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Here’s a sample of independent sites. Rather than copy from a directory I’ve made these lists from bands I like, news stories and word of mouth.There are more sites on the DIY artist page.
There are thousands of independent labels in the UK alone so this is not a complete list of indies. The independent music world is vast and varied.
There will inevitably be a gradual shake-out among today’s CD-based music businesses over the next few years. Labels, distributors and media, even publishers will have to adapt to the world online. Nobody really knows what will happen, but my guess is independent labels, communities and music sites like these will play a major role, and CDs still have a future.
| Record label | Brief description |
|---|---|
| The Alphabet Business Concern | The Cardiacs’ record label, distributed by Plastic Head Music Distribution (they were previously on Rough Trade). |
| Aware Records | Greg Latterman’s label, independent but distributed and marketed by Columbia. A multi-platinum indie with a grass-roots network. |
| Beggars Group | Beggars Group is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Bloodshot Records | Bloodshot, a spare-time insurgent country label was originally run as a hobby by Nan Warshaw and Rob Miller. It’s now a full-time operation with a full roster. |
| Champion Records | Mel Medalie started his underground club label in 1980. |
| Chemikal Underground Records | The Delgados label started in 1994 has a substantial alternative roster. |
| Cooking Vinyl | Cooking Vinyl has Billy Bragg, XTC, Stephen Duffy, and many others. |
| Dainty Records | The world’s most fragile recording company with a growing roster. |
| Damaged Goods | Very indie, CD and vinyl UK independent. |
| Domino | Domino is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Fat Cat Records | Related to One Little Indian, Fat Cat has a number of labels and DIY resources (revamped recently) on their site. |
| Fence Records | Small Scottish label with a good bunch of artists. |
| Fenway Records | Mark Kates left the mainstream for independent music and runs an interesting label with rock bands Read Yellow, The Love Scene, Unbusted, State Radio, The Kickovers, Consonant, Longwave, Gerling and others. |
| Fierce Panda Records | Fierce Panda is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Fly Records | Part of the independent publisher Bucks Music Group. Rick Oliver is on Fly. |
| House of Stairs | An independent label with the excellent Stars In Battledress and others. |
| iMusic | iMusic (part of ARTISTdirect) makes single record deals, unprotected CDs and free downloads. Artists include Johnny Marr, Eric Idle and John Doe. Distribution is by BMG (who own 5%), artists retain ownership and profits are shared 50/50. iMusic was set up to sign half-million sellers dropped by the majors. |
| New West Records | Cameron Strang’s $10 million (2003 turnover) independent label with Delbert McClinton, The Flatlanders and Slobberbone. |
| Ninja Tune | Ninja Tune is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| One Little Indian | One Little Indian is Derek Birkett’s independent label. |
| Or Music | Michael Caplan co-founded Or after 21 years at Epic (Sony Music Entertainment). Caplan returned to Sony in December 2005 leaving Larry Miller in charge at Or. |
| Org Records | Independent label, magazine and much improved web site. |
| Red Flag Recording Co. | UK independent label for Ten Speed Racer and Future Kings of Spain. |
| Rockville Records | An online label based in Bristol for indie acts: Poker Dots, Firebirds, Mark Keeley and Rebel Dean. |
| Rough Trade | Rough Trade is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Rounder Records | A massive indie (although Rock and Rap Confidential takes a poor view of their artist contract). Includes multi-platinum Alison Krauss. |
| Ryko | Ryko was bought by WMG in March 2006. |
| Sanctuary | Sanctuary Records Group is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Twisted Nerve | Damon Gough and Andy Shallcross describe their label as “18 people who don’t want to get a proper job”. Even though he runs his own label Gough was underpaid by his distributor. |
| Warp Records | Warp is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Unique Corp | Unique Corp is a growing independent label with both catalogue and new releases including Aaliyah, Ashanti, Boyz II Men, Intenso Project, Jimmy Cliff and Kool & the Gang. |
| V2 | V2 is one of the bigger UK indie record labels. |
| Woronzow Records | Woronzow (run by Adrian Shaw and Nick Saloman in the UK) releases some good bands e.g. The Lucky Bishops, The Green Pajamas and Bevis Frond. |
