audrey Auld- 2:15pm Folk Alliance Stage
The Refugees- 2:35pm Main stage
Glenna Bell- 3:05pm Folk Alliance Stage
Terry Anderson & The Olympic Ass-Kickin’ Team- 3:35pm Main stage
Song Island Review- 4:05pm Folk Alliance Stage
Redd Volkaert & Friends- 4:25pm Main stage
Linda McRae- 5:10pm Folk Alliance Stage
Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers- 5:30pm Main stage

Slumberland
8pm@Emo’s Jr (603 Red River St) (All Ages)

YellowFever- 8pm
Woods- 9pm
Air Waves- 10pm
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- 11pm
Cause Co-Motion!- 12am
Crystal Stilts- 1am

End Sounds
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35) (21+)

The Escape Frame- 8pm
Death in the Park- 9pm
True Widow- 10pm

Ghostly International/Full Time Hobby/ Mojo Magazine
8pm@Radio Room Patio (508 E 6th St) (All Ages)

Choir of Young Believers- 8pm
Micah P. Hinson- 9pm
School of Seven Bells- 10pm
Deastro- 11pm
White Denim- 12am
Rolo Tomassi- 1am

Misra
8pm@The Tap Room at Six (311 Colorado St) (21+)

The Gala Band- 8pm
Emily Rodgers- 9pm
Monahans- 10pm
The Low Lows-11pm
Southeast Engine- 12am
Palomar- 1am

Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Party
Noon-6pm@Club de Ville (900 Red River St)

Handsome Furs
Obits
The American Analog Set
The Thermals
The Hold Steady

Saturday March 21st 2009

Load/Dull Knife
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35) (21+)

Future Blondes- 8pm
Balaclavas- 9pm
White Mice- 10pm
Rusted Shut- 11pm
Indian Jewelry- 12am
Six Finger Satellite- 1am

Park the Van/ Paper Thin Records
8pm@Room 710 (710 Red River St) (21+)

Eagle Winged Palace- 8pm
The Peekers- 9pm
Golden Boots- 10pm
Floating Action- 11pm
The High Strung- 12am
The Spinto Band- 1am

New Granada Records “No-fficial” Showcase
3pm@Gingerman Pub (304 W 4th St)

New Roman Times
Zillionaire
Hankshaw
King of Spain
Rec Center

Panache Booking/ Lovepump United
8pm@Mohawk (Both Stages)

Daniel Francis Doyle- 8pm
Pictureplane- 8:15pm
Deradoorian- 8:50pm
AIDS Wolf- 9pm
Past Lives- 9:40pm
Clipd Beaks- 10pm
FIASCO- 10:40pm
The Mae Shi- 11pm
PRE- 11:40pm
HEALTH- 12am
Mika Miko- 12:30am
Monotonix- 1am

Victorian Room at the Driskill
(604 Brazos St) (21+) Moriarty- 10pm

Featuring Faunts, Michna, Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Monks and The Hylozoists.  Listen at IODAcast.com or  iTunes.

Faunts
“Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.” (mp3)
from “Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.”
(Friendly Fire Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Michna
“Triple Chrome Dipped” (mp3)
from “Ghostly Swim”
(Ghostly International)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel
“Hesitation Blues” (mp3)
from “Willie And The Wheel”
(Bismeaux Records)

Buy at Willie and the Wheel Website
More On This Album

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
“Young Adult Friction” (mp3)
from “The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart”
(Slumberland)

Buy at mTraks
More On This Album

The Monks
“Monk Time” (mp3)
from “Black Monk Time”
(Light In The Attic)

More On This Album

The Hylozoists
“Bras d’Or Lakes” (mp3)
from “L’Ile De Sept Villes”
(Outside Music)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Artist: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Title: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Label: Slumberland/ Fortuna POP!
Release Date: 2.3.09
UPC: 749846208927/5060044170584
Genres: Alternative
Territories: North America, Europe

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have created a record that is sure to become an instant classic among those who were young and wistful in the late 80′s, early 90′s or anyone since who looks back longingly at the dancing abandon of the time. Imagine if My Bloody Valentine and The Smiths met up with Belle and Sebastian to make an album exclusively about being young and (accurately) pure.  Since forming in early 2007, they have released a handful of singles on classy labels like Slumberland, Fortuna Pop!, Atomic Beat and Cloudberry, each one issued to greater anticipation and even wilder reception. Critical acclaim has come from such varied quarters as Stereogum, Fader, Big Takeover, Indie Pages, Skatterbrain, Drowned In Sound, Indie-MP3, Clash Magazine and uncountable others.

Their brand new self-titled release on Slumberland Records (Stereolab, Sunny Day In Glasgow) does a true and well-composed homage to a generation of bands we all love so much. You can tell upon  first listen that the band members are huge fans themselves who took all the best parts from these legendary groups and combined them so everyone can have the pleasure of reliving those moments from decades ago. “Stay Alive” has Johnny Marr’s chorus-saturated guitar dancing around MBV vocals, while “Gentle Sons” sounds like an unreleased Jesus and the Mary Chain song. This album is destined for critical acclaim; it took all these great bands and re-did their sound accurately and magnificently, while uniting their songs under the theme their namesake regards. These tracks truly sound like a complicated soul: someone pure and innocent in a world that seems to work harder everyday to remove those values. The pain of being misunderstood, the joy of feeling free from restriction, and the young longing one feels for the future and all its possibilities are what power and fuel Pure at Heart’s songwriting. This album will provide a soundtrack for the best day of your life, the worst breakup you’ve ever had, or anything lying in between that’s genuinely emotional. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are not to be overlooked or written off as a tribute band; they are a genuine reincarnation of beloved period of pop music that remained un-replicated until now.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
“Everything With You” (mp3)
from “Everything With You”
(Fortuna POP)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster

Check out the music video for “Everything with You” after the jump…