Topic: Record Labels (Good and Bad) (Read 16153 times)

Storm Rider · « **on:** 14 Dec 2005, 22:16 »

Now, normally I'm not big on the whole label concept: a band should be judged by its material, not by whether it's on a major label or not. But go ahead and list some of your favorite and least favorite labels, just for some interesting opinions.

Mine:

The Good: InsideOut Music. Seriously, there is not a better prog label anywhere. Star One, Asia, Ayreon, Chroma Key, Devin Townsend, Fates Warning, Neal Morse, OSI, Platypus, Spock's Beard, Symphony X, Flower Kings, Jelly Jam, Transatlantic... the list goes on and on and on.

The Bad:
Victory Records. Seriously, I challenge you to name a good band on that label.

I don't find it necessary to point out how much terrible mallcore Roadrunner is pushing on us now.

surgerydrugsnrocknroll · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Dec 2005, 22:27 »

between the buried and me and dead to fall are decent...
the other bands suck though

i personally like razorback records
you cannot mess with ghoul and engorged, and other horror/gore metal bands

as for crappy record labels...
i cant think of any offhand.

rive gauche · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 07:54 »

I don't really pay very much attention to Record Labels.

Level Plane has some pretty consistently wicked acts.

Yep.

Der Golem · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 08:15 »

I agree with Spinless. Even Roadrunner has a decent band, Glassjaw. But I don't really pay attention to labesl either. The only one I particularly like is Ipecac. Mike Patton and Mugison, two of my favorate artists ever.

And as for Storm Riders challenga; They have Minus and Darkest Hour, both of which are decent. Well, Minus was decent anyways.

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 08:29 »

Actually, Glassjaw haven't been on Roadrunner since the release of "Worship and Tribute".

Quote from: Storm Rider

Victory Records. Seriously, I challenge you to name a good band on that label.

The Victory history of good bands: A18, All Out War, Bad Brains, Between the Buried and Me, Boysetsfire, Buried Alive, Bury Your Dead, By the Grace of God, Comeback Kid, Darkest Hour, Deadguy, Dead To Fall, Earth Crisis, Freya, Fury of Five, Grade, Hatebreed, Hoods, Integrity, Madball, Path of Resistance, Premonitions of War, Ringworm, Reach the Sky, Refused, Shelter, Strife, Snapcase, Thursday, Warzone and With Honor. Happy now?

Best label name ever: Secretly Canadian.

Thrillho · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 08:45 »

Guess who sucks - Sony!

Luke C · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 09:19 »

Quote from: Storm Rider

The Bad:
Victory Records. Seriously, I challenge you to name a good band on that label.

Ok I checked out that website. I havnt even heard of most of the band on that label but any label with Taking Back Sunday on = sucky.

Oli · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 10:21 »

Deep Elm Records isn't bad...

I don't really have any labels I don't like...

just lots of artists I don't...

Reno · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 11:04 »

I find Subpop Records signs a lot of good bands, as does Scratch Records Canada

Willem · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 11:38 »

well yeah, subpop has had better obviously but this is quite good for these days.

Thrillho · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 12:56 »

Quote from: Spinless

they're evil, undoubtedly. Maybe even silly. But I'm sure that sony BMG will have at least one redeeming band.

I was joking beacuse of the recent 'omg this isn't a CD!' scandal.

I don't give a crap about whether a label is 'evil' or not, really - Bob Dylan and Roger Waters, two of my favourite acts, are signed to Sony subsidiaries.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 13:23 »

Good Labels:
(old school) 4AD: Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, Clan of Xymox.

Black Mark: Bathory, Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Dan Swano, Morgana LeFay. Best adverts ever. A sample:

"Now It's here! Finally released from the chains of Christ, the second offering from the dark merchants of brutal yet symphonic death metal. "Unorthodox" contains 12 tracks of blasphemic hymns to the darkside, ranging from demonic speed to mournful ballads. Get it while you are alive. A definite tombstone in the history of Death Metal

...IT WILL LEAVE A BLACK MARK IN YOUR FLESH!!"

Century Media: Arch Enemy, Behemoth, Bloodbath, Borknagar, Dark Fortress, Dark Tranquillity, Dream Evil, Finntroll, Grave, Napalm Death, Nevermore, Sigh, Strapping Young Lad, Tiamat, Unholy Ghost, Vital Remains, Warmen etc.