| Artist | Brief description |
|---|---|
| Alex Bach | Alex Bach and her band are self-supported through live work, CDs (over 30,000 sales) and merchandise, with tracks on iTunes. |
| Clear | Clear are represented by Invisible Hands and distributed by UMG. |
| Heather Dale | Heather Dale writes and performs world folk with Celtic roots. She runs her own label Amphisbaena Music with fan-funding like Marillion. |
| Fisher | Kathy Fisher and her band have CDs on Amazon, CD Baby and Aware Store. |
| Dave Fiuczynski | Dave Fiuczynski was with Warner but bought back his recordings and released them on his FuzeLicious Morsels label with downloads on his site. His jazz-rock bands include the fearsomely good Headless Torsos. |
| The Hamsters | Relentless gigging and recording UK indie blues rock legends. |
| Sara Hickman | Sara Hickman was signed to two majors but now releases CDs on her own independent label Sleeveless. |
| Jane | Jane is a successful independent UK singer-songwriter and her first album Close Up and Real is released on her own Tomboy label through CD Baby. She has sold 2,500 CDs so far. |
| Jet Plane Landing | Indie band with their own Smalltown America label, also release the Public Service Broadcast compilations. |
| Charlotte Martin | Charlotte Martin is a singer-songwriter. Her CD Baby album was made at home on an iMac with Pro Tools. |
| Marillion | Marillion the legendary UK rock band, now run their own unique, independent web-based operation. |
| Mighty Sounds | Michelle Shocked formed her own label for her latest release through the ARTISTdirect web site. |
| Myth America | Natalie Merchant (ex-10,000 Maniacs) went independent after 17 years with Elektra. This is her own record label. |
| The Others | On the Poptones label, a self-styled guerilla band with a unique agenda. |
| Damien Rice | His DIY debut album O was initially released on his own label drm and is now multi-platinum through a number of licensing deals with independent labels including 14th Floor Records UK and Vector USA. |
| Righteous Babe | Ani DiFranco’s own label (she was never signed to anyone else). This open letter describes her philosophy. |
| simplyred.com | Mick Hucknall started his label when his WMG contract ran out. He reckons he’ll make about 4 times his previous royalty (Warner made £192m, he got £20m and they own his masters). |
| The The | Matt Johnson released his own MP3s in 2001 when UMG failed to promote his album Naked Self. |
| Wilco | Reprise dropped Wilco because Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was judged uncommercial. It went on to be their best-selling album. |
| Community | Brief description |
|---|---|
| Discipline Global Mobile | DGM is Robert Fripp’s label (with useful notes on business aims and history) including Bill Bruford, Bill Nelson, Adrian Belew, Peter Hamill, John Paul Jones, Tony Levin, and many others. Fripp’s back catalogue has been illegally offered online through big name download sites, by mistake. |
| Elephant 6 Recording Company | US-based Elephant 6 is a huge community with Apples In Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, Sunshine Fix, Circulatory System and many others. |
| Gajoob | Gajoob is Bryan Baker’s independent USA music community with a newsletter, independent bands and resources (including Short Run Music, Home Made Music which issues a sampler and The Tapegerm Collective). His own site is Blind Mime and his band is Baby Fred. |
| Indie Centre | Indie Centre has an introductory mechanics guide to putting out records, cassettes and CDs by Simple Machines and more. American and slightly dated but still a good guide. Kristin Thomson and Jenny Toomey are now at Future of Music Coalition. |
| IndiePages | IndiePages is a community of independent sites, zines, labels and artists, with an online forum and reviews. |
| Insound | Insound is a CD and MP3 site run by Christian Anthony, Ari Sass and Matt Wishnow for their own label and other independents. |
| Out Of The Bedroom | Out of the Bedroom is an open mic session for songwriters every Thursday evening at the Waverley Bar in Edinburgh's Old Town. The web site has a decent forum. |
| Ptolemaic Terrascope | Ptolemaic Terrascope is an illustrated occasional magazine and sampler CD run by Phil McMullen in the UK. Also responsible for the Terrastock festival in the USA. An umbrella for numerous independent projects and artists (I prefer Elephant 6 and Woronzow to the ambient acid folk!). |
| United Musicians | Aimee Mann’s group of independent artist labels. Currently with Michael Penn, Bob Mould, Pete Droge and others. Rights ownership stays with the artists. |
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