One of our absolute favourite labels, Shelflife Records, has released a free 18 track sampler with great music from their bands. The tracklisting is fantastic and features songs from both old and new Shelflife releases. I’ve got too many favourites here to mention, – all of it is high quality indie pop, – great songs all of them.

You can download the compilation for free here:

http://blog.shelflife.com/2009/06/09/free-shelflife-records-mp3-sampler/

Be sure to check out the label’s latest releases too. They have recently released a very, very good 8 track ep from Socialist Leisure Party, “Tactical POP! for Coffee Cadets” (I liked that one a lot!). Jangly pop-melodies all the way. I was expecting much of this band after hearing the demo of “Head in the hay” that we got for our own spring compilation (also on this sampler), but they managed to exceed my expectations. Thieves Like Us have a brilliant EP out these days called “Really Like To See You Again”. I loved the Thieves Like Us-album from earlier this year, but the EP was even more my taste. On this sampler, you will find the track “To Joy” from the EP. 2009 has been a brilliant year for Shelflife, and more than one of their releases will probably be on my top 10 at the end of the year. You can order their music directly from the labelpage (shelflife.com)

Here is the tracklisting for the free sampler:

1. Horse Shoes – The Imperial School (from LIFE1008: "The Imperial School")
2. Days – Downhill (from LIFE1003: "Downhill")
3. Socialist Leisure Party – Head In The Hay (demo version)
4. Burning Hearts – I Lost My Colour Vision (from LIFE057: "Aboa Sleeping")
5. Champagne Riot – Scandinavian Warfare (from LIFE1006: "Paris And I")
6. The Ruling Class – Flowers (from LIFE1005: "Tour de Force")
7. Dub Noir – The Careerist (demo version)
8. Laura Watling – You Never Came (from LIFE059: "Songs From Dreams")
9. Days – Simple Thing (from LIFE1003: "Downhill")
10. Kuryakin – Take My Hand (from LIFE1004 "Still Here")
11. Burning Hearts – Various Lives (from LIFE057: "Aboa Sleeping")
12. Thieves Like Us – To Joy (from LIFE061: "Really Like To See You Again")
13. Evening Lights – Don’t Turn the Light Out (from LIFE062: "The Disappointment")
14. Free Loan Investments – Kick His Balls Out (from LIFE044 "Ever Been To Mexico")
15. Warm Morning – Silver Rain (from LIFE1001: "Silver Rain")
16. Language Of Flowers – Leaving (from LIFE051: "Songs About You")
17. A Smile And a Ribbon – Book Cover (from LIFE1002: "The Boy I Wish I Never Met")
18. Thieves Like Us – Sugar And Song (from LIFE058: "Play Music")

…and here are a couple of bonus tracks for you:

Thieves Like Us – Really like to see you again (from the new EP)

California Snow Story – The only one that matters (from “One Good Summer"-ep)

Den Baron – Alcohol Future Bear (from the compilation “You’re still young at heart”)

The Shermans – Falling Out of Love (from “falling out of love” EP)

(all from the Shelflife website)