Other DIY music link pages: Zines • DIY downloads
Here are some independent labels, artists and related sites I’ve met up with online in the past couple of years, mainly UK based.
I started this list before MySpace when it was harder to find fellow DIYers but it’s still well worth a browse, and always inspirational.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|---|
| Indie site | What they’re up to… | |
|---|---|---|
| A | Addasong | Download hosting, charts, radio, and other good stuff |
| Alternative Devon | An alternative South West streaming and hosting experience | |
| Anticulture Records | Gutworm, The Inbreds, Happyface… it’s not horticulture | |
| Chick Atkinson | Indie-folk CD, mostly guitar and vocals with the odd bongo thrown in | |
| Avon | Salary Man, his debut album is out now on Iris Light Records | |
| B | Glyn Bailey | Gigs and 2 excellent CDs Toys From Balsa and Songs From The Old Illawalla |
| Barking Spiders | A new mix of management, label and promotion services by indie artists | |
| David Beard Music | Derbyshire based film music production company supplying music and sound design | |
| Beatcave | Another multi-talented geezer, and another Scot too | |
| Chris Blackwell | If you are having trouble getting your music career off the ground… look away now | |
| BleatBeat Records | BleatBeat Records is a small independent label operating from the Shetlands | |
| The Blue Mask | Music soundtracks for film, TV, websites, adverts, video games, presentations | |
| Buddha’s Last T Party | Ambient folk, casual blues & celtic knots with CDs on CD Baby | |
| Bunshop | Contemporary Electronica with a retro, 80's feel | |
| Burak | Burak’s latest release Where Can I Go is available now at CD Baby | |
| C | Carlospresents | Plays guitar in The Merry Men and his own web site is sometimes up here |
| ccalam | One of my favourite DIY artists, an excellent CD… and of course on MySpace | |
| Chime Cottage Music | Lush synthesizers, screaming guitars… mixture of both with a plethora of electronic extras | |
| Coaching With Soul | Sally Rivers’ vocal training | |
| Curfew | DIY CDs and distribution, electronic orchestration with vocals | |
| Cusack | Think… Elliott Smith, the Lemonheads and the Velvet Underground… | |
| D | Madoc Davies | Composer and musician, 3 CDs and downloads available online |
| Matt Downing | Original music, production work for other artists, theatrical sound design | |
| Dubsounds | If you make it yourself, using electronic hardware or software, we would like to hear from you! | |
| E | Earthstar * | Creative projects coordinating, collaborating, producing and performing |
| F | Fairplay Music | For artists under the radar of the music industry |
| Fence Records | Scottish indie with a good bunch of artists | |
| Floron | An album of upbeat-driving tracks and dark-brooding melodies from CD Baby (mixed by Tim) | |
| Flying Mountain Records | Drongo (lofi-funk, raga frenzies and urban mantras) and others | |
| Charlie Foulkes | Her debut solo CD University of Life is available by mail order | |
| F-Shine Records | Richard IV Presents, Axel and the Farmers, Ben and the Pimps | |
| G | Gentle Robot | The EP features the mellow fan fave Why as well as the straight ahead rocker, Obstacle. |
| Ghosting | Music by George Moorey and Dan Pierce | |
| Glideascope | EP, a blend of classical, triphop and world music influences | |
| Paul Gray | Excellent bass player, New Deal for Musicians activist, and DIYer | |
| H | Hairthieves | An eclectic mix of ambient jazz pop rock indie punk soundtracks |
| I | ||
| J | Jon James Hall | A mix of music, art and film… and a free CD |
| K | Kasha | His style is poetic, emotional and his words tell stories of his surroundings, life, love and fantasy |
| Fiona Keenan | Percussive fingerpicked guitar playing, fearless stage presence and prolific songwriting | |
| L | Listen With Sarah | CDs with inspiration from neptune, and the ancient art of computer whispering |