Deathlike Silence (RIP): Only made 9 releases, which include 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas', 'Deathcrush', 'Scorn Defeat', 'Burzum' and 'Aske'. Despite any other faults he may have had, Euronymus really could pick 'em.

Earache: Blood Red Throne, Carcass, Deicide, Ephel Duath, Ewigkeit, Iron Monkey, Lawnmower Deth, Mistress, Mortiis, Lawnmower Deth, The Berzerker.

The End: Agalloch, Virgin Black, Sculptured, Frantic Bleep, Voivod.

Nuclear Blast: Agathodaimon, Amorphis, Anthrax, Bal-Sagoth, Blind Gaurdian, Candlemass, Cathedral, Death, Grave Digger, Graveworm, HammerFall, Hypocrisy, Immortal, Meshuggah, Nightwish, Omnium Gatherum, Orphanage, Pungent Stench, Secret Sphere, Sonata Arctica, Stormtroopers of Death, Subway to Sally, Therion, Wintersun etc. etc. Very commercial, but they sell fucking Hypocrisy pyjamas. Rock!

Osmose: Absu, Arkhon Infaustus, Black Witchery, Impaled Nazarene, Melechesh, The Rocking Dildos, Swordmaster, Yrkoon etc.

Peaceville: My Dying Bride, Darkthrone, Katatonia, At The Gastes, Opeth, Paradise Lost.

And a load more. There's lots of labels, like Noise records for example, that have had, at various points, loads of great bands, but aren't that good nowadays. Others have one or two good bands but aren't worth mentioning otherwise. Quite a few of my favourite artists, especially the neo-folk and black metal crowd, self-release or run their own small labels/distros with a few side projects or smaller bands on the side.

I'll also back Storm Rider up on Inside Out. Quality label, and also, if we're allowed distros, then Seven Kingdoms and the sadly defunct World Serpent are clearly the greatest ever.

RUMBLEMOOSE · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 13:28 »

^ There are like fifty thousand Sony subsidiaries, probably everyone here knows one good artist who's signed to one.

I've heard bad things about Laserlight, and it seems like a lot of their recordings are sorta thin, but I think that's mostly because they're such an old company, and every classical CD from before 1993 sounds a bit weak. On the flipside of this is Deutsche Grammophon, which I trust implicitly for any recording. Maybe I shouldn't, but I've never heard of a bad DG release.

As for rock labels, I have gripes about the whole Tortuga/Robotic Empire/Hydra Head/Southern Lord axis that thinks it's great fun to release thirty different limited editions of the new Isis record and then watch collectors scramble to collect them all, leaving people like me (who get the records to, y'know, listen to them) with the option of paying $45 for one or waiting for a regular vinyl release, or getting it on CD and watching a regular vinyl release come up days later. Maybe I should just quit being a nerd and stop worrying about preferring vinyl to CDs.

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 13:37 »

That bit about Tortuga/Robotic Empire/Hydra Head/Southern Lord is so true, it's not even funny. Damn sludge freaks, how about everyone who wants to get to listen to their records?

StupidityKills · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 13:47 »

MoshiMoshi has no bad bands.

I can't think of any bad ones, because if I dislike a band I'm unlikely to know enough about them to know their label.

Tomservo · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 15:35 »

Yeah, I wouldn't really look up bad bands labels.
I don't even know the labels of most of the bands I like.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 15:47 »

Aren't Opeth and Deicide on Roadrunner now?

surgerydrugsnrocknroll · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 15:51 »

Quote from: Storm Rider

Aren't Opeth and Deicide on Roadrunner now?

opeth, yes,
decide, i dont know.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 17:07 »

Yes, but part of their back-catalogue, which is better than their current material, is on Peaceville. Their best stuff is actually probably on Music For Nations. Speaking of Music For Nations, I have no idea what their current stable is, but they do manage some rather nice back catalogues.

surefunk · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 19:06 »

i think drag city is a pretty consistently great label. they've got smog, silver jews, papa m, will oldham, six organs, on and on.
as far as other labels i dig: matador, rough trade, and anticon are all dope.
and rhino is putting together some pretty great reissue packages, like all the elvis costello and talking heads stuff.

pat101 · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 20:22 »

DFA is good
Frenchkiss is good

as far as bad I don't know. I try not to pay attnention to them.

nescience · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 20:33 »

On the upside: Mego, Soul Jazz, Childisc and Gooom have been pretty solid lately.

