On their spellbinding sophomore album, "Whispers in the Speech Machine," the young Ohio siblings from The Laughing Chimes fully embrace their Southern Gothic influences, cannily balancing the light of their infectious pop with the shadow of their rust belt environs. While attending an afterschool music program at their local opera house, Evan and his brother Quinn began recording The Laughing Chimes' debut album "In This Town," released in 2020. A string of well-received digital singles and a cassette EP for Slumberland followed, dazzling savvy pop fans with their Paisley Underground-inflected jangle that owes as much to the Flying Nun sound as it does to 80s Athens, GA.

The eight assured songs of "Whispers in the Speech Machine" prove The Laughing Chimes deserve the attention and accolades, while their approaches to songwriting and sonic aesthetics continue to evolve. "Southeast Ohio is the foothills of Appalachia, so it has this indescribable mood and atmosphere to it," guitarist/vocalist Evan Seurkamp told The Big Takeover. "Sometimes there's a haunting weight of decay you want to escape, but at the same time there is some sort of strange romanticism surrounding ghost towns. We've tried to channel those moods to add more regional flavor into our sound."

Whispers In The Speech Machine

The Laughing Chimes - High Beams

The radio's playin' a classic tune
and you swear nothing sounds quite as good as it used to sound
back when
you were younger
The years fly by like classic cars
as fast and bright as a shooting star
I'm left behind
on the sidewalk

It's rainin' so hard I can barely see
but "if its good for the grass, then its good for me"
I tell myself
bitterly
I'm a vine tangled up in a thousand weeds
I'll spend a lifetime lookin' for that golden tree
I know it's there
waiting for me

Makin' money only to survive
And I know you'll get your's before I get mine
get mine

In the weeds

Take time 
Don’t want to fight
But the words you said
Somewhat unfair 
And I don’t know how
You and me, my friend
Can start again
Can start again

Or that’s how
It always seemed
When the blood spilled out
One moment, the next
It would all cool down
You and me, my friend
Seemed always better
With than without

Drains fast
Rushing like water
Through your hands
Threatening to rip us off
From the banks
Where nothing grows
And all your faith
Is all that floats

Oh well
Nothing could stop us
From spilling out
All of our guts 
Into something now
You and me, my friend
We’ve had our go
You know?

And that’s alright
And that’s alright
And always was
And always was
And always was
And always was
And always was
And always was
And always was
And always was

And that’s alright
And that’s alright
And always was
And that’s alright
And that’s alright
And always was
And that’s alright

Performed by Stray Fossa (W. Evans, N. Evans, Z. Blount)
Lyrics by William J Evans
Music by William J Evans and Nicholas Warren Evans

Produced and mixed by William Evans

Cover art by Melissa Santamaría

Blossomer

Buy on vinyl

All Cools Down

Lunchbox's legendary lost album "Evolver" is lost no more! Sparklingly remastered for the album’s twentieth (and a few!) anniversary and available on CD, cassette and (for the first time) vinyl, this psychedelic masterpiece fills a crucial hole in the band's discography. Recorded in the couple's 1990s Oakland basement between stays in Berlin, tour dates in London, and dreamy sojourns up the rugged Mendocino coastline, "Evolver" fuses jangle and jungle, ambient and dub into a striking pop statement.

Marrying refined songcraft to the serendipitous magic hidden in half-broken reel-to-reel tape decks and vintage synthesizers, the "Evolver" plants its pop flag on the terrain of magic and mystery. Dreamy jangle pop gems emerge seamlessly out of a sea of loops, drones, and dubbed-out horn fanfares, cascades of tape echo feedback and whispers from outer space providing a trance-inducing backdrop to the pop sensibility for which Lunchbox is well-known. Hook-filled and hypnotic, "Evolver" is a sublime slice of post-pop psychedelia that you won't want to miss.

For this special and long-overdue reissue we've raided the bands vaults for three previously unreleased tunes that add extra dimensions to the album's uniquely trippy flow. And for the vinyl heads we're pressing this as a double LP for maximum fidelity and playability, including a *vinyl-only* fourth side of beats, loops, interludes and puzzling aural ephemera, all taken directly from the original master tapes. Super cool!

Lunchbox - Letter From Overend

Beacon

Reflections

Over the course of a decade playing together and making records as Jeanines, the duo of Alicia Jeanine and Jed Smith have charted a distinctive course through the history of pop, docking at ports of call as varied as the 60s folk of early Fairport Convention and Vashti Bunyan, the sunshine/soft pop of Margo Guryan and Laura Nyro, and of course indiepop touchstones like Dear Nora and the post-Black Tambourine projects of Pam Berry.

Their new album "How Long Can It Last" finds Jeanines grappling with serious themes of personal and professional upheaval, adding weight to their finest set of songs yet. With lyrics that look deeply at time and its reverberations, connections and ruptures, songs like "Coaxed A Storm," "What's Done Is Done" and "On and On" combine richly melodic tunes and crisp arrangements to stellar effect. While the themes might be heavy, the melodies and harmonies are simply heavenly, elevating these economical songs and giving each the feeling of a lost classic.

