What’s Your Favorite Record Label, Past or Present?
Since the announcement of Touch and Go’s pseudo-demise, I’ve been thinking more and more about what labels I’m sad about not having anymore — or labels that used to be good but now suck. Which has me appreciating the record labels that are still around and putting out quality stuff.
So, I’m opening this up to you guys. Who do you miss? Who used to be good? Who isn’t good anymore? Who is still good?
Buzzgrinder’s official position? We love them all. As long as they send us money.
57 Responses to “What’s Your Favorite Record Label, Past or Present?”
-
On 02/20/09 12:29 PM, Quillen said:
Takehold Records were a big deal to me back in high school. I don’t really associate with those genres of music anymore, but its releases played a crucial role in my life at that time.
Also, mid and late 90s Tooth and Nail was awesome, and then that shit hit the fan quick. I am personally offended by most of the horseshit they are putting out now.
Jade Tree will be missed for sure, even though their quality of output slowly but surely derailed. I still need to get around to listening to Fucked Up’s “Hidden World. Maybe the last great Jade Tree release.
I loved early late 90s and early 2000s Vagrant. You know, Get Up Kids, The Anniversary, two Saves the Day records, Koufax. Though they still put out some stuff I’m interested in, like French Kicks. And now they’re releasing the next So Many Dynamos. I loved their last record.
It’s hard for me to choose a favorite label right now, as I don’t love absolutely every release by any one label. The exception is Suburban Sprawl, but I am very biased as I interned for them and am friends with all the bands.
Anyway, sorry this was so long. I just love talkin’ labels.
-
On 02/20/09 12:40 PM, Chris said:
Victory Records rocks my socks off!
All joking aside, I still really like Facedown and a large chunk of what Solid State releases.
-
On 02/20/09 12:49 PM, Sean Cannon said:
subsprawl is good peoples.
-
On 02/20/09 12:49 PM, Jay DiNitto said:
I’ve been getting into the Translation Loss/Willowtip/Sumerian roster lately. They are somewhat newer labels so I’m not so sure if it’s good to like them or not.
-
On 02/20/09 12:58 PM, Brian said:
Militia Group had a good run for the first half of this decade or so…They always seemed smart with the way they played ball… But then they started putting out all these bands that sound the same…
This has nothing to do with labels, but will someone please outlaw the use of that neon font that every poppunk/electropop band is using as a logo?!? (Think: Every Avenue, Mercy Mercedes, etc.)
-
On 02/20/09 12:58 PM, samsisdead said:
Southern Lord puts out some pretty sweet jams.
-
On 02/20/09 1:02 PM, AKA Lynnie said:
Sally Forth Records, the Netherlands.
-
On 02/20/09 1:07 PM, Katie said:
Eyeball
-
On 02/20/09 1:31 PM, Tyler said:
97-00:Takehold/Crank/Secretly Canadian
00-04:Subpop/Hydrahead/Secretly Canadian
04-09:Secretly Canadian/Morr Music/Ghostly International -
On 02/20/09 1:33 PM, Josh Mock said:
Tooth & Nail was IT in the late 90s, early 00s.
Right now, 4AD, Temporary Residence and Magic Bullet have been signing and releasing albums for a lot of great bands.
Anti-, Hydra Head, Southern Lord do okay too.
-
On 02/20/09 1:33 PM, The Pimento said:
Takehold & R.E.X
-
On 02/20/09 1:38 PM, anon said:
definitely takehold
-
On 02/20/09 1:47 PM, Cory said:
K Records & Labrador Records are my faves. Literally everything they put out is incredible. Also, Lookout Records & Fat Wreck Chords absorbed virtually all of my time when I was a kid…
-
On 02/20/09 1:54 PM, Quillen said:
After catching up on this comment thread and thinking some more, I guess I can think of some labels that stand up above the rest right now. 4AD has been putting out great stuff. Matador put out some awesome releases last year (Fucked Up, Malkmus), and has grown by leaps and bounds to be a better label than Merge right now. The Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans family is pretty great. I guess I would have to settle on Sub Pop being overall my fav. They are consistant, and I buy a good portion of their releases every year.
