Before relocating to the far North of Australia in 2009, Melbourne singer/ songwriter Donnie Dureau (Blueline Medic) spent several month collaborating and performing with good friends (including Jamie Hay of A Death In The Family/ Fear Like Us) for his Ribbons Pattern project. The resulting self titled album is ten brilliantly crafted acoustic tracks, highlighting Donnie’s warm sense of irony and wonderful ability to convey life experience in a song. To launch the album Donnie will be playing a run of solo & full band shows through early April, with plans for more touring later in 2010. ‘Ribbons Patterns’ is out April 9th via Poison City Records.

You can listen to the track ‘This Is The Road’ from the album now on the Poison City Myspace page.

The lovely Jamie Hay recently had a long chat with Mess&Noise’s Tim Scott about his previous project Conation, its revitalisation of late with a reunion tour & posthumous ‘The Clouds Are Gathering‘ CDep.

A good read with notable mentions to the Vietnam war, “emo-violence”, Propagandhi & Jamies super tough dad, I recommend you take a look.

Read the full article on Mess&Noise here.

*Photo credit: bandphotosrock

The record store owning, beach-hating & guitar-playing Paul of We Set Sail is interviewed in Brisbanes Rave Magazine this week.

The interview is also available for everyone to read online here.

I’m thrilled to announce that Brisbane’s We Set Sail have joined the Hobbledehoy family.

Sometimes it may take a while to find your feet in any given musical project, or it just never happens. This five-piece from Australia’s river city slowly came to shape in 2009 to find a collective foothold; a rewarding intermixture of friendship & music, often professed by many young bands, but rarely true. ‘Post-rock’ clichés be dammed, the sincerity of We Set Sail is quickly realised on first listen of the bands demo recording, available for listening here.

We Set Sail are currently further demoing for their debut record after-hours at Paul’s record store in Brisbane, to be released on Hobbledehoy expected sometime this year. Follow their progress with videos, photographs & off-hand notes via Tumblr. (Here’s some WSS trivia for you; Paul’s record store ‘Kill The Music’ hosted the very first show for The City On Film on his Australian tour in 2007.)

- Find out more about We Set Sail here

- WSS on Myspace
- WSS on Facebook
- WSS on Tumblr

Independent labels fascinate me. I’m always curiously investigating how they operate differently from one another and why some artists tirelessly endeavor to be associated with a particular one (or few). There are some charming stories with many indie labels, particularly those run by a single person or very small groups. I’m going to spend the holiday period celebrating some of these tiny labels from around the world, those I consider with great taste & integrity, where a love of music radiates through everything they’re doing.

#5 – Stiff Slack

Next on our list of featured independent labels run by essentially one person is Stiff Slack records. Located in central Japan, 5 hours drive from Tokyo, SS is handled by Tak, who also runs a distribution and record store in addition to the record label. Tak has recently begun assisting with touring of international bands to Japan, including such acts as 31 Knots, The Life & Times, Cinemechanica, Sleeping People and more in addition to his already heavy workload.

Most of the attention for Tak’s musical endeavors focus around variations of an indie / experimental / emo (yes, I just dropped the E word) sound. Many releases from the 40+ released catalog are licensed from overseas labels, although SS is beginning to release more original Japanese local artists on the label including Folio, The Undercurrent & First Day Action. Some of the licensed releases have included records from United States artists The Mercury Program, Look Mexico, Shiner, Fin Fang Foom & Cale Parks (of Joan Of Arc / Aloha).

Stiff Slack distribution plays a large part in what Tak does. The distribution arm carries select titles from plenty of fine labels; Touch & Go, Discord, Temporary Residence, Polyvinyl, Jade Tree, Flameshovel, Big Wheel Recreation & more. It even distributes titles from tiny indies such as Lovitt, Count Your Lucky Stars, Level Plane and Hobbledehoy, ensuring labels and artists alike don’t need major-label distribution to reach Japanese stores. More importantly, it exposes the people of Japan to some wonderful music, of whom may not have otherwise had access to it.

