WE HAVE MOVED

I decided to combine my two blogs Straight From The Vault and Center of The Indie Label Universe into one blog (makes sense) and move it to Wordpress. You can follow it here:

And my updates on Indie label news et al on twitter here

Group 6's Helpful Sites

U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration's homepage. It features many of the resources, links, documentation and insight into the steps necessary and the choices ahead of you when starting your own small business.

Distribution: Starting a label
The British Broadcasting Company put together a basic but helpful how-to on starting a label, with considerations, descriptions and documentation to help you get started.

Record Label Resource Directory
A great resource of contacts, radio stations, promoters, publicity and
whatnot to help you get your artists to the next level.

RCRD LBL
RCRD LBL is a network of ad supported online record labels and blogs offering completely free music and multimedia content from emerging and established artists. This is a cool web site where your label or artists can join.

12 Solid Steps to Starting A Record Label The Right Way
This web site covers the 12 steps of starting a label, from the business model to paying artists.

Session 2: The Business Plan
This site will help you become familiar with a business plan and goes through the process of writing one. Something every new company needs to know.

One Stop Business Licensing and Permitting Center
This website is exactly what it says it is. It's a one stop shop for all of your start up needs. It includes checklists, forms, FAQ's, even a page dedicated to share why other businesses fail. One of the major benefits of this page is that it helps you to decide what to chose as your business entity. This is run by the state of Alabama, yet every state has one that is unique to that state and its requirements.

STARTING A RECORD LABEL
This site is tailored to helping individuals starting their own label. It includes many links that will guide you through the process in area's such as, choosing a name, choosing a lawyer, writing a business plan, copyrights and trademarks, types of deals to offer, this list goes on. This site starts at conception to start up and has all of the information one would need for starting their very own record label.

Running and Independent Label: Artist House Interview
This website features an interview with Michael Caplan, president and co-founder of OR Music. He discusses how to run an independent label and some trials and tribulations he encounters. Though he has the taste of a major label, he enjoys to attention he is able to give 4 or 5 artists per year at his indie label. One of his biggest difficulties is getting radio airplay and the cost of doing business.

Deals That Await Successful Independent Music Labels
This article by Christopher Knab, an independent music business consultant, explains the type of deals an independent label may encounter when collaborating with a larger label. The article
describes deals including P&D, Distribution Only, Fulfillment, Piggyback, Production, Joint Venture, and Equity Deals. Licensing by major labels, licensing to major labels, and rights buyouts are also explained.

Group 4’s 10 Helpful Links

Submitted by Christina Adams, Austin Davis, Becky King, and Matt Schithuis

Fans Pre-fund Releases - This tool allows musicians to get fan support in pre-funding album releases by announcing what they need in order to follow through with the release and allowing fans to pledge a donation amount.

Sell Things That People Want - This site provides good information about marketing music, stating that fans are no longer buying music because they want to hear it, necessarily, but because they want to own that physical product and feel involved as a community with others. Input from indie label, Asthmatic Kitty.

Releasing EP Before Signing - Providing advice for college students starting an indie label, this site includes valuable information on marketing, sponsorships, management, and income.

How To Start A Record Label - This site offers suggestions on developing a business plan, licensing, promotion, and pressing new products upon getting involved with the upstart on a new record label.

Starting An Independent Label and Getting Artist to Sign - When starting a new record label, this site would be helpful in figuring out how to acquire new artists to sign to the label. How to start on a small budget, having a well-rounded business plan, setting up financial accounts, and developing a sound marketing strategy are points covered in the article.

Before You Start A Record Label -- This site goes more in depth as far as distribution, promotion, and actually working with the bands that are affiliated with your label.

6 Steps To Starting An Indie Label - Again, this article provides necessary steps in building up your new record label. It stresses the importance of funding and trademarks and registering a domain name.

Tips For Starting an Independent Label -- This article discusses the importance of making full use of your connections within the industry, or pulling all of the strings that you possibly can, and keeping overhead to a minimum.

Ask The Experts: How To Start an Indie Label - This article offers advice on the degrees and technical skills that are imperative to your success when starting a record label.

How to Start and Run the Ultimate Profit Producing Record Label - This is an outline by Ty Cohen, public speaker and former owner of Platinum Millennium Publishing. It offers a constructive timeline and plan for starting the ultimate profit producing label.

Group 5's Helpful Links

Legal Zoom -Offers many legal services, including advice and options on how to form a business. Your business can even be formed straight from their site.

Public Relations Ideas -Provides tips and pointers on how to properly get good public relations in various mediums. Covers everything from blogging to press kits.

United Record Pressing -This site is especially good for labels wanting to release vinyl. Located in Nashville, United Record Pressing will not only press your record, but are equipped to include a free digital download package with it.

Curly and Spike Custom Merch -A merchandise site that allows you to put your band's name on everything from standard t-shirts and buttons to Zippo lighters.

MorphiusDisc Manufacturing -Offers CD duplication, website design, and a range of other services associated with pressing an album. They also do artwork and mastering.

Record Label Resource -A complete crash course of what it takes to run a label. Also includes lists of newspapers, college radio stations, alternative weekly papers, distributors, booking agencies, and almost everything else you might think of.

Lala -One of the newest in digital streaming technology, lala allows users to stream an album once and then they have the option of buying it. Great way for bands to be discovered.

Talk Music Biz -Tips for indie artists and labels on lots of topics like marketing and indie label set up. Includes videos for each topic discussed.

Indie On The Move -Includes a venue database in which members of the site rate and review venues they have played. Also helps acts book tours without the help of a booking agent.

Media Web Source -Has articles on various music business topics and help for bands/labels putting together press kits and other promotion tips.

Group 2's Helpful Sites

Rap Coalition's Intelligence Program - This site is a great resource for artists looking to distribute their own music. Pressing, street teams, artist development, and foreign licensing are just a few of the topics discussed.

BBC Humberside: Setting up a label - Find out the do's and don'ts of getting your label off the ground, according to top industry professionals.

Music Biz Academy - This link will take you to a list of 25 things to know about distribution. It covers everything you need to know, from finding distribution, to keeping your distributor happy.

Artist House Music - Whether you are an artist who wants to get signed to a label, or an entrepreneur who wants to start a label, watch the videos on this site to understand the functions of a label.

Record Label Resource - This site offers an incredible wealth of music business information and music industry contacts. It's perfect for those starting an independent record label.

Guerrilla Music Marketing Suggestions - If you are in need of some unusual, but effective marketing strategies for artists, check out this site.

Customer Licensees - ASCAP discusses common music licensing terms that will come in handy for those new to the music industry.

Business Owner's Tool Kit - If you want to start a business, but don't have any money, check out this site for tips on financing your endeavor.

Business Incorporation - This site explains the most common business structures, and aids in the registering of your business.

Digital Music Business - Get tips on how to succeed in the digital music business from industry professionals.

Group 1's Helpful Links

Record Label Resource -- An all inclusive record industry resource. Contains everything from a Music Business Dictionary to D-I-Y Legal Resources.

About.com: Music Careers -- A beneficial resource of different how-to-guides regarding all facets of the the Recording Industry.

Music Business Toolbox -- Label Management Systems, LLC provides (for a fee) resources, services, and support to help independent labels and musicians with their business operations.

Music Marketing [dot] com -- A regularly updated music marketing blog dedicated to sharing advances and news in this unique form of marketing.

Music Boot Camp -- A CD duplication, graphic design, audio production and mastering company; the site also offers other resources and advice for DIY minded artists and labels for music production and distribution.

"Benefits to Forming an LLC," BizFilings.com -- An informative article that outlines the advantages and disadvantages of forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

A2IM -- Representative organization for the independent music sector of the industry.

U.S. Small Business Administration -- The SBA provides services and resources to aid in the upstart of new businesses, including online training, financial assistance, assessment tools, and links to state SBA resources.

