Q&A: What are your favorite independent record labels?
Question by Rckets: What are your favorite independent record labels?
Wax Trax! Records – Arguably had the best lineup of any indie label, they were just loaded with KMFDM, Underworld, Rev Co, Thrill Kill Kult, etc. This label was the pride of Chicago and made the city the industrial music capital of the world. Wish they were still in existence.
Epitaph Records – I could have easily gone with Dischord, but this was such an amazing success story. They might be embarrassed by the fact that they still hold the record for the greatest amount of sales by an indie release. That would be Smash by The Offspring, a band that they are no longer on good terms with.
Cleopatra Records – The best Gothic label of all time.
Sookie – I knew you were going to pick Sub Pop, lol. They aren’t quite as indie as back in the glory days now that Warner Bros owns half of them. Looks like their big acts today are Band of Horses, The Shins, and Wolf Parade. A far cry from grunge and riot grrls. 🙂
Prof – I saved the Matador label specifically for you. Helium was another group I liked a lot back in the day. Can’t say enough good things about Mary Timony. Happy Thursday!
MachPen – Riot Grrl Local 707 is going to revoke your membership AND confiscate your “rusty spikes.” Not disappointed though, very good list of bands. Matador getting a lot of love.
BuzzKill – Only a matter of time before we get one of those “holy crap, does anyone remember Superchunk?” 🙂 It was hard to leave out Touch and Go.
Best answer:
Answer by Sookie
This will sound cliche coming from the grunge freak, but I was a huge Sub-Pop supporter for a long time. Not only did I get my hands on some the Seattle musicians’ earlier recordings with their bands and with their former bands, but I was also introduced to new, non-Seattle stuff like Velocity Girl and Jale.
I haven’t checked their stuff out in a while. I should.
Edit: I’m so transparent!
And I didn’t know that Warner Bros. had absorbed any part of them…too bad. 🙁
Edit (again): Prof – how could I forget about Sebadoh?!? And Reverend Horton Heat!
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