Visit Stiff Slack on the web:
stiffslack.com
myspace.com/stiffslackrecords
twitter.com/stiffslack

OTHER INDIE LABEL FEATURES:
- Asian Man
- Second Nature
- Poison City
- Big Scary Monsters

Legendary guitarist Walter Schreifels will be performing 3 special solo shows in Australia this month with the Melbourne & Sydney shows featuring support from Hobbledehoy artists! Over the past few decades Walter has played in many bands including Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand and Rival Schools – all of which became important and highly influential groups of their time.

Walter will play Saturday January 16th @ Jive in Adelaide, Sunday January 17th @ The Arthouse (with Donnie Dureau of Blueline Medic) Melbourne and then Monday January 18th @ The Sando in Sydney (with Jamie Hay).

Independent labels fascinate me. I’m always curiously investigating how they operate differently from one another and why some artists tirelessly endeavor to be associated with a particular one (or few). There are some charming stories with many indie labels, particularly those run by a single person or very small groups. I’m going to spend the holiday period celebrating some of these tiny labels from around the world, those I consider with great taste & integrity, where a love of music radiates through everything they’re doing.

#4 – Asian Man

Featured label numereo 4 is California’s Asian Man records, founded by the nicest guy in punk-rock, Mr Mike Park. While Mike does have an employed helper these days assisting with mail-orders and other day-to-day duties, it’s still a proudly tiny D.I.Y operation run out of his parents garage (proclaimed and celebrated on their website front page.). Primarily a punk-rock/ska orientated label, the label have quite an impressive discography. Founded in 1996 (prior to this titled Dill Records), AM have released early records from Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, Less Than Jake (Dill Records), re-issues of The Queers recordings and shortly will be reissuing many of The Smoking Popes records. The more recent AM roster has diverse gems such as Lemuria, Classics Of Love (ex-Operation Ivy), Andrew Jackson Jihad, Bomb The Music Industry and lots more. Asian Man records has also released records from Mike’s own bands, including his solo records, The Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band & Skankin’ Pickle (Dill Records).

Less Than Jake eventually signed with Capitol, and the label offered Park $100,000 to buy the Pezcore album by LTJ outright (released by Dill/Asian Man records). Park declined – the record has since sold a very successful 60,000+ copies. With a 50/50 profit split between the artist, Asian Man paid-off the production costs and still earned more than $100,000. And the album is still selling.

The label was long distributed by Lumberjack Mordam (also Hobbledehoy’s retail distributor outside of Australia until recently), whom declared bankruptcy and left both us labels stranded withholding thousands of dollars owed in past sales. Asian Man were supposedly the hardest hit of all affected labels, with Mike reporting over lost $50,000 in unpaid sales. Still AM have soldered on, continuing to release fine records.

Mike is also well-known for his political activism and community contribution. Recently opening a non-for-profit community youth center with his wife, he also created the Plea For Peace foundation (under which the center operates). The goal for PFP, as stated at their website, is to “promote the ideas of peace through the power of music“. Along with the center, PFP helps organise music tours globally, sharing ideas of peace and the practical uses of peace in everyday life.

Visit Asian Man on the web:
asianmanrecords.com
myspace.com/amanrecords
twitter.com/asianmanrecords

OTHER INDIE LABEL FEATURES:
- Second Nature
- Poison City
- Big Scary Monsters

Independent labels fascinate me. I’m always curiously investigating how they operate differently from one another and why some artists tirelessly endeavor to be associated with a particular one (or few). There are some charming stories with many indie labels, particularly those run by a single person or very small groups. I’m going to spend the holiday period celebrating some of these tiny labels from around the world, those I consider with great taste & integrity, where a love of music radiates through everything they’re doing.

#3 – Second Nature

The third feature of the independent label series is US label Second Nature, operated by Dan Askew in Kansas City. While the release schedule has dramatically slowed in recent years, SN worked with plenty of heavy-weights including The Blood Brothers, Rocky Volotato, Grade, These Arms Are Snakes, Isis and so many more. What first started as a small zine, the decision was made to release a compilation disc as a companion with issue #4 in 1995. Prior to that even making it out the gate, the opportunity to arose to release a CDep by local Kansas City act Coalesce, and so the first two Second Nature Recordings were born.

SN, like each of the labels previously featured, incredibly is another one-man show. With a diverse artist roster, the labels sound has often been described as ‘mid-western post-everything’, a more apt description I could not conjure. With a heavy focus on quality packaging and vinyl releases, Second Nature quickly became one of my favorite labels. This was greatly influenced by the fact Dan’s empire is also home to one of my favorite (now-defunct) bands Waxwing, who featured Rocky Volotato as well as his younger brother Cody whom later went on to form The Blood Brothers.

Second Nature is home to many other hidden gems; split records between Small Brown Bike / The Casket Lottery, The Get Up Kids / Coalesce, The Casket Lottery / Hot Water Music, a Sharks Keep Moving EP (featuring members of Pretty Girls Make Graves & Minus The Bear prior to them joining the aforementioned bands), Old Canes albums (Chris of The Appleseed Cast), and the debut from members of Small Brown Bike & The Casket Lottery’s new project Able Baker Fox.

Utilising those extra (& expensive!) printing options most of us rarely consider (spot-gloss, diecut sleeves, etc…) combined with beautiful design, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Second Nature releases. Physically holding a SN record bares an unmistakable sense of a thoughtful & carefully crafted product, consistent throughout the 75 record strong catalog. The label was long distributed by Lumberjack Mordam (also Hobbledehoy’s retail distributor outside of Australia until recently), whom declared bankruptcy and left both us labels stranded withholding thousands of dollars owed in past sales. Thankfully Dan was resilient to keep the label on its feet, and hopefully we’ll see a lot more exciting SN releases in the years ahead.

Visit Second Nature on the web:
secondnaturerecordings.com
myspace.com/secondnaturerecordings
twitter.com/secondnaturerec

OTHER INDIE LABEL FEATURES:
- Asian Man
- Poison City
- Big Scary Monsters

Owen’s latest full-length New Leaves was released Sept. 21stst and the good reviews have been nonstop. Check out reviews in Absolute Punk, Billboard, The Onion A.V. Club, The Daily News, The Quietus, and more by clicking the links below.

More About Owen
Purchase New Leaves CD (deluxe digipak)

Owen on Absolute Punk
Owen in Billboard
Owen in The Onion A.V. Club
Owen in The McKeesport Daily News
Owen in The Quietus
Owen in Bombshellzine
Owen in DB Magazine
Owen on Dusted
Owen on Verbicide
Owen on The 405
Owen on True/Slant’s Top Albums of 2009
Owen on The Skeleton Crew Quarterly’s Top Albums of 2009

Independent labels fascinate me. I’m always curiously investigating how they operate differently from one another and why some artists tirelessly endeavor to be associated with a particular one (or few). There are some charming stories with many indie labels, particularly those run by a single person or very small groups. I’m going to spend the holiday period celebrating some of these tiny labels from around the world, those I consider with great taste & integrity, where a love of music radiates through everything they’re doing.

#2 – Poison City

What started as a small hobby label by Andrew Hayden soon became a successful full-time label, distributor & record / skateboard store. I have close ties with Andrew at Poison City, they’ve been Hobbledehoy’s Australian / New Zealand retail distributor since 2007, I’m currently handling some of their online development and even spent a year working in the retail store.

Releasing records from Lungs, The Gifthorse, Like Alaska & A Death In The Family (whom Andrew also plays bass in – now signed to Resist Records), it’s downright amazing how he manages it all above band duties. The distribution division began not long after the label began, quickly securing exclusive distribution locally for international labels No Idea, Plan-It-X, People Like You and many more. Then in early 2008, the retail store was opened in Melbourne; specialising in music & skateboarding wares.

Poison City have just completed their second annual “weekender” festival. 3 individual shows over a Friday / Saturday / Sunday period, which has seen many non-Poison City bands also appearing such as Samiam, Bodyjar & Hobbledehoy’s own Blueline Medic. Over the years PCR has earned the well-deserved reputation as one of Australia’s finest punk-rock labels, (and arguably one of the countries hardest working labels) showing no sign of slowing down.

Visit Poison City on the web:
poisoncityrecords.com
myspace.com/poisoncityrecords
twitter.com/poisoncity

OTHER INDIE LABEL FEATURES:
- Asian Man
- Second Nature
- Big Scary Monsters