Sunset Alliance Records

Sunset Alliance Records
Founded	1999 (1999)
Founder	Steve Lefever David Jensen
Genre	Rock
Country of origin	U.S.
Location	Mesa, Arizona
Official website	sunsetalliance.com

Sunset Alliance Records is an independent record label based in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned and operated by David Jensen.

History

After the release of a couple LPs featuring local rock bands, original owner and founder Steve Lefever had plans to let the label die. ^[1] Then, in 2000, he approached the then-frontman of Before Braille, Dave Jensen, ^[2] who had been working for two years to create a compilation album for the benefit of a local Phoenix art house and music venue, Modified Arts, and invited him to join in the management of Sunset Alliance and release that compilation on the label. ^{[3] [1]} While Dave Jensen's original plans had been to release that record on his own start-up label, Aireshire Drive, he jumped at the opportunity. ^{[3] [1]} In 2001, Dave Jensen took full ownership of the label and has managed it since. ^{[1] [4]}

After a decade of operations, Sunset Alliance remains a small enterprise that focuses on local artists. ^[5] However, this has not kept the little label from attaining some significant national (and even international) success. During those first ten years, Sunset Alliance put out 46 releases, had three bands appear in the popular Emo Diaries series on Deep Elm Records, ^{[6] [7] [8]} found its bands charting on the CMJ 200, ^[9] sent its bands across the U.S. on concert and music festival tours, watched as some of its artists received international praise ^[10] and released their records in foreign markets, and has even applauded as one of its groups moved on to a major label. ^[11]

In January 2010, Sunset Alliance celebrated its ten-year anniversary with a revue show featuring some of its most successful bands, including: Before Braille, Fivespeed, The Player Piano, Novi Split, The Letterpress, and special guests Pinewood Derby. ^{[12] [13]}

Today, Sunset Alliance remains an active record label cooperating with different artists globally and focusing mainly on indie and alternative music. Although the majority of the latest releases are digital, the label keeps selling physical records and merch as well through their online shop.

Bands

This list is compiled from information found on the Sunset Alliance website, ^{[14] [15]} as well as through the label's discography.

• Andherson
• Art for Starters
• Awake & Alert
• Before Braille
• The Bled
• Beninem
• Captain Baby
• Corrupt Citizen
• Felix
• 52nd Street Jazz Band
• Fivespeed
• Half Visconte
• Homeless Radio
• Icarus Phoenix
• Jeff Johnrey
• Last Day Parade
• The Letterpress
• Loyal Wife
• The Manhattan Project
• Mr. Fantastical
• The Necronauts
• Novi Split
• The Player Piano
• Rajiv Patel
• Redfield
• Roger Over & Out
• The Retaliation for What They Have Done to Us
• Signedso
• Shotstar
• Stereotyperider
• Tickertape Parade

• 
  Before Braille
• 
  Rajiv Patel
• 
  The Bled
• 
  Art for Starters
• 
  Homeless Radio