U.S. Copyright Office -- Online and paper mail-in registration of copyright claims as well as a wealth of publications and FAQs designed to help make copyright registration (and the concept of copyright) easier to comprehend.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office -- Online and paper mail-in registration for trademarks as well as a trademark search service and other resources for understanding how to protect your trade/service mark (label/band name).

Group 3's Helpful Links

TopSpinMedia.com: A media technology company dedicated to developing leading-edge marketing software and services that help artists and their partners build businesses and brands. They help artists manage their catalogs, connect with fans, and generate demand for music.

MusicBizAcademy.com: They aim to teach musicians how to use the Internet to their financial advantage, whether that means using the internet to sell more CDs or to self-promote. Secondly, They aim to arm musicians with all the information they need to move their music career forward in the current age of technology.

MusicSubmit.com: Internet promotion site. They submit your music to genre-specific radio stations, online music magazines, online music directories, blogs, podcasts, indie record labels, and other electronic music media.

TheIntegritySolution.com: A premier multi-faceted public relations, marketing, promotions and event planning company. For artists, they specialize in radio/retail tracking, concert promotion, artist itinerary management, street promotions, and tour support.

MissingBeat.com: An Internet age music company that works with independent pop/rock artists to create and implement marketing programs to get their music and careers off the ground. Missing Beat uses Internet and traditional methods to gain exposure for their artists and helps them become successful.

Jsrlaw.net: Entertainment law firm based in Nashville, Tennessee representing clients in music, film, theater, television, book publishing and the visual arts. As entertainment attorneys, they represent artists, writers, producers, managers and record labels throughout the United States and abroad.

ReverbNation.com: Artists use ReverbNation as their home base for approaching marketing and promotion across the Internet as a whole — be it via social networks, blogs, or the artist's homepage. Label and Management companies use ReverbNation as a home base for digital distribution, to manage multiple artist profiles, to create music samplers for social networking sites, to recruit, manage, and track street teams, and to use powerful free email tools to promote their artists.

RecordLabelResource.com: The best resource on the internet for the independent record label. They provide free, unlimited access to an extensive music industry database, with information on CD manufacturing, CD mastering, radio promotion, entertainment lawyers, and more.

Unsigned.com: This site is dedicated to providing independent artists from solo, trio to bands, the best outlet possible to be heard globally on the Internet and is committed to being the best source of information to discover unsigned artists.

GigMasters.com: This site guides you through the entire process of searching, comparing, contacting, booking and rating performers.

101Distribution.com: Manages the digital, mobile, retail and mail order sales for more than 2,000 active releases from touring artists and record labels around the world. The company operates as the only full service distributor that offers artists a 100% payout on all net royalties in exchange for a flat monthly fee.

ArtistPR.com: Helps submit artists to thousands of top music resources in each genre including radio stations, online music magazines, directories, e-zines, and blogs.

About.com: Music Careers: This site addresses all of the areas regarding the startup of an independent record label, including financial funding, promotion, distribution, working with artists, etc., along with links to articles and frequently asked industry questions.

Artist House Music: Bryan Calhoun Video: This site features a video of Bryan Calhoun, who developed software for indie label budgeting. The interview discusses how he came up with the product idea, as well as how it will benefit indie labels that choose to use it.

E-Zine Article: How To Start An Indie Label: This site provides a basic run-down of why independent labels are founded, and describes how to search for artists once the label has been started.

Starting An Indie Label: This site addresses the considerations to be made in starting a label and obtaining distribution for the product. It describes the various types of business structures and provides a step by step guide of the business operations that the label must perform.

Start a Business: This site provides information on starting a business and the basic steps to follow.

Record Label Startup: This site goes through everything you need to know to start your own label. From writing the business plan to radio promotions and much more, this site gives a lot of great information. This site provides step by step instructions and loads of information.

Music Business:This site provides information on the business aspects of running a label. Mainly on being the producer, but also hiring managers and staff for the company as well as understanding how each position works. Also on how to make money and where it will be going.

Music Contracts: Music Contracts provides every type of contract that you may come across in the industry. It also provides legal assistance, as well as recommended books and articles.

Start your own record label: Step by step instructions for starting a label. There is also a list of tips and resources to refer to.

Classical Record Industry Down 30% in '09, Harmonia Mundi Up 9%

You think the pop record industry is having a hard time of it - look at the classical music industry. Product has been devalued by labels like Naxos to be a budget line item, stores are closing, radio is disappearing, funding from the private and public sector is drying up and the audience is graying. Most labels have closed their classical division and sales are down over 30% for 2009.

Not for French indie, Harmonia Mundi. They have seen an increase in their sales in 2009 of nearly 10% by recording new music, signing new artists and getting the hell out of their way and letting them develop over several records - sounds like a winning formula. They have also developed a loyal customer base, who trusts the brand and is willing to give anything with a Harmonia Mundi stamp on it.

Read about them and listen to their NPR interview here.

Even if you don't like Classical music, you can learn a lot from their business model and practices.

Harmonia Mundi website

Happy Birthday

Seems 1989 was a good year to start an indie label, as Merge and Warp turn 20. Warp was started by Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and is the home to artists such as Aphex Twin, LFO and

Guardian UK Story

Warp Records YouTube Channel

Warp Records Home Page

Vote for your favorite tracks here

Indie Label Success Northern European Style

From Michael Masnick (of Techdirt and Trent Reznor MIDEM lecture fame) posted this VERY insightful column, which I first saw at my #1 favorite site, hypebot this morning. Really gets to the heart to what it takes to have a chance at being successful as an indie label, which is pretty self-evident:

I am looking forward to digging into the 150 plus page study of two successful labels in Finland.

Read the article here.

Next Week's Assignment

Next week, my indie label's class will be hitting the COTIU blog hard with tips to 10 sites each that they feel would be beneficial to those interested in starting their own label and/or releasing their own music.

This is a augmented assignment to the write a business plan paper.

You will see about 60 listings like this:

Some Examples:
Residual Rewards: A site that explains the benefits of sole proprietorships / partnerships vs. incorporating
Hypebot: keep up with the music business news and helpful hints from those currently in the music industry” I can't start my morning before checking out the h-b
Ariel’s Cyber PR: A site with a lot of tips and advice (free how to guides included) to maximize your publicity and web presence. Ariel is so cool, a band I signed in 1999 didn't ask for more advance or royalties, just that we contractually guarantee to hire her on every project to tdo the publicity - how cool is that???
Tunecore: an aggregator to get your music on all the Digital Download stores. Also has incredible tips and other resources that fit within an indie's tight budget. Plus Jeff owned SpinArt Records, I still have my 7" cereal box of pop collection - beautiful colored vinyl with toy prizes and the Dambuilders "Tough Guy Problem" EP is still one of my 50 Top 10 records of all time.

So stay tuned for some great tip and insight to better you along from some very forward thinking, future leaders of our little industry.

History of Sub Pop

A clip from the documentary "Hype" about the beginning of Sub Pop - primarily how they 'branded' the label so that people trusted their taste and releases.

Poneman and Pavitt talking about the early bands

Poneman and Pavitt talking about starting a label:

Josh Freese Interview

Hear all about the new king of Scarce Goods and Upselling!

Josh Freese Interview, Part 1

Josh Freese Interview, Part 2

I Love Pandora But...

Without a doubt I have grown to love the Pandora radio - it is why I expunged the $15 a month charge from XM radio once they went with Sirrius and the service went to crap. So between Pandora's free App and MLB's "At Bat" app, I have replaced what I paid $180 a year for $9.99. am still in awe on how fast something I usd to love and depend on went down hill.

Now after a little time, you can program a station or two or in my case seven that will hit you with songs you like and songs that based on your preferences with a thumbs up or down.

