All Products
Mujeres
$ 20.00
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Listen to the song "Cuatro Crazy"
Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza’s inquisitive sense of self. Their fifth record, Mujeres, carries on the Portland-based band’s affinity for spiritual contemplation, but goes a step further in telling a story with a full emotional spectrum. Coming off Ojos Del Sol, one of NPR’s Top 50 Albums of 2016, Mujeres exhibits the scope of Mendoza’s artistic voice like never before. “Soy como soy,” Mendoza says, and that declaration is the bold— even political— statement that positions Mujeres to be Y La Bamba’s most unbridled offering yet.
The record exists in the post-2016 landscape of a national identity crisis, and Mendoza explores what it means to be a Mexican American woman by leading us through places we are afraid to go. Mujeres ventures in to the discomfort of the stories we tell ourselves. Those of our past, our futures. We all have these stories somewhere inside of us, but with Y La Bamba, Mendoza forges new narratives from old stories of heritage and family, tracing history while forging modern chicana feminism.
“Music is an extension of everything I have inside. It’s how I emote,” Mendoza says. The raw honesty of Mujeres is in fact the raw honesty of Mendoza. Armed with the emotionality of traditional música mexicana and the storytelling of American folk, Y La Bamba’s artistry is not just their musical ability but Mendoza’s search for unadulterated truth. It is in an ancestral, spiritual journey in which Mendoza comes to terms with the influence and limitations of her upbringing. Mendoza’s experience of childhood summers in the San Joaquin Valley listening to mariachi, of being raised strict Catholic by immigrant parents, of being a woman having to prove herself to the boys, paints strokes of both melancholy and healing on the tracks. “From the way that my family struggles, to the way they shoot the shit… it’s so different from whiteness,” Mendoza says. “It’s a different dimension.”
Y La Bamba exists in the dimension of the Mexican American imagination: somewhere cynical and optimistic at the same time. While there is a celebration of the Mexican creativity that has informed Mendoza’s life, there is a darker side to reconcile with. Where do mujeres fit in to the American story? What are the sins for which we are all guilty? How do different generations interact with the world? How can a culture become visible without tokenization? It is no surprise that in Mujeres, Y La Bamba’s first record with Mendoza at the helm of production, Mendoza contemplates these questions to tell her story. But it is not just Mendoza’s story. Challenging a narrative and dealing with the emotionality of that effort— that is everyone’s story.
Mujeres was recorded by Luz Elena Mendoza and Ryan Oxford at Color Therapy Studios and Besitos Fritos Studios in Portland, Oregon. Mixed by Jeff Bond, with Grace Bugbee on bass, John Niekrasz on drums, Margaret Wher Gibson on keys, and Ed Rodriguez and Ryan Oxford on electric guitar.
Bio written by Eliza Cossio
TLE-081 (2019) - 1. My Death
2. Real Talk
3. Cuatro Crazy
4. Conocidos
5. Lightning Storms
6. Dieciséis
7. Boca Llena
8. Perder
9. Mujeres
10. Una Letra
11. Santa Sal
12. Bruja de Brujas
13. Follow Your Feet
14. De Lejos (Digital only bonus track) -
Formed in 2008, Y La Bamba is the project of songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza. Upon listening to Mendoza’s music it’s clear that she draws from a myriad of influences--from Mexican 30’s tunes to Devendra Banhart. Mendoza’s distinctive voice, poetic and honest lyrics, and melding of disparate genres has earned the project fans across the country and has perked the ears of journalists at the likes of NPR, Vice, and Rolling Stone. Always open to exploration and hungry for further musical development, Y La Bamba is an exciting band to watch grow and consistently keeps fans wondering and anxious to see what they will put out next.
Ojos Del Sol
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Ostrich"
Y La Bamba's fourth offering is a sweeping, playful and vulnerable collection that’s ripe with both musical and personal discovery. From the intimate, contemplative verses of the Spanish-language title track to the revelations delivered over the loping beats of “Ostrich,” this is an album that’s painstakingly produced while remaining emotionally raw.
TLE-064 (2016) - 1. Ojos Del Sol
2. Say Sun
3. Orca
4. Libre
5. Ostrich
6. Cara Cara
7. Atmosphere
8. Nos Veremos
9. Kali
10. Iris
11. Ulysses -
Y La Bamba Formed in 2008, Y La Bamba is the project of songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza. Upon listening to Mendoza’s music it’s clear that she draws from a myriad of influences--from Mexican 30’s tunes to Devendra Banhart. Mendoza’s distinctive voice, poetic and honest lyrics, and melding of disparate genres has earned the project fans across the country and has perked the ears of journalists at the likes of NPR, Vice, and Rolling Stone. Always open to exploration and hungry for further musical development, Y La Bamba is an exciting band to watch grow and consistently keeps fans wondering and anxious to see what they will put out next.
Forest Park Print
$ 18.00
- Portland's Forest Park is truly magical, and this 8"x10" print does it justice. At over eight miles long and 5,157 acres, it's one of the largest urban forests in the United States. It's also filled with mystical energy, which this print so clearly illustrates.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Emotional Freedom Technique
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Do You Want Love?"
