Black Tambourine

The short-lived Black Tambourine endure among the truly seminal American indie pop bands of the 1980s, creating a dark, feedback-rich sound that predated the shoegazer movement of the decade to follow -- a period when the now-defunct group's members all went on to enjoy even greater recognition within the flourishing Amerindie scene. Formed in Washington, D.C., in 1989, Black Tambourine were comprised of vocals from <a href="spotify:artist:26a6al8Yp1xbKA35Fo3UB5">Pam Berry</a> and music by <a href="spotify:artist:1fXw2uWfwAlNxlDsW8cKIS">Velocity Girl</a>'s Archie Moore and Brian Nelson and Whorl's Mike Schulman. In defiance of the D.C. scene's predominantly punk aesthetic, the group drew inspiration from <a href="spotify:artist:3jVMgT4X7YeuYE4aludcmE">Phil Spector</a>'s classic Wall of Sound productions of the 1960s as well as contemporary British noisemakers like <a href="spotify:artist:4rjlerN21ygkIhmUv55irs">the Jesus and Mary Chain</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0Ve3Nd1OJkRcQeKRTpvxhQ">the Shop Assistants</a>.

Black Tambourine debuted in 1990 with "Pam's Tan," a contribution to the 7" What Kind of Heaven Do You Want?, the first release on Schulman's own <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> label. Another track, "We Can't Be Friends," appeared on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22spinART%22">spinART</a>'s One Last Kiss compilation before the group issued its first official single, the <a href="spotify:artist:4Nu0EL8c5d2vFHPOcNjlBP">Pastels</a> homage "Throw Aggi Off the Bridge," on the fledgling <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Audrey%27s+Diary%22">Audrey's Diary</a> imprint. "By Tomorrow" followed on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a>, but with just nine officially released songs and four live performances under their collective belt, Black Tambourine dissolved in 1991.

From there, the peripatetic <a href="spotify:artist:26a6al8Yp1xbKA35Fo3UB5">Berry</a> shuttled through a series of bands ranging from the Shapiros to Glo-Worm to <a href="spotify:artist:78bdtheekZ1Cd5RKqlxZDL">the Castaway Stones</a>, earning perhaps her most enduring fame as the co-founder of the influential fanzine Chickfactor. Meanwhile, after recording a handful of singles for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a>, Moore and Nelson's aforementioned <a href="spotify:artist:1fXw2uWfwAlNxlDsW8cKIS">Velocity Girl</a> signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sub+Pop%22">Sub Pop</a>, becoming one of the more beloved indie bands of the early '90s. As for Schulman, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> continues as one of the preeminent American indie labels, with a catalog that spans from <a href="spotify:artist:2dLzeuFyFPAYdWKU3UuYTA">Rocketship</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:3hhbHynBIT7ulyfJfrDKLt">the Aislers Set</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:6dprTRdShPpMsyFQrgktQ1">14 Iced Bears</a>; in 1999, the label issued the Black Tambourine retrospective Complete Recordings.

In 2009, when <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> began planning for a new reissue of the group's complete output, they decided to record some tracks they had originally featured in their live set. The four songs (two originals and covers of <a href="spotify:artist:3wYyutjgII8LJVVOLrGI0D">Buddy Holly</a>'s "Heartbeat" and <a href="spotify:artist:6uVeWolwyRDrT84lLsaZyW">Suicide</a>'s "Dream Baby Dream") were included along with demos for "Throw Aggi Off the Bridge" and "For Ex-Lovers Only" on 2010's Black Tambourine collection. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi