What are the greatest/dumbest record label names?

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Regardless of the quality of their music blah blah, although the way a label name works for or against its style of music ought to be fair game.

I've always thought Rough Trade was perfect. I am not terribly impressed by Asian Man.

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 8 November 2002 19:24 (twenty-three years ago)

In the Red Records...

― insectifly (insectifly), Friday, 8 November 2002 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

i always loved "plastic city".
"guidance" is not dumb but probably strikes any non-house-head as being snooty.
both are good labels, although guidance is not as good as it was.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Friday, 8 November 2002 19:28 (twenty-three years ago)

dischord
gravity
touch and go

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 8 November 2002 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Both great and dumb: Sympathy For The Record Industry.

― briania, Friday, 8 November 2002 20:05 (twenty-three years ago)

ditto great/dumb: Kill Rock Stars

― Aaron W, Friday, 8 November 2002 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Well not a record label, the indie distributors No Disitrubtion have a great name. Endearing records is a great name for a great label run by a great guy.
In terms of names I never liked Fat Cat which for some reason always reminded me of Cat In The Hat.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Fat Wreck Chords always made me cringe

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Sony Music Special Products

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Gasatanka

― Arthur (Arthur), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Epic Soundtrax

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Wyndhym Hill, NPG Records, Bongload.

― chaki (chaki), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Pussy God Records

― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 8 November 2002 20:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sorry, but Zang Tuum Tumb is the all-time greatest record label name.

I often suspect that Dark Beloved Cloud is the worst, but people I respect have told me to stick with it.

― Douglas, Friday, 8 November 2002 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

These Records has to rank among the greatest.

― Lee G (Lee G), Friday, 8 November 2002 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

4AD has a nice mysterious flow to it, just like a lot of the music they release. (does anyone know the origin of this name?)

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 8 November 2002 21:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Def Jam
Flying Nun
Barking Pumpkin

― christoff (christoff), Friday, 8 November 2002 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Greatest label/dumbest name: Kranky.

― Taang!, Friday, 8 November 2002 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

A friend who does a lot of business with Kranky says the disposition of one of the two guys who runs it is the reason for its name. I hear the other guy is nice as can be.

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 8 November 2002 21:49 (twenty-three years ago)

By the way, I rather like Kranky's presention of their name with the logo like a crude Redi-Kilowat electonics artifact.

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 8 November 2002 21:58 (twenty-three years ago)

It's a toss-up between DGC and RCA. Ooh, they're both so professional sounding! Acronyms imply big business, which in turn implies the greatest music that money can buy.

― Famous Athlete, Friday, 8 November 2002 22:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Twisted Village
Xpressway
Freedom From
Swill Radio

― brg30 (brg30), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Best: Factory

Worst: Phillies (great records, appalling pun)

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 9 November 2002 00:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't believe nobody's mentioned "I Make Music You Make Me Sick"

― Curtis Stephens, Saturday, 9 November 2002 02:00 (twenty-three years ago)

don't have a particularly good reason other than I love the way it sounds and looks on the page, but Perlon

― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 9 November 2002 02:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Half A Cow (Aussie indie label) is one of the worst I've heard

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 9 November 2002 03:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Perlon sounds very synthetic, like a miracle fiber. And vaguely sinister.

― Curt (cgould), Saturday, 9 November 2002 04:05 (twenty-three years ago)

good: tray full of lab mice
bad: any of the IDM bip-blop/mip-mop/morp-hop names
worst: shitkatapult

― your null fame (yournullfame), Saturday, 9 November 2002 05:12 (twenty-three years ago)

worst: United Gutteral

-
Alan

― Alan Conceicao, Saturday, 9 November 2002 05:28 (twenty-three years ago)

i have always been in love with the verbal beauty of THRILL JOCKEY

― JOOLS, Saturday, 9 November 2002 07:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Good Records

― dog latin, Saturday, 9 November 2002 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Half A Cow (Aussie indie label) is one of the worst I've heard

I actually really like that one!

― OCP (OCP), Saturday, 9 November 2002 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

PSF (psychedelic speed freaks).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 9 November 2002 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

I always kind of liked I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison (Swedish, I think).

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 9 November 2002 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

i've always loved the name Secretley Canadian.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Saturday, 9 November 2002 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

PSF (poor strong factory)

― your null fame (yournullfame), Saturday, 9 November 2002 19:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Rock Action is a funny name for a label with a largely IDM roster.