Straddling the line between pop and despair, Emotional Freedom Technique is a letter to the broken heart that won’t mend but still beats. It is a portrait of what happens when someone is flung across the world on tour—grateful to be there, grateful for the success and the adventures, but ultimately lonely.
TLE-067 (2017 ) - 1. Do You Want Love?
2. Communication
3. Lonely With You
4. Your Voice on the Radio
5. Never Worked So Hard
6. Anytime, Anywhere
7. EZ-101
8. Summer Days
9. Hindsight/Emotional Freedom Technique -
Dave Depper has been the connection point between a staggering number of Northwest bands, playing with Menomena, Fruit Bats, Mirah, Corin Tucker, and Laura Gibson. Tapped to join Ray LaMontagne’s touring band in 2014 and then snatched up to become a full-time member of Death Cab for Cutie, Depper solidified his role as the go-to guy, the man next to everyone on late night.
Fables
$ 14.00
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Listen to the song "Blooming"
On Fables, the forthcoming release from Ashland, Oregon favorites Slow Corpse, languid soul and gauzy dream rock float effortlessly over a bed of nuanced post-rock melodic complexity. Taut, arrestingly propulsive R&B-tinged melodic hooks ebb and flow against an ever-present undercurrent of woozy psychedelica. Born out of the creative union of artists from very different musical ecosystems, Fables manages to blend seemingly disparate elements together in a record that is both intellectually compelling, absolutely of-the-moment, and just plain catchy as hell.
TLE-073 (2018) - 1. Run It
2. Cruel
3. Fables
4. Blooming
5. 7:25 AM
6. Animals
7. Hold You
8. People
9. Home
10. Cigarette
11. Sycamore -
The brainchild of an EDM producer and a blues guitarist, Slow Corpse was born out of the misty forests and craggy mountains of Oregon in the fall of 2015. Singer/producer Mitchell Winters first rose to prominence as the golden boy of Soundcloud, where he releases electronic music as PALMCO. Guitarist Brenton Clarke cut his teeth as a hard blues and shoegaze informed, one-man-musical-tour-de-force. Winters and Clarke had known each other tangentially in high school and college, and eventually they got together for a casual jam session. “Brenton showed me a riff, I sang a little melody over it,” Winters tell us. “Then we stared into each other’s eyes and simultaneously said ‘let’s make song babies’. It’s been going ever since.” Following the release of their first two EP’s, Hound and Moons, Slow Corpse added multi-instrumentalist Cole Zollinger (Bass), hip-hop producer Dash Curtis (Keys), and Kelvin Underwood (drums) to their roster, creating a live band that has mesmerized crowds and seen the band opening for the likes of The Decemberists, Fitz & the Tantrums, Paul Wall, and more. In the fall of 2017 they signed to Portland, OR indie stalwart Tender Loving Empire, where they join the ranks of indie darlings Andy Shauf, Y La Bamba, and Typhoon. Fables is the result of a multi-year migration through the Pacific Northwest, written and recorded in whatever space the duo found themselves residing at a given moment. “Always small spaces, bathrooms, sometimes closets… but I always name my wifi Palmco Studios” says Winters. Produced and mixed by the band, it was mastered by Adam Gonsalves (Radiation City, Burials). Lyrically, the record runs the emotional gamut and is a broad-stroke snapshot of the reality of a post-millennial twenty-something. “People don’t need a message from the record” says Winter. “I just want people to come to our shows and dance with me.” Crack the cover on Fables, lose yourself in the spellbinding melodic narratives, and you’ll find that’s a near certainty.
Scenic Route Crew Sweater
Sold Out
- It's easy to take the scenic route in Oregon. Let this handsome sweater remind you of the roads you've taken. Locally printed on the softest tri-blend crew sweater you will ever own. Also available as a shirt and a convenient sticker-sized version.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
The Bearer of Bad News
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "You're Out Wasting"
Throughout the The Bearer of Bad News, Andy Shauf spins tales as a few others can in which accidental, redemptive victories (“Hometown Hero”) stir alongside evocative, heartrending tales of self-doubt and lost loves (“I’m Not Falling Asleep”). The Saskatchewan native’s tender, singular tenor guides the way over muted instrumentation of softly-strummed guitars, dampened drums, weathered piano, and clarinet. Meticulously written over four years and recorded over one in a makeshift basement studio, Shauf, whose vocal delivery at times reminds of Elliott Smith or Paul Simon, plays nearly every instrument on the album.
TLE-053 (2015) - 1. Hometown Hero
2. Drink My Rivers
3. I’m Not Falling Asleep
4. Covered in Dust
5. Wendell Walker
6. You’re Out Wasting
7. The Man On Stage
8. Jesus, She’s A Good Girl
9. Lick Your Wounds
10. Jerry Was a Clerk
11. My Dear Helen -
Andy Shauf There’s an innate stillness and depth to multi-instrumentalist Andy Shauf’s music—a quiet, riveting strength that subtly steals its way into a listener’s bones. He’s a storyteller: a singer of heartbreak and regrets, isolation and loneliness, small-town legends and smaller-town killers.