-
On 02/20/09 1:54 PM, trego said:
Facedown…lots of good memories
-
On 02/20/09 2:03 PM, Sergio Hernandez said:
I’m with Quillen.
I literally just talked to my friend about the summer of 2001 to spring of 2002 where we listened to almost nothing but Vagrant.
Another Year on the Streets, Vol. 2 was our Bible that year.
Now? Its so hard to say. I can’t really think of a label that houses more than three bands I really, really like let alone love.
-
On 02/20/09 2:19 PM, Quillen said:
Sergio, that’s the Vagrant comp with that really long Anniversary song right? “The End of the Reign of Terror is Soon Near” or something like that? It’s my fav Anniversary song ever.
-
On 02/20/09 2:33 PM, Sergio Hernandez said:
Quillen: That was on Vol. 1, which is also a great comp in its own right.
-
On 02/20/09 2:44 PM, Brett said:
I really miss DeSoto Records. ’seems like everything they put out was quality. Some of my all time fave records came from that label and they had a handful of bands that remain highly underrated.
For a while there Jade Tree had a decent run.
I think currently I dig a fair amount of stuff that Polyvinyl puts out. Asobi Seksu, Aloha, Headlights, Cale Parks as well as some of their vets like American Football, Pele and Ativin.
Table of the Elements has been responsible for a healthy bunch of things I’ve been listening to, as well.
-
On 02/20/09 3:04 PM, corinjoel said:
sofa records for sure.
-
On 02/20/09 3:53 PM, j said:
1. Sub Pop
2. Dischord
3. Jade Tree
4. Takehold
5. Old T&N
6. Relapse
7. Mute
8. Ed Banger
9. Crank
10. Lovitt -
On 02/20/09 4:23 PM, Tommy said:
shady/aftermath records
-
On 02/20/09 5:54 PM, The Viking said:
Jay already mentioned my favorite new label (Translation Loss) but I’m surprised no one has mentioned Neurot or No Idea Records. No Idea is probably one of the greatest Punk labels ever even if its only for the Fest every year.
-
On 02/20/09 6:07 PM, ryan said:
jade tree.
and classic deep elm. -
On 02/20/09 7:06 PM, jordan said:
used to love Drivethru back in the day.
I’m not to much of a snob to admit that I still love T&N/SS
-
On 02/20/09 7:16 PM, Ben said:
neurot, hydra head, facedown, ipecac, solid state, some T&N, relapse, prosthetic, southern lord, translation loss, sumerian.
-
On 02/20/09 7:19 PM, Evan said:
corinjoel….I am right there with you. I was all about sofa records YEAR S AND YEARS ago! solace, redeem, pink daffodils, one-21, speedy delivery, headnoise, etc.
-
On 02/20/09 7:37 PM, missleading said:
Tooth & Nail, Rox! All the Christian bands hold it down!
-
On 02/20/09 7:53 PM, Chris Berseth said:
Sumerian definitely has some good bands. I like quite a few Century Media and Vagrant bands also.
-
On 02/20/09 8:52 PM, Ben said:
totally forgot about century. nuclear blast as well.
-
On 02/20/09 9:55 PM, Jess Taylor said:
haha. Shady/Aftermath FTW!
I enjoy Cavity records though. Super legit.
-
On 02/20/09 10:36 PM, Paul A Harper said:
I have always liked Suicide Squeeze. Relapse has put out some hot records.
-
On 02/20/09 10:38 PM, kyle unzicker said:
eyeball, deathwish inc., i want to see the resurgence of plastiq
-
On 02/20/09 10:38 PM, sammy said:
I love a lot of the vinyl Southern Lord and Robotic Empire have put out.
I will listen to anything Hydra Head puts out.
Jade Tree probably averaged my favorite albums.
Temporary Residence has got it going on now.Amphetamine Reptile and Touch & Go put out some of the best heavy music ever though.
