Last night, at the second of Bella Union’s tenth anniversary shows at London’s Royal Festival Hall, journalist and TV talking head Paul Morley commented on the label in question’s status as a label you could trust. Between nonsensically antagonistic remarks about the value of his peers’ critical prose, inexplicably dressed up as introductions for bands such as The Faraway Trail (oh whoops, Mr Morley), the man sometimes seen performing with his band Infantjoy raised an interesting topic for DiScussion: what labels, if any, are completely dependable? Who can you trust?
Bella Union certainly has an impressive record: from Lift To Experience and Dirty Three through to recent signings such as Midlake and The Kissaway Trail, the label founded by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie in 1997 has rarely put a foot wrong. They’ve brought to domestic attentions the grandeur of Texan instrumental rockers Explosions In The Sky and ripped heartstrings from the chests of men old enough to have finally gotten over the whole death of Bambi’s mother/Optimus Prime (delete as appropriate) thing with Devics. But what labels are rubbing shoulders with Bella Union in terms of quality and, most importantly, consistency?
In the UK right now, two labels seem to be ahead of the game: FatCat and 4AD. The recent output of both has been impeccable of late, with the former releasing material by the likes of Nina Nastasia, The Twilight Sad and No Age, and the latter responsible for albums by Blonde Redhead, Kristin Hersh, Beirut and TV On The Radio. (Wolf & Cub? Ah, they ain’t so bad.) Wichita continues to impress and confuse in roughly equal measures, likewise Domino (Bonde Do Role? Come on), while in the States the likes of Jade Tree, Matador and Sub Pop continue to mix commercially accessible releases with recordings straight out of the leftfield.
But these are just the labels that spring to mind first – we want to know the labels you trust. Will you buy a release by a band you’ve never heard of simply because of the label they’re on? Has a former favourite label of yours gone downhill in your estimation by releasing a certain something that didn’t really sit pretty with your tastes? Are some labels simply too narrow-minded? While this can produce consistency it can also lead to complacency and, ultimately, unwanted pigeonholing. Are there new labels breaking through that you can see enjoying a widely publicised tenth anniversary a little down the line? Upset! The Rhythm, or Big Scary Monsters, or Jealous, or Brainlove, or even DiS…?
DiScuss: Who can you trust?
I trust:
Saddle Creek
Sup Pop (85% of the time)
Matador (80%)
Bella Union is also a label which I have a lot of faith in (even if I don't own that many records by their artists).
Kill Rock Stars
even if I don't like a specific release it's usually interesting and challenging.
this last line about bella union reminds me of something hansel said on zoolander
"Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that."
Fear and Records
two releases. Both good. The next one should be rocking as well, from what gossip I've heard..
x
Domino
Domino
i reckon..
Truck are one of the best small UK labels.
Oh..
and i still think Rough Trade release and support some fine artist
a few
load
brainlove records
labrador
holy roar (even though i don't like all the artists on there)
constellation, obvs.
yes to holy roar
quite trusted in that particular area
Saddle Creek
Whichta also
WARP
Yay for Sub Pop!
For rising above the "oh yeah, the label that had Nirvana, right" status with signings like CSS and Iron and Wine.
And Drag City, of course. Because they have Six Organs, for which they earn an immediate place in heaven.
Jealous Are Amazing
Not a bad release so far. But perhaps lack the commercial intent to do a lot more than please an underground audience.
Also worth remembering that Ian ran Subjugation before Jealous and they released Spy Vs. Spy, arguably the best British "emo" band ever.
Most of the obvious choices have been said so....
I am gonna throw Ed Banger into the mix...
erm
... bob tilton?!
Gringo..
..how could I forget. You've done some ace records.
Constellation
No bad albums on there, theyre either works of genius or okay, but nothing bad.
I trust in
good music, regardless of labels
but dischord put out music solely from their city (except lungfish)
touch and go!
bella munion are dreadful-life to experience are loud but not good while the dirty three have a great drummer but wanky violist. 4ad has the Mountain Goats and Kristen hersh but nothing good for years.