On the downside: 5RC has had a few good releases but it's incredibly uneven, and I also think Sub Pop has seen better years.

Kid Modernist · « **Reply #22 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 23:47 »

Merge, Saddle Creek, and Kill Rock Stars have a lot of my favorites.

http://www.drivethrurecords.com/home.asp">Drive Thru Records has a lot of bands I don't like.

Rizzo · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Dec 2005, 01:35 »

Quote from: Storm Rider

The Bad:
Victory Records. Seriously, I challenge you to name a good band on that label.

I don't find it necessary to point out how much terrible mallcore Roadrunner is pushing on us now.

I know it's been done already but Comeback Kid are signed to Victory and they're probably the best current hardcore band in my opinion.

lastclearchance · « **Reply #24 on:** 16 Dec 2005, 01:43 »

Quote from: nescience

On the downside: 5RC has had a few good releases but it's incredibly uneven, and I also think Sub Pop has seen better years.

Isn't that the point of 5RC? Shit that's too uneven for KRS. I mean even the great stuff (e.g. Xiu Xiu) I wouldn't just hand to someone.

As to Sub Pop, they've had a great year I think. Kelley Stoltz's EP, Wolf Parade, Rogue Wave, and Sleater-Kinney were all 2005. And I'm not even including Iron & Wine, The Constantines, Holopaw, or Low because I haven't heard much from these 2005 releases. But I hear they were good.

And how has no one mentioned Barsuk or Arts + Crafts yet? Great labels.

I can't think of any bad labels, but KRS was disappointing this year. Aside from the Deerhoof, the Decemberists (who are gone now!) and the Harvey Danger single, what did they put out that was any good this year?

willeh · « **Reply #25 on:** 16 Dec 2005, 04:24 »

Best: Level Plane and Ebullition, no contest.

Fucking great labels.

nescience · « **Reply #26 on:** 16 Dec 2005, 10:06 »

Quote from: lastclearchance

Isn't that the point of 5RC? Shit that's too uneven for KRS. I mean even the great stuff (e.g. Xiu Xiu) I wouldn't just hand to someone.

It's true. I mean, you don't listen to 5RC releases like you listen to a label like Merge, Matador, or Sub Pop, but I've lately been picking up all these releases like a Mae Shi release from last year, a Lætitia Sadier collaboration, the new Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu (who I cannot stand), and Replikants and I'm just not getting their vibe. And it's not that I just can't listen to noise, I just can't listen to THEIR noise. Also, their packaging sucks.

Quote from: lastclearchance

As to Sub Pop, they've had a great year I think. Kelley Stoltz's EP, Wolf Parade, Rogue Wave, and Sleater-Kinney were all 2005. And I'm not even including Iron & Wine, The Constantines, Holopaw, or Low because I haven't heard much from these 2005 releases. But I hear they were good.

Kelly Stoltz, blah. Wolf Parade, did not like. Rogue Wave, hated. Sleater-Kinney, blah. Iron & Wine, blah. Constantines, blah. Holopaw, hated. Low, really liked. We have a winner! I mean, it's tough to pick a label whose sound or bands you really don't like because there are few whose sound you can get a good approximation of unless you're picking up a lot of releases from them, and often that happens when you're enjoying a lot of their releases. 5RC and Sub Pop are the only two that I can think of that I've been buying or downloading a lot of stuff from that I'm not really digging.

I can certainly see, however, how another listener could say that this was a banner year for either one of these labels.

chrysalidigm · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 01:00 »

ninjatune. best label name ever, plus they have some pretty good musicians. jaga jazzist for one.
constellation
gooom

creation records are possibly my favourite of all time. (sans oasis) brothers reid, kevin shields and co, and a certain bobby gillespie, to name a few.

amok · « **Reply #28 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 07:08 »

A Different Drum is the best goddamn label in the universe

ninjatune have some awesome acts also

Outshined · « **Reply #29 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 09:01 »

Warp Records has some pretty interesting stuff on it.

Aphex Twin, Autechre, and Boards of Canada for starters.

pat101 · « **Reply #30 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 10:55 »

Quote from: Rizzo

I know it's been done already but Comeback Kid are signed to Victory and they're probably the best current hardcore band in my opinion.

