i'm new here, this place looks killer!
anyways, i'm really into good labels and i have to say i have quite a few favorites, some i noticed that nobody else mentioned (???!!) here's a few:

In The Red (the Hunches, and now the Black Lips)
Dischord (c'mon - THE best label! Q¬U, Minor Threat, etc etc etc)
Electric Frog Recordings (probably the second best - Legendary No, Dissimilars, etc)
Swami (ok, maybe also second best - HOT friggin SNAKES)

by the way....anyone ever heard of a label called "Progeria"? i think they were out of pittsburgh, and they put out a 12" by a great band, the 1985, but i can't find ANYTHING AT ALL about them....maybe someone here has some info about the band or the label?

I'm sure to forget many great labels, but for now-

Bomp
Get Hip
Estrus
Dionysus
Double Crown
Not Lame
Parasol/Hidden Agenda
Jump Up
In The Red
Drunkabilly
Off The Hip
Radioactive Records
Gear Fab
Rhino
Golly Gee
JAM
Matador
Yep Roc
Acid Jazz/Soul Jazz
OmOm
Akarma
Sound Asleep
Ninja Tune
Rubric
Deep Eddy
Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguar
Zip
Sub Pop
Bloodshot
Saddle Creek
Wizzard In Vinyl
Green Cookie
Sazanami

I don't really buy from specific labels on purpose but I do notice when I start to compile a lot from a particular one. Here is an uncomprehensive dabble-

Fat Cat
Kranky
Anticon
Young God
Anti
Temporary Residence
Paw Tracks - (actually Animal Collective really release some suck stuff but they're records are incredible)
Constellation
Definitive Jux
Load
De Soto

meh, I don't know.

Basic Channel...all ya'll need this label.

Mianly its smaller sublabels including:

Burial Mix
Main Street Records
Rhythm and Sound

Absolutely essential listening....IMO.
I own the entire catalog, thats how good it is.

My favourite record label of all-time would have to be SST. I'm not all that into fist-clenching music, but I think SST really laid the framework for Rock music:

1. Minutement: Double Nickels on the Dime
2. Sonic Youth: EVOL
3. Meat Puppets: II
4. Black Flag: Damaged
5. Dinosaur Jr. : You're Living all Over Me
6. Sonic Youth: Sister
7. Husker Du: Zen Arcarde

That's a tough one to answer. There's not that many big labels left that have an identity. You can pretty well know what you are going to get from: SUB POP, BLUE NOTE, METAL BLADE, but most labels end up signing things outside of their original vision.

I used to dig TRAX RECORDS for the older House music. I also like quite a few artists on FAVORED NATIONS, which is co-owned by Steve Vai. There's some killer guitarists on there but I can't think of any one label that hasn't had a few releases that didn't grab me.

Some labels I really like in no particular order:
Dischord
Ebullition
Load
Hanson
American Tapes
Level Plane
Mego
Touch
Holy Mountain
Fat Cat
Kranky
Mute
Mille Plateaux
Rephlex
Blast First
SST
Matador
Sub Pop
Alien 8
Rune Grammofon
Tjadik
Carpark
Bulb
Domino
Touch & Go
Secretly Canadian
Jagjaguwar
Planet Mu
Mush
Young God
Important
Lampse
Type
Southern Lord

There are lots more but these were off the top of my head.

Just a couple to add.. I noticed these looking through my favorite records.

Sire - Talking Heads, Ramones, Pretenders
Island - Toot and the Maytals, John Cale, Brian Eno, Marianne Faithfull

For Sire, I'm gonna add Undertones, Smiths, Replacements, English Beat, Echo & the Bunnymen.

For Island, I have to go with U2.

I'm a big fan of Sony, EMI, and Universal.

quote:

EMI

How disrespectful for Radiohead!!!!

Lost Highway
Swami
Anti
Rough Trade
Dap-Tone Records
Barsuk
Vice
Ace Fu
Nonesuch
Minty Fresh
Tiger Style
Dangerbird
Initial
Deep Elm
Jetset
V2
Fat Possum
ROIR
DFA
Astralwers
Arts & crafts
Secretly Canadian
Thrill Jockey
Matador
K
Bloodshot
STAX
New West
4AD
Warp
Ubiquity

Bpitchcontrol (Ellen Allien's Berlin electronic label...great stuff all around.)
Warp
Vice
XL (Most of the time. And they'd get listed just for the White Stripes.)
Memphis Industries
Domino
Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian
Sub Pop
Merge

I guess I have been listening to Jagjaguwar quite a bit lately. They really don't have a bad band on their roster, which is impressive.

Hydra Head Records
Southern Lord Records
Metal Age Prductions
Constellation Records

No Idea Records, based in Gainesville is pretty badass. Also, if you go to the link, try out the music player in the top right corner.

Am I just weird, because I couldn't tell you the record labels of most of my favorite bands. I don't really pay attention to that...

Although I do agree that BPitchControl is awesome.

P.S. My friends band, ABOLETH, was going to sign to Metal Blade until they lost their drummer and then fell to pieces.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JGlass,

I know where you are coming from Boarder, the only reason i know about "No Idea Records" is because it is local. In most instances I simply do not feel it necesary.

Matador are my favourite label simply because they had the wisdom to sign Cat Power, let her do what she's wanted and have stuck by her. On top of this they signed the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Helium,Pavement and Chavez and have recently signed and incredible band called Times New Viking which could well be their best signing in years.

I also really like Domino Records mainly because theyve done a great job of making a lot of Drag City releases (Smog, Royal Trux, Will Oldham) easily available in the UK as well as a few Matador ones (Pavement, Stephen Malkmus) along with signing some good bands like the Kills.

Also Sanctuary/Castle should be congratulated for doing such a good job of tidying up the Fall's huge and messy back catalogue.

I love Kill Rock Stars, and was really sad to see the Decemberists leave. I like Matador and Jagjaguwar okay too.