Touch and Go has all the good bands on it. Southern Records here has good bands on it. That was started by Crass you know-I wonder if they are anarhists now or anarcho capitalists?
southern?
too bad southern is now run by a woman who owns a $80,000 car and multiple properties while paying her employees slave wages and treating them like dogs. not really upholding the crass ethos, are they?
EMI?
No?
Northern Star
Northern Star Records - released 2 compilation albums so far - all killer, no filler. Love this label. They've featured Brian Jonestown Massacre, Black Angels, High Dials, The Nova Saints, The December Sound, Peoples Revolutionary Choir, Heroes of Switzerland, The Electric Mainline, Dust, Perfect Blue, Flowers of Hell and many more.
www.northernstarrecords.co.uk
Hmm...
4AD,
GSL,
Buddyhead.
4AD wins though, blato's.
Southern/Latitudes
(mostly).
You should trust / try
Hit and Hope Records
www.hiandhoperecords.co.uk
their future looks promising
website mistake
www.hitandhoperecords.co.uk
even!!!
I don't trust any particular label
I buy what I like, by who I like. However, I can think of very little on Ipecac that I don not actually covet, so I trust thejm I suppose.
4AD, 4AD, 4AD...
Blatently... and I'd say Bella Union too.
Hardgraft is coming along nicely too.
Oh yeah...
I forgot, Warp as well.
Arts & Crafts
Basically release anything and anyone to do with Broken Social Scene. Excellent Canadian indie
Other thoughts
Leaf
Rune Grammofon
Warp
and I second some of the others above too.
Trust No One
The difference comes when you can trust a label to dish up things of interest, rather than things you love. Like I wouldn't say XL have many of my favourite bands, they've consistently put out things which are brave or challenging or just done things that bit differently.
You can always trust Ed Banger and Modular to put things are are of a quality (even Wolfmother, I mean, i think they're gash but it's a great spectacle) and, er, cool. Or Moshi Moshi or Tom Lab to take a risk on freakishly cool kids, without them we maybe wouldn't have Hot Chip or Patrick Wolf.
My favourite American labels at the moment Arts & Crafts, Ace Fu and labels which don't begin with A, like Dim Mak.
I'm not sure I really trust any label to be 100% reliable because that would just be some kind of personalized niche that fits perfectly for me and everyone else would think it's rubbish.
The wider question is how to these labels as trusted 'brands' survive in a time of falling record sales?
arts & crafts aren't american
^ tru dat ^
but, like, still OVER THERE.
also
who's on xl that's brave or challenging? jack penate? basement jaxx? haha!
they put out lesser matters over here though, so i suppose they deserve some credit for that. although the radio dept don't seem to have had a particularly good relationship with them.
i can't wait for your q&a on 'diy' at truck.
XL has released quite a few grime records
Having said that I think they fucked over some of the artists...
Wot no Dears?
You talk about Bella Union without mentioning the majesty of The Dears???
Tomlab
are consistantly awesome. They've released great albums by Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Les Georges Leningrad, Final Fantasy, Deerhoof, The Blow, The Books, etc, and their alphabet series has had singles by Islands, Tussle, Dat Politics, Grizzly Bear, Simon Bookish and more! Plus they have singles by Erase Errata and Scout Niblett coming up!
Fantastic Plastic
anyone...?
there was a time...
but not anymore !
yes to everyone else's opinion
i used to like cottage industries but the swashes and bleeps don't cut it for me anymore. i used to worship at the ground of domino (except royal trux, never got them) but no anymore. chemikal underground was pretty good wasn't it? no one mentioned them. i have high hopes for kill devil hills but with 2 releases it doesn't count.
i would rather buy a label sampler from bella union or leaf than anyone else i guess.
The only time a label
in particular comes into play for me is when I'm considering taking a "wild stab" at the used bins. Which I probably do once or twice a week.
