What's the worst record label?

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As in, labels whose involvement is enough to make you think twice before purchasing something (or even listening) if it bears the dread imprimatur, and when you hear it you either expect or secretly hope it's going to really suck. (In my case - Talkin' Loud, Acid Jazz, Ninja Tune, Creation, most artist-run labels. For perhaps entirely irrational reasons I ignore almost anything on V2 or Mute, and I usually find some reason to put off listening to Bad Boy product, regrettably)

Or, labels whose conduct is so shitty (I know, that's all of them, but even by biz standards) that you can't in good conscience buy any of their product.

― dave q, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I know they've done some alright things, but after hearing their destruction-by-syrup of Djivan Gasparyan I'm never buying a RealWorld album ever again.

Fave labels of the moment - Relapse, Pickled Egg!

― dave q, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The 'Creation' thing is not meant to excite exciteable posters (u kno who u r), I don't care about McGee. it's just that with the exception of 'Screamadelica' and 'Definitely Maybe' I've never heard anything on that label that I felt deserved to be recorded. Just a taste thing.

― dave q, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OK, MBV too I guess. No more Creation talk OK please? Thanx

― dave q, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

well dave, i think you've got it pretty much covered with your list (although i like creation to about 93)

Talkin' Loud, Ninja Tune and Acid Jazz have to at the top of any list too, with maybe Mo'Wax as well. this is partly an aesthetic thing, and partly an ethos thing. i guess its just the opposite of what i like about music. you can probably throw in Wall of Sound, Cup of Tea there, and pretty much any trip hop label

Skint. and all big beat labels. dance music for beered up lads that need authenticity and validation in their fun. "because its not like that 'dance' stuff is it"

there are many labels out there who have poor and drab rosters, but i have no hate for them, i just don't enjoy their records, the above ones though, they make me shudder.

conscience? well, unsubstantiated of course, but Darla and Domino don't exactly get props do they?

― gareth, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

what's wrong with Domino?

― michael, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

musically, nothing really.

i'll be able to clarify this tomorrow, and say properly, but it has something to do with the releases of their albums on other labels in america

― gareth, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, there's some downright horrible recently created labels for some of the worst lofi shitass DIY indie rock out there, but I haven't bothered to memorize their names. I get the occasional link to "check out" and there's an mp3 section which takes a page from sentridoh and fold it into a page of casiopop with horribly produced horrible songs being the resulting origami. One label that I remember thinking was great, but now is boring is Lookout! What comes out of there that's of any use to anyone anymore? I can't believe the sound got so huge that I've become overexposed to it.

― Nude Spock, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Drag freakin' City.

― adam, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Grass = the worst label ever. Aside from maybe Brainiac and Edsel, they released a motherlode of awful mid-'90s indie rock. They had one of the worst logos and almost every release was by a bad band with a bad name with awful artwork. They all looked like 'local' records.

― Andy K., Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Drag City is one of the better ones.

― Jeff, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Jade Tree.

― Oliver, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

how about dill records that put out skankin pickle records?

― Brock K., Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, God yes Grass. I don't think anything they put out was even meant to be good, with the exception of the Wrens Secaucus -- that single album, which wasn't even all that good, pretty well accomplished everything the entire label was supposed to be about. Although they may have put out a New Radiant Storm King record or single at some point, and those guys weren't too awful.

I think my prize, though, goes to this 90s Boston label whose stuff I wrote about for AMG at one point ... Sonic Bubblegum, I think? Responsible for the three worst records I've ever been exposed to -- by Crazy Alice, records so terrible I couldn't even work up the energy to pan them properly.

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think the US indiepop label Shelflife is particularly bad. Normally I quite like a bit of twee pop but pretty much everything they've put out is verging on the unlistenable. Matinée does the whole post-Sarah thing with a bit more quality and panache.

― electric sound of jim, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Come now, I don't think any ov U are trying hard enough. Can I say the 2 words "Windham" and "Hill" here?

xoxox

― Norman Phay, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd have to go with V2 on this one... yeesh, is there anything that isn't awful by that label? Great artists enter, crap comes out. It's the kiss of death label. That and maybe 4AD in recent memory and perhaps Mammoth.

― Mickey Black Eyes, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Maverick - Madonna's label. was anything good on it ever?

― daria gray, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Generally for me, Wax Trax or Cleopatra is the kiss of death for me, though Cleopatra has started reissuing some stuff that doesn't actually suck ass, like the Chrome stuff. How about that? Foiled again.

