Criminal IQ Records

Last updated

Criminal IQ Records [1] is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, founded by Jon Babbin (co-founder of Ruthless Records) and Darius Hurley to facilitate releases from Chicago's no-wave/punk scene that began in around 2003. Notable releases include garage pop-punk band M.O.T.O.'s LP Kill Moto, the Functional Blackouts' self-titled LP, and dark wave psyche punk band Vee Dee's Furthur LP. [2]

Contents

Early releases were met with critical acclaim from underground music zines such as Maximumrocknroll and Horizontal Action, and more mainstream publications such as Arthur , Thrasher , Kerrang! , and Concussion Magazine. The records received airplay and occasionally topped charts on college radio stations around the country, as well as getting airplay on the BBC via the late John Peel Show. Criminal IQ later signed The Krunchies and all-female band The Manhandlers. The Manhandlers' compilation album Maybe Chicago was co-released with Proto-Mersh Records, and featured original sound recordings by the Ponys, the Baseball Fury, the Tyrades, Twat Vibe, White Outs, Busy Kids, and the Hot Machines.

In 2006, Criminal IQ relinquished its Chicago-only policy and released singles by Texas hardcore band Army of Jesus, Milwaukee's Bear Proof Suit, Green Bay, and Portuguese punk band The Youths.

Discography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison Idea</span> American punk rock band

Poison Idea was an American punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nightingales</span> British band

Nightingales are a British post-punk/alternative rock band, formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England, by four members of Birmingham's punk group The Prefects. They had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorded a couple of Peel Sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had a retrospective CD released by US indie label Acute Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allister</span> American pop-punk band

Allister is an American pop-punk band from Chicago, Illinois. The four-piece formed in 1994 as Phineas Gage when the original band members were still in high school. In 1998, Allister became one of the first bands to sign to Drive-Thru Records. They went on hiatus in 2007, then reunited in 2010, and have been touring and recording again since. They have released six studio albums: Dead Ends and Girlfriends (1999), Last Stop Suburbia (2002), Before the Blackout (2005), Countdown to Nowhere (2010), Life Behind Machines (2012), and 20 Years and Counting (2019). The band also made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Sleepover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beauty Shop (band)</span> Americana rock band

The Beauty Shop was an Americana rock / alt country band, led by singer-songwriter-guitarist John Hoeffleur, based out of Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1999, they released two EPs and two full length albums before disbanding in 2008. Hoeffleur described their music as "influenced by old-school punk and old-school country with a dash of singer/songwriter ".

Born/Dead is a hardcore punk band formed in late 2000 in Oakland, California, consisting of Bill Jackson playing drums, Wyatt Culbertson playing bass and splitting vocal duties with guitarist Will Kinser. Will had been a member of the short-lived Santa Cruz/San Francisco, California band No Options. No Options had broken up suddenly upon the death of member Chad W. Rickley. All of Born/Dead's records have been dedicated to his memory and they still play No Options songs in their live set.

The Ponys were an American indie rock/garage rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed by singer/guitarist Jered Gummere, in early 2001. Gummere was concurrently in the punk band, Guilty Pleasures, at the time of The Ponys’ formation. He eventually left to devote himself entirely to The Ponys. Gummere recruited members of the band, his first choice being girlfriend Melissa Elias whom he met while she was attending Illinois State University in his hometown. Together they experimented with indie/post-punk styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Stereo</span> American punk band from New York City

Crime in Stereo is a Long Island-based hardcore punk band. The group released four full-length albums and a compilation, recording for the labels Blackout!, Nitro, and Bridge Nine before disbanding in 2011 and subsequently re-forming in 2012. Since 2012, the group have performed sporadically and released a single song on a compilation in 2021, the group have previously stated that they are writing their fifth full-length album House & Trance set to be released on October 27 2023 on Pure Noise Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Steele</span> American punk rock musician (born 1956)

Bobby Steele is an American punk rock musician. He is the current guitar player, songwriter, and sole original member of the punk band The Undead. He has been a member of multiple other bands, most notably, as the second guitarist of The Misfits. He was replaced by Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein. He married Diana Viar who joined The Undead in November 2014.