Rose City Crew Sweater
$ 52.00
- This crewneck is a bestseller for a reason - it's soft and cozy, and roses are magic! It's no secret that Portland draws some of its enchanted powers from this noble flower, so why not rep rose city with this fab sweater.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Goodnight Moon Print
$ 18.00
- Catch the moon on a starry night, up through the leaves and trees, lost perhaps in your backyard. Printed on 10" x 10" high quality matte white paper. Prints come in mylar sleeves with chipboard backing.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Mt. Hood Crew Sweater
$ 52.00
- Our Mt. Hood T is icy cool, whether you're on the mountain or just hitting the virtual slopes IN YOUR MIND. Locally printed on a super soft tri-blend crew sweater.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
(Disc) I Will Survive Print
$ 5.00 $ 18.00
- Just like the little succulent that adorns this print, its helpful to store up some reserves for when times get tough. We hope that the I Will Survive print hanging on your wall will give you a little extra fortitude. Don't worry, you got this.The I Will Survive Print is professionally printed locally on heavy-weight feathered paper. The print measures 8" x 10". All prints come in mylar sleeves with a chipboard backing.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Old Town Print
$ 18.00
- On a clear Portland night you can see the stars, and the moon, and our beloved White Stag sign. Printed on 8x10 high quality textured matte paper. Prints come in mylar sleeves with chipboard backing.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Friends and Friends of Friends Vol 9
$ 15.00
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Only available on CD!
Friends & Friends of Friends is an annual compilation of music curated by Tender Loving Empire. We collect submissions from our friends and (as the compilation title might suggest) from their friends. We request specific songs that we love and include our favorite jams from bands on our own record label. The result is a collection of songs that is by far the best grouping of music that we’ve ever been able to put in one place at one time.
TLE-065 (2016) -
DISC 1
1. Y La Bamba - Libre
2. Haley Heynderickx - Drinking Song
3. Kyle Craft - Balmorhea
4. Karl Blau - That’s How I Got To Memphis
5. Balto - Lost On The Young
6. Laura Palmer’s Death Parade - Summer Letters
7. Andy Shauf - The Magician
8. Kyle Morton - Survivalist Fantasy
9. Cat Hoch - WOYM
10. Genders - Life Is But A Dream
11. Julia Jacklin - Coming of Age
12. Tangerine - Sunset
13. Summer Cannibals - Go Home
14. The Toads - You’re Not Country Anymore
15. Mo Troper - Hurricane
16. Mega Pacific - Boxfan
17. Finn Riggins - Force & Friction
18. Telephant - Dart
19. No Aloha - Diversions
20. New Move - When Did We Stop feat. Luz Elena Mendoza
DISC 2
1. Beat Connection - Air Conditioning
2. Slow Corpse - Breeze
3. Shyla Buff - Confidence
4. Astro - Tan Hips
5. The Domestics - Montgomery Park (Live)
6. Rare Diagram - Cardinal
7. Months - Landlord
8. Cool American - Playing Along
9. Arlo Indigo - Petting the Crocodile
10. Fine Prince - Log Lady
11. Radiation City - Juicy
12. Glasys - The Pressure
13. Magic Sword - Sword Of Truth (Street Fever Remix)
14. Go Periscope - Solar Flares
15. Poppet - Cage Arms
16. Coco Columbia - Weight On Limb
17. Landon Wordswell - Alive
18. Willis Earl Beal - Through The Dark
19. Jonathan Barlow - I Remember This Place -
The players: Y La Bamba, Haley Heynderickx, Kyle Craft, Karl Blau, Balto, Laura Palmer’s Death Parade, Andy Shauf, Kyle Morton, Cat Hoch, Genders, Julia Jacklin, Tangerine, Summer Cannibals, The Toads, Mo Troper, Mega Pacific, Finn Riggins, Telephant, No Aloha, New Move, Luz Elena Mendoza, Beat Connection, Slow Corpse, Shyla Buff, Astro, The Domestics, Rare Diagram, Months, Cool American, Arlo Indigo, Fine Prince, Radiation City, Glasys, Magic Sword, Go Periscope, Poppet, Coco Columbia, Landon Wordswell, Willis Earl Beal, and Jonathan Barlow.
Life is Long
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Echo Chamber"
Jared Mees’ fourth album employs many of the poet’s traditional tools: metaphor and simile, alliteration and euphony, rhyme and aphorism, variation in voice and point of view. But these are only devices by which Jared the Poet treats his diverse subject matters: Loss of faith, love, legacy, suicide, to name a few contained in Life is Long. Jared wrote all the songs and recorded them in a small cabin along Oregon’s mighty Santiam river. While supplying the vocals and compositions, Jared had members of Typhoon, Radiation City, The Domestics, New Move and Yeah Great Fine play the music. For many days, they all went about the cabin in pajamas and bathrobes, eating sandwiches and ingesting cannabis. After many days of this they came to call themselves The Comfy Boyz.
LP and CD purchases include full digital download.
TLE-066 (2016) - 1. Life is Long
2. Blue Angels
3. I Believe
4. Mystic Isle
5. Signal Fire
6. This is Your Year
7. No Rules
8. Echo Chamber
9. Right Now We're Always Alive
10. Eyes Be Wide -
Jared Mees has been making and recording music with various groups of friends and vagrants for over 10 years. His early association with kindred spirits Finn Riggins lead to a lifelong relationship, inspiring each to form the hubs of their own cultural empires: Finn Riggins in Boise, ID, and Jared and his wife Brianne co-founding Tender Loving Empire in Portland, OR.
