# What's Your Favorite Record Label?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 31, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684 "2002-07-31T13:52:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/1 "2002-07-31T13:52:35Z")
And - SHAZAM! - the OP was gone.
Er, Warp Records, by the way.
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/2 "2002-07-31T14:02:16Z")
And - SHAZAM! - the OP was gone.
Er, Warp Records, by the way.
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### Author:  [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/3 "2002-07-31T14:22:32Z")
I love _Hyperion_. Great classical stuff, and beautiful art choices for the covers as well.
Also, _Shanachie_. Lots of folk, ethnic, blues, and other eclectic types of music.
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### Author:  [@Ich\_Bin\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ich_Bin_s)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/4 "2002-07-31T14:42:54Z")
Shanachie is nice.
Historically, my favorite must be **Amphetamine Reptile** , even though they went belly up about a year ago. I think I own about 80% of their output and saw most every band on their label live.
My new favorite label, coming in at second place, would be **Ninja Tune** , home to so many great drum n bass, like Amon Tobin, Fog, …
I think that third place would be **Touch and Go** (with all of their affiliates, like quarterstick, drag city, etc) all the great Chicago bands and noteworthy business practices.
I’d love to put **Discord** higher on the list, but I just don’t know that many bands on this label any more. However, they get points simply for being run the way they are, and being home to Fugazi, Nation of Ulysses, Shudder to Think, Beefeater…
After that, my record collection consists of mostly **Lookout** , **Alternative Tentacles** , **Boner** , **Sympathy for the Record Industry** , **Blast First** , **Glitterhouse** , **Grass** , **Tupelo** , **Caroline**. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s what comes to mind this morning.
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### Author:  [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/5 "2002-07-31T16:46:20Z")
All Time? I also have to go with **Touch & Go**. Old Butthole Surfers, Jesus Lizard, Slint, Big Black, old Urge Overkill. As Ich’s Bin said, thrown in their affilaites – now you include bands like Gastr del sol, aerial/Papa M, Stereolab, Will Oldham/Palace, King Kong, Royal Trux, Smog on Drag city; and bands like June of 44, Rachel’s, Kepone, and (the much ass-kicking) Mule on Quarterstick. They had it goin on from the late 80s to the mid 1990s.
**Thrill Jockey** has/had Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Trans AM, a Minor Forest and all the side projects from these bands (Brokeback, Sam Prekop, Isotope 217, Archer Prewitt, etc). Good shit there.
I have to mention **Cargo** , because they have released everythign that is good about San Diego Music. Most of it revolving around Rob Crow, ABS IV, and Pall Jenkins – Including Three Mile Pilot, Thingy, Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, Black Heart Procession, and Optiganally Yours.
Moving forward, it looks like as if **Jade Tree** seems to be getting some steam behind them – Euphone, Jets to Brazil, Pedro the Lion, Joan of Arc.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/6 "2002-07-31T16:49:12Z")
Verve for Jazz
London for Classical
Varese Sarabande for Film Scores
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### Author:  [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/7 "2002-07-31T17:01:50Z")
My favorite is [Bloodshot Records](http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/). I can honestly say I’ve never been disappointed with any disc I’ve listened to with their label on it.
From their philosophy statement:
> [@](#):
>
> From our shabby offices on a bleak stretch of Irving Park in the fine city of Chicago, we will, with your help, continue to churn out CDs that serve as a burr under the saddle of all the amoral forces responsible for the free fall decline of contemporary music. Help us keep our steel-toed work boots firmly on the throats of the enemy.
I’ve become assured enough of their ability to pick good music that I’d be comfortable ordering anything from them without hearing it first. Case in point is the terrific **Alejandro Escovedo** disc I’ve got spinning right now. It’s an interesting mix of Tejano, Rock and even some country.
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### Author:  [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/8 "2002-07-31T17:05:41Z")
Another thing I’ve noticed: Although most of it isn’t my cup of tea, you are hardpressed to find anything crappy on **Rykodisc**.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/9 "2002-07-31T17:08:19Z")
I personally like [A Different Drum Records](http://www.adifferentdrum.com/), which is also a damn fine online record store.
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### Author:  [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/10 "2002-07-31T17:34:03Z")
**Hopeless records
Jade tree
Discord**
Are the labels that I find release consistently good bands.
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### Author:  [@Auction\_Barn\_Messiah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auction_Barn_Messiah)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/11 "2002-07-31T23:15:08Z")
Immediate Records. Loved a good 90% of the stuff Immediate owner and former Stones manager Andrew Oldham put out.
abm
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### Author:  [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/12 "2002-08-01T04:08:48Z")
Minus Records and it’s earlier incarnation(well kinda) Plus 8. Plus 8 was started by two of my favorite DJs, Richie Hawtin and John Aquaviva. They also throw the best warehouse parties ever, Richie’s parties are the stuff of legends here in Detroit. They’re always on the cutting edge of Electronic Music.
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### Author:  [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-record-label/121684/13 "2002-08-01T04:52:14Z")
I like Rough Trade and Mute. While there are bad artists on those labels, they’re outnumbered and outshined by the good ones.