Discography

Release number	Title	Artist	Notes
SA 001	Fair Weather Fan	Stereotyperider
SA 002	Uninvited	Corrupt Citizen
SA 003	Born to Rock	Redfield
SA 004	Self-titled EP	Fivespeed	Also known as the First of the Compact Cars EP
SA 005	Triplesplit Series, Vol. 1 [16]	Fivespeed, Before Braille, & Andherson
SA 006	Not One Light Red: A Modified Document	Various Artists	Released with This Argonaut Records for the benefit of Modified Arts. [17] Bands featured on the compilation: Seven Storey, Fivespeed, Sea of Cortez, Harcuvar, Go Big Casino (Jim Adkins/Jimmy Eat World), Pinewood Derby, Redfield, Before Braille, Sextet, Pollen, ...And Guppies Eat Their Young, Scott Tennent, Reubens Accomplice, Fightshy, Death of Marat, Chula, Half Visconte.
SA 007	Driving at 90mph	Last Day Parade	Released with Kickstart Audio
SA 008	The Night was Sultry	The Manhattan Project
ALLY009	Trade in Your Halo	Fivespeed
ALLY010	Two Years of Silence Split EP	Felix & The Manhattan Project
ALLY011	Not One Light Red: A Desert Extended	by Various Artists	Bands featured on this release include: The Go Reflex, Cursive, Seven Storey, The Real Diego, Recover, Kristofer Astrom & Hidden Truck, Mock Orange, Bluetip, Fine China, The Format, Grey AM, Fivespeed, The Good Life, Fireside, Before Braille, J.Rawls, Bluebird, The Revolution Smile, Chris Mills, and Reubens Accomplice.
ALLY012	Lost Sight	Redfield
ALLY013	His First Crush	The Bled	Released by Ride the Rocket Records. Sunset Alliance served as a distributive partner.
ALLY014	Melodic Array of Change	The Necronauts	Released with High School Football Records.
ALLY015	Self-titled	Signedso
ALLY016	Self-titled	The Player Piano	The original LP had a limited release of 1000, hand-numbered copies.
ALLY017	What the Hell is Rock'n Roll	Shotstar	Released with Downfall Records
ALLY018	Self-titled EP	Half Visconte	Released by This Argonaut Records. Sunset Alliance served as a distributive partner.
ALLY019	Was it Fear	Half Visconte
ALLY020	You're Causing a Scene	Tickertape Parade	Originally, this release was listed as number ALLY020 in the Sunset Alliance catalog. [18] [19] [20] However, for reasons that are not entirely clear, Tickertape Parade was "excommunicated" from the Sunset Alliance line-up and its catalog number was replaced by two other releases. The official Sunset Alliance website lacks any information concerning this recording or the band.
ALLY020A	Self-titled	The Retaliation for What They Have Done to Us	The Retaliation for What They Have Done to Us was a "secret" project started by members of Before Braille while they were still under contract with Aezra Records. [21] They released this recording during that time, and it was later incorporated into the Sunset Alliance catalog.
ALLY020B	The Rumor	Before Braille	The Rumor was originally released on Aezra Records. [22] Years later, Sunset Alliance purchased the rights to the album and thereafter has included it among its catalog of releases.
ALLY021	Keep Moving	Novi Split
ALLY022	Obey the Cattle	Rajiv Patel
ALLY023	Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit EP	Before Braille	This EP had a limited release, and preceded the full-length album, Tired of Not Being Away From Here .
ALLY024	Input/Output	The Letterpress
ALLY025	Americopa Mantle, Vol. 1	Various Artists	This release was made for the benefit of local artists. [23] [24] It features: Before Braille, The Ruby Lee, The Go Reflex, Black Feet, Awake & Alert, Rajiv Patel, Sweet Bleeders, Not Quite Bernadette, and Wonderful Wednesday.
ALLY026	Of Black Water	Rajiv Patel
ALLY027	Balance and Timing EP	Before Braille	Released with Bad News Bears Records. This was originally released as a "Holiday" EP. [25]
ALLY028	Tired of Not Being Away From Here	Before Braille	UK Import release with You and Whose Army? Records. Distributed in the U.S. by Sunset Alliance and Common Wall Media.
ALLY029	Satellite	The Player Piano	The Japanese re-release of original Self-titled LP with Friend of Mine Records. This release carries two extra tracks: Jazz Odyssey and Cotton Carolinae. [26]
ALLY030	Drugs Made My Favorite Bands, Drugs Ruined My Favorite People	Art for Starters	Two-disc LP, one disc being purely rock, while the other contains only acoustic songs.
ALLY031	Ham Hocks & Guitar Strings	Mr. Fantastical
ALLY032	Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message	Before Braille
ALLY033	Spring Cleaning	Before Braille	This album's full name is: Spring Cleaning...Cut, Clean, Scab, Scar, Rewind, Remind, Repeat. This record is essentially a compilation of B-sides and rareties, but it also contains some original Before Braille songs.
ALLY034	Get Phased EP	Rajiv Patel	Released first as a tour EP.
ALLY035	Step Up or Step Back (Single)	Beninem	Digital release only.
ALLY036	Santa's Sleigh is Thumpin' (Single)	Beninem	Digital release only.
ALLY037	One Liners (Single)	Beninem	Digital release only.
ALLY038	Seconds Accumulate Dust	Roger Over & Out	Digital release only.
ALLY039	Mark So Made	Art for Starters	Digital release only. This record features B-sides from the Drugs Made My Favorite Bands, Drugs Ruined My Favorite People Double-LP.
ALLY040	Sunset Alliance Discography 1999-2001	Various Artists	Digital release only.
ALLY041	Sunset Alliance Discography 2002-2004	Various Artists	Digital release only.
ALLY042	Sunset Alliance Discography 2005-2011	Various Artists	Digital release only.
ALLY043	Without Voice	Art for Starters	Digital release only.
ALLY044	Without Instrument	Art for Starters	Digital release only.
ALLY045	Instrumentals	Before Braille	Digital release only.
ALLY046	Vocals Only	Before Braille	Digital release only.
