Frenchkiss Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
Founded | 1999 |
Founder | Syd Butler |
Defunct | 2014 |
Distributor(s) | The Orchard |
Genre | Indie rock |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | New York City |
Official website | www |
Frenchkiss Records is an independent record label based in New York City. The label was started in 1999 by Syd Butler, bassist and founder of Les Savy Fav. The label's first purpose was to release Les Savy Fav's second album The Cat and The Cobra , but has since been the label responsible for discovering a varying array of artists such as The Hold Steady, The Antlers, The Dodos, Local Natives and Passion Pit. The label has recently added a music publishing side as well, Frenchkiss Publishing.
The company was acquired by The Orchard in September 2014. [1]
In early 2012 Frenchkiss Records launched the distribution company Frenchkiss Label Group, which is "focused on growing visibility for indie labels in the spirit of communities such as Dischord, Rough Trade and Touch & Go." [2] In May of that year Cavity Search Records was announced as one of the first nine labels to join the Frenchkiss distribution group, along with JAXART and Pendu Sound. [3] At that point, Frenchkiss had ceased its affiliation with RED, and had begun working with The Orchard. [2]
Orchard Enterprises NY, Inc., doing business as The Orchard, is an American music and entertainment company, specializing in media distribution. It is a subsidiary of Sony Music, based in New York City. In 2019, the company sold off its film and television division, which was renamed 1091 Media.
Les Savy Fav is an American indie rock band based in New York City. Their style is influenced by art punk and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington. The band is signed to Frenchkiss Records, which is owned by the band's bassist, Syd Butler.
Founded 1992 by John Loder, Southern Records is an independent record label. It is based in London and until 2008 had offices in the United States, France and Berlin.
The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn, Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), Franz Nicolay (keyboards) and Steve Selvidge (guitar). Noted for their "lyrically dense storytelling," and classic rock influences, the band's narrative-based songs frequently address themes such as drug addiction, religion and redemption, and often feature recurring characters based within the city of Minneapolis.
The Cat and the Cobra is the second album by Les Savy Fav. It was the first CD released by Frenchkiss Records, bassist Syd Butler's label. The vinyl LP was released by Self-Starter Foundation.
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Syd Butler is the bassist and founding member of the indie rock and post-hardcore band Les Savy Fav. A few years later Butler became the owner and founder of Frenchkiss Records. Butler is also a current member of The 8G Band from the show Late Night with Seth Meyers. He currently has two children with his long-term partner, actress Amy Carlson.
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IRIS Distribution - now The Orchard - is a digital music distribution and marketing firm based in San Francisco, CA and New York City. Co-founded by Matt Laszuk (CEO), Bryn Boughton (CMO) and Eric Ferraro in 2003, IRIS distributes digital music, ringtones, and video to over 450 digital retailers in over 85 countries. It also promotes label catalogs through various outlets, including social networking sites, newsletters, and label profiles. The company offers its technical, marketing, and legal services to a wide range of independent artists and labels from all genres. Artists distributed by IRIS include She Wants Revenge, Le Tigre, Lou Reed, Mogwai, and many more.
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