― Sean Carruthers, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The records Cog Sinister has been reissuing for the last few years are some of my favorite records ever... but is it too much to ask that an expensive CD should not be mastered from SKIPPING VINYL?

― Douglas, Sunday, 23 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I second Jade Tree... also, Epitaph, Victory. Hmm, am I showing a bias of sorts? ;-) I probably should be posting this, seeing as I'm a music director at a college radio station, but oh well...

― Clarke B., Sunday, 23 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"...probably *shouldn't* be posting this" that is!

― Clarke B., Sunday, 23 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

SONY!

― chaki, Sunday, 23 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Where's Andy from Lookout? Who does Lookout have beef with?

― chaki, Sunday, 23 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

they say always go with the first instincts, and cleopatra came to mind first.

― frankE, Tuesday, 20 April 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Why the fuck hasn't anybody mentioned Death fucking Row yet? Haven't you guys seen Biggie and Tupac??? The shit Suge Knight has done over the years is just horrifying!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Is Ministry of Sound a label?

― Sasha (sgh), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 00:38 (twenty-one years ago)

kung fu records
http://www.kungfurecords.com/

― juiceboxxx (juiceboxxx), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Trustkill
Vagrant
Drive Thru
Victory
Bridge 9

― Acid! Polizei! (ex machina), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

You forgot Revelation TSK

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 08:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought we settled this with the 'Grand Royal up for auction' thread.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Madonna record label 'lost $66m'

Madonna is signed to Warner Music as a solo artist
Madonna's record label Maverick has lost $66m (£37m) since 1999, according to court documents filed by its parent company Warner Music.
The recently unsealed documents are the latest twist in an ongoing dispute between the pop star and the company.

Madonna is suing Warner Music for $200m (£112.5m), claiming its mismanagement and improper accounting has cost her and her partners millions of dollars.

Maverick's line-up of artists include Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch.

According to trade paper Hollywood Reporter, the documents form part of a pre-emptive claim in which Warner Music asserts it has fulfilled its commitment to Madonna's record label.

Legal action

The "sealed lawsuit" was filed in a Delaware court on 24 March - one day before Madonna lodged her legal action in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Subsequently unsealed, the documents claim Madonna must pay $92.5m (£52m) - in addition to the value of Warner's interest in Maverick - in order to terminate its agreement with the parent company.

Alanis Morissette releases her new album in May
The $92.5m includes the $66m incurred in losses, a $20m (£11.2m) loan and $6.5m (£3.6m) in unpaid fees

Warner Music say that if the money is not forthcoming, it can legitimately convert Maverick into a "purely passive economic interest".

If this were to happen, Warner would take control of the label and Maverick would receive no share of the profits until the losses were repaid.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that Madonna is also signed to Warner as a solo artist, and begins a world tour in May.

'Deep respect'

Another factor is the imminent release of Morissette's first album in two years, So-Called Chaos.

Warner Music has called Maverick's accusations "baseless, unsubstantiated and without merit", but has attempted to distance the action from its other dealings with Madonna.

"This effort to resolve ongoing contractual issues surrounding the Maverick Records joint venture agreement in no way impacts the company's deep respect for Madonna," it said in a statement released last month.

Madonna and business partners Guy Oseary and Ronnie Dashev - who have a 60 per cent stake in Maverick - seek to end the label's partnership with Warner Music so they can collaborate with other companies.

― Andy Jay, Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

maverick put out "minerva" by the deftones so it's not all bad

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

If Mystro didn't exist, then Low Life by a country mile.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

jim listens to nu-metal!

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

only that one song

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

honest

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah yeah you just try and cover your slipknot t-shirt with that sweater now

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:29 (twenty-one years ago)

/m\ /m\

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

My nomination for Worst Label, Indie Division: Polyvinyl. Grass and Jade Tree are both worthy mentions, but when it comes to boring/annoying Midwestern emo-pop, Polyvinyl beats Jade Tree by at least a furlong.

My nomination for Worst Label, Major Division: Hollywood. Just look at that roster: Breaking Benjamin, The D4, Hilary Duff (shudder). The only decent bands on there are Los Lobos and (maybe) the Polyphonic Spree.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Nick, you haven't heard DRIVE THRU bands much, have you?

― Acid! Polizei! (ex machina), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

mr mirov you are trippin'. rainer maria! matt pond pa! mates of state! polyvinyl kicks all kinds of emo-lovin' ass and i won't hear a word against

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I appear to be the first to mention Saddle friggin' Creek

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, I was going to say Jade Tree, but Nick beat me to it.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Fat Wreck Chords seems to rest on its laurels a bit.