It may be the cover art, a vaguely reference band name or whatever and I'll flip it over and the label will deciding factor: "oh, it's on Kill Rock Starts, let's go for it" ...but other than that I don't have a pet label.
ipecac
yeah i 'trust' mike patton's ipecac records, everything is at least interesting, and the majority of it is great
labels are the way to discover great music. period.
They
are actually on form this year. Dalek, Hella, Tomahawk... all great releases.
Stones Throw
I would buy one of their records on name alone.
Siltbreeze. Since gettting into the Dead C last year I've gone through the Siltbreeze back catalogue and the quality is consistently great. All of their releases this year have been essential (Times New Viking, Pink Reason, Sapat, Der Tpk, Ex-Cocaine).
Fat Cat
I'm doing a special radio show next week on Fat Cat Records.
Anyone say Merge?
They should've.
Hydrahead
5RC
^ it's un underated label, i mean, DEERHOOF!! BARR!! XIU XIU!! not many people give it the attention/credit it deserves
the golden four
Drag City
Domino
Touch And Go
Merge
all won my trust a very long time ago
I will always try to listen first
but this are labels I would trust the more :
Jagjaguwar
Darla
Secretly Canadian
Kranky
Chairkickers
Secretly
...Canadian is indeed awesome
Who can we trust?
I've always had a soft spot for Loose Music. Anyone who releases The Handsome Family has to be worthy of everyone's respect.
Mute usually come up with the goods as well.
Those owned by the artists
asthmatic kitty and dance to the radio, for example
to name a few
load
mute
rough trade
white heat
sub pop
upset the rhythm
cold chillin
soul jazz
2 tone
stiff
aftermath
factory
are all labels that i can rely on .
it's got to be:
there are only 2 who've earnt my loyalty and respect over many moons:
>> 4AD
>> Bella Union
the ones who consistently impress me and would investigate new releases having never heard music:
>> Kanine Records
(most highly underrated/best kept secret US indie label- they are responsible for bringing Grizzly Bear to the attention of more than 5 people in brooklyn, releasing their 1st album- plus put together their remix album with (then) relative unknowns like Final Fantasy... they also released first few Oxford Collapse albums - who are fantastic and now have a home on Subpop).
>> white heat
>> arts and crafts
>> tomlab
>> wichita (go team bowen!)
x
No Idea Records...
..have NEVER released anything that I haven't loved.
Oh and
Southern Lord.
AC30
On The Bone
Dance To The Radio
Kitchenware
well
apart from the obvious *ahem*, i'd say static caravan is a mighty fine and trustworthy label. no longer restricted to just electronica either, they have released some fine music!
it's always good to see labels with diverse catalogues that confuse the punter rather than just pigeonholing themselves into a niche.
I haven't been too disappointed by Def Jux ever really
No-one seems to have mentioned...
Chemikal Underground
so I thought I would
Kompakt
With Gui Boratto and The Field in the last few months they have to win the crown for best releases of this spring at least.
Second
Def Jux too. Going through their roster basically single-handedly got me into hip-hop when before I didn't think it went beyond 50 cent/Nelly MOR shit.
4AD
only have one act on the roster that is any goodthese days-The mounatin Goats but their last LP was a let down. Bella Union has mostly spacey boring delayed guitar durge bands as Robin Guthrie can only make and hear spacey guitar dirge...dirge...dirge..dirg..dir..d..d...
Secretly Canadian have Jens Lekman, Frida Hyvonen and Laughing boy Jason Molina-which is pretty pretty good but......
Touch and Go win pants down with:
Shellac, Nina Nastasia, Brick Layer Cake, polvo, Pinback, Jesus Lizard, The New Year, Big Black, Rapeman, Calexico, Butthole Surfers, Cargo cult, Man or Astro man, Rachels, the New Year and slint.
Jagjaguar is ok too.
hmmm
mines would be
constellation
hydrahead
southern lord
load
temporary residence
chemikal underground (not really recently though)