Beneath the Brine
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Beneath the Brine"
Beneath the Brine is a sweeping soundscape that highlights The Family Crest’s ability to balance the digestibility of pop and the complexity of dense string and horn arrangements. The group’s sonically rich palettes and frontman Liam McCormick’s virtuosic vocals have earned The Family Crest fans at WXPN, Paste and SPIN.
TLE-045 (2014) - 1. Beneath the Brine
2. The World
3. Love Don't Go
4. William's Dirge
5. Howl
6. The Water's Fine
7. I Am the Winter
8. She Knows My Name
9. As We Move Forward
10. When the Light Go Out
11. There's a Thunder
12. Make Me a Boat -
The Family Crest The brainchild of frontman Liam McCormick, The Family Crest began as a recording project in 2009 with co-founder/bassist John Seeterlin. “We always liked making music with people—getting a bunch of people together and singing. So we put ads everywhere,” says McCormick. The outcome was greater than the original duo imagined--80 people ended up being credited on the first recording the band produced. From those 80, a seven-piece core band emerged, though the Crest boasts over 400 “Extended Family” members. The Family Crest has a seemingly natural ability to infuse pop into complex arrangements and create a cohesive, digestible soundscape from a wide swath of individual instruments. They are based in San Francisco, CA.
Entre Los Dos
$ 16.00
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Listen to the song "Rios Sueltos"
How far does our sentimental strength go? When do we turn to the other without any resistance? What is the breaking point? By showing emotional connections we become vulnerable. Existing together, we can not conceive without the other. "I am another you" is a Mayan thought that blurs the limits of personal bonds, extending individuality to any being that we choose to look in the eyes, allowing us to find something shared in each others stare.
Entre Los Dos is the follow up to critically acclaimed Mujeres (NPR, Pitchfork, Billboard), Y La Bamba's most recently released full length album (February 2019). This EP comes as a collection of portraits, affinities, and new visions birthed during Mendoza's frequent stays in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. These are songs and powerful prayers, created with their purpose being to protect the land and its people, recognize the ancestry that burns in our hearts, and treasure wisdom weaving healthy bonds that reflect self-love with dignity.
Through the veins of front person Luz Elena Mendoza, runs Purepecha blood. Adapting to new environments over and over again, she has become someone who constantly questions and empowers through music: her great teacher and tireless companion.
The creative flow of Entre Los Dos moves without stopping, without resisting its own form. It adapts, migrates, and fuses with its environment and receptors. The adrenaline of a new beginning moves us, but also leaves a fragile space where the fear of being cornered and devoured may exist. When you float in foreign waters, you can not do more than surrender to doubt and become one with the death. The world is dangerous, and even more so when it comes to surrendering blindly to love.
TLE-085 (2019) - 1. Gabriel
2. Entre Los Dos
3. Rios Sueltos
4. Octavio
5. Soñadora
6. Las Platicas
7. Los Gritos
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Entre Los Dos is the follow up to critically acclaimed Mujeres (NPR, Pitchfork, Billboard), Y La Bamba's most recently released full length album (February 2019). This EP comes as a collection of portraits, affinities, and new visions birthed during Mendoza's frequent stays in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. These are songs and powerful prayers, created with their purpose being to protect the land and its people, recognize the ancestry that burns in our hearts, and treasure wisdom weaving healthy bonds that reflect self-love with dignity.
Feeling Good Mt. Hood Unisex Shirt
$ 28.00
- The iconic Mt. Hood is a sight to behold on the Oregon skyline and an epic place to ski, hike and commune with mother nature. This playful t-shirt sums up those feelings with a design and colorway that does them justice.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Wait Don't Wait
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Scene Here"
SISTERS continues their world takeover dance revolution with their second album, Wait Don't Wait. Building on their reputation for creating instantly crowd-pleasing dance anthems, Wait Don't Wait is replete with catchy, quirky corkers overflowing with joy. Emily Westman's bouncing beats make it impossible to remain seated—even while writing this!—while Andrew Vait's soaring vocals and keys create an ethereal, optimistic announcement that good times are ours for the taking, even in these unstable times.
All LP and CD purchases include the full digital file for immediate download on release day.
TLE-069 (2017 ) - 1. Scene Here
2. Heart Beats
3. Let Me Go
4. Sleepy Eyes
5. Glitter Lights
6. Bird
7. Preface
8. Posing In The Field
9. My Little Head
10. Night Walk
11. Y Do You Take So Long?
12. Love You Too -
Sisters is Emily Westman and Andrew Vait. They play music, dance, and spread joy from their secret headquarters in Seattle, WA.
Penrose x TLE: Valley Ceramic Candle
$ 48.00
- Smells like summer rain on the forest trail: notes of rain, soil, oakmoss, and noble fir.
This series is part of a special collaboration between Tender Loving Empire and Penrose Candles, available exclusively at TLE. Inspired by nature, memory and places both real and imaginary, these three scents pay homage to Oregon’s diverse and unique landscape- from high desert to coast to valley.