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 21 April 2004 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I love The Deftones.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Coal Chamber have their moments, too.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

seriously mirov - whats wrong with the D4?, its a fun album.. just because you have some kind of crusades against the rock'n'roll 'fad' doesn't mean that they don't right great, catchy songs.. i didn't say anything at the time, but i thought the p*fork review was rather unneccessary. oh and they're really a flying nun band, anyway - hollywood redistributes their nz releases (about a year late, too)

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 21 April 2004 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

rainer maria! matt pond pa! mates of state!

I rest my case.

whats wrong with the D4?, its a fun album.. just because you have some kind of crusades against the rock'n'roll 'fad' doesn't mean that they don't right great, catchy songs

I repeat: I rest my case.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Thursday, 22 April 2004 01:20 (twenty-one years ago)

There has been plenty of good music recorded and released under the Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics related labels, but their reissues are very shabby compared to Blue Note or Rhino. There are a bunch of artists that feel they are ripoffs.

― earlnash, Thursday, 22 April 2004 01:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 8 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Andi Sexgang still exists? Whoa.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 22 April 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

but polyvinyl put out Saturday Looks Good to Me, which is like my favorite record of 2003. it more than makes up for mates of state.

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 22 April 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Andi Sexgang still exists? Whoa.

Well, exists, yes, but that's not saying much. (Though here's where I cough and refer you to the AMG reviews by someone near and dear to my heart.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 22 April 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Gotta be Grass, as noted above.

― mike a, Thursday, 22 April 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

TVT

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Thursday, 22 April 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Drag City has done very little to redeem itself. Though Blount is pretty otm re: Saddle Creek.

― adam (adam), Thursday, 22 April 2004 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Cleopatra. what bozo runs this mickey mouse operation? they master (poorly) their CD reissues from vinyl, often without the artist's permission. and at least once they've reissued the wrong album (their Brainticket 'Adventure' is really 'Celestial Ocean' and maybe - maybe - v.v.). and what they did to Psychic TV's 'Force Thee Hand of Chance' is just disgraceful. didn't they also botch a Chrome reissue at some point?

Musea and Kissing Spell are both all kinds of shady, if not as heinous as the above because they have done their part in keeping some amazing albums in semi-circulation (Saint Just, Etron Fou Leloublan, Pataphonie / Moths, Caedmon, Stone Angel). but the mastering quality and presentation of their CDs often leave much to be desired. and who knows who's pocketing the money.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Thursday, 22 April 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

wait.
money?
you mean someone makes money?
can i have their phone number?

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 23 April 2004 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

label i want to hate: vice records

"yes new york"

boobs.
m.

― msp, Friday, 23 April 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Who was that keeping Saint Just in print - was it Musea? I only knew of Vinyl Magic and Mellow. The first album, you mean? I'm sorry to hear that Musea isn't good to the artists.

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 23 April 2004 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Silver Jews are on Drag City, so I must give them some props. Enough to get me to say "props."

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 23 April 2004 04:29 (twenty-one years ago)

label i want to hate: vice records

"yes new york"

Yes New York ain't bad at all!! "NYC Cops"! "Olio"!! "Deceptacon"!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 23 April 2004 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Streets are on Vice, right?

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 23 April 2004 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

yes new york might be forgiven if it wasn't a marketed homage to no new york.

selling your mediocre comp with mostly forgettable bands by referencing something with actual artistic cred sucks.

i don't care if the pope's black dice tribute band is on vice, i'm not interested.

― msp, Friday, 23 April 2004 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm getting Mellow confused with Musea. nor sure how that happened. AFAIK, Musea is completely legit and respectable. it's Mellow that has the rep for operating on the shady side of things.

you say Vynil Magic did the first Saint Just at some point? i'll have to track that down; they always do a nice job.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Friday, 23 April 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Def Jam and Bad Boy, obviously

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 23 April 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

OBviously. oh, Lord

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 23 April 2004 13:37 (twenty-one years ago)

geir prefers death row

pork records is the correct answer, btw

― fletcher dexter, Friday, 23 April 2004 13:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I prefer Death Row for Geir also :)

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 23 April 2004 13:48 (twenty-one years ago)

K-Tel

― christoff (christoff), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

geir representing for the west coast - go figure

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

What's wrong with Ninja Tune and Acid Jazz? Amon Tobin/Kid Koala was one of the funnest show experiences I've had in a while. Doesn't Diamanda Galas have some stuff on Mute? Seems like you could do much worse than those.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

i would be without suicide if there was no mute. that would be sad.

ninja tune puts out neotropic, who is awesome as well. the label had it's heyday...
m.