ALLY047	Faux Light	Loyal Wife
ALLY048	Extended Stay	Jeff Johnrey	Digital release only.
ALLY049	In Lieu of the Flu Sunset Alliance Mixtape, Vol. 1	Various Artists	Digital release only available on Bandcamp.
ALLY050	52nd Street Revisited	52nd Street Jazz Band
ALLY051	Keep Moving Disk 2	Novi Split	B-Sides, rare tracks, and live recordings from Keep Moving-era; digital only release.
ALLY052	Sugar Ox	Captain Baby
ALLY053	Born to Boogie, Born to Die	Mr. Fantastical
ALLY054	Sugar Ox Redux	Various Artists	A Bandcamp exclusive album released as a free download that contained remixed tracks from Captain Baby's debut, Sugar Ox. The artists contributing tracks were: D. Konopka (of OK Go), La Guerre, Grassfight, Octajohn, Hot Wheels, Reptoid, and Shunno).
ALLY055	Faux Light Instrumentals	Loyal Wife	Digital only release of Loyal Wife's debut album without any vocals.
ALLY056	Sugar Ox Instrumentals	Captain Baby	Digital only release of Captain Baby's debut album without any vocals.
ALLY057	MJC Alpha	Captain Baby	Digital only release.
ALLY058	We Notice Homes When They Break	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY059	Claim	Loyal Wife	Digital release containing original, alternative, and acoustic versions of the song. [27]
ALLY060	Old Friends	Loyal Wife	Digital only release. Get Right bonus track. [28]
ALLY061	This Is An Apology	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY062	Culprit	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY063	About This Town	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY064	Fast As I Can	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY065	Lowlight	Loyal Wife	Digital release containing original and alternative versions of the single. [29]
ALLY066	Black Serenade	Loyal Wife	Digital release containing original and alternative versions of the single. [30]
ALLY067	Hold Up	Loyal Wife	Digital release containing original and alternative versions of the single. [31]
ALLY068	Get Right (Instrumentals)	Loyal Wife
ALLY069	Get Right (Bandaged)	Loyal Wife
ALLY070	Get Right	Loyal Wife	Full record released as monthly singles. The release of the LP itself is expected in 2024 and it may have a short run of vinyl and CDs in limited quantity. [32]
ALLY071	Mormon Wheels (Pioneer Edit)	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY072	I & II	Umbrella	A retrospective LP of one of the key members of the indie-rock scene circa 1995-2005. [33]
ALLY073	The Bone Stopped The Bullet	Art For Starters	Digital release of the single from the Mark So Made LP. [34]
ALLY074	A Great Battle	Milo Jensen	The debut of single a 7-year-old composer and David Jensen's son Milo. [35]
ALLY075	No Tree Can Grow To Heaven Unless Its Roots Reach Down To Hell	Icarus Phoenix	The release is available both digitally and physically as a high-bias cassette tape. [36]
ALLY076	Knowhere (acoustic version)	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY077	Megatron (Freestyle)	J-Willz	Digital only release.
ALLY078	Geek Hacker	Beninem	Digital only release.
ALLY079	The Truth	Homeless Radio	The debut work from the Ukrainian indie-rock band. Digital only release. [37]
ALLY080	Dine Out	Beninem	Digital only release.
ALLY081	Autistic Flow	Beninem	11-track LP available both digitally and physically as a CD. [38]
ALLY082	Mine (Original Intent)	Retaliation	Digital only release.
ALLY083	Just Ask Johnny	Beninem	Digital only release.
ALLY084	A Great Battle (8-bit remix)	Milo Memes	Digital only release. A remix of the original battle soundtrack released back in the day. [35]
ALLY085	Brightest Days	Nochip	Digital only release.
ALLY086	More Milk	Loyal Wife	Digital only release.
ALLY087	Young Benny (Tribute to Benjamin Layne Shill)	J-Willz	Digital only release.
ALLY088	24 Minus 18	Before Braille	Digital only release. A remastered version of the song from Before Braille's debut LP. [39]
ALLY089	Dysfunction/Victimization	Icarus Phoenix	Exclusive 'New Year' single available digitally. [40]
ALLY090	About You	Homeless Radio	Digital only release. Was released at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The contact with the band was lost for several months due to the tragic happenings in Ukraine, including Izyum. [41]
ALLY091	Lovers	Spencer L'Roy	Debut work of Spencer L'Roy. Digital only release. [42]
ALLY092	Spanish Dagger	Before Braille	Digital only release. A remastered version of the song from Before Braille's debut LP. [43]
ALLY093	Abra Cadaver	Before Braille	Digital only release. A remastered version of the song from Before Braille's debut LP. [44]
ALLY094	Saddle Up	Spencer L'Roy	Digital only release.
ALLY095	비밀 7	Before Braille	Digital only release.
ALLY096	비밀 8	Before Braille	Digital only release.
ALLY097	비밀 9	Before Braille	Digital only release.
ALLY098	Submarine	Homeless Radio	Digital only release. Tribute to the Joe Dunthorne's novel and Richard Ayoade's movie. The song received positive feedback from Dunthorne The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael. [45]
ALLY099	Not Misunderstanding Litotes (NML)	Icarus Phoenix	Digital only release.
ALLY100	The Rumor (2022)	Before Braille	The remastered version of the Before Braille debut LP The Rumor, is available both digitally and physically as a vinyl. [46]
ALLY101	The Rumor (Instrumentals)	Before Braille
ALLY102	Covers	Before Braille (V/A)
ALLY103	Before Braille Covers	(V/A) Before Braille	A compilation covering Before Braille songs - primarily from the album The Rumor. The compilation consists predominantly of the Sunset Alliance roster artists. [47]
ALLY104	Supercar	Jesus Chrysler Supercar
ALLY105	Latterday Speedway	Jesus Chrysler Supercar
ALLY106	Landspeed	Jesus Chrysler Supercar