However, here is what I noticed. I have two main stations, my 90's indie rock / pop station and my 70's/80's Arena Rock channel. To start a station you indicate the artist you like and you go from there. or indie rock, I started with Blake Babies and for Arena Rock I started with Bruce Springsteen. After about 20 hours of listening to both, I have yet to get a song by sung by someone of the opposite sex.

My indie rock play list consist of Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair, PJ Harvey, Letters to Cleo, Some Girls, Veruca Salt, Breeders, Bjork, Portishead, Throwing Muses, Helium, Kirsten Hersh, etc. Not a male fronted band in the bunch.

For my Arena Rock I get Springsteen, Dylan (though I constantly give it thumbs down, I just don't like listening to him, sorry), Tom Petty, U2, Bob Seger, etc . Come on - throw in a Joan Jett or Pat Benetar, maybe even a Fleetwood Mac to dip the Music Genome toe in the water that I might like female rock vocals. Obviously I do based upon my female only Indie Rock station.

I am waiting and waiting for an opposite sex vocalist so no matter who it is, I can give it a thumbs up and get a more balanced station.

Sites to Get Some Great Free (Legal) Indie Music

Been getting a lot of great free music lately and hearing some artists I have been meaning to check out for a long time as well as some new ones on

Free Music Archive

and

Amazon Indie Music Class

They are also great sources of information about the artists and record companies who are participating. They are curated and/or from successful indie labels so the quality is there.

Enjoy!

Music Industry's New Internet Problem

Business Week Article / Video

20K for mini Golf and a CD - Josh Freese

Josh Freese and Scarcity Marketing

Trent Reznor for President of the Record Industry

The funny thing, is that I am not a Nine Inch Nails fan. Seen them in concert twice, enjoyed it, but don't own any of their CDs, though I am strting to listen more, so that might change (he strategy seems to be working).

Anyway, a very interesting Digg interview with him mostly on his ideas for the new era of music delivery, promotion and our industry that I find myself agreeing with and happy that that is how I have been teaching marketing of music and the music industry classes this semester. So enjoy!




http://revision3.com/diggdialogg/trentreznor/

Having a hard time cutting and pasting the embed code, so here is the link.

Charlie Dahan

Building A Record Label Around Ideals

In Wednesday's Indie Label's class we were discussing basic business plan elements and I got onto my soapbox about how a record company should stand for something more, needs to, no has to, stand for more than just exploiting masters. A lot of today's label's do.

They call it 'branding' but even in these crazy time an indie label can / should aim to build loyalty with their buyers. All these articles and books are aimed at how a musician can build a fan base (they only need 1,000 True Fans, Permission Marketing and so on (will post those later), but all those rules apply to labels. Build loyalty with the consumer, they will trust the label's taste and choice and give each artist a listen / a chance.

And then stand for something, be known as the label that puts out great music and supports cleaning up the environment, talking to their consumers (great customer service), etc.

I ran across this presentation and article from Umair Haque about how / why businesses with positive ideals are / will be successful in the future. I have a small issue with some of the examples he gives, he acknowledges some of the shortfalls of the example of Nike, Walmart, etc but then shrugs it off, but the concepts are on target

Epitaph Records

By: Kate Merzke, Matt Schilthuis, and Alex Laine

Epitaph Records was founded in 1981 by Brett Gurewitz, guitarist of Bad Religion. Based out of Hollywood California the label started out as just a P.O. box and the logo seen above. Gurewitz used this "label" to release his band Bad Religion's records.

The label finally became fully functional in 1987 with the release of L7's self titled album. At this point Gurewitz was running the label out of his home studio in Hollywood. The label mainly specialized in the punk rock genre but later expanded it's catalog to include blues, soul, R&B, hip-hop and country. Gurewitz also believed in an "Artist-first" approach which simply means that he thinks he should work for the artist.

In 1994 Epitaph Records finally made it on the map. Although Gurewitz had left Bad Religion to run the label full time he found great success with other artist on the label. In this legendary year the Offspring released "Smash" which has now gone on to sell over 16 million copies making it the largest selling album on an independent label. In that same year Rancid also released "And Out Come The Wolves" which shot them into punk stardom and got them heavy airplay on MTV and the radio.

Gurewitz commented on the release of "Smash" by saying

"It opened doors. I could get a meeting with whoever. Up until that time, we had to scratch and claw our way into whatever nooks and crannies we could. It wasn't easy for an indie to get a record into a chain store. Indies were second-class citizens back then, but from that day forward we could sell any of our titles in any chain in the country. Everything changed" - Washington Post

In 1996 Rancid's leader, Tim Armstrong, started Hellcat Records in partnership with Epitaph Records. He went on to discover such bands as the American celtic punk band the Dropkick Murphys and the punk rock band the Distillers. This established Epitaph as a label built for the long haul.

In 2003 Gurewitz signed hip-hop artist, Atmosphere, and grindcore band, The Locust, which expanded the label's catalog. He then went on to sing pop-punk bands Matchbook Romance and Motion City Soundtrack to keep up with the current younger labels. These signings caused a great deal of controversy and uproar in the punk scene. Many questioned wether or not Epitaph was staying with its true punk roots. Gurewitz responded to the controversy with,

"I anticipated criticism, and I got it, even with emo. Punk rockers hate emo. A lot of the artists on my label have given me a lot of guff about the new signings. They'll say, 'Screw these screaming bands'..."

Later on in mid 2005 Epitaph Records was officially added to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) list. The reasoning for this move is up in the air, but some say that there was an agreement for peer to peer distribution while others say they wanted to get certified sales awards such as the "Gold" and "Platinum" titles. This also led to many people questioning wether or not Epitaph is still an independent label.

Epitaph Records continues to grow and continues to build an impressive roster of artists. Expect them to prosper in the coming years and continue to lead the industry of independent record labels.

Current Major Artists:
New Found Glory
The Color Of Violence
Bring Me The Horizon
You Me At Six
Every Time I Die
Thursday
I Set My Friends On Fire
Escape The Fate
The Sound Of Animals Fighting
Motion City Soundtrack
Sing It Loud
The Higher
Story Of The Year
Street Dogs
The Matches
Bad Religion
Converge
Our Last Night
Vanna
Gallows
Parkway Drive
Tiger Army
Rancid
I Am Ghost
Set Your Goals

Featured Playlist

References
1. Epitaph Records
2. Martens, Tood. "Epitaph Turns 25" Billboard Jan 27, 2007
3. The Washington Post
4. Wikipedia
5. "Epitaph Records, Bad Religion Goes Good" Punkmusic.about.com
6. "Epitaph Records -1994- The Year When Punk Broke Out" Youtube.com

Domino Records

By: Whitney Calk, Drew Cohen, Chase Plesofsky, and Devon Hodovsky

"Domino stands for everything that music should be about."
Jonathan Dekel, Incendiary Magazine [5]

In the early 90’s, the sound coming out of the UK at the time was “Brit Pop,” which was considered a sub-category of alternative rock. [12] The big names of the time were bands such as Oasis, Blur, and the Boo Radley’s. Not everyone was a fan of this style, however. One man in particular disliked the style so much that he started looking towards the U.S. for inspiration and a sound that made sense to him. Enter Laurence Bell.