This modern ceramic candle has a wood wick that crackles while burning and comes topped with an ornate letterpress dust cover. After use, repurpose the jar as a planter, coffee mug, or as a desktop organizer. Made of Natural USA-grown soy wax, fine fragrances and essential oils, this 10 oz candle is vegan and phthalate-free, and has a 65-hour burn time.
Listen to a playlist of TLE music inspired by each scent and place here! -
Established in 2012, Penrose Candles is an artisan home fragrance & candle company located in Portland. Their clean, modern, unisex scent line is inspired by nature, memories and imaginary places. They blend and pour each candle by hand, using natural USA-grown soy wax with fine fragrance & essential oils.
TEN VINYL
$ 20.00
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TEN celebrates 10 years of greatest hits, rarities, and tunes never before released on vinyl from the Tender Loving Empire catalog.
Limited edition 12" colored vinyl in a poly sleeve with a full-color die cut insert. Download code included.
BONUS: While supplies last—each order of TEN comes with a glazed-bottom felt TLE slipmat for your turntable.
TLE-070 (2017) -
Side A
1. Jared Mees & the Grown Children - The Tallest Building in Hell
2. Finn Riggins - Wake (Keep This Town Alive)
3. Loch Lomond - Elephants & Little Girls
4. Typhoon - Summer Home
5. Radiation City - Zombies
Side B
1. Y La Bamba - Oh February
2. Brainstorm - She Moves
3. The Family Crest - Love Don't Go
4. Andy Shauf - You're Out Wasting
5. The Domestics - Sour Milk -
The players: Jared Mees & the Grown Children, Finn Riggins, Loch Lomond, Typhoon, Radiation City, Y La Bamba, Brainstorm, The Family Crest, Andy Shauf, The Domestics.
Portland Bee Balm - Oregon Mint
$ 3.75
- Support local bees and their keepers! Portland Bee Balm is manufactured in SE Portland and is the best balm on the block! Oregon Mint flavor.
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Portland Bee Balm Brad and Anika live in lovely SE Portland and have kept bees at various residences throughout the area, including now in their backyard. Beekeeping for years as a hobby, it was Brad’s love of honey bees that was the genesis for Portland Bee Balm.
Someone In Oregon Loves You Magnet
$ 9.00
- Someone loves you in Oregon! Laser cut from wood. Magnet on the back. Measures 1.5" x 2". Stick it on metal things.
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SnowMade Chelsea Snow an artist, writer and educator living in Portland, OR. SnowMade is a brand umbrella for the graphic design, product design, illustration, workshops and whatever other weird thing Chelsea Snow is doing.
Friends and Friends of Friends Vol 11
$ 15.00
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Only available on CD!
Friends & Friends of Friends is an annual compilation of music curated by Tender Loving Empire. We put out an open call for submissions from the community, request specific songs that we love and include our favorite jams from bands on our own record label. The result is a collection of songs that is by far the best grouping of music that we’ve ever been able to put in one place, at one time.
TLE-075 (2018) -
DISC 1
1. Ural Thomas & The Pain - Vibrations
2. Chanti Darling - Pillow Talk
3. The Seshen - Right Here
4. Vibe Mosaic ft. Mari QM - Why
5. Bells Atlas - Be Brave
6. Dreckig - Leipzig
7. EPP - Come My Way
8. Orquestra Pacifico Tropical - Mujer Santísima
9. Y La Bamba - Se Escucha
10. Typhoon - Remember
11. Brette Irish - Static
12. DoublePlusGood - Honest Man
13. Sweeping Exits - Teachers
14. Husky Boys - Boys Like Ryan
15. Rad Max - Big Trouble in Little Caesars
16. Deathlist - High Beams
17. Tancred - Queen of New York
18. The Fourth Wall - When I Lose Everything
19. Tough Boy - The Surface
20. Water Wolfman Washington - Save Your Love for Me
DISC 2
1. Slow Corpse - Cruel
2. Water Slice - This Way
3. The Family Crest - Take Tonight
4.Kuinka - Curious Hands
5. SISTERS - Queer Life
6. Frankie Simone - Love/Warrior
7. Gabe Fleck - Colder Shoulders
8. Why These Coyotes - Dance Around the Fire
9. Dan Dan - Broken Mirror
10. Paper Gates - Dekum Blues
11. Night Heron - What Do You See
12. The Fur Coats - We Live
13. Ryan Oxford - Fa Fa Fa Fired
14. Branson Anderson - Vegas
15. MAITA - Japanese Waitress
16. Mega Pacific - You & Me
17. Shy Boys - Something Sweet
18. Cape Francis - 5 in the Morning
19. Andrea Gibson - About the Weather
20. Abbey Hendrix - You Sir
21. Shook Twins - Safe -
The players: Ural Thomas & The Pain, Chanti Darling, The Seshen,Vibe Mosaic ft. Mari QM, Bells Atlas, Dreckig, EPP, Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, Y La Bamba, Typhoon, Brette Irish, DoublePlusGood, Sweeping Exits, Husky Boys, Rad Max, Deathlist, Tancred, The Fourth Wall, Tough Boy, Water Wolfman Washington, Slow Corpse, Water Slice, The Family Crest, Kuinka, Frankie Simone, Gabe Fleck, Why These Coyotes, Dan Dan, Paper Gates, Night Heron, The Fur Coats, Ryan Oxford, Branson Anderson, MAITA, Mega Pacific, Shy Boys, Capoe Francis, Andrea Gibson, Abbey Hendrix, Shook Twins.
