View Full Version : Indie label with the best track record?
Longest period of time with the best ratio of good to crappy releases in your opinion (I just did the big ones i could think of. If you put "other" state your case).
Touch and Go, huh? Yeah, I guess that if you like one T&G record, you'll like most of the others...they all seem to carry a lot of the same characteristics.
I picked "other," and because this is America, I don't need to justify the choice.
Slint, The Rachel's, Negative Approach, The Necros, The Butthole Surfers, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, !!! aren't exactly similar. I could see not liking any or all of those bands and the others on the label, but there's definitely some semblance of diversity.
I was thinking about T&G's past more than their present. Labels don't seem to be able to live off of doing only one thing anymore. But, in 1995 (and earlier), I could tell you I was listening to a T&G band whether I'd seen the logo on the album or not. The same goes with SST, Dischord and Sub Pop, but to a lesser degree.
That label has released probably more of the records in my top 100 favorites of all time, than any other label. However, they have released so much pure garbage as well, especially all the Greg Ginn sycophants who latched themselves on to him when he startes smoking too much and he started releasing records by any one of his friends who had a tape recorder.
There's not a whole ton of stuff from SST that I even have the desire to hear anymore (the occasional Black Flag album, maybe some Dino Jr., fIREHOSE/Minutemen, Husker Du, and one solitary Henry Kaiser album are about it...I'm not counting Sonic Youth, because those were re-issues). Who would you put in your list that I didn't put in mine?
Miss Tasty Princess
07-21-2004, 09:29 AM
Originally posted by Paul
There's not a whole ton of stuff from SST that I even have the desire to hear anymore . . . I'm not counting Sonic Youth, because those were re-issues . . . EVOL and Sister were original SST releases unless you're considering them "re-issues" because they came out on Blast First in the UK at the same time.
Evol and Sister were both released first on SST. And those are my two favorite SY albums.
My favorite albums of all time which came out on SST were:
Black Flag - Damaged
Descendents - Milo Goes To College
Husker Du - Flip Your Wig, Zen Arcade, New Day Rising
Sonic Youth - Sister, Evol
Bad Brains - I Against I
Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime, Project Mersh
Firehose - If'n
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug, You're Living All Over Me
Negativeland - U2
B'Last - The Power of Expression
St. Vitus - Born Too Late
Oh crap! I wasn't even thinking about EVOL and Sister...only the debut ep and Confusion, which were re-issues.
A lot of the other stuff (St. Vitus, Bad Brains, Descendents) was great at the time, but I couldn't be bothered these days to even push the play button.
hstencil
07-21-2004, 10:44 AM
Homestead, holmes.
Miss Tasty Princess
07-21-2004, 11:56 AM
Originally posted by vi5
My favorite albums of all time which came out on SST were: . . .
Descendents - Milo Goes To College New Alliance, distributed by SST, actually. Fantastic album, BTW (though "I'm Not a Loser" really makes me cringe).
..all those SST affilliated labels.
All of the New Alliance Descendents records were later issued on SST proper.
Paul, your Touch & Go comment is lazy and wrong.
Dave
This one: "But, in 1995 (and earlier), I could tell you I was listening to a T&G band whether I'd seen the logo on the album or not."?
It might be lazy, but it's completely true.
Are you saying that all pre-1995 T&G bands sounda alike? I know plenty of people who like The Mekons but not Big Black...or the Rachels but not The Meatmen or Silkworm, or The Butthole Surfers but not Negative Approach or the Black Heart Procession or Blonde Redhead.
I could see saying that about a label like Amphetimine Reptile whose bands were almost all pummelling midwest burly guy post hardcore.
More the first one, but that comment isn't the greatest either. Kinda like you were trying to give yourself a deep listening merit badge. Since labels like Touch & Go, SST and Dischord all came out of specific scenes it certainly isn't surprising that a lot of them have a similar sound, but within that framework there is a lot of musical ground that gets covered. Die Kreuzen don't sound like the Butthole Surfers don't sound like Killdozer don't sound like the Necros don't sound like the Virgin Prunes don't sound like Tesco Vee don't sound like....
I'm sure you get my drift, and I don't mean to be rude, but you touched on a pet peeve.
Dave
bitterfruit
07-21-2004, 02:01 PM
Originally posted by Dave
Kinda like you were trying to give yourself a deep listening merit badge. Dave
Uh, duh. Don't we all have these merit badges?
