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Last Post 9/27/2005 1:49 PM by  Gar
Record Labels: do they influence your purchases?
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Gar
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9/27/2005 1:49 PM
    Since its a boring Tuesday, I thought I would start a thread to garner some reaction(s). This is about record labels....do people pay attention to them? (in the sense of picking up a new cd from an unheard of band just because they are on a certain label) Are indie labels cooler? What about a band like Death Cab For Cutie who recently signed to a bigger mainstream label, are they sell-outs or just smart musicians? Who are the best labels to be aware of (Rough Trade, Sub Pop, Merge, Matador, Island, Fierce Panda)? This also links to the new dvd coming out about the formation of the Saddle Creek label. Has anyone seen this or looking forward to it?
    Una
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    9/27/2005 2:23 PM
    I generally pay attention to them; especially stuff that comes out on Def Jux, Rough Trade, Sub Pop and Fierce Panda, just because they're USUALLY of some quality. I suppose it's down to their A&R...
    Unicron
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    9/27/2005 2:28 PM
    When it comes to indie releases I tend to pay attention to which label the band is on, if a label consistently puts out stuff that I'm into I'd be more likely to to buy a record without hearing any of it. A good example would be Sup Pop, they currently have Iron And Wine, Wolf Parade, the Postal Service, the Shins and Low signed to them, all of whom I like to varying degrees. If I hear good things about a record and it's released by them there's a good chance I'll check it out. Domino is another label who I've noticed feature in my collection quite a bit and is one I'd tend to "trust" (Franz Ferdinanad aside) but I haven't been impressed with some of their recent releases. Rough trade release good stuff but their repertoire of artists is too varied for me to put my faith in them to always pick a winner. Having said that I rarely buy albums without hearing at least some of it. As for are indie's cooler? The perception is that an indie will give you more scope to pursue the music you want to make so I guess to that extent they are cooler. Being on an indie label, usually because of it's smaller roster, means that you'll get more attention and you're less likely to get lost in the mix then if you were signed to a major that has hundreds of albums coming out each year. I'm constantly impressed by the way the Cory Brown at Absolutely Kosher sticks up for his bands publicly. That's not to say that there is anything "wrong" with being signed to a major label, you get a much more powerful marketing team behind your album and you've got more money to make the album. I really don't think that death cab are selling out by signing to Atlantic, Transatlanticism sold well over half a million copies in the US so Atlantic obviously know that there is a market out there for them and the band came to the negotiating table from a position of strength and were able to get themselves a deal that they were happy with.
    Gar
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    9/27/2005 2:36 PM
    I don't think Death Cab For Cutie sold out either, was just raising the question in case anyone had any strong opinions on it. I'm not sure about this one, but are some of the indie labels owned by major labels?
    Unicron
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    9/27/2005 2:47 PM
    It's impossible to do business without some major involvement. Most of the US indie's do their distribution via majors.
    benni
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    9/27/2005 3:10 PM
    I def keep an eye out for certain labels and distributors Mute, Sub Pop, Rough Trade, Saddle Creek, Drowned in Sound etc. The thing about indie acts signing on to labels is that it can sometimes discredit them a little. For example I remember when the departure walked into a 4 album deal with parlophone (i think...or some other major) after only being together for a while there were rumours abound about being manufactured and fake etc. They got a lot of stick for it etc.
    benni
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    9/27/2005 3:11 PM
    oh - btw - i aint heard nothing about that DVD but ill be looking for it. Anything by The Faint on it do ya know?
    Daragh
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    9/27/2005 3:15 PM
    never really take note of a label. But would agree that you need a major to make the leap to real hugeness. cant think about this now though, got me a head full of dylan after last night.
    Punchbowl
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    9/27/2005 5:09 PM
    Would seriously buy anything from Morr Music, Fat Cat and most of One Little Indian.. Used to respect Setanta but don't anymore.. And where's Mother when you need them?
    palace
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    9/27/2005 5:39 PM
    drag city, secretly canadian, merge, dischord... all make me prick my ears up... factory records back in the day
    stroller
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    9/27/2005 6:45 PM
    quote:
    Originally posted by Una
    I generally pay attention to them; especially stuff that comes out on Def Jux, Rough Trade, Sub Pop and Fierce Panda, just because they're USUALLY of some quality. I suppose it's down to their A&R...
    I wouldn't trust Def Jux, they're an awfully inconsistent label.
    Una
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    9/27/2005 7:50 PM
    I like most of the stuff on there that I know of.
    stroller
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    9/27/2005 9:13 PM
    quote:
    Originally posted by Una
    I like most of the stuff on there that I know of.
    Do you know about S.A. Smash and Party Fun Action Committee?
    Una
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    9/27/2005 9:19 PM
    no
    Binokular
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    9/27/2005 10:31 PM
    Personally I definitely take note of the label something is released on. It's definitely an indicator of what to expect. I mean just mention the words "Underground Resistance" and grown techno anoraks start peeing themselves with excitement. As soon as I mention "Motown", "Stax", "Studio One", "Blue Note", "Trojan" or "Warp", you already get a sense of a certain type of sound. Now obviously something like "Sony" or "EMI" (or are they one and the same these days? who knows? or cares?) is far too generic. Even good indie labels like Matador or Sub Pop can be a bit too wide ranging to give you an idea of what to expect. On Matador at one point you had Interpol, Cornelius and Solex signed simultaneously who have very little in common. Ditto Sub Pop: Mudhoney and the Postal Service? Chalk and cheese! I think some of the best labels, or at least those with the most distinct identity are those run by an individual or small group who is pretty much a dictator who decides the labels entire direction. They have a very specific (rockist even?) artistic or idealogical agenda. Think about a couple of really distinctive labels and who runs/ran them: Motown - Berry Gordy, Factory - Tony Wilson, BPitch Control - Ellen Allien, DFA - James Murphy/Tim Goldsworthy, Ersatz Audio - Adam and Nicola Kusperus, Morr Music - Thomas Morr, etc, etc..... You could go on for ages, but you get the idea, its these invidual run labels that tend to be the most distinct, interesting, focused and consistent.
    Rev Jules
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    10/3/2005 11:30 AM
    quote:
    Originally posted by Binokular
    Think about a couple of really distinctive labels and who runs/ran them: Motown - Berry Gordy, Factory - Tony Wilson, BPitch Control - Ellen Allien, DFA - James Murphy/Tim Goldsworthy, Ersatz Audio - Adam and Nicola Kusperus, Morr Music - Thomas Morr, etc, etc..... You could go on for ages, but you get the idea, its these invidual run labels that tend to be the most distinct, interesting, focused and consistent.
    To back that up, Sun Records (Sam Phillips) is probably the greatest example of an individual led label and the most influential.
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