Laurence Bell is essentially the founder, current owner, and head of A&R for his made-from-scratch label, Domino Records. He is also a self-proclaimed child of the punk-rock era. Bell became insatiably fanatical about music at an early age, around 11-12 years old. He was so passionate and so desperately eager to get out there and make a name for himself that he started a fanzine at the age of 13 to help promote one of his favorite labels at the time, Black Records. He also began to get very involved with his local music scene in his hometown. Bell was active in helping local bands produce and promote their albums and also organize their tours. Bell even volunteered his time at several merchandise tables just so that he could stay surrounded by everything that was going on at the time. As soon as he was old enough leave home, he moved to London and started working at Tower Records. At the same time he was still helping friends’ bands put out records and promoting bands under the table at Tower. His hard work finally paid off when he was approached by the independent label Fire Records and was asked to come work for them. If this is any indication as to how passionate he was about music and getting involved in the industry, he actually worked at Fire Records for a few years completely unpaid. [2]

As stated earlier, in the early 1990s, the sound coming out of the UK was Brit-Pop, which Laurence absolutely hated. He started looking towards the US for music that he enjoyed. He heard about a band called Sebadoh from the US and knew right then that he must have them in the UK so that “good” music could once again fill the airwaves. Because of his eagerness and persistent hammering of Sebadoh’s American label, SubPop Records, Bell soon after started up Domino for the sole purpose of distributing Sebadoh in the UK. Domino was granted a licensing deal with SubPop to release the bands 4^th album as the first release off of Domino Records. [6] Bell also worked with Drag City Records in the US to get licensing rights from another American band called Royal Trux to also release on his label.

An inspiring and admirable thing about the A&R aspect of Domino is that the label only signs bands from word of mouth. Bell has stated that when he goes out and looks for bands to sign, he looks for acts that would still be making music even if labels didn’t exist. Bell has dubbed this quality the garage aesthetic. [5]

Since the creation of the Domino Recording Company in 1993, Laurence Bell has acquired a reputation for taking risks when it comes to building a roster and recording albums. Their first release was by a low-fi rock band named, Sebadoh, that was formed by Lou Barlow previously of Dinosaur Jr. The album was called Bubble and Scrape and the single of that album, Soul and Fire, for Domino fully represents their direction, “A passion for music, a back to basics approach… something home-made that’s put together with love.” [3]

Domino became a home for distinctive and innovative artists when they signed Sebadoh, Royal Trux and Palace. Signing these artists recognized Domino as a label that could understand and work with their artist’s vision and give their artist’s creative control. [1]

This artist friendly approach attracted American bands like Smog, Pavement, Elliot Smith to record their music and release albums. Domino recognized the British music scene revival in the late 90’s and began to sign bands in Britain that were displaying similar musical sound and appeal Domino had been signing in America. [4]

In 1999 Domino signed UK artists Clinic (who toured with Radiohead and Flaming Lips), Four Tet, James Yorkston, Archie Bronson and later on signed the The Kills in the early 2000's. [3] These bands released albums with little recognition, but were able to record with keeping their artistic creativity intact.

Domino records initial success came in the form of a Scottish rock band called Franz Ferdinand. Their self-titled debut album released in 2004 quickly became an indie favorite, debuting at #3 on the UK Albums Chart. As their popularity continued to increase their second album, It Could Have Been So Much Better, released in 2005 gave Domino their first #1 UK album, and worldwide recognition. [18]

Domino’s next big success came from the unknown UK band Arctic Monkeys. The Arctic Monkeys initially launched themselves into the music mainstream by giving away burned demos at gigs and having fans upload these demos to the internet causing a downloading frenzy between fans. They signed with Domino in 2005 because of their Do It Yourself approach to recording music. [19]

After signing with Domino, Arctic Monkeys released their single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Because of their large fan base online, their albums release date was moved forward to counteract the album’s leakage onto the internet early. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was released in January of 2006, and became the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history and the second fastest selling debut indie album in America, debuting at #24 on Billboard. [19]

After these charting successes, Domino continued to cater to individualistic artists like Juana Molina, Sons & Daughters and Junior Boys. Domino also began to sign electronic artists like Psapp and Animal Collective to expand their eclectic roster. [7]

The success of bands like Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys also gave Domino a chance to make compilations and reissue the labels earlier catalog of post punk bands from the late 70's and early 80's including artists like Orange Juice, Young Marble Giants, The Fire Engines, Josef K, Sebadoh and Liquid Liquid. [20]

As Domino Records began seeking acts to sign to its roster, Lawrence Bell, both owner and A&R executive, devised an interesting approach to finding new acts. Bell does not listen to any unsolicited material including demo tapes, CD's, or mp3 files. [14] His approach is to personally see an act's live performance before signing them to Domino. Also, another unique approach that Bell takes is Domino only releases twelve albums a year. "One fantastic record a month," he says, "is enough to nourish us." [13]

Domino Records also practices basic online promotion activities including a Flickr account with live performance photos, YouTube channel, Myspace account, free downloads on the label's website, and a constant stream of Domino Artists on the label's websites, Domino Radio.

Additionally, Domino owns a subsidiary label called Geographic Music which is able to focus on more obscure British and World Music. They use this label for releasing music that falls outside the typical indie rock/pop of Domino. Geographic is run by Stephen Pastel and releases more experimental music from bands that may have a hard time getting a record deal on a classic indie label. Geographic Music's artist roster includes Bill Wells Trio, Empress, Future Pilot AKA, Maher Shalal Has Baz, Kama Aina, and International Airport. [15]

The label website, domino.uk.co, also offers some industry rarities. Domino's Twitter-like feeds at the top of each page are an interesting way to connect with fans, tell them new music to check out, and stay on top of current social networking trends.

Domino also offered an industry first with its latest release of Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective by releasing it early on deluxe 2xLP 180 gram gatefold vinyl and including a full album download with the purchase of a vinyl. Also, Domino hosted vinyl listening parties across the nation two weeks before the release of the 9th Animal Collective album and teamed
up with record stores and college radio stations to promote the album. Domino records also
continues to sell rare 7'' and 10'' on the Domino Records website of a variety of their artists for DJ's or even just the vinyl-loving listener. [16]

As the history of independent labels shows, it is profitable, if not essential for a label to keep all activities in-house. Domino's publishing company allows for Domino to run more effectively by keeping money circulating "in-house".

On Domino Records USA website, they claim to "try to respond to every email you send us". As proof, I personally sent them a message asking for information for a class project. Less than 24 hours later I received a response from the manager of the US offices, Kris Gillespie. [4]

As Domino continues to set themselves apart from other labels, they emphasize on interacting with their fans. With the 3rd album from Franz Ferdinand, Domino sporadically dispersed 20 signed copies of the album into all of the pre-orders. The Junior Boys and Domino Records also partnered with imeem, a social media network, on an interactive music video contest. [11]
The winner receiving a $1000 cash prize and exposure on Video Vinyl, a weekly music video show [10]. Franz Ferdinand, Domino Records, and Beatportal teamed up to challenge aspiring producers and fans to remix the then unreleased track ‘Ulysses.’ [9]

Domino Records has also teamed up with April 77 apparel company to form a deluxe package for those trendy polo-wearing musician types. The box set they offer includes a 12'' vinyl, an April 77 'Manchester' Polo with accompanying pick holder, and a limited edition Domino/April77 guitar pick. [16]

Through Domino's existence of 15 years, Domino has a mound of achievements on which to look back. In October 2005, both Franz Ferdinand became Domino's first #1 album "You Could Have It So Good" and the Arctic Monkeys were also at the top of the singles chart with " I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor." [1] Franz Ferdinand was recently nominated for three Grammy Awards and five Brit Awards. Domino also currently holds the title of one of the longest running and most successful independent record labels in the UK. [7]

References:

[1] http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/the-domino-documentary

[2] http://midemnetblog.typepad.com/midemnet_blog/2008/03/the-2008-conf-1.html

[3] http://www.dominorecordco.com/

[4] http://www.dominorecordco.us/

[5] http://www.incendiarymag.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=30

[6] http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/8144

[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domino_Records

[8] http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/the-domino-documentary

[9] http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=domino+records&

id=093854172c888742f1e3c88217b89144

[10] http://www.imeem.com/juniorboys/blogs

[11] http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/albums/15-10-08/tonight-franz-ferdinand

[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britpop

[13] http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4659246-1.html

[14] http://www.incendiarymag.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=30

[15] http://musicians.about.com/od/indielabels/p/dominorecs.htm

[16]http://www.bpmmagazine.net/tag/merriweather-post-pavilion/

[17]http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=domino+records&id=d524216362743f7c94a448ee60b1f1e3

[18]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Ferdinand_(band)

[19]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Monkeys

[20]http://www.dominorecordco.us/usa/reissues/

Gotee Records

I wanted to do a label that focused on a generation. - Toby McKeehan

By: Christina Adams, Jennifer Chunn, Becky King, and Justin Nations



Gotee - Label History
Founded as a record label in 1994 by Toby McKeehan, Joey Elwood, and Todd Collins, Gotee Records has gone on to become one of the hottest, fastest growing, contemporary Christian labels in the music industry.