Frankly, I've no longer got a grasp on what I was trying to say in the first place. Big Black and Butthole Surfers musically have about as much in common as GvsB and Rachel's, but they all would be more out of place on another label, right? They've got that crispy, underproduced feel to them that's identifiable with T&G. Very north-midwest; very "Chicago." I can't explain it. I just know it when I hear it.
winterwooskie
07-21-2004, 02:22 PM
it's not surprising that matador is winning, and not just because that survey is here. matador was the label in which they had the opportunity to steal basically all the good bands they wanted because they were usually on incredibly small labels in the 90's.
and is it just me or is matador going the way of sst and sub pop since so many of their artists are going somewhere else or breaking up.
and is merge records taking over for this decade perhaps?
I don't think labels dictate trends as much anymore as they used to, and there's certainly been no one label praised above others this decade (except maybe some specialized Euro labels like Morr, Bpitch Control and Kompakt). The press and music buyers in general are moving too fast between trends that labels more concerned with sales (as opposed to those who put out whatever they want) seem to have no singular vision anymore.
Originally posted by vi5
Are you saying that all pre-1995 T&G bands sounda alike? I know plenty of people who like The Mekons but not Big Black...or the Rachels but not The Meatmen or Silkworm
The only problem with this argument is that the Mekons and Rachels are on Quarterstick, a label set up specifically to release stuff that didn't fit in with the T&G asthetic.
And for the most part, all the Big Black stuff on T&G are reissues.
I still maintain that there is enough diversity in the T&G roster, or at least as much as there is on most indie label rosters.
Brushback
07-22-2004, 03:34 PM
I think it's really unfair to rate indie labels based upon their track records, since the people at these labels are all fairly unathletic (at least, all the ones that I've met are) and can't run very fast, and besides, what would someone's record in the 100-meter dash or the pole vault have to do with indie music anyway?
bitterfruit
07-22-2004, 03:47 PM
That's hilarious.
TheSadDebaser
07-22-2004, 10:12 PM
I was on the track team in junior high.
Needless to say, I sucked!
larry
08-04-2004, 01:17 PM
I think there are more great records on Sub Pop than on all practically all of these other labels combined. Sadly, it just ain't cool to like SP....
tinobeat
08-04-2004, 01:46 PM
Originally posted by larry
Sadly, it just ain't cool to like SP....
says who?
you've gotta stop listening to the fashion police and start listening to that new Comets on Fire record that Sub Pop just released.
I thought he was talking about Smashing Pumpkins, or else I might have countered his statement like tino did.
bitterfruit
08-04-2004, 04:56 PM
Originally posted by tinobeat
you've gotta stop listening to the fashion police and start listening to that new Comets on Fire record that Sub Pop just released.
I'm not really feelin' it. Not yet at least.
hstencil
08-04-2004, 05:06 PM
they freakin' smoked at Mighty Robot last weekend.
larry
08-06-2004, 12:08 PM
oh, I LOVE SP, just sayin' that I don't feel like they'd get the push they deserve....not picking on anybody, I just think that maybe some of the music we listen to and value (and I include myself) may not be listened to and valued on music alone....that said, I'm a big advocate of the 'art is whatever it is to you' kinda thinking. I just can't understand how, if one person is moved by a justin timberlake record, thats any less legit than being moved by the latest, like, Italian noise 10" (limited to 6 copies, etched probably...)
Originally posted by larry
I just can't understand how, if one person is moved by a justin timberlake record, thats any less legit than being moved by the latest, like, Italian noise 10" (limited to 6 copies, etched probably...) If both of them move you, you're the coolest person evah.
bitterfruit
08-06-2004, 01:59 PM
Originally posted by larry
oh, I LOVE SP, just sayin' that I don't feel like they'd get the push they deserve....not picking on anybody, I just think that maybe some of the music we listen to and value (and I include myself) may not be listened to and valued on music alone....that said, I'm a big advocate of the 'art is whatever it is to you' kinda thinking. I just can't understand how, if one person is moved by a justin timberlake record, thats any less legit than being moved by the latest, like, Italian noise 10" (limited to 6 copies, etched probably...)
I don't think it's any less legit to be moved by one artist or another. If you're moved by an artist that has more commercial intent than anything else, so be it. No playa hatin, but it is something that weighs heavy with my choice in music.
Playa play.
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