Court the Storm
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Bendito"
Y La Bamba's Court The Storm creates a musical landscape that walks a musical line between alt-latino and indie-folk. With veteran Grammy winning producer Steve Berlin at the album’s helm and a guest appearance from beloved Tacoma native Neko Case, Court The Storm is anything but a disappointing follow up to 2010's critically-acclaimed Lupon. Bursting with raw, sincere energy, the album manages to be as exciting as the band’s famously spirited live performances.
TLE-032 (2012) - 1. Squawk
2. Bendito
3. Moral Panic
4. Hughson Boys
5. Como Ratones
6. Idaho’s Genius
7. Viuda Encabronada
8. Ponce Pilato
9. Michoacan
10. Court the Storm -
Y La Bamba Formed in 2008, Y La Bamba is the project of songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza. Upon listening to Mendoza’s music it’s clear that she draws from a myriad of influences--from Mexican 30’s tunes to Devendra Banhart. Mendoza’s distinctive voice, poetic and honest lyrics, and melding of disparate genres has earned the project fans across the country and has perked the ears of journalists at the likes of NPR, Vice, and Rolling Stone. Always open to exploration and hungry for further musical development, Y La Bamba is an exciting band to watch grow and consistently keeps fans wondering and anxious to see what they will put out next.
Raindrop Magnets
$ 12.00
- We have a lot to be happy about in Portland, Oregon. One of them is the rain. It makes our trees, plants, flowers and grass green and happy, which makes Portlanders happy. Happy rain starts with happy raindrops. Here are three of them. The set comes with three Bishop Lennon magnets. Each magnet is approximately 1" wide x 1.5" tall.
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Bishop Lennon earned her BFA in illustration at California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland. She likes three-legged dogs and one-eyed cats. She loves mythical animals and really cute, but bad-for-you, food. She is inspired by bright colors and things that don’t go together, like rain on a sunny day. Bishop has lived many places, including foggy San Francisco, windy Chicago, and sunny Phoenix. Her favorite place of all is her current city, rainy Portland, Oregon. It inspires her every day.
Volume 1
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Sword of Truth"
The Dark One has once again been freed from his ethereal prison and the mantle of warden falls to The Keeper of the Magic Sword. Echoing through the halls of the ages, The Keeper searches for the chosen one, preordained to return the Dark One to his chains. The forces of evil gain ground and the battle for the fate of the universe becomes increasingly desperate. As the lives of the innocent are pushed toward the brink of destruction, their cries come together in a tale lost in time…The tale of the Magic Sword. Comic book illustrated by Shay Plummer.
TLE-051 (2015) - 1. The Beginning
2. Sword of Truth
3. The Way Home
4. Kill Them All
5. In The Face of Evil
6. Only Way In
7. Reflection
8. Retrogram
9. Discover
10. Memories in Shadow
11. Battlefield
12. Infinite
13. Journey’s End -
Magic Sword The Keeper wears a mask to protect the identity of those he loves. Along with his minion, he produces retro-futuristic electronic music on stages across the world in an ongoing attempt to keep the Dark One at bay. The Keeper is known for wielding a sword of light during live performances, encouraging fans to bring their own magic sword to aide in the everlasting battle.
Rivers of the US Print
$ 48.00
- All Things Merge Into One. This amazing poster shows you the circulatory beauty of the rivers of the USA. A screenprinted edition of an original drawing by Nina Montenegro, it's 18" x 23" and printed in white ink on Navy 100# cover stock by Pen & Screen in Portland, OR.
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The Far Woods Nina and Sonya Montenegro, the designers and makers of The Far Woods, are sisters that come from a family full of artists. They now live together on a small organic farm just outside of Portland, OR. Using local and environmentally friendly materials and practices whenever possible, the Montenegro sisters strive to repurpose instead of buying new, believing that a well-made, hand-made, lovingly-made item is better than a shiny-new item. Each product is the result of a personal journey—one that begins with the sisters discovering an inspiring material, exploring a new process, or feeling moved to highlight an issue they are passionate about.
Abstract Landscape 5 Panel Hat
$ 28.00
- Featuring a nylon woven strapback with a low/mid crown fit, this olive colored 5 panel hat features a woven patch of our serene Abstract Landscape design.
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Tender Loving Empire is a hybrid handmade marketplace and record label based in beautiful (and sometimes rainy) Portland, Oregon. We have years of experience designing and creating high-quality handmade items, including cards, prints, t-shirts, and more.
Penrose x TLE: Scents of Oregon Travel Candle Set
$ 54.00
- Each candle in this set of three takes you to a different part of Oregon’s landscape:
-Stargazing in the High Desert: notes of clary sage, lavender and sandalwood.
-Windswept Juniper and Ocean Mist: notes of juniper, beach grass, sea salt, and cypress.
-Summer Rain on the Forest Trail: notes of rain, soil, oakmoss, and noble fir.
This series is part of a special collaboration between Tender Loving Empire and Penrose Candles, available exclusively at TLE. Inspired by nature, memory and places both real and imaginary, these three scents pay homage to Oregon’s diverse and unique landscape- from high desert to coast to valley.