Gotee might have never existed had it not been for coincidence and perfect timing. It was in 1992 that ex-dcTalk member, Toby McKeehan (typically referred to as tobyMac), and his partners, Todd Collins and Joey Elwood, were in the business of record production. The three wanted to record the R&B, Christian group Out Of Eden’s debut record, Lovin’ The Day, but were unable to find a label willing to sign the all-sister act. [1] [2]

We all collectively said, 'Let's just give this a shot.' At the risk of sounding unprofessional, it was a very naïve entry into the business. We basically learned every day, on the job, because we had no training for what we were doing, other than we loved music and we produced music. That was the entry point. Three naïve guys, a willing band, and some really good songs. [3]

It was in 1994 that Gotee officially became a record label.

Gotee Artists - Past and Present
Situated in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, Gotee Records is, and has been, home to some of Christian music’s finest:

Jennifer Knapp
· Performing since 1994 [4]
· Most known for her 1994 debut record, Kansas
· Kansas is a RIAA-certified Gold record
· Nominated for two Grammy awards for her albums Lay It Down and The Way I Am [5]

· Suggested Reading: Jennifer Knapp – Christianity Today





Sarah Kelly
· Signed with Gotee stating : “They didn’t want to change me at all.”
· Kelly’s 2004 album, Take Me Away became the highest grossing new artist debut in Gotee’s short, ten year history
· In 2005, she was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Rock Gospel Album” category alongside Gotee’s co-founder, Toby McKeehan. [6]
· Suggested Reading: Sarah Kelly – Christianity Today





Relient K
· Group’s album All Work and No Play caught attention of Toby McKeehan, and he later signed the band
· Relient K’s last two albums, Mmhmm and Five Score and Seven Years Ago have been distributed by Capitol Records, and caused the group a tremendous amount of mainstream success. [7]
· Suggested Reading: Relient K – Christianity Today

More Gotee Artists:
Family Force 5
SonicFlood
House of Heroes
Stephanie Smith
Ayiesha Woods
Plus many others!

For more information on Gotee’s artists, check its roster here!

There, you will find a listing of Gotee artists, both currently on the roster as well as that who have parted ways with the label, as well as links to their respective MySpaces and websites, and free downloads!


Gotee Records - Blazing Trails
Since 1994, Gotee has always been looking for new ways to connect with the fans of their artists. Gotee offers free digital downloads to better display their ever-ranging roster to those interested.

The label has also been forced to keep abreast of the ever-changing climate of the music industry. With the digitization of music and the easy accessibility of such music, Gotee has changed its efforts in reaching this new audience.

In order to help achieve the desired effect, Gotee has employed the following:

· As a new artist signed with Gotee, your music will only be made available by digital download and at any live performance events you might have. There will be no physical distribution for you. However, if you are a developed artist with an outstanding reputation for having sold records, who has developed a buzz amongst fans, and gotten radio exposure, the cost of physical distribution is, essentially, much less than with new, undeveloped artists. [8] Essentially, the risk of physical distributing hard copies of a developed artist’s music is much less than the actual cost of doing so.

· Gotee (much like Trent Reznor did last year with Nine Inch Nails and like Josh Freese did recently) offers bundled packaging and options. For example, I Am Terrified was offering their EP for $7.00, an exclusive T-Shirt of theirs for $15.00, or you could purchase both for just $20.00. [9]

· Additionally, Gotee, like many other labels, chooses to offer multiple formatting and multiple ways to access its artists’ music. For example, House of Heroes has offered three of their songs free at freeHoH.com as well as a free, three-song sampler at Amazon.com. The group also had their 15-song album available at iTunes for $9.99, or you could pick up the physical copy at their show. [10]

· YouTube is also a very important outlet Gotee chooses to use. Gotee offers all of its current artists’ music videos on its official website here. This makes finding artist’s videos simple, as they can be found in a central location. By heavily employing the use of YouTube, Gotee insures itself that its videos are reaching the target audience – the new audience. Because music videos are getting less and less play on television, YouTube has fast become the go-to spot for watching one’s favorite music videos.



House of Heroes' "In The Valley Of The Dying Sun"

Recent Events For Gotee


Though Gotee Records began as a coincidence by three gentlemen who had no idea as to how a record company should be run, and though Gotee was able to do all of the things a major label could do albeit on an infinitely smaller scale, it functioned extremely well as an independent company during its early days. But, after its formation, EMI would grab up Gotee and place it under its umbrella making the label a part of EMI’s Christian Music Group. [11]

Fortunately for Gotee, in March of 2008, the label bought back the minority share EMI held in it, transforming it back into what it had started out as many years ago – an independent record company. [12] This change-over is an event co-founder Joey Elwood looks fondly on. He states:

We felt like we had an opportunity to go back to where we began. We felt like we kinda lost our way. [...] But it's kinda fun, taking all the lessons you learned in 14 years, and trying to re-apply them to this season that the record business is in.

[13]

Gotee continues to just that – grow and adapt. Fifteen years in the music business and the label is still doing well, still staying true to itself, and still striving to bring out the best in its artists.



References:
[1] About Gotee
[2] Out Of Eden
[3]About Gotee
[4] Jennifer Knapp Discography
[5]Jennifer Knapp - Wikipedia
[6] Price, Deborah Evans. “Higher Ground: Kelly ‘Honored’ by Grammy Nomination.” Billboard Magazine Online. 5 Feb. 2005. Accessed: 15 Mar. 2009 [7] Relient K – Wikipedia
[8] What’s In A Label? – Gotee Records
[9] Gotee Records’ MySpace
[10] House Of Heroes’ MySpace
[11] What’s In A Label? – Gotee Records
[12] Gotee Records Now Fully Independent Company
[13] About Gotee

*All pictures attributable to Yahoo! Images Search
** “Whole Again,” “Living Hallelujah,” and “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” attributable to Seeqpod.

SST Records

In 1978, SST Records was formed by Greg Ginn to put out his band Black Flag’s original release Nervous Breakdown 7”. After running SST (originally Solid State Tuners) as a mail-order WWII Surplus company, he transformed it into one of the hippest, sought after independent labels of the 1980s. His band had been playing music under the name Panic for nearly 2 years at the time, and finally took the giant step to release something after any and all labels turned it away. (1) Helping Ginn along the way was a man by the name of Joe Carducci, who was the A&R Representative, label producer, and co-owner of the label. He helped shaped the sound during his stay from 1978-1986, and was part of the reason the label had seen its demise after he left.