― msp, Friday, 23 April 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Grass Records did originally have Brainiac and one of my favorite Bloomington bands of the early 90s called Pencil, whose two cd's are not as good as they could have been, but at least they got to record.

― earlnash, Friday, 23 April 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost - Sorry; I just re-read my post, and I wasn't clear at all. I'm getting the impression that I should never post anything until I can read it a day later. I don't know if they did the first Saint Just record, but my CD copy of the second one is on Vinyl Magic.

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 23 April 2004 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

right you are. VM did 'La Casa del Lago'. no wonder this one sounds just fine. still fairly sure the S/T came out on Mellow.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Doesn't Magna Carta make this list?

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Saturday, 21 January 2006 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Either Def Jam or Tommy Boy.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 21 January 2006 21:22 (twenty years ago)

V2.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 21 January 2006 21:25 (twenty years ago)

Geir has changed his answer from "Def Jam and Bad Boy" to "either Def Jam or Tommy Boy"! Do I sense a tectonic shift????

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 21 January 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

Geir loves trad-hop!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 21 January 2006 22:25 (twenty years ago)

Some really good, or rather bad, ones mentioned (Saddle Creek, Drag City). But I must also add that I don't particularly care for Ninja Tune - other than perhaps Amon Tobin's Chaos Theory game score.

― Cliftonb, Saturday, 21 January 2006 22:58 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

labels i will never buy anything from (again):

COLLECTABLES (HORRIBLE mastering from vinyl, overpriced, sticks their huge logo on every cover)
REAL WORLD (does this still exist?)
STUDIO ONE (before their stuff was licensed to soul jazz, etc.; they used to do the worst CD mastering i have ever heard)

― amateurist, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:18 (seventeen years ago)

The Studio One stuff on Heartbeat sounds good.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:39 (seventeen years ago)

REAL WORLD (does this still exist?)

advert in this months mojo re an album called 'big blue ball' or something like that.
apparently 163 years in the making with all the usual names.
so i guess the label is still doing the biz.
oh - the internet proves all : http://realworldrecords.com/

― mark e, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:40 (seventeen years ago)

Collectables is really irritating though.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:40 (seventeen years ago)

The Studio One stuff on Heartbeat sounds good.

agreed, i meant CDs put out on studio one itself in the 80s/90s.

― amateurist, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:43 (seventeen years ago)

i mean real world had a very important role to play in bringing some artists to western attention, in popularizing certain genres, etc. but almost inevitably those artists' albums for real world (let's take tabu ley rochereau's for example) are poorly produced--among the worst in their catalogues.

― amateurist, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:45 (seventeen years ago)

should have gone to axiom (r.i.p)

― mark e, Friday, 8 August 2008 23:56 (seventeen years ago)

Arista

― drench, Saturday, 9 August 2008 00:00 (seventeen years ago)

SADDLE FUCKING CREEK

― Niles Caulder, Saturday, 9 August 2008 02:29 (seventeen years ago)

DDDDFFFFFAAAAAA

― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 9 August 2008 02:34 (seventeen years ago)

Acute Records

― dan selzer, Saturday, 9 August 2008 02:59 (seventeen years ago)

Secretly Canadian

― stephen, Saturday, 9 August 2008 02:59 (seventeen years ago)

what's so bad about acute? they put out ascension for chrissakess!!

― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 9 August 2008 03:01 (seventeen years ago)

Acute doesn't put out enough music!

― dan selzer, Saturday, 9 August 2008 03:14 (seventeen years ago)

I'm here all night, folks.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 9 August 2008 03:14 (seventeen years ago)

xp okay thats a weird take but ill take it

― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 9 August 2008 03:15 (seventeen years ago)

Acute should update the blog more often as well:

http://acuterecords.com/blog/

― dan selzer, Saturday, 9 August 2008 03:42 (seventeen years ago)

Trustkill
Vagrant
Drive Thru

LOL, but see, I'd never consider buying music by any of those bands in the first place -- no matter if they put out something on Kranky or 4AD, fuck no. See, I think the point of the thread is to ask, if you found out that a band you *maybe* liked had put out an album that you *maybe* wanted to get on a certain label... which label would make you reconsider that purchase?

― stephen, Monday, 11 August 2008 01:10 (seventeen years ago)

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