An Indie label is a record label that isn't owned by a major record label like Sony or Universal Media Group. They usually have smaller bands signed and (at least to me) they're way cooler than major labels. Also, the bands that they have signed are awesome! Here’s 7 Indie labels and some of the bands they have signed you should support!
1. Sub Pop
Responsible for releasing the albums of such seriously amazing bands as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Sunny Day Real Estate, Sub Pop is pretty well known. Not many record labels out there can say that they've released Nirvana’s Nevermind and Sunny Day’s Diary (If you haven’t listened to those then go do that…. immediately). Sub Pop is based in Seattle,WA and it was started in 1988 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. To this day Sub Pop still releases cool music and also, they have a record store at SeaTac Airport. Every time I go visit my cousin I end up coming home with no money because I spend it all on records.
Check Out "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
2. No Sleep Records
Based really close by in Costa Mesa,CA, No Sleep has introduced me to bands that I now love a lot. Chris Hansen is the owner of No Sleep, and he has done a really good job of introducing me and a lot of other people to great bands. Moose Blood, The Wonder Years, Balance and Composure, Major League and La Dispute are just a couple of the bands that the label has released music for. Along with all the cool bands that that I mentioned above, there’s a lot of new bands that are signed, which makes new music discovery pretty easy.
Check Out "1994" by Departures
3.SideOneDummy
SideOneDummy is based up in L.A and they have the coolest name out of any label on this list. They’ve released music for some pretty big bands like Flogging Molly, Title Fight, Hot Water Music and The Gaslight Anthem. My favorite bands on S1D are probably Microwave or Safe To Say, there just so good it’s crazy! Both bands just released new albums not to long ago and both albums are on my best albums of the year list. SideOneDummy also puts out the Warped Compilation CD every year, which helps you remember which bands you saw at Warped Tour that year. This label is just the coolest, they make the coolest merch, have some of the coolest bands working with them and have the coolest name.
Check Out "Only Rain" by Safe To Say
4. Tooth and Nail Records
This label was started in Irvine,CA; which I find really awesome! Tooth and Nail was started by this guy named Brandon Ebel who came down to California and decided to start the label. The label is based in Seattle,Washington now and still releases some really great stuff. There’s so many incredible bands on this label that it’s hard to pick which one to tell you about. Underoath, Copeland and Anberlin are a few of the bands that they have signed. All the bands on this label are worth checking out and getting into, they're all that good.
Check Out "I Can Make You Feel Young Again" by Copeland
5.Epitaph Records
Started by the guitarist of Bad Religion, Epitaph is one to pay attention to. I really like this label because of the bands that they have signed to them and also because of what they did for this band called The Ghost Inside. TGI got in a really bad accident while on the road last year and Epitaph and the whole scene did a lot to help them out. Epitaph just releases great albums all the time. The Shape Of Punk To Come by Refused, Stage Four by Touche Amore, Along The Shadow by Saosin, Low Tides by This Wild Life, the list just goes on and on. The artists on their label are so good that Epitaph might be magical.
Check Out "Palm Dreams" by Touche Amore
6. Hopeless Records
The last one is Hopeless Records. Hopeless is cool because they have another label attached to them that donates money to non-profits.I can’t think of any other labels with another label attached to them that does that. I just think it’s a cool thing to release music that is awesome and that helps people. Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Emarosa and The Wonder Years are just a few of the bands that they have signed, and also my favorite ones. Hopeless releases mostly punk albums and they're really good at it, some of my all time favorite albums are from bands on this label.
Check Out "Cigarettes and Saints" by The Wonder Years