Often considered the first, and most

prominent hardcore band – it wasn’t all fun and games for Ginn and company after Black Flag had its first official release. Because of the violent nature of the music, the SST offices were being monitored by agents dressed as homeless people, and there phones were tapped, in fear they were causing a large scale uprising of sorts. Black Flag also ran into later problems with signing to Unicorn Records, who shelved the record after refusing to put it out, therefore the labels operations went south until Unicorn (a subsidiary of MCA) went bankrupt in 1983. (2)

Black Flag also went through many

line-up changes, and they are most well known by attaching different vocalists to different eras. The first was the pre-Rollins, Dez Cadena led era, which many considered the most ferocious and primal. The second belonged to Henry Rollins, where they would release their masterpiece, Damaged, which took the punk rock world by storm. The last era is where they saw their fan base diminishing. Greg Ginn started exploring progressive and free-jazz within the bands music, and it lost its simplistic nature that got them to where they were in the first place. Ginn finally called the band of in 1986. (1)

The mid 1980s were the formative years at SST. They would release powerhouse albums by The Minutemen, Husker Du, Saccharine Trust, and Black Flag. Their packaging was very minimalist; therefore they could afford to keep the prices affordable, which was very smart considering their demographic. They also were pioneering long form releases in the punk world – such as The Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime – clocking in at 78 minutes over the course of 48 songs.

Going into the year 1987 the label had a second wave of bands that were just as influential as the first. They managed to sign the likes of Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Meat Puppets, and Dinosaur Jr – four of the most influential indie rock bands on the planet. All of these bands went on to sign major label deals, showing the influence of SST and its trend setting at that point. But unlike labels such as Touch and Go and later Sub Pop, they weren’t interested in what the “trends” were, they built the trends, and that’s what made them so influential in providing major labels with bands that would later be extremely successful.

The demise of SST came in the late 80s and early 90s with a variety of problems. The accounting department was accused of doing shady business by the likes of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore as well as Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis. In Michael Azzerad’s book, This Band Could Be Your Life , Mascis claimed "I like Greg Ginn and stuff, but they wouldn't pay you.” (1) Also, The Meat Puppets and Keith Morris took the label to court for payments.(2) Joe Carducci, one of the key men involved in SST’s operations left for personal conflicts with the label. Husker Du, the labels best seller up until this point, parted ways to hit the major label circuit and sign with Warner Bros in 1986. To top it all off, the aforementioned breakup of Black Flag also took place in 1986 (1)(2)(3)

The thing that finally put the nail in the coffin was a legal battle with one of SST’s most eccentric acts, Negativland and one of the world’s biggest pop powerhouses, U2. The case stemmed from a sampling lawsuit brought by Island Records of Negativland’s usage of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and including “U2” on the album cover of their recording. The track features basically a wobbly sample of the entire song, and criticizes it throughout, using another sample from famous radio DJ, Casey Kasem, and his live breakdown on the air. Negativland would then go on to release a book/CD about fair use and was in turn sued by SST for use of confidential information. The book was called Fair Use: The Story of the Letter U and the Numeral 2. Obviously, they weren’t hiding anything. (1)(4)(5)

SST also had a handful of subsidiaries: Homestead, New Alliance, and Cruz. New Alliance was the pet project of Mike Watt and D. Boon from Minutemen, a label they used to release music before they signed with SST. Ginn bought the rights, therefore allowing him to re-issue the music released on that label. New Alliance contained a respectable lineup with Rudolph Grey, Jack Brewer, and Slovenly. Cruz Records released 3 solo records by Ginn, as well as recordings by ALL, Chemical People, and more – equally probably SST’s least quality output. Issues Records put out all spoken word releases, most notably one by legendary NBA Star Bill Walton. (1)

The smartest thing Greg Ginn ever did was hang on to the majority of his catalogue, and kept the bigger titles in print for years after the label stopped putting out records. As of recent, he has signed a digital distribution deal with one of the world’s leading digital distributors, The Orchard, as well signing a physical distribution deal in 2002 with powerhouse Koch. Today, Ginn is stationed in Texas, and still runs The SST Superstore (http://www.sstsuperstore.com). (5)(6)
Key Points for SST Records:- Premier Hardcore Label- Championed the DIY Aesthetic- Built Label Loyalty- Uncompromising in Artistic Vision- Realized value of catalogue titles- Music first, Money second (which artists didn't exactly like)- Realized their demographic

1) Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. New York: Back Bay Books, 2002.
"Black Flag." KFTH. 15 Mar. 2009
2) Lang, Dave. "The SST Records Story." Perfect Sound Forever. July 1998. 15 Mar. 2009 .
3) Blush, Steven. American Hardcore A Tribal History. New York: Feral House, 2001.
4) "SST Records - Early Years." Global Oneness. 15 Mar. 2009 .
5) "Negativland." Negativland. 15 Mar. 2009 .

Merge Records

By: Laura Rogers, Nathan Toth, Kelly Townsend, Katie Word

The History

In 1989 singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, bassist Laura Ballance, drummer Chuck Garrison, and guitarist Jack McCook form The Chunk (later renamed “Superchunk” due to legal issues and/or confusion with a NYC Jazz outfit also known as “the Chunk”) in the college town of Chapel Hill, NC. [1]

That same year, Merge Records was founded by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It was designed as a vehicle for Superchunk releases, as well as other local college favorites like Polvo. A part-time venture, they primarily released limited-run 7” vinyl and cassettes over the next few years on borrowed money from parents and friends.

Superchunk’s first single “What I Do” found local notoriety and helped to establish Merge as a legitimate indie label. Their 1990 follow-up single “Slack Motherfucker” – penned about a local Kinko’s employee, who caught Mac’s ire and frustration – became a national and international sensation, garnering praise and attention from the media and labels alike. It’s timing and style led to Superchunk being heralded as the next in line to carry the torch as many industry insiders were looking for the next big Grunge movement outside of Seattle. Superchunk signed with Matador Records and released their eponymous first full-length later that year. They would go on to record two more records with Matador: “No Pocky for Kitty” – recorded with Steve Albini and released in 1991 – and their 1993 release “On the Mouth”.

With the growing success of Superchunk, Mac and Laura’s focus on Merge waned, as their attention was wholly focused on the band’s success. For the most part, Merge was shelved until 1993, when Matador formed a strange alliance with Atlantic Records. This alliance would give Atlantic a very strong hand in the company, with the more successful, upper-tiered artists being dually released and lower-tiered artists left on Matador with Atlantic taking 50% of the kitty. [2] This added influence soured Superchunk toward working with Matador, who always felt that a major label (and budget) didn’t do much for their style of music, and looked to the lackluster success and treatment by major labels of certain idols like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü as proof. Superchunk decided to opt out of their contract and try and go it alone. This was a good decision on their part, because the Matador/Atlantic agreement would disastrously fall apart three years later.

With the Superchunk DIY aesthetic and network, and the three-year experience with Matador under their belts, Mac and Laura decided to dust off the Merge moniker and make it their full-time label. One of Merge’s first deals wouldn’t be to sign a band (they already had one themselves)- it would be signing a production and distribution deal with Chicago’s Touch and Go Records- one of the bigger indie labels in America at the time, and who’s relationship and mentoring would really keep the fledgling label afloat and focused. “Touch and Go basically allowed Merge to exist as something other than a singles label... We did our first full-length (the Superchunk "Tossing Seeds" comp) in 1992 because Corey [Rusk] agreed to take on Merge as a label under the Touch and Go umbrella.” [3]

Merge’s first full-length release would be the Superchunk Singles collection “Tossing Seeds” 1992. Later that year, they would release Polvo’s first full-length “Cor-Crane Secret.” Neither was a large success, but these releases helped them figure out the mechanics of the business and to shift their focus to the larger picture of full-length releases- not the short run 7” singles they were accustomed to.

Now with a better footing and a sense of the direction, the label began to grow. “Merge started branching out to bands that were not from North Carolina when Superchunk started touring a lot, and we’d meet people and see bands live, and ever since then [our A&R methodology] kind of happened all different ways,” said McCaughan. “It’s really a matter of whether we like the music or not. We’re not looking at the commercial potential or the bottom line. We don’t try and narrow it down to one thing that we’re looking for. We appreciate experimental bands and in some ways… it’s a gut feeling about the music.” [4]

1993 would see the release of Polvo’s “Today’s Active Lifestyles” – while not largely successful, it was a critically acclaimed album. [5] Its difficulty was in the blend of “mathrock” and dissonant pop output. It was too angular for the now-popular “grunge” movement, but not conceptual enough for some of the more fringe art-rock styles. This would be Polvo’s last full-length release on Merge, opting to release future output through Touch and Go.

