Island Records is a Jamaican multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another label recently acquired by PolyGram, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island having exerted a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. Island Records operates four international divisions: Island US, Island UK, Island Australia, and Island France. Current key people include Island US president Darcus Beese, and MD Jon Turner. Partially due to its significant legacy, Island remains one of UMG's pre-eminent record labels.
Polly Jean Harvey is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later.
Piano Magic was a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, dark wave, "arty baroque pop" and "English radiophonic soundscapers". While later releases saw them operating in a traditional band format, they originally intended to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whoever else would like to contribute. Glen Johnson was the only remaining member from the original trio when the group disbanded in 2017.
Mclusky, originally known as Best, are a Welsh three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff in 1996. The group originally consisted of Andrew Falkous, originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, Geraint Bevan (bass) and Matthew Harding (drums); the latter two were replaced by Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone in 1997 and late 2003 respectively. The band released three studio albums before splitting in 2004, reconvening in 2014 – without Chapple – under the monikers 'mclusky' and mclusky*, before ultimately dropping the asterisk.
Pram are a British post-rock band formed in Birmingham, England in 1988 by Rosie Cuckston, Matt Eaton (guitar), Andy Weir (drums), and Samantha Owen (bass). Subsequent lineups have changed frequently, most notably with Cuckston's departure in 2008. Their electronic pop sound, described by AllMusic as "equally quaint and unsettling," employs unconventional instruments and draws on stylistic influences such as krautrock, exotica, and dub.
Laika were an English band formed in 1993 and helmed by Margaret Fiedler and Guy Fixsen. Their lineup also included John Frenett (bass), Lou Ciccotelli (drums), Louise Elliot, and Rob Ellis (drums). Laika were founded following Fiedler and Frenett's departure from the band Moonshake; Laika's other members had previously worked with different artists on the roster of Moonshake's label Too Pure. Laika's experimental style blended diverse genres, including electronica, krautrock, dub, hip hop, and jazz. They released their debut album Silver Apples of the Moon in 1994, and followed with 1997's Sounds of the Satellites, both to critical praise. Laika released two subsequent albums, 2000's Good Looking Blues and 2003's Wherever I Am I Am What Is Missing, after which they entered an indefinite hiatus. As of July 2022, the band's website is inactive with the domain for sale.
Hefner were a British indie rock band formed in east London in 1995. They were active from about 1996 until 2002; since then they have played together only once, for a tribute to the DJ John Peel, who was a strong supporter of theirs.
Michael John Harvey is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Electrelane were an English indie rock band, formed in Brighton in 1998 by Verity Susman and Emma Gaze. The band comprised Susman, Gaze, Mia Clarke, and Ros Murray. Their music drew from a wide range of influences including Neu!, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, and the Velvet Underground. Although the band had strong feminist and political views in their personal lives, they generally preferred to not communicate that directly to their fans or through their music; one exception is their inclusion of the protest song "The Partisan," - a Leonard Cohen cover - which they began playing while on tour in the United States during the months preceding the 2004 Presidential election. The band, when playing live, had a reputation for a focused show that minimised audience interaction and rarely included more than one encore.
Margaret Fiedler McGinnis is a London-based American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and noted guitarist. She is best known as a founding member of UK indie groups Moonshake and Laika and as live guitarist with PJ Harvey and Wire.
Moonshake were a British-based experimental rock/post-rock band, existing between 1991 and 1997. The only consistent member was singer/sampler player/occasional guitarist David Callahan, who initially co-led the project with Margaret Fiedler. The band was notable for its extensive use of textures and sampler technology in a rock context.
Future of the Left are a Welsh alternative rock band based in Cardiff. The group consists of former Mclusky members Andrew Falkous and Jack Egglestone (drums) and former Million Dead bassist Julia Ruzicka.
Billy Mahonie is a British post-rock band.
Scheer was an alternative metal band from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It was first founded by PJ 'Doc' Doherty and Paddy Leyden. The composition of the band was Paddy Leyden, Audrey Gallagher (vocals), Neal Calderwood, Joe Bates (drummer) PJ Doherty left before the band signed to 4AD and recorded their first album and was replaced by Peter Fleming.
The discography of PJ Harvey, an English alternative rock musician, consists of ten studio albums, two collaboration albums with John Parish, twenty-two singles, one extended play, three compilation albums and a number of collaborations with other artists.
Vinny Miller is an English singer-songwriter and record producer, once signed to the 4AD label.
Singles 2001–2005 is a compilation album by Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, released 7 July 2008. The album features singles from the band's time with former label, Beggars Banquet.
Anni Rossi is an American singer, songwriter and producer from Minnesota. She plays an electric-viola that was handcrafted from a tree branch by former Swans percussionist Thor Harris. Rossi adopts modern guitar and bass techniques and applies them to this instrument, as well as traditional viola styles. In recent years her music has evolved to incorporate elements of R&B and electronic music.
Andrew "Falco" Falkous is a Welsh musician best known for being the founding member/frontman for the Cardiff-based punk rock outfit Mclusky, current lead singer/guitarist of the band Future of the Left and the sole member of Christian Fitness.
