Black Tambourine was an American

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

band and one of the earliest Slumberland groups of the early 1990s. Formed in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ce ...

, the band comprised vocalist Pam Berry and instrumentalists Archie Moore, Brian Nelson and Mike Schulman. Along with

Tiger Trap Tiger trap may refer to: *Trou de loup In medieval fortification, a trou de loup (French for "wolf hole"; plural trous de loup, also commonly referred to as a tiger pit in the East) was a type of booby trap or defensive obstacle. Each trou de lo ...

, Lois,

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, and Beat Happening, they are considered to be one of the most influential bands of the American twee pop movement.

History

The members came to the project already acquainted with each other: Both Nelson (also of Big Jesus Trashcan) and Schulman were in Whorl together, while Schulman (also of Powderburns) co-founded Slumberland Records. Moore, meanwhile, was in

Velocity Girl Velocity Girl was an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in College Park, Maryland, and active in the Washington, D.C., area. The band released three albums before splitting up in 1996. History The band started as the duo of Kelly Rile ...

and played on early recordings by

Lilys Lilys are an American indie rock band formed in Washington, D.C in 1988. The only constant member is Kurt Heasley, with the line-up changing regularly. Several of the band's tracks have been used in television advertisements, including the band' ...

, and Berry had co-founded the ''Chickfactor'' zine. The band was influenced by

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

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production style,

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they re ...

, and the

Shop Assistants Shop Assistants were a Scottish indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984, initially as 'Buba & The Shop Assistants'.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 502 After achieving success with indepe ...

. Black Tambourine was described by

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

as one of the "seminal American indie pop bands of the 1980s." `

Discography

EPs

*''By Tomorrow'' 7-inch EP (1991, Slumberland Records) *''Throw Aggi Off the Bridge'' 7-inch EP (1992, Audrey's Diary) *''OneTwoThreeFour'' 7-inch EP (2012, Slumberland Records) *''Black Tambourine Cassette'' digital EP (2010, self-release) *''Black Tambourine'' cassette EP (2012, self-release)

Compilation albums

*'' Complete Recordings'' (1999, Slumberland Records) *''

Black Tambourine Black Tambourine was an American indie pop band and one of the earliest Slumberland groups of the early 1990s. Formed in Silver Spring, Maryland, the band comprised vocalist Pam Berry and instrumentalists Archie Moore, Brian Nelson and Mike Schu ...

'' (2010, Slumberland Records)

Compilation appearances

*"We Can't Be Friends" on ''One Last Kiss'' (1992, spinART) *"Pam's Tan" on ''What Kind of Heaven Do You Want?'' 7-inch EP (1989, Slumberland)

References

External links

Black Tambourine
{{Authority control Musical groups from Washington, D.C. Indie pop groups from Washington, D.C. Slumberland Records artists