Scratchie Records was an independent record label founded in 1995 by James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky (ex-The Smashing Pumpkins), Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy), Kerry Brown (ex-Catherine) and Jeremy Freeman. [1] [2]
Initially, Scratchie was based in Chicago and had distribution through Mercury Records, [3] but a year of legal wrangling ended the pact after Universal merged with Mercury's parent company, Polygram. Scratchie then signed a deal with New Line and moved to New York City.
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan, D'arcy Wretzky (bass), James Iha (guitar), and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), the band has undergone many line-up changes. The current lineup features Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and guitarist Jeff Schroeder.
Fountains of Wayne was an American rock band that formed in New York City in 1995. The band consisted of Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young. Their 2003 single "Stacy's Mom" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and was nominated for Best Vocal Pop Performance at the 2004 Grammys.
James Yoshinobu Iha is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the initial breakup in 2000. Among his musical projects of recent years, Iha has been a permanent fixture of A Perfect Circle. He was most recently a member of Tinted Windows, a 1960s/1970s inspired group with members of Cheap Trick, Fountains of Wayne, and Hanson. He rejoined the Smashing Pumpkins in 2018.
Gish is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released in May 1991 through Caroline Records. Frontman Billy Corgan has variously described Gish as a "very spiritual album" and "an album about spiritual ascension".
D'arcy Elizabeth Wretzky-Brown is an American retired musician. She is the original bass player of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins and is credited on their first six studio albums. She left the band in 1999.
Jordan Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He was born in Jenks, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion, guitar, harmonica, and piano. He is also the lead singer of supergroup Tinted Windows.
The Frogs were an American rock music band founded in 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion. The brothers mainly wrote and performed short, catchy pop songs, but they are also known for their improvised home recordings which are delivered in a comedic style, and often include controversial issues such as race, religion, and sexuality. A history of strife has hindered the band, although a devoted fan base that includes many well-known musicians has supported the group.
Fountains of Wayne is the self-titled debut studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne. It was released on TAG Recordings, Scratchie Records, and Atlantic Records in 1996.
Starchildren was a side project of The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. From 1990 to 1994 the band played a few scattered live shows, each usually featuring a different lineup of band members with only Corgan having constant involvement. The band officially released two songs, "Delusions of Candor", an original composition by Corgan, and a cover of "Isolation" by Joy Division.
Adam Lyons Schlesinger was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was a key songwriting contributor and producer for Brooklyn-based synth-pop duo Fever High. He also wrote songs for television and film, for which he won three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the ASCAP Pop Music Award, and was nominated for Academy, Tony, and Golden Globe Awards.
The Blank Theory was a five-piece rock group from Chicago, Illinois.
Dan Waldemar Bryk is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and recording artist. Originally from Toronto, Bryk is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. A songwriter and keyboard player, Bryk has released five full-length albums and a handful of singles, EPs and tracks on compilations.
Gerald "Ger" FitzGerald played bass for Setanta Records band Catchers. In 1999, he was hired as general manager of Stratosphere sound, a recording studio founded by James Iha, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase. During this period, FitzGerald also ran Scratchie Records, Iha and Schlesinger's boutique record label, overseeing releases by artists such as The Frogs and Dan Bryk.
Andy Chase is record producer and label owner. He formed the band Ivy with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Dominique Durand, now his wife. Chase owns Unfiltered Records and co-owned Stratosphere Sound studio with Schlesinger and James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins
Traffic and Weather is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne. It was released on Virgin Records in April 2007.
Fulflej was an alternative rock band from Richmond, Virginia, United States, formed in 1992 by guitarist/vocalist Jae Senji, bassist Awn Drapey, and drummer Spock Jenkins. In 1995, they were signed to Scratchie Records whose releases came to be distributed by Mercury Records beginning in 1996.
Tinted Windows were an American rock supergroup formed by guitarist James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins, singer Taylor Hanson of Hanson, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. The band issued one album in 2009, and performed live in 2009 and 2010. Josh Lattanzi also often performed with the band as the second guitarist.
Tinted Windows is the eponymous debut album of the American supergroup, Tinted Windows. Tinted Windows was formed in New York City and consists of guitarist James Iha, previously of The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle, singer Taylor Hanson of Hanson, bassist Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, and Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos. The album was recorded at Stratosphere Sound Studios in New York, which Schlesinger and Iha co-own with Ivy's Andy Chase.
Fondly was originally an America, Chicago-based trio, that produced two albums of indie punk in the mid to late 1990s. Brian Burkhard, Andy Grzenia, and Dick Simpson were the three original members. They released a self-titled CD (1995) - recorded in Brian Deck's basement. At the time, Brian Deck was a member of the Chicago band, Red Red Meat who later went on to work with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, and Califone. The album got great reviews and was named album of the year by James VanOsdal - Host of Q101's local show.
"I Hate December" is a song by American band Ivy, released on January 12, 1996 by Scratchie Records. The track came from the band's first extended play, Lately (1994). It was written and produced by Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger, while Dominique Durand also contributed to the lyrics and Peter Nashel handled additional production. While the version that appeared on Lately was not released as a commercial single, a remix was created and distributed as a CD single instead.