The Almost Complete History of Kill Rock Stars
June 9, 2022 2:34 PM Subscribe
Imagine a world without Bikini Kill, or a world where Heatmiser was cool with Elliott Smith’s songwriting direction. Imagine an indie-rock landscape without Sleater-Kinney circa Dig Me Out through One Beat (or any of the principal members’ excellent releases prior to S-K), or a Pacific Northwest scene where Unwound didn’t have a label that enthusiastically followed their artistic flights of fancy. And that’s just scratching the surface. From the great, weird bands on subsidiary 5 Rue Christine (Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu) to Throwaway Style Hall of Famers Wimps, Kill Rock Stars has endured multiple waves of the so-called death of the music industry to remain one of the most influential record labels in music.
Thanks for this--I love this record label.
Here's an obscurity from a group that, as far as I know, only made it onto one compilation:
Infamous Menagerie - Immediate Impound Zone
Here's my favorite song from what I'm pretty sure is the first KRS thing I ever bought:
Bratmobile - Some Special
posted by box at 3:03 PM on June 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
Here's an obscurity from a group that, as far as I know, only made it onto one compilation:
Infamous Menagerie - Immediate Impound Zone
Here's my favorite song from what I'm pretty sure is the first KRS thing I ever bought:
Bratmobile - Some Special
posted by box at 3:03 PM on June 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
Oh god when I saw a KRS story on the front-page I thought it was an obituary, that they'd gone out of business!
KRS is the only record label that I actually have T-shirts of. They're also the only label from where I've purchased music by random bands I've never heard of, and I've never regretted a single one. My KRS love-affair is now in its third decade.
From the article: "KRS shows no signs of slowing down." Hell yeah!!!
posted by phliar at 3:10 PM on June 9, 2022 [5 favorites]
KRS is the only record label that I actually have T-shirts of. They're also the only label from where I've purchased music by random bands I've never heard of, and I've never regretted a single one. My KRS love-affair is now in its third decade.
From the article: "KRS shows no signs of slowing down." Hell yeah!!!
posted by phliar at 3:10 PM on June 9, 2022 [5 favorites]
Brought to you by KEXP, the People's radio station.
I only lived in Seattle for one year before the switch, but it's still KCMU to me.
Early-to-mid-2000s I didn't go to a lot of shows because I was so busy with school, but I did go to a few K Records shows. I remember sitting with Calvin Johnson at a picnic table before his set one night.
Listened to more K than Kill Rock Stars, but I guess I kind of always conflated the two, and I know there was a lot of overlap. Another highlight were the Slender Means Society shows (I guess before it was a label; didn't know it became a label), which also has a lot of overlap with the other two labels. I'll never forget Phil from the Microphones spending the afternoon painting record sleeves and ending the day with a set involving him hanging upside down from the ceiling while playing a song and surrounded by the audience holding hands around him singing along. I think Khaela from The Blow dressed up as a bear to chase him around as part of the skit; there was also a performance typewriting troupe, one of Sleater-Kinney doing a solo set, Jherek Bischoff and maybe someone from Xiu Xiu smashing a cello after a strange theater piece as The Degenerate Art Ensemble. Those shows were always so weird and fun....seems like a dream now.
Looking at wikipedia, I just learned this (covered in Part 1 of OP's link): "The Kill Rock Stars label, also based in Olympia, had produced exclusively spoken word until Calvin encouraged the label to release a compilation record of local music acts ahead of its International Pop Underground Convention; Calvin provided half of the recordings for the record."
Will enjoy digging through OP's link.
posted by msbrauer at 4:15 PM on June 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
I only lived in Seattle for one year before the switch, but it's still KCMU to me.
Early-to-mid-2000s I didn't go to a lot of shows because I was so busy with school, but I did go to a few K Records shows. I remember sitting with Calvin Johnson at a picnic table before his set one night.
Listened to more K than Kill Rock Stars, but I guess I kind of always conflated the two, and I know there was a lot of overlap. Another highlight were the Slender Means Society shows (I guess before it was a label; didn't know it became a label), which also has a lot of overlap with the other two labels. I'll never forget Phil from the Microphones spending the afternoon painting record sleeves and ending the day with a set involving him hanging upside down from the ceiling while playing a song and surrounded by the audience holding hands around him singing along. I think Khaela from The Blow dressed up as a bear to chase him around as part of the skit; there was also a performance typewriting troupe, one of Sleater-Kinney doing a solo set, Jherek Bischoff and maybe someone from Xiu Xiu smashing a cello after a strange theater piece as The Degenerate Art Ensemble. Those shows were always so weird and fun....seems like a dream now.
Looking at wikipedia, I just learned this (covered in Part 1 of OP's link): "The Kill Rock Stars label, also based in Olympia, had produced exclusively spoken word until Calvin encouraged the label to release a compilation record of local music acts ahead of its International Pop Underground Convention; Calvin provided half of the recordings for the record."
Will enjoy digging through OP's link.
posted by msbrauer at 4:15 PM on June 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
Thanks, great interview!
Obligatory tragically overlooked KRS band:
Two Ton Boa - Comin' Up From Behind
Two Ton Boa - Bleeding Heart
posted by equalpants at 6:38 PM on June 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
Obligatory tragically overlooked KRS band:
Two Ton Boa - Comin' Up From Behind
Two Ton Boa - Bleeding Heart
posted by equalpants at 6:38 PM on June 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
Any KRS fans who haven't listened to Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars) should check it out! Team Dresch covering Elliott Smith was definitely the highlight for me.
posted by snaw at 7:06 PM on June 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by snaw at 7:06 PM on June 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seems to have omitted that they just sold their catalog.
posted by iamck at 10:25 PM on June 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by iamck at 10:25 PM on June 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Whenever I listen to Unwound, I listen to a lot of Unwound, and then go around the social media metaphorically grabbing people by the lapels yelling "holy fuck! You need to listen, no really really LISTEN, to Unwound, man!!!!"
So it appears I'm diving into Unwound again; consider your lapels grabbed.
posted by whuppy at 10:08 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
So it appears I'm diving into Unwound again; consider your lapels grabbed.
posted by whuppy at 10:08 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
They also put out the record with My All Time Favorite Huggy Bear Song on it in the States. Which I heard it for the first time
posted by thivaia at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by thivaia at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
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