References

1. Garcia, Gilbert. Speed Kills, The Phoenix New Times, Jan. 17, 2002 retrieved 01-09-12
2. Yahoo! Music Before Braille Bio retrieved 02-17-12
3. Sunset Alliance Official Site: Story retrieved 02-17-12
4. Dominic, Serene. Before Braille's David Jensen Returns with New Band Loyal Wife, The Phoenix New Times, May, 10, 2012 Archived 2012-06-28 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2012-05-12
5. See Manta.com Sunset Alliance Records Profile retrieved 02-17-12
6. The Emo Diaries Chapter 6, featuring Andherson retrieved 12-08-11
7. The Emo Diaries Chapter 4, featuring Fivespeed retrieved 12-08-11
8. The Emo Diaries Chapter 7, featuring Before Braille retrieved 12-08-11
9. See, e.g.,CMJ New Music Monthly, Issue 135, 2004 retrieved 01-12-12
10. See, e.g., Indiepoprock.com French Review of The Player Piano, May 2004 retrieved 02-17-12
11. Ide, Chelsea. Fivespeed Rejoins the Field, The Phoenix New Times, Dec. 23, 2004 Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 02-01-12
12. Music Snobs Anonymous Blog Post, Dec. 14, 2009 retrieved 02-17-12
13. Before Braille Official MySpace Blog, Dec.14, 2009 retrieved 02-20-12
14. "Sunset Alliance". Sunset Alliance.
15. Sunset Alliance Official Site: Allies retrieved 01-21-12
16. Mehr, Bob. The Short and the Long, The Phoenix New Times, July 26, 2001 retrieved 02-17-12
17. Mehr, Bob.Flashing Red, The Phoenix New Times, Feb. 1, 2001 retrieved 03-02-12
18. Discogs.com Sales Site reference, retrieved 02-17-12
19. Tower Records Sales Site reference retrieved 02-17-12
20. Wurst, Erika. {Pomp}ous on Parade, State Press, Jan. 30, 2003 retrieved 03-15-12
21. CDBaby.com sales page for Retaliation retrieved 02-14-12
22. Before Braille's Debut Album"The Rumor" Set for Release on September 10th, Allbusiness.com, July 30, 2002 retrieved 02-01-12
23. Americopa Mantle Website retrieved 02-17-12
24. O'Connor, Christopher. Nutcracker Sweet, The Phoenix New Times, June 5, 2003 retrieved 03-02-12
25. Ching, Albert. Musical Advent Calendar: Before Braille Merry Christmas I'm Cheating, OC Weekly, Dec. 9, 2008 retrieved 02-01-12
26. "The Player Piano - Satellite". www.punknews.org. May 9, 2008.
27. "Claim (Single), by LOYAL WIFE".
28. "Loyal Wife - Old Friends".
29. "Lowlight (Single), by LOYAL WIFE".
30. "Black Serenade (Single), by LOYAL WIFE".
31. "Hold up (Single), by LOYAL WIFE".
32. "Loyal Wife - Get Right".
33. "I & II, by UMBRELLA".
34. "The Bone Stopped the Bullet, by ART FOR STARTERS".
35. "Milo Jensen".
36. "No Tree Can Grow..., by ICARUS PHOENIX".
37. "Homeless Radio".
38. "Beninem - Autistic Flow".
39. "Twenty Four Minus Eighteen (2022), by BEFORE BRAILLE".
40. "Icarus Phoenix - Dysfunction".
41. "Homeless Radio - About You".
42. "Spencer l'Roy - Lovers".
43. "The Spanish Dagger (2022), by BEFORE BRAILLE".
44. "Abracadver (2022), by BEFORE BRAILLE".
45. "Homeless Radio - Submarine".
46. "The Rumor (20th Anniversary)".
47. "(V/A) Before Braille - Under the Covers".

External links

• Official website