― Callum (Callum), Saturday, 9 November 2002 19:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Philles is an anagram (ok, its not an anagram, what the hell is it) of the owners' first names... i don't see how it's a pun.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 10 November 2002 01:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Acronym maybe?

― Curtis Stephens, Sunday, 10 November 2002 02:48 (twenty-three years ago)

i've always thought that the name of gabor (klasky - csupo) csupo's original label tone casualties was made cool by the existence if its spin-off label: casual tonalities.

― daniel e mcanulty (mcanulty), Sunday, 10 November 2002 09:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I remember reading sometime that 4AD was somehow a contraction of "forward". Can anyone back this up?

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Sunday, 10 November 2002 17:01 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, there was a fair bit of discussion in 4AD circles about this, and a confirmation of sorts in a program for some 4AD show or another.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 11 November 2002 00:07 (twenty-three years ago)

i thought 'you make me sick i make music' was chris cornell's publishing company

slash

― ron (ron), Monday, 11 November 2002 00:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Nettwerk!

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 11 November 2002 04:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Re: the naming of 4AD. When my band The Happy Family signed to 4AD in 1982, Ivo Watts-Russell himself told me that he'd chosen the name because he originally thought the label would only last four years!

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 11 November 2002 05:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Mille Plateaux! As if I'll ever get around to reading Deleuze and Guattari though.

― Dan I., Monday, 11 November 2002 05:33 (twenty-three years ago)

i've always loved the name Secretly Canadian.

Gah! Beat me to it. That's my fave ever.

― Charlie (Charlie), Monday, 11 November 2002 05:40 (twenty-three years ago)

primeros pasitos is one of the worst.
having to stick to an old joke, dud.
we will change it to primero spasitos.

― joan vich (joan vich), Monday, 11 November 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

transmat

― michael wells (michael w.), Monday, 11 November 2002 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Cafe 2001 (a record company). Norwegian label.

― Toshy, Monday, 11 November 2002 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

not a momus fan but analogue baroque is cool. revola. creation.

the worse? big brother. track and field. cherry red.

― doom-e, Monday, 11 November 2002 17:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Fueled by Ramen is dumb. Generally, any name - label or band - that appears to have some amusing story behind it they're begging you to ask about is annoying.

― Curt (cgould), Monday, 11 November 2002 17:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Corwood Industries

― gygax!, Monday, 11 November 2002 19:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Not yet mentioned:

Fierce Panda
Chicks on Speed
Regroovable Recordings Incorporated

― meirion john lewis (mei), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 19:18 (twenty-three years ago)

united dairies

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Zubizarreta!

― OleM (OleM), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 13:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Damn I was beaten to United Dairies - thus leaving only the clever clever likes of Revolving Records and Rounder Records.

― tigerclawskank, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 14:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Blue Note

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 14:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I second Fierce Panda (I don't know enough about this, but haven't they got offshoots called things like Livid Meercat, or am I hallucinating?)

Music For Freaks is a terrible name, trying far too hard.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 14:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Livid Meerkat & Rabid Badger are the FP offshoots

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 22:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Goddamn I'm a Countryman, the label set up by the Spacious Mind to release their records. Now that name I like.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:31 (twenty-three years ago)

akashic, poet's choice, get out of vietnam, peace monkey

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Thursday, 14 November 2002 02:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Sarah?

Pickled Egg (It's fun as well as food)

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Thursday, 14 November 2002 14:47 (twenty-three years ago)

"Goddamn I'm a Countryman" ... I like that one.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned "black bean and placenta"...
I've always had a soft spot for that name...

my inaugural step into these woods, for what it's worth.

― nick ring, Friday, 15 November 2002 05:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Mike Landucci once mentioned where BB&P got its name, and I was mostly grossed out.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 15 November 2002 05:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Decca. DECCA - that's a real record company-type record company name. I love the way those syllables roll off the tongue. Decca also had Deram, which is, as far as names go, you know, really out there. DERAM. What the hell does that mean? Again, nice phonics and redolent of psychedelic hipster-speak getting "dream" all wrong.

And soo the dream was indeed dead; Britain's ice age coincided with the demise of the Supreme Record Company. Coincidence or conspiracy? You tell me.

Another good name from the old imperialist era is ODEON. That's very regal. Like that one too. Not like Regal Zonophone, however. That's just stupid.

― David Hall, Friday, 15 November 2002 07:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah yes, the good old ones -- surely, after all, His Master's Voice wins?

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 15 November 2002 09:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Tape Mountain is a beauty. Best logo evah!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 15 November 2002 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

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