I've become a big fan of Yer Bird Records, which has put out a lot of great folk and alt-country music. They just put out a compilation called Folk Music for the End of the World which is really good. The album art is great too, adn the guy who runs the label wrote a pretty awesome piece commenting on music/art in general. It also included a pretty cool quote from some author named James Baldwin.

In the sixties there were dozens if not a couple hundred labels. Then the biggies began to buy them out and drop most of the bands and singers just to be rid of the competition. Big business is not gentle.

There are still a lot of independent labels....

I think what he was getting at was that their were a lot of independent labels that could actually fend for themselves. Now, any indie label that starts to get some cred seems to automatically be bought by a larger label and then still run under the facade of an indie label. It happens all too frequently..

Well, and artists on indie labels get bought off indie labels onto major labels (a la Decemberists).

And then we could get into Wilco's YHF deal...

quote:

Originally posted by Jglass:
I think what he was getting at was that their were a lot of independent labels that could actually fend for themselves. Now, any indie label that starts to get some cred seems to automatically be bought by a larger label and then still run under the facade of an indie label. It happens all too frequently..

yes, that is it. There were labels distributed regionally and in even small areas than that. I expect there were labels that covered local bands in places such as Detroit and Philadelphia.

Have you tried the Net Label www.Beatpick.com: a huge catalogue of up and coming artists divided in genres, and at very low prices. It's got an interesting philosophy behind it, too.

My newest favorite label is New Earth Records, based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico:

http://www.newearthrecords.com

Granted, I like chill out, world beat, lounge-ish music.

I've been ordering everything they have, and using their immediate download tool. But, yeah, I order just about everything they have.

I also like psychedelic trance music - and get EVERYTHING from a label based out of San Francisco:

http://www.geomagnetic.tv

Love their stuff!

Am I the only person who didn't realize that Mute records (Liars) was started by the dude who made "Warm Leatherette" (one of my all-time favorite songs) and was Silcon Teens?

Granted it's been bought by EMI, but still.

Warp (by far)
DefJux
Thrill Jockey
Stones Throw
XL

No Quarter has some really great stuff. Burning Star Core, Psychic Paramount, Circle, etc..

Stones Throw

but I defanitely don't pay much attention to labels. I don't find myself looking at bands from a particular label but from various.

Death Row Records
Epitaph
Epic
Columbia
STRANGE FAMOUS RECORDS!

Domino records
creation
matador

This is such a tough question to answer.

Tres Records

Arts & Crafts is by far my favorite record label. I love how almost every band on there shares their roster with the other bands on the label. Bands=Broken Social Scene, Stars, Apostle of Hustle, The Most Serene Republic, Feist(used to be on there), etc.

Lovepump is another great label.

Crystal Castles
Clipd Beaks
HEALTH
Ghengis Tron
AIDS Wolf

Quality.

Reprise
Kill Rock Stars
Merge

Sort of generic 'indie kid' labels, but I like what they release.

quote:

Originally posted by Kareem:
It has to be EMI. Home of Radiohead and Coldplay to name but a few.

well Radiohead have left EMI there are talks of coldplay leaving as well and other artists... according to papers its in trouble.

Domino has some good acts, as does Kill rock stars.