In 1993, Merge also signs Nashville favorites Lambchop, who would be one of Merge’s more prolific and stable acts throughout the coming decade.

In 1994, Merge signs singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist du-jour Stephen Merritt who releases material under the moniker Magnetic Fields. This sometimes group collaborative becomes one of the Merge mainstay artists. Both “Holiday” and “The Charm of the Highway Strip” are released to high reviews. Lambchop’s “I Hope You’re Sitting Down [AKA Jack’s Tulips]” is released in 1994, as well. Featuring the dark but funny “Soaky in the Pooper” – a song about a suicidal toilet drowning- it garnered the band instant notoriety and helped to establish Merge’s reputation as a home for quirky, talented music.

Portastatic – the acclaimed side project of Mac McCaughn’s comes to Merge after being brought to life in 1992 by a friend asking about old 4-track material that didn’t quite fit with the Superchunk sound. [4]

Merge signs quirky songwriter Jeff Mangum, part of the Elephant 6 collective that produced The Apples in Stereo and Olivia Tremor Control, 1996. Magnum, writing self-proclaimed “fuzz folk” music, goes by the moniker Neutral Milk Hotel, and releases “On Avery Island”. [6]

1997 – Lambchop releases “Thriller”. Brooklyn artists Ladybug Transistor are signed to Merge, releasing “Beverly Atonale.”

In 1998, Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” is released. It’s quirky charm and bizarre, catchy songs garner great reviews and high praise throughout the snobbish indie community. Through word of mouth, it becomes Merge’s best-selling record to date.

1999 was a very large year for Merge. Merge added “…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead” to the roster– a successful band out of Austin, TX whose previous label went under the year before. They are known for their wild, raucous style, and even wilder live performances. [7] Their release, “Madonna,” becomes a calling card for the band, brandishing a series of brash, vulgar, angsty and powerfully catchy songs that barely contain their unbridled sound. Their growing national success and the success of “Madonna” procures a major label deal with Interscope Records shortly after. The Interscope-released “Source Tags and Codes” would be the band’s most critically acclaimed and most commercially successful record, leaving a slightly sour, though not unexpected, taste in the mouths of Merge.

In 1999, the Magnetic Fields release their highly ambitious magnum opus “69 Lovesongs”- a whopping 3 disc collection of quirky pop focused around the joys and heartaches of sex, love and desire. This massive concept record was well regarded upon its release and is the band’s most notorious (and probably most well-loved) material.
The Ladybug Transistor would also release one if its classic albums in 1999. Arguably their finest album, “The Abemarle Sound” has a throwback sound reminiscent of the late 60’s pop, owing as much to the Beatles and the Beach Boys as they do ELO.
1999 would also mark the 10-year anniversary of Merge. And with Mac and Laura being the artistically and musically minded people they are, they decided that the best way to mark the occasion was to put on a big show in celebration. Hosted at Cat’s Cradle, the night contained sets from the entire Merge roster, including The Magnetic Fields, Lambchop, Portastatic, and Superchunk. [8]

Lambchop releases “Nixon” in 2000 to large critical acclaim and success. It is considered to be one of the band’s best record’s to date. Spoon, after releasing one record on Elektra before being dropped, signed with Merge and released their “Love Ways” EP in 2000. Spoon would go on to be one of the biggest successes on Merge.

In 2002, Destroyer (predominantly the solo project of Vancouver’s Dan Bejar, it has a constantly changing lineup) signs to Merge and releases “This Night”.

2003 sees the release of Camera Obscura's (a Scottish “twee” band) “Underachievers Please Try Harder.” M. Ward signs with Merge.

This is also when Merge decides to start using contracts with artists. Up to this point, Merge had the ethos of letting their personal associations, high work ethic and quality output stand for themselves. They figured a contract would not be necessary if they were doing things right, and it allowed them to appear more artist-friendly - the artists would want to work with them due to their success and relationship, instead of having to force them through a contractual obligation. But after a few higher profile artists left Merge abruptly (Trail of Dead on bad terms, Magnetic Fields on good terms) and recognizing that the industry had shifted toward a more indie-focused output, they felt they needed a more secure and stable method of dealing with artists.

The Arcade Fire sign to Merge Records in May of 2004, due in part to their successful roster and image. Win Butler, the lead singer of the Arcade Fire, is rumored to have been significantly swayed by the fact that Merge is home to both the Magnetic Fields and Neutral Milk Hotel- two artists he adores. [5] The Arcade Fire announce their first album “Funeral” will be released nationwide that September.
The summer of 2004 saw another big celebration- the 15-year anniversary of Merge Records. In 15 years, Merge has grown from a bedroom affair to a business with a full-fledged office building in Durham, NC and a staff of 12. This time, instead of a single show to celebrate, the label held a five-day festival at various venues throughout the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area. Again, it was a who's who of the Merge roster- Spoon, Superchunk, Destroyer, Camera Obscura, the Arcade Fire, M. Ward, The Rosebuds, and Lambchop, among the notable acts.

Spoon releases “Gimme Fiction” in 2005. It debuts at #44 on the Billboard charts and sells more than 160,000 copies. The same year, M. Ward releases “Transistor Radio” and becomes a darling of the NPR crowd.

2006 would be another successful year for Merge. Camera Obscura’s “Let’s Get Out of This Country” is released to international critical acclaim and minor success. M. Ward’s release “Post War” again is well-received to the indie public, and his sales and notoriety continue to grow. Destroyer 2006 release “Destroyer’s Rubies”, is considered to be one of the year’s best releases by a variety of indie publications.

In 2007 Merge courts and signs Caribou (ie. Dan Snaith) and releases “Andorra” later in the year.

2008 sees the collaboration of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel on a track for the film “The Go-Getter” (Deschanel was one of the stars). This unlikely collaboration would lead to a creative spark that would produce the group She and Him. Merge courts and signs Connor Oberst (also known as Bright Eyes).

In 2009, Merge Records are celebrating their 20th Anniversary with a specially culled, limited-edition box set entitled “SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years”. It is a subscription series that can only be purchased online through their web store. For $199, the set includes 14 mix CDs compiled by celebrity fans and past artists, including David Byrne, Amy Poehler, Zach Galifianakis, Johnathan Lethem and Miranda July. [3] It also comes with a Merge covers album, a 350 page book featuring past album artwork, a comedy record, and a covers album- songs from the Merge catalog performed by a variety of indie powerhouses- Death Cab for Cutie, the Shins, Ryan Adams, Broken Social Scene, the New Pornographers and Bright Eyes, just to name a few. [10] It is all included in a specially designed case and contains a few other secretive goodies as well. They are also hosting the XX Merge Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the label.