-
On 02/20/09 10:54 PM, Ben said:
damnit i forgot suicide squeeze and robotic empire as well…
-
On 02/21/09 1:03 AM, Wilhelm said:
Sally Forth Records
Burnt Toast Vinyl
-
On 02/21/09 1:31 AM, Brent said:
Tooth & Nail and Takehold were awesome several years ago, but nowadays, Temporary Residence, Constellation, Burnt Toast Vinyl, and Magic Bullet are all putting out really great stuff.
-
On 02/21/09 2:54 AM, nate said:
Tooth and Nail was all I listened up until 2000, but then again I went a christian school in the northwest.
Currently I’ve been digging most of what comes out on No Idea Records and Plan It-X.
-
On 02/21/09 7:24 AM, Seth Werkheiser said:
You guys still remember SOFA Records? “the more they persecute me, the stronger I’ll grow” chug chug chug chug chug – ahhh, memories.
-
On 02/21/09 9:16 AM, alextreachery said:
Yay for people liking Sumerian, haha.
-
On 02/21/09 1:51 PM, Jake said:
SubPop! Jade Tree! Dischord!
-
On 02/21/09 2:23 PM, radar said:
that one label with that good band…
-
On 02/21/09 3:52 PM, james said:
selah records
-
On 02/21/09 4:11 PM, Evan said:
Seth- I will always remember the SOFA records days. I recall a show you played with SOLACE, mewithoutyou and some other metal bands at eastern college (now eastern university). your cover of ravage ritual (I think that was the song) was epic. ahhhh, those were the days.
-
On 02/21/09 4:41 PM, ryan said:
NOT NOT FUN, woodsist, paw tracks
-
On 02/21/09 7:44 PM, Jay DiNitto said:
Evan, did LYW play there? Because I was there. That show comes up on here every so often.
-
On 02/21/09 8:08 PM, Sean Cannon said:
yeah, it does. i wasn’t there, have no idea why it’s important, and i’ve heard about it a few times on here. haha.
-
On 02/22/09 9:42 AM, E-ticket said:
gotee…no contest
-
On 02/22/09 11:52 AM, Kyle said:
crossroads of america
-
On 02/22/09 11:57 AM, brooks said:
4AD
Suicide Squeeze
Esperanza Plantation!
Burnt Toast Vinly
We Are Free Records
Sub Pop -
On 02/22/09 2:03 PM, Evan said:
Jay, I can’t recall if LYW played, they could have? I went to see mewithoutyou and solace, but I remember that all the bands put on a great show that night.
-
On 02/22/09 3:49 PM, joe said:
The “Doghouse” record company sounds retarded
-
On 02/24/09 4:11 AM, yeah said:
old Indianola
old Pluto
BETTIE ROCKET RECORDS
T&N/SS
FACEDOWN/DREAMT/STRIKE FIRST PWNS ALL
REX definitely was good.
Sally Forth is good too… I am glad someone mentioned Selah. Takehold I came onto late.Plastiq Musiq was a good idea but fell apart… I am bummed about that too.
I am thinking of a few more…can’t recall the names though. there used to be a ton of smaller labels I liked back in the day.
Uh…. let me see, current “smaller” labels?? I dunno yet.
-
On 02/24/09 7:29 AM, Jay DiNitto said:
Evan, LYW played there because I was playing with them at the time. Haha. Our set was later. The Operation played too…I think they were the headliner.
-
On 02/24/09 8:10 AM, Sean Cannon said:
wow, the operation was the headliner. how about that.
-
On 02/24/09 10:20 AM, GoGoGadget Supa said:
Good Fellow Records – Handshake Murders, Destroyer Destroyer, and Spitfire.
I’m still a big Ferret fan. Somewhat of a Solid State fan still.
-
On 02/28/09 10:45 PM, Ryan @ Milkweed Records said:
Deep Elm used to be the shit. They’ve been putting out some pretty awful shit lately… and getting all “antipiracy” on our asses.