I know it's your opinon and all, but can I still say that they suck? I mean suck really, really hard.

iamtheaznman · « **Reply #31 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 11:05 »

I like Kill Rock Stars. It's a real shame The Decemberists signed to Capitol though.

Also, doesn't Sony have the Flaming Lips?

surgerydrugsnrocknroll · « **Reply #32 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 11:07 »

Quote from: iamtheaznman

I like Kill Rock Stars. It's a real shame The Decemberists signed to Capitol though.

Also, doesn't Sony have the Flaming Lips?

i think maybe so,
and im pretty sure they have modest mouse.

Nick Cave's Havalina · « **Reply #33 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 15:58 »

Warner Bros. has the Flaming Lips.
Warp, Merge, and Drag City are great labels indeed. I know that I love them! Let me add 4AD, Tzadik, Mute, Rykodisc, Jagjaguwar, Touch & Go, Nonesuch, and Rhino as good labels, too. Sire and Elektra back in the day were good as well.
And Corwood Industries.

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #34 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 16:52 »

Quote from: pat101

I know it's your opinon and all, but can I still say that they suck? I mean suck really, really hard.

Disliking Comeback Kid pretty much means that your opinion is invalid, and should never be considered seriously, regardless of context, ever again.

Catatonik · « **Reply #35 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 21:20 »

anticon

Damn good stuff, all mostly out there and very genre disregarding.[/url]

Rizzo · « **Reply #36 on:** 17 Dec 2005, 21:36 »

Quote from: kikanjuuneko

Disliking Comeback Kid pretty much means that your opinion is invalid, and should never be considered seriously, regardless of context, ever again.

I wouldn't be quite so harsh but seriously, give them another listen. Sit down and listen to Wake The Dead or something. Seriously, some of the best hardcore in years.

surgerydrugsnrocknroll · « **Reply #37 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 00:24 »

Quote from: kikanjuuneko

Quote from: pat101
I know it's your opinon and all, but can I still say that they suck? I mean suck really, really hard.

Disliking Comeback Kid pretty much means that your opinion is invalid, and should never be considered seriously, regardless of context, ever again.

comeback kid = alright
definatly not the best hardcore out there though.

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #38 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 00:51 »

I should've put a "

" or "

" in there somewhere.

Rizzo · « **Reply #39 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 04:39 »

Quote from: surgerydrugsnrocknroll

comeback kid = alright
definatly not the best hardcore out there though.

No, but they own this wave of metalcore shite. Atreyu or Comeback Kid, easy choice right?

Kai · « **Reply #40 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 07:10 »

ATREYU ON TOUR WITH AS I LAY DYING, THE SOUND AND THE FURY (What other Faulkner book titles can we steal?) AND UNDEROATH RAAAAUGH

On Victory records; They're pretty much 98% shit. They do have Between the Buried and Me, which are fairly awesome.

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #41 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 07:47 »

Hey, now, As I Lay Dying isn't a bad band.

Kai · « **Reply #42 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 09:39 »

They're okay. I just threw them in there because they're part of that kind of "scene", and they also stole their name from a Faulkner book. STOP DOING IT GUYS, JEEZ

Storm Rider · « **Reply #43 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 10:05 »

Come on guys, Hawthorne Heights.

Kai · « **Reply #44 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 10:29 »

CUT MY WRISTS AND BLACK MY EYES
SO I CAN FALL ASLEEP TONIGHT, OR DIE
BECAUSE YOU KILL ME
YOU KNOW YOU DO, YOU KILL ME WELL
YOU LIKE IT TOO, AND I CAN TELL
YOU NEVER STOP UNTIL MY FINAL BREATH IS GONE

kikanjuuneko · « **Reply #45 on:** 18 Dec 2005, 10:31 »

Speaking of, there's also a band called The Scarlet Letter. I can't say I've heard them, but while we're on the topic of bands named after books...

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Record Labels (Good and Bad) (Read 16153 times)

surgerydrugsnrocknroll

rive gauche

kikanjuuneko

Reno

Willem

RUMBLEMOOSE

kikanjuuneko

StupidityKills

Tomservo

surgerydrugsnrocknroll

surefunk

nescience

Kid Modernist

willeh

nescience

chrysalidigm

Outshined

iamtheaznman

surgerydrugsnrocknroll

Nick Cave's Havalina

kikanjuuneko

Catatonik

surgerydrugsnrocknroll

kikanjuuneko

kikanjuuneko

kikanjuuneko