Current Popular Artists

M. Ward – Known not only as an artist, but also a producer and engineer, M. Ward began his career with Merge in 2003 with his release “Transfiguration of Vincent.” The former member of Rodriguez from Portland, Oregon had a slow rise to fame in his hometown. After releasing two albums on separate labels, Ward signed with Merge and became a hit for many industry favorites. Not being a fan of the spotlight, Ward has played as somewhat of a sideman for Conor Oberst, Norah Jones, Jenny Lewis, Cat Power, Neko Case, and the White Stripes. His most recent release, “Hold Time,” released in February 2009, featuring collaborations with Jason Lytle, Lucinda Williams, Tom Hagerman off DeVotchka, and Zooey Deschanel, whom Ward duets with in the side project She & Him. [12] [13]

She & Him – Originally recording a duet for a movie soundtrack, M. Ward met Zooey Deschanel in 2006. Deschanel had secretly been recording home demos of herself for years, but had never told anyone about them. Once Ward was finally given the demos to hear, these songs became the basis of She and Him’s first album, “Volume One.” Released on Merge in 2008, “Volume One” was written “as a love letter to the musicians who inspired it.” Ward and Deschanel continue their musical collaborations – Deschanel writing and singing songs, while Ward produces, arranges, and plays guitar – and are currently working on their next album “Volume Two.” [14]



Spoon – Beginning in Austin, Texas in 1993, Spoon has always seemed to be the underdog (ironically enough, the title to one of their most popular songs) of the indie scene. Their first full-length album, “Telephono,” was release on Matador Records in 1996. Seeing potential in the little-known band, Elektra signed Spoon in 1998. The band’s major label debut, “A Series of Sneaks,” did not sell as well as Elektra had anticipated – the album was a big enough disappointment for the label that the band was dropped only four months after releasing the album.
Following their major label disappointment, Spoon signed with Merge and released their album “Girls Can Tell” in 2001, which outsold all of their previous recordings combined. This was followed by “Kill The Moonlight” in 2002, which surpassed their previous album sales. When a song from “Kill The Moonlight” was used on an episode of The O.C., mainstream popularity was thrust upon the band. With the excitement from the previous two albums and the popularity from The O.C., “Gimme Friction” was released in 2005 to an astounding number of sales for Spoon – over 160,000 copies – followed by the band’s latest release, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” in 2007. Their most recent success put Spoon at #10 on the pop charts in 2007, and produced two charting singles – “The Underdog” (#26 in 2007) and “Don’t You Evah” (#33 in 2007). [15] [16]



Arcade Fire – Beginning in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2003, the seven-piece band Arcade Fire has turned into one of Merge’s most well known acts. Their first album, “Funeral,” was released on Merge in 2004 to a surprising amount of success – concert ticket sales increased for every Arcade Fire show to follow. In order to promote their new success, the band began to tour extensively. “Funeral” would go on to be a watershed album for the band, the label, and indie music as a whole, garnering high praise from indie zines and corporate publications alike. Along with its accolades, the album would be nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Alternative Music Album” category in 2005. “Funeral” expanded the Arcade Fire’s notoriety and cult following, which would lead to a major tour extension and land them prominent slots on major American festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. [9] The Arcade Fire would become the first Merge artist to have an album hit #1 on the Billboard Chart, and be one of their largest successes (and largest challenges for promotion and distribution as well.)
The band eventually took time off in order to focus on writing their newest album. A church in a small town outside of Montreal was the site of their next recording – using influences from their surroundings in the newly made recording studio/church, “Neon Bible” featured new and interesting arrangements and instruments. The band uses their many different instrumental abilities and the excitement of their live show to develop their fame. [17]

Telekinesis – Merge’s newest act, consisting of Michael Benjamin Lerner (drums, guitar & vocals) with Chris Staples (guitar), David Broecker (electric, acoustic & bass guitar), and Jonie Broecker (bass guitar & keyboards) joining him on tour. The album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Tegan & Sara). Walla and Lerner tracked and mixed each of its songs to analog tape in a single day before moving on to the next song, with the ambitious goal of never over-thinking or sabotaging the spontaneous enthusiasm of the music.





The Ethos

“The key to our longevity has been to not look too far ahead and to really concentrate on each release. We never think about where we’re going to be in five years.” [4] Many labels take a different approach to their business, but Merge tries to focus on the here and now of their label, not what it will eventually turn into.

“Our deal is a profit-split between Merge and the artists. We tend to do two-record deals, or sometimes just one record deal. Our thinking is that if we do a great job then the band won’t have a reason to want to leave.” [11]

“Our focus has always been on the art and not the medium.” [11] The Merge website allows fans to listen to complete songs, via Merge Radio, and also allows fans to view music videos through the main website. (As a way to keep the new generation of Merge employees involved, the music video for their newest group, Telekinesis, was directed by Merge intern, Dianna Potter.

Ways of keeping fans involved:
1) "Make Your Own SCORE" Contest! – In light of Merge’s 20th anniversary year, the label is releasing a score box set with compilations from various merge artists from over the years. Fans were invited to make a list of their top 20 Merge songs, and post them to the website forums. The compilation that they believe is the best will be featured on the website and available for sale – the winner will receive a Merge t-shirt or tote bag.
2) XX Merge: July 22-26, 2009 – Merge will be hosting a five-day summer festival in Chapel Hill, NC to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the label. “Five days of music by Merge artists past and present in the summer heat of sunny North Carolina." [18]
3) March 21 SXSW Showcase – Saturday, March 21 at The Parish (214 E. 6th St., Austin) – co-hosting a showcase with Barsuk Records.

“I think cautious sustainability is a pretty accurate description of our approach to the music business, and the reason that we’re still here. We’ve certainly grown over the years, but in an organic way… it’s true that you have to grow to accommodate success, but that success on that scale may not roll around every year, so you’ve got to be prepared for that somehow.” [11]

“There is no way to explain why certain things hit and others don’t,” said McCaughan. “It’s easier to explain why a band like Arcade Fire or Spoon becomes popular because they have great songs and they’re a great band. It’s harder to explain why other bands don’t become popular, because you feel like they’re just as great. We don’t sign a band if we don’t think they’re great, and don’t think that other people will love them as well.” [4]

Merge Records

Sources:

[1] http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:w9fqxqe5ld0e~TI
[2] http://musicians.about.com/od/indielabels/p/matadorrecords.htm
[3] http://blogs.newsobserver.com/category/tags/Mac-McCaughan
[4] http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/70277-its-a-gut-feeling-about-the-music-an-interview-with-mac-mccaughan/
[5] http://www.treblezine.com/features/179.html
[6] http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hiftxq9hld6e~T1
[7] http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0nfpxq8hldse~TI
[8] http://music.mync.com/2009/01/merge-announces-five-day-xx-merge-music-festival/
[9] http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wbfpxqwald0e~T1
[10] http://www.popwreckoning.com
[11] http://www.adequacy.net/2008/02/interview-with-mac-mccaughan-merge-records-superchunk-portastatic/
[12]Royal Magnet. “M. Ward Records.” MWardMusic.com. 15 Mar. 2009 .
[13] Ryzik, Melena. “A Four-Track Guy in a Digital World.” The New York Times 15 Feb. 2009: 23. 15 Mar. 2009.
[14] “She & Him Biography.” SheandHim.com. 15 Mar. 2009. .
[15] Wenner, Jann S. “Spoon: Biography.” Rolling Stone 2009. 15 Mar. 2009 .
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_(band)
[17] “Arcade Fire.” Last.fm. 15 Mar. 2009 http://www.last.fm/music/Arcade+Fire
[18] Lankford, Loren. “Merge Records Announces XX Festival for July 22-26.” 8 Jan 2009. Paste Magazine. 15 Mar. 2009 www.pastemagazine.com

Supplemental Sources:
• Lambchop - http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg &sql=11:gvftxq8gldfe~T1
• Magnetic Fields - http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg& sql=11:dxfwxqwgldhe~TI
• Polvo - http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfwxqq5ld6e~T1
• Camera Obscura - http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fxfyxqq0ldhe~T1
• M. Ward - http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0nfyxqekld6e~T1
• http://altmusic.about.com/od/recordlabels/a/merge.htm
• http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=3047185
• http://www.motherjones.com/riff/2007/10/senate-investigates-lack-radio-love-arcade-fire-really

Images taken from the Merge Website.
**Multiple portions of the Merge Records website were used – for any other information that may or may not have been included, visit http://www.mergerecords.com.