Chime School is the project of San Francisco musician Andy Pastalaniec. Endlessly charmed by 80s indie and its 60s forbearers (and any record with a 12-string guitar), Andy cut his teeth as a drummer with SLR labelmate Odd Hope in their early group Pink Films; later with shoegazers Cruel Summer, and currently with indiepop outfit Seablite. But it wasn't until he was gifted a cassette 4-track portastudio "almost as a dare," that he came out from behind the kit to write and record his own material.

Aptly named for its autodidact roots, Chime School pays homage to the formative jangle of The Byrds by way of early Primal Scream and The Springfields; the production and pop sensibility of the Biff Bang Pow and The Razorcuts; and the spirit of great singles labels like Creation, Postcard and Sarah. From the dreamy album opener "Wait Your Turn" to the driving jangle of "Dead Saturdays" and the lush, epic "Gone Too Fast" we can see that we're in the presence of a very talented writer indeed, someone with a lifetime's worth of pop fandom just waiting to burst out in song.

Chime School album sampler

Plate Up (Radio Edit)

Jacamar is about a teenager with a pet jacamar who lives with his grandmother and owns an old motorbike. A sort-of wannabe 'leader of the pack'. He's constantly disappointed that no-one gets how amazing his jacamar is. His grandmother doesn't like finding feathers in her stew.

Jacamar

Tongue Tied

Bleeding Heart

From the forthcoming new Laveda album ~ Out Spring 2023

Written by
Ali Genevich, Jacob Brooks

Produced by 
Ali Genevich, Jacob Brooks, Dylan Herman

Recorded by 
Scoops Dardaris, Dylan Herman, Jacob Brooks

Ali Genevich - vocals, guitar, synths
Jacob Brooks - guitar, vocals, synths
Daniel Carr - bass
Joe Taurone - drums

SURPRISE
In the quiet of a room
When there’s nothing left to do
Will you hold me babe
Save me

People disappear from view
See the sunrise on the roof
I already hate today
It’s so lonely

Get up 
I know we just made it home
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober
Being alive is just getting old
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober

Thought I’d give away my youth
To something better used
And I need it babe
It’s just part of the day

I don’t know 
never talked much
Sometimes feelings not enough
There’s a deeper pain
It’s empty

Get up 
I know we just made it home
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober
Being alive is just getting old
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober

So get up I know we just made it home
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober
Being alive is just getting old
I’m not surprised that I’m not sober

Laveda - Surprise

The Churchhill Garden - Always There

New album "I Want to Open" comes out in Summer 2023

Call your mother up and ask her how to make that dish from your childhood
And I will scrounge the neighborhood
For wild herbs that taste as good as your memory
If you'll let me

And I've been the one to wash your feet in the bathtub of the apartment
I will keep the water warm
And we will sleep the whole night through this sickness
And be in another place

It'll take more, take more, take more, take more
It'll take more than this to be good

Getting tired of waking up in the same bed we went to sleep in
The world is foaming at the mouth
And dreaming's the only way to leave the bedroom
And be in another place

It'll take more, take more, take more, take more
Will it take more than this to be good?
credits

Take More

Mann Island

You Are My Home

Chime School

Chime School - It’s True

Chime School - Taking Time to Tell You

Chime School is the project of San Francisco musician Andy Pastalaniec. Endlessly charmed by 80s indie and its 60s forbearers (and any record with a 12-string guitar), Andy cut his teeth as a drummer with SLR labelmate Odd Hope in their early group Pink Films; later with shoegazers Cruel Summer, and currently with indiepop outfit Seablite. But it wasn't until he was gifted a cassette 4-track portastudio "almost as a dare," that he came out from behind the kit to write and record his own material.

Aptly named for its autodidact roots, Chime School pays homage to the formative jangle of The Byrds by way of early Primal Scream and The Springfields; the production and pop sensibility of the Biff Bang Pow and The Razorcuts; and the spirit of great singles labels like Creation, Postcard and Sarah. From the dreamy album opener "Wait Your Turn" to the driving jangle of "Dead Saturdays" and the lush, epic "Gone Too Fast" we can see that we're in the presence of a very talented writer indeed, someone with a lifetime's worth of pop fandom just waiting to burst out in song.

It's challenging to take familiar musical forms and make them feel fresh and new, but Andy has tackled the task with aplomb on this assured debut. Featuring future classic singles like "It's True" and "Taking Time To Tell You" it's certain to catch the ears of indiepop fans, for sure, but will also be a balm for anyone in love with melodic, classic guitar pop.

Chime School - Wait Your Turn

Make You See

Slumberland began operations in 1989, inspired by such musical happenings as C-86, early Creation, Sarah, Postcard, and the UK post-punk indie label scene. Since then we've covered a lot of territory, from punk to lofi noise to shoegaze and of course pop, releasing records from bands like The Aislers Set, Boyracer, Stereolab, Rocketship, Lorelei, The Ropers, The Saturday People and Black Tambourine.

By the mid 2000s we were starting to see 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.

2018 is our twenty-ninth year we are still going strong, ploughing our own furrow and bringing you unique, genre-defining (and genre-defying!) releases from bands like Smokescreens, Tony Molina, Papercuts, Business of Dreams, Peel Dream Magazine, D.A. Stern, The Spook School, Frankie Rose, Young Guv, Terry Malts and many, many more. As always, we operate entirely outside of the echo chamber of trends, fashion and phoney hipness. Slumberland bands are independent in the best way possible -- making music devoid of bullshit and true to their own voices, regardless of current popular taste.

Chime School - Wait Your Turn

Slumberland Records

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