Drag City | |
---|---|
Founded | 1990 |
Founder | Dan Koretzky Dan Osborn |
Genre | Rock, experimental, indie rock, folk |
Country of origin | United States |
Location | Chicago, Illinois |
Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in the city in 1990 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, its first release was a Royal Trux single ("Hero Zero" - DC1). [1] It specializes in indie rock, noise rock, psychedelic folk, alternative country, and experimental music. The label has featured numerous critically acclaimed artists, including Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Bill Callahan, Joanna Newsom, and Silver Jews.
The label released the US version of Scott Walker's Tilt in 1997, after the label approached him wishing to give the album a US release. [2] Walker described releasing the album on the indie label as "an experiment". [2] Several members of Drag City's staff have played in bands; press-chief Gene Booth played keyboards and guitar in USA, and Booth, head of sales Rian Murphy, and founder Dan Koretzky all played in Mantis. [3] Booth was also a member of Chestnut Station. [3]
In recent years, they have expanded their catalog to include alternative comedy releases, with recent outputs from Fred Armisen, Neil Hamburger, and Andy Kaufman among others, and reissues, notably by Gary Higgins and Death. [4] [ failed verification ] In 1997, Drag City began publishing printed works such as the literary magazine The Minus Times and Neil Hagerty's novel Victory Chimp. [5] The label distributed the 2013 documentary The Source Family . [6] After years of refusing to release its artists' music on streaming platforms, the label finally made its music available for streaming via Apple Music in July 2017. [7]
Bill Callahan is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four-track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City, to which he remains signed today. His work, in addition to lo-fi music, has encompassed apocalyptic folk and gothic country.
Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, and again from 2015 to 2019 consisting of Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema (vocals).
Domino Recording Company, or simply Domino, is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called Domino Deutschland and a French division called Domino France. In addition, Stephen Pastel presides over the subsidiary label Geographic Music, which releases more 'unusual' music from Britain and outside of the Western world. In 2011, the company announced that it was beginning a book publishing division, The Domino Press.
Demolition Plot J-7 is the second EP by American indie rock band Pavement, released on June 1, 1990. The EP was the band's first release on Chicago independent label Drag City, and its first release that was not self-issued. Demolition Plot J-7 shared many of the same indie and punk rock influences of Pavement's 1989 debut Slay Tracks: 1933–1969, but also diversified the group's sound by incorporating keyboards.
Joanna Caroline Newsom is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisco-based indie band the Pleased.
The Milk-Eyed Mender is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on March 23, 2004, by Drag City.
Rian Murphy is a drummer and music producer for the Chicago record label Drag City, and also acts as the company's sales director.
Walnut Whales is the self-distributed debut EP by American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom. It was released in 2002 and sold in limited numbers in CD-R format. All tracks on the record, except for "Erin", "Flying a Kite", and "The Fray", were later re-recorded, the re-recorded versions being released on Newsom's debut studio album The Milk-Eyed Mender (2004), with minor lyrical changes. The EP has been described as indie folk, contemporary folk, and folk rock.
Ys is the second studio album by American musician Joanna Newsom. It was released by Drag City on November 14, 2006. The album was produced by Newsom and Van Dyke Parks, recorded by Steve Albini, mixed by Jim O'Rourke, with accompanying orchestral arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. It features guest vocals from Bill Callahan and Emily Newsom. The vocals and harp were recorded at The Village Recording Studio in Los Angeles in December 2005, with the orchestration being recorded between May and June 2006 at the Entourage Studios in Los Angeles.
Edith Frost is an American singer-songwriter who describes her music as "pensive countrified psychedelia".
Joya is the fifth studio album by American musician Will Oldham. It was released on Drag City in 1997 as the first album billed to his name, rather than the Palace or Bonnie "Prince" Billy monikers. It also features Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, and David Pajo.
Woke on a Whaleheart is the first record released by Bill Callahan under his own name instead of his nom de plume Smog. It was released by Drag City on April 24, 2007, and released a week earlier in Callahan's home state of Texas. A single, "Diamond Dancer," preceded the release of the album on March 20, 2007.
Royal Trux is the eponymously titled debut studio album by noise rock band Royal Trux. It was released in 1988 as an LP on Royal Records, then reissued in 1993 as a CD on Drag City.
Twin Infinitives is the second studio album by Royal Trux. It was released as a double LP in 1990 by Drag City, then reissued on CD and cassette in 1994. Twin Infinitives is the first full-length album released under Chicago independent label Drag City.
Cats and Dogs is the fourth studio album by Royal Trux. It was released in 1993 on Drag City.
Singles Live Unreleased is a compilation album by Royal Trux. It was released in 1997 by Drag City as a triple LP box set and a double CD.
Accelerator is the seventh studio album by Royal Trux. It was originally released on Drag City in 1998. It peaked at number 32 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
Have One on Me is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on February 23, 2010 via Drag City as the official follow-up to the harpist's highly acclaimed second studio release, 2006's Ys. It is a triple album produced by herself and mixed by long-time collaborators Jim O'Rourke and Noah Georgeson, with the accompanying arrangements by Ryan Francesconi. Have One on Me continues Newsom's use of cryptic, pastoral lyrics, with a further progression of elements of her sound such as the orchestral accompaniment and the arrangements – with the inclusion of diverse instruments like the tambura, the harpsichord and the kaval. The production also flirts with genres such as jazz and blues in some of the tracks, while adding drums and the electric guitar in others. The album is also her first since The Milk-Eyed Mender to include songs played on the piano instead of the harp. Because of health problems, Newsom's voice was damaged during the sessions consequently affecting the overall recording process and forcing the harpist to change her singing style.
Neil Michael Hagerty is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his work in Royal Trux which he formed with his partner Jennifer Herrema, with whom he lived in Washington, Virginia.
Neal Morgan is an American drummer, arranger of drums and percussion, and singer-songwriter. Morgan is best known as the drummer for Joanna Newsom and Bill Callahan.