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Featured Label: Ghostly International
Ghostly International is a label that prides itself on the juxtaposition of music and art branding. Created by Sam Valenti IV when he was 19 yrs old, the label was realized through Valenti’s experience as a DJ, interest in live performances, and art history background. With the incorporation of art, and expression, the label encouraged exploration. In the beginning, Tadd Mullinix, best known as Dabrye, comprised 50% of the label’s ro…
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Music Labels and Blogs in 2011
A friend recently asked me if I wanted to start a music label. I asked him if he was crazy. The conversation ended there. Today’s major labels like the British EMI are reminiscent of the 1997 film Titantic, as the boat sinks and Leonardo Di Capro hangs on to a wood plank before freezing to death, while his love Kate Winslett survives to tell his story. Hold on to dear life labels, the big ship you sailed is going down! Kid Cudi : “5…
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Featured Label: Warp Records
Warp Records has become a staple of good electronic, artistic, experimental, and new wave music since the early 90s. This is not Arista, or Def Jam with pop hit, one time wonders. While some of their artists have topped charts, most of their music remains known by DJs and music collectors. Like most hustlers in the music industry, the label’s first two releases by LFO (not “Summertime Girls” LFO) and Nightmares on Wax were sold…
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Featured Label: Numero Group
Amongst the growth of repackaged soul (Lee Fields & Sharon Jones) and revitalized reissues, is a record label doing its own thing: Numero Group. Numero Group is not a record label signing artists, it’s a crate diggers’ dream occupation of reissuing lost gems. I stumbled upon a write up of the label at Aquarium Drunkard, where they were highlighting a group called 24-Carat Black. At the Numero Group website they have a smattering …
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Si*Se Interview with SFCritic
Here is my recent interview for SF Station with Si*Se. Si*Se: “The Chain” (Cover) Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. The first group signed to David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, Brooklyn’s Si*Se watched a smooth beginning turn difficult as it navigated the music business and later bounced f…
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Sila & The Afrofunk Experience Interview: Starting with a Dream
We all know the “cliché” of “follow your dream,” but when that cliché manifests itself into a reality—well, then it’s no longer a cliché. Sila’s dream of becoming a celebrity musician began as a youngster growing up in the mountains of Kenya. Chasing after his dream, he found himself in the Bay Area closer to realizing it with his Afrofunk band. After releasing his sophomore album Black President completely DIY, then receiving …
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Featured Label: Tres Records
Step 1: To learn music outside the radio-pop realm, follow and learn about music labels. From Death Row to Om Records, music labels don’t just release records, they showcase particular styles and genres. In the weeks to come, I will feature different labels, assisting you in finding artists you might enjoy. Tres RecordsThis is Tres Records “About US”: Tres Records, a label founded and run by artists, is committed to procuring t…
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Monday Mixer – “Study Music” Playlist
…ght…) have to prepare their taxes, and everyone can commiserate in this poo poo of a time (yes, I wrote poo poo because it’s “politer”). This week’s Monday Mix, a playlist assembled by a group of music bloggers each week with a different theme, was themed “study music” so we could be in your thoughts when you pulled out your hair, grind your teeth and curse your laptop. Hopefully, this playlist helps as y…
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[Featured Artist] G-Eazy and Doo-Wop Music
the cheesy video, and its old school aesthetics, harp back to a different period. Maybe its due to my sociology background, but when I think of Motown or Stax, I’m reminded that this was the first really popular black music. A lot of historical discussions about race and popularity can be drawn between the popular Detroit based Motown and lesser-known, southern, Stax label based in Memphis. I’ve heard people refer to Motown as the &…
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Pitchfork’s Review of Childish Gambino Sparks Controvery
… often someone else who will raise the question. This happened to Pitchfork two weeks ago, after they gave rapper Childish Gambino’s latest album, Camp, a score of 1.6 out 10. The blog, despite being a pillar for online music criticism, has often received criticism for its numeric review system in the past. The harsh description of Gambino concluded that he was “preposterously self-obsessed, but not the least bit self-aware.” Th…
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