The Junior Varsity is an American emo alternative rock band from Central Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Effigies</span> American punk band

The Effigies were an American punk band from Chicago. The band played its first show in 1980 and was active initially for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes with frontman John Kezdy the only constant, before disbanding in 1990. The band released 5 albums and several EPs, most on the record label they founded in 1981, Ruthless Records, which was distributed by Enigma. Later albums were on the Fever Records and Roadkill Records labels. They toured the U.S. and Canada and played notable venues, including CBGB, Maxwell's, First Avenue, Mabuhay Gardens, Paycheck's (Detroit), Exit (Chicago) and The Rathskeller, among others. They also received a significant amount of national airplay on college radio at a time when it was the only medium for alternative music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M.O.T.O.</span> Garage punk band from New Hampshire, USA

M.O.T.O. is an American garage punk band currently based in New Hampshire. Formed in New Orleans in 1981 by Paul Caporino, the lineup of the band has seen many changes over the years, with Caporino being the only consistent member. The band has recorded many albums, singles and CDs, including several albums for the Chicago-based record label Criminal IQ Records.

Cursed was a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in 2001 and dissolved in 2008. It featured members from Montreal, Toronto, and Hamilton of various other Canadian DIY bands such as Haymaker, Left for Dead, The Swarm aka Knee Deep in the Dead, Acrid, Ruination, The Black Hand, Countdown to Oblivion, At the Mercy of Inspiration, Shallow North Dakota, Crux of Aux, Quest for Fire and Burning Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Business (band)</span> English punk band

The Business were an English punk band formed in 1979 in Lewisham, South London, England. The band lasted for four decades until their frontman Micky Fitz died from cancer in December 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthless Records (Chicago)</span>

Ruthless Records was the name of a Chicago punk record label. Founded in 1981 by the Effigies, it was not a real business, but a name used by Chicago and Minneapolis punk bands from 1981 to 1990: Big Black, the Effigies, End Result, Naked Raygun, Rifle Sport and Urge Overkill. The Effigies operated the label from its creation in 1981 until 1984, when they found the label to be distracting from their priorities with the band. They handed the label over to Big Black founder Steve Albini, who ran the label until it dissolved in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Less Than Jake discography</span>

The following is the discography of Less Than Jake, a Florida-based ska punk band.

The Static Age are an American post punk band originally from Burlington, Vermont and now based in Chicago, IL. The band's style blends elements of post-punk, alternative, shoegaze, synth pop and indie rock and they have released five albums and a handful of EPs and singles as well as toured extensively across both North America and Europe.

Killing Time is a New York hardcore band. From their beginnings in 1988, under the name Raw Deal, they went on to record two full-length albums and several EPs, singles, and compilation tracks. The band went through three hiatuses before formally disbanding in 1998. However, the band re-formed in 2006 and has been touring/playing since. Work on their third full-length album was completed in March 2009.

Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split with 7 Seconds in 2004, and From Companionship to Competition (2005). Other notable releases by the band were No Gimmicks Needed and This Is Just The Beginning... which were released on Blackout! Records. The band released several 7-inch EPs, splits with other bands, multiple compilation tracks, and two full-length LPs in their 11-year run. Most of their records were released on vinyl as well as compact disc. Some were released on different colors of vinyl, different sleeve covers, hand numbered tour presses, and picture discs, making their records a favorite among collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Palmer (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

Geoff Palmer, also known by the stage name Geoff Useless, is an American musician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, now living in Madison, Wisconsin. He played bass and provided backing vocals for The Queers straight out of high school, and played guitar and did lead vocals for The Guts and The Nobodys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezra Kire</span> American singer-songwriter

Ezra Kire is an American musician with the punk band Morning Glory, and is an ex-member of punk bands Leftöver Crack, Choking Victim and InDK. He currently resides in New York City.

References

  1. https://rateyourmusic.com/label/criminal_iq_records/, Criminal IQ Records. ""Criminal IQ Records-Music Label"". rate your music.{{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Criminal IQ". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-07-22.