Made of Natural USA-grown soy wax and fine fragrances and essential oils, each 4oz candle is vegan and phthalate-free and has an 18-hour burn time. Each gold travel tin candle has a wood wick that crackles while burning.
Listen to a playlist of TLE music inspired by each scent and place here! -
Established in 2012, Penrose Candles is an artisan home fragrance & candle company located in Portland. Their clean, modern, unisex scent line is inspired by nature, memories and imaginary places. They blend and pour each candle by hand, using natural USA-grown soy wax with fine fragrance & essential oils.
TFW x TLE: Listen Print
$ 38.00
- This print is a part of a collaboration between TLE and The Far Woods designed in the spirit of inclusivity, community and empowerment. It measures measures 8 x 10" and was screen printed by hand in Portland, OR.
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The Far Woods is Portland-based sisters Nina and Sonya Montenegro. They create educational artwork that seeks to contribute to a great culture shift in which there is a reverence for nature, a rejection of the dominant throw-away mentality, and direct connection to where our food and the things we use come from.
Someone In Oregon Loves You Ornament - Small
$ 9.00
- Someone loves you in Oregon! Laser cut from wood. Strung with gold & white baker's twine. Small ornament measures 1.5" x 2".
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SnowMade Chelsea Snow an artist, writer and educator living in Portland, OR. SnowMade is a brand umbrella for the graphic design, product design, illustration, workshops and whatever other weird thing Chelsea Snow is doing.
Happy Cloud Magnet
$ 8.00
- This happy cloud would love to be on your fridge. He is approximately 3 inches wide by 2 inches high. He also likes to hang out with the Bishop Lennon Art's Happy Portland Raindrop magnets.
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Bishop Lennon earned her BFA in illustration at California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland. She likes three-legged dogs and one-eyed cats. She loves mythical animals and really cute, but bad-for-you, food. She is inspired by bright colors and things that don’t go together, like rain on a sunny day. Bishop has lived many places, including foggy San Francisco, windy Chicago, and sunny Phoenix. Her favorite place of all is her current city, rainy Portland, Oregon. It inspires her every day.
The Hands That Take You
$ 9.00
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Listen to the song "Babies"
Radiation City Originally released on Apes Tapes, a cassette-only label operated by Radiation City members Cameron Spies and Lizzy Ellison, The Hands That Take You was the band’s debut album. Nostalgic and dreamy, this album is easily digested while its distinct songwriting and dense, flowering textures make it a record you’ll find yourself spinning over and over.
TLE-031 (2011) - 1. Babies
2. The Color of Industry
3. The Things You Tell Us
4. Summer Is Not An Act 1
6. Wading
7. Salsaness
8. Park
9. Mammals
10. Construction
11. Summer Is Not An Act 2 -
Radiation City As influenced by modern electronic sounds as they are by breezy classic bossa records and by the urgency and harmony of northern soul, Radiation City has crafted a seemingly contradictory sonic landscape--it is equally space-aged as it is retro. While they call Portland, Oregon home, the five-piece has earned fans across the country and beyond with their unique textures and infectious melodies.
RNB Vol. 1
$ 20.00
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Listen to the song "St*rs"
“THE RNB is a type of place that exists in another plane. It’s another dimension. A place beyond dreaming that is the totality of your highest vibration. All the rest though… is just mundane.”
TLE-074 (2018) - 1. Boogie.503
2. Casual (feat. The Last Artful, Dodgr)
3. St*rs
4. Running (feat. Natasha Kmeto)
5. Grab Onto Me
6. VCR
7. On The Fly (Nu Jck)
8. Pillow Talk
9. Who's Cruising Who
10. Wake Up The Night -
Chanticleer Trü would like you to know that “RNB ain’t no joke.” As frontman of Portland, OR retrofuturist electro-soul adepts Chanti Darling, Trü drinks deeply from the sacred founts of Disco, Boogie Funk, and the dizzying universe of house music. Teasing out the essential filaments, Trü weaves a sound that nods to the past as it blasts into the future; urgent, irresistible, and absolutely of the moment. Raised on a steady diet of jazz, soul, and his mom’s Boogie Funk collection (he started leading vocal groups at age ten), multi-instrumentalist Trü studied opera, musical theater, and composition. Naturally drawn to the primal energy of the club scene, Trü first made a name for himself as a performer, promoter, and DJ. “I was always drawn to the power of music to make people dance” says Trü. “There’s some innate, ritualistic pre-human thing within us, engrained on our DNA. The metaphysical combination of melodies, rhythms, lyrics and ideas; it’s what our very consciousness is made of. It is creation itself.” To aid him on his pilgrimage, spreading the gospel of RNB, Trü turned to fellow sonic wizards Natasha Kmeto and Damon Boucher. “Natasha and I have lots of conversations about unsung heroes of popular music” explains Trü “RNB musicians that don’t get the shine that they deserve because