How Long Can It Last

pre-order

Jeanines - On And On

I remember the day
I almost drowned
Washed out on the shore
Just seeing
The light and noise in my mouth
Blurry eyes
I feel like I died, that part of mine was oceans apart
Blurry eyes
I feel like I died, that part of mine was oceans apart
Was oceans apart
Was oceans apart

One step, two steps closer
I'm not giving in
Head to toe in water
I'll just let it in
Fright is just my soldier to defend from pain
One step, two steps closer
Can I let you in, let you in
One step, two steps closer
I'm not giving in
Head to toe in water, I'll just let it in
Fright is just my soldier to defend from pain
One step, two steps closer
Can I let you in
Can I let you in
Can I let you in, let you in

Watch out for deep waters
Cause, baby, you may drown
Free-falling
Don't be hesitant
Keep up with the petals
Falling down your hands
Deep waters, deep waters
Did I let you in?

She loves me
He loves me not
She loves me
He loves me not
She loves me
He loves me not

Watch out for deep waters
Cause, baby, you may drown
Rush in with your lover
Just don't let her drown

She loves me
He loves me not
She loves me
He loves me not
She loves me
He loves me not
She loves me
He loves me not

deep waters

Park Safety

come see us on tour: www.yndling.news/tour

Lyrics: 
suddenly, what’s left of me
a skeleton of what could be 
you gave me a lesson
there’s no need to keep pressing
your presence on to everyone 
they’ll hardly notice that you’re gone 
keep up your fences
shut of your senses 

let go, stay close 
what else could you need?
what else could you need?
let go, stay close 
let go, stay close 
what else could you need?
what else could you need?

see it all now that you’re gone
most of the time I was wrong
used to think I was so strong
most of the time, I was wrong

i’ve run out of sympathy 
for everyone but you and me 
they all seem so scripted 
can they tell I have drifted? 
my spine I’ve left somewhere behind
it’s done me good to kick it out
it’s weird when you care less
people think you are fearless

let go, stay close 
what else could you need?
what else could you need?
let go, stay close 
let go, stay close 
what else could you need?
what else could you need?

see it all now that you’re gone
most of the time I was wrong
used to think I was so strong
like with everything else, I was wrong
see it all now that you’re gone
most of the time I was wrong
used to think I was so strong
like with everything else, I was wrong

Fences

"Wordless Wonder" is the long awaited full length from Real Numbers.  It follows up a pair of 12" EPs on Three Dimensional Records, a single on Florida's Dying, and recent appearances on cassettes from Forged Artifacts and No Problem.  Tenderly crafted by Matt Castore at his St. Paul, MN studio A Harder Commune from late 2015 to early 2016, it is presented here on Slumberland Records for your enjoyment.

Members of the band include Eli Hansen (Cozy, Boys Club, Retainers) on vocals and guitars, John Eggerman (Cozy, Private Interests, Mystery Date) on bass, and James Blackfield (France Camp, Nice Purse) on drums. The addition of full time lead guitar player Ian Nygaard (Nice Purse, Howler) reveals a much fuller sound while maintaining the band's trademark DIY simplicity. 

As for the songs... The three chords of "Falling Out" sparkle with layered melodies reinforcing the poignant tale of an embarrassed boy having to explain to his parents why he fell out of a car.  Other contemplative topics include the Television Personalities' fall from John Peel's good graces ("Frank Infatuation"), 60's biker flicks ("Just So Far Away") and a Welshman's infidelity ("Only Two Can Play"). Throughout the album, happy harmonies intermingle with sadness-laced larks. The title track, an introspective meta-composition about the frustrations of lyrical penmanship, rewards the astute listener with light pleasantries.

Tracking was a layered affair with a focus on guitars. "We wanted something different than previous releases which had a very 'live' production," explains Eli. This was accomplished by doubling most rhythm tracks, stacking leads and - on a few songs - adding a 12-string acoustic, Eli's "new favorite instrument." Continuing their flirtations with keys (see the solo on 2013's "Ordeal") Matt Castore's wind organ closes side one, while Eli's childhood Casio SK-1 adds depth to the side two closer "This Happy Sadness" - a song simultaneously about a mix-tape, failing relationships, and Matt Haynes' pre-Sarah fanzine "Are You Scared To Get Happy."

Real Numbers made their debut East coast rounds last summer and are planning a return trip in September.  Previous jaunts have consisted of Gonerfest (2011), SXSW (2013), UK/Europe (2010 & 2011) and Japan (2013 & 2014).  An Australian tour in 2013 yielded such tremendous opportunities as lawn bowling with The Stevens, performing live on FBI Radio, crashing at Gooch Manor, and having Shorty and Joe from Royal Headache fill in on drums and guitar.

"Wordless Wonder" will be released by Slumberland records on October 14, 2016.

Wordless Wonder

Real Numbers - Public Domain

Slumberland began operations in 1989 as a collective effort consisting of members of DC area bands Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trash Can/Whorl, Black Tambourine and Powderburns. We were inspired by such musical happenings as C86, early Creation, Postcard, K, Bus Stop, lower East Side noise, and also the renegade art aesthetics & methods 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 Bus Stop, K and Picture Book, and we hoped to join that group 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 own horizons, the goal was always to share great songs and interesting sounds from a range of styles. Our first burst of activity through the 1990s and early 2000s 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.

2025 is our thirty-sixth (!) year we are still at it, ploughing our own furrow and bringing you unique, genre-defining (and genre-defying!) releases from bands like The Laughing Chimes, Humdrum, The Cords, Autocamper, Jeanines, The Umbrellas, Neutrals, Artsick, Kids On A Crime Spree, Papercuts, Lightheaded, Tony Jay, Chime School, Lunchbox and many, many more. Indie fashions come and go but we're still thrilled by great songs and the new ways that pop can be rejuvenated to fit the times.

Real Numbers - Public Domain

Slumberland Records

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