| Lovejoy | Sell a ton of CDs and the major labels will be knocking at YOUR door! | |
| Lykwyd Chykyn | A mix between the Flaming Lips, Depeche Mode, and Carly Simon | |
| M | Andy Martin | Mail order CDs from Andy’s site or CD Baby |
| The Merry Men | Gigging and recording band | |
| Moe Foe | Live electronic dance for the 21st century… also on MySpace | |
| Pete Molinari | His music and live performance is ‘A triumph of content over form’. He is the real thing | |
| The Moot | A pop, rock, soul, blues, folk, country, funk band… mail order CDs | |
| Morph | The debut album is available from Amazon, Virgin Megastore and Tower Records | |
| N | Nat JM | Deconstructed pop, shambolic electro and punk to dance to… new EP |
| Norman Records | Slapping the thighs of melody | |
| Nathan Boddy | Nathan of Winding Road Records… more grooves than the most groovy thing on Earth | |
| O | The Openwater | Another one of my musical favourites... all played by humans, more please |
| Owen Duff | Self-recorded album through a small independent record label coming soon… MySpace | |
| Own Little World | Gigging and recording London guitar band trio… buy the CD | |
| P | Papa Mofoman | A variety of tracks and studio info from the fantastick… and MySpace |
| The Physicists | Nasty, angry, punk, alternative, grunge… | |
| The Photographers | Experimental gothic rock related in some way to Bunshop | |
| Plastic Fuzz | Plastic Fuzz is a collective group of musicians who make music for leisure purposes | |
| Protest Recordings | They’re growing fast… fired up online label and indie services | |
| Q | Queep Organic Music | Global independent and unsigned music community |
| R | RachelAPP | A change of name and new stuff now from Nat JM |
| Tim Rainey | Studio owner, engineer, musician, photographer… several CDs available from his site | |
| Roll Your Own Productions | Specializes in UK Urban styles including; Hip Hop, Garage, Dancehall/Bashment, RnB/Pop | |
| S | The Sad Song Co | Nigel Powell of The Unbelievable Truth - current solo project and intermittent pages |
| Sheffield Phonographic Corporation | A dozen bands including Balor Knights, Champion Kickboxer and Chuck | |
| Situation Normal | Grass-roots alternative to the commercialised mainstream music industry | |
| Sleeve | A blast from the recent past—the band has split but the site lives | |
| Songstuff | Community site started by Scottish singer/songwriter and performer John Moxey | |
| Sounds and Images | Simon Fielder’s site: music for picture and CDs on CD Baby | |
| Stretch Records | Guitar band The Dastards EP CD now available. Everybody loves a Dastard! | |
| Strangelight Records | Duncan Patterson’s label for Antimatter, now with other artists | |
| Strawberry Emu | Pop, Rock, R&B, Country and Soul song-based vocal material for other artists | |
| T | TCR | The Control Room, contemporary music for dance |
| U | UK Sound & Lighting | UK sound and lighting community |
| Un! Recordings | It started as a zine, then cassettes, CDs and now downloads on iTunes | |
| Ultrachronic | Dope turntable cuts… hip-hop beats, savvy, flowin' rhymes, and heavy, funky guitars | |
| Urban Myth Club | The Urban Myth Club have appeared mysteriously but are spreading spontaneously | |
| Urban Voice | Community DIY… young artist development programme | |
| V | Vanity Records | The indie label for Mr Love & Justice with 3 CDs on CD Baby. |
| W | Warren Suicide | Enigmatic artist site with unusually good Flash |
| Winding Road Records | Schmoov!, Nathan Boddy, X-houz, and Brix N Mortar (and a cool site) | |
| Wired Records | Run in partnership by REMIX and Gloucester City Council | |
| X | ||
| Y | ||
| Z | Zingg Records | Online purveyors of perfect pop and fine independent music of all styles |
If you’d like to replace my write-up with your own (a dozen words or so) please email.
Other DIY music link pages: Zines • DIY downloads