they are women, or black, or queer. Then a blonde haired blue-eyed dude from someplace trendy literally “borrows” from this genre and all the sudden RNB is cool. No. It’s never not been cool.” Written over three years and recorded in Portland, Oregon at Zip Zap and Eyrst studios, the record features numerous collaborations with producer Boucher and Kmeto. While some of the songs were written in the studio, much of the music was refined during the bands already legendary live shows. No doubt dazzling choreographers and dancers The Step Touches – the only constant in the Chanti Darling lineup apart from Trü – have helped build the legend with their epic performances. Early in the project, Trü put together a band that included Hannah Blilie of The Gossip and Rebecca Cole of Wild Flag. “It’s amazing to be able to develop ideas in a live setting,” Trü tells us. “A lot of these songs started from live instrumentation and were then translated through digital production.” In fact, the bulk of the music – apart from the drum programming – was tracked live. Aesthetically, Chanti Darling melds 80’s retro-futurist iconography with a late-night summertime vibe; THE RNB is a place of neon lights and palm fronds, washed in the pastels of dusk and dawn. Together, Chanti Darling is undeniable and immersive. This has not gone unnoticed in the Pacific Northwest – and beyond. Voted Portland’s “Best New Band” in a poll held by Willamette Week, the band has already performed at the Pickathon, Treefort, and What The Festival events, played a host of shows with Hercules & Love Affair, been featured in Vice and Dope, and shared the stage with NAO as part of Red Bull Sound Select This record is built upon a sort of string theory of RNB sounds” says Trü. “THE RNB is a type of place that exists in another plane. It’s another dimension. A place beyond dreaming that is the totality of your highest vibration. All the rest though… is just mundane.” One of the timeless, primary allures of music has been the ability to lose oneself within it, and with RNB Vol.1 Chanti Darling has crafted a sonic totem, imbued with the power to transport the listener to a place of hip-shaking, sweaty freedom. “I wanted to create a record that people could be absorbed by. Something to hold them and envelop them. The world… the world itself has gotten so dark. That darkness bleeds over into everything that we create. Which can be amazing. But, I felt my call was different. I wanted to create a shift to positivity and light.” Blessed through a life steeped in rhythm with the mystic ability to tap into and channel the primal genomic funk, Chanticleer Trü has crafted a shimmering antidote to that darkness. RNB Vol.1 is a rapturous, profoundly engaging (and much needed) mega dose of humanities first antidepressant.
Friends and Friends of Friends Vol 10
$ 15.00
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Friends & Friends of Friends is an annual 2-disc compilation of music curated by Tender Loving Empire. We collect submissions from our friends and (as the compilation title might suggest) from their friends. We request specific songs that we love and include our favorite jams from bands on our own record label. This year it's time for number 10, and we've put together 42 songs that reflect the best of what we're into now.
Download code included.
TLE-071 (2017) -
DISC 1
1. Dave Depper - Your Voice On The Radio (ft. Laura Gibson)
2. SISTERS - Heart Beats
3. Chanti Darling - Stars
4. Natasha Kmeto - Pour Down
5. Gold Casio - Socialites and Singer Types
6. Bryson Cone - Desire
7. Palmco - Hive
8. Tinariwen - Sastanàqqàm
9. Korgy & Bass - BB Beats (ft. Thomas Barber)
10. Myke Bogan - Take The Nite Off (ft. Blossom)
11. MAARQUII - Dam God
12. The Last Artful, Dodgr & Neill Von Tally - Bleu Replica
13. Reptaliens - Prequel
14. Codahnagi - Empty Sheets
15. Lee and the Bees - If Ya Don’t Change
16. Plastic Cactus - Dark & Moody
17. Small Million - Belmont, 1923
18. New Move - No One But Her ft. Radiation City
19. Cataldo - America, Goodnight!
20. Loch Lomond - Legs & Antlers
21. Sparillow - Wake Up
22. Qloq - Drifting
DISC 2
1. The Domestics - For The Last Time
2. Cardiod - Chinatown
3. Palehound - Flowing Over
4. deathlist - Sleeper
5. Animal Eyes - Guava
6. Turtlenecked - Pangloss
7. Scarves - Off Script
8. tow knee chavez - Whoa Oh, We Love Food
9. Couches - Anxiety
10. Autonomics - She’s Into Death
11. Battlehooch - Everyday
12. Kelli Schaefer - No Identity
13. Kendra McKinley - Fine As A Vine
14. Mister Heavenly - Makin’ Excuses
15. Jared Mees - Blue Angels
16. Black Belt Eagle Scout - Soft Stud
17. Johanna Warren - The Blessing / The Curse
18. Robin Bacior - Water Dreams
19. Anna Tivel - Lillian & Martha
20. Bart Budwig - Goliath Got Stoned -
The players: Dave Depper, SISTERS, Chanti Darling, Natasha Kmeto, Gold Casio, Bryson Cone, Palmco, Tinariwen, Korgy & Bass, Myke Bogan, MAARQUII, The Last Artful, Dodgr, Reptaliens, Codahnagi, Lee and the Bees, Plastic Cactus, Small Million, New Move, Cataldo, Loch Lomond, Sparillow, Qloq, The Domestics, Cardiod, Palehound, deathlist, Animal Eyes, Turtlenecked, Scarves, tow knee chavez, Couches, Autonomics, Battlehooch, Kelli Schaefer, Kendra McKinley, Mister Heavenly, Jared Mees, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Johanna Warren, Robin Bacior, Anna Tivel, Bart Budwig
