The Label Project

[CommonWriter]

The Label Project music Diary

The goal of this project is to consume the albums of a single record label, roughly in order of release. With sub-labels, oversees release, and reissues; all of the music a label puts out can be a bit confusing, so the order may vary greatly from the order the albums were actually recorded in.

I am planning to include reissues when a record label releases an album previously released elsewhere, as I believe this does two things. It shows what the label feels is worthwhile to release, and likely what they feel could make money at the current time, or just a favor for a friend.

Exclusions may regularly include single releases AND albums that would require too much effort to hunt down, unless I have a good reason. If a reader feels I skipped something important, please let me know and I will seek it out.

The manner in which I choose a label will be rather random to anyone outside my head, but I will include a reason for the label selection in the intro to that label. Most labels will revolve around the rock, punk, pop, indie genres, but radio-pop and country wouldn’t be excluded. I doubt you will see many labels releasing much classical or jazz or opera, but it’s not outside the scope of what I would plan for if a good recommendation was made.

Once I have finished listening to the catalog I will plan to make a ranked list of albums from that label.

Why bother, is a question I ask myself often with a project like this. The truth is, I enjoy seeing these diaries of others, as I always love seeing new music or opinions on music. This is also something I do myself, but having a place online for the information helps keep me on task and gives me a place to keep my thoughts.

[CommonWriter]

Frenchkiss Records

Frenchkiss Records was started by Syd Butler of Les Savy Fav in 1999 and has released a number of their albums. This seems like a perfectly reasonable reason for most to explore this label. However, for me, I previously only knew of Les Savy Fav on the outskirts of my radar. Sure, I knew of them, I had heard a few things, but did I know them? No.

However, that is a simple bonus of choosing this label, as now I will finally listen to them for real. The reason I chose this label is because they were home to Minneapolis’s The Hold Steady when I first discovered that band.

And to say a band changed my life may be a stretch, but The Hold Steady certainly changed my perception on music, poetry and art. So this felt like a great place to start.

[CommonWriter]

Les Savy Fav - Cat and the Cobra

The first release on Frenchkiss Records is by the owners band, Les Savy Fav.

Starting this project, this was the first time I had ever heard this album. On first listen, I knew it would take a few spins to sink in. But, once it sank in, this may be in common rotation now.

I could see how this album could be difficult for some to listen to if they do not listen to similar music. However, I think this would make a great introduction for those people, as it is accessible I believe, and after 3 listens stops and starts and sections of squealing guitars all seem to fit . It's noise art punk rock. My initial comparisons on listen are cursive and at the drive in.

Top Tracks
We've Got Boxes
The End



***I will come back and add links once I meet the level requirements of the site.

[Repo]

Nice! Les Savy Fav are from my home town of Providence. They're absolutely insane live mostly due to the antics of their front man! I had no idea that they started their own label.

Psyched to see where this goes!

[MadhattanJack]

I kinda like Julie Odell's debut album, which (AFAIK) is the latest FrenchKiss release. Her voice sounds a bit like Maria McKee's, so some of the streamers are tagging it into the "Americana" genre, but I don't believe that's entirely fair.

[CommonWriter]

[CommonWriter]

Frenchkiss Records #2

Lifter Puller – Fiestas & Fiascos

Tracklist:

Lonely In A Limousine
Candy's Room
Space Humping $19.99
Manpark
Lake Street Is For Lovers
Nice, Nice
Katrina And The K-Hole
Cruised And Accused Of Cruising
Touch My Stuff
Lie Down On Landsdowne
Lifter Puller Vs. The End Of The Evening
The Flex And The Buff Result

Listening to this album is like:
Finding yourself in a strange dive bar with an empty stage whose patrons start wandering up, grabbing instruments, and telling stories as you realize you are having the night of your life.

I will listen to this album again when:
I want something that is not quite the Hold Steady.

The drivel:
As a fan of Craig Finn and his other band The Hold Steady, this was far from the first time I have listened to this album. But, as expected, it is always a good listen.

There are a lot of interesting sounds and lyrics going on in this album. I’d say it was unfortunate that they broke up shortly after this was released, but I will admit I would rather listen to The Hold Steady in most scenarios. That does not diminish the sounds this album has to offer though.

Fiestas & Fiascos opens with a bang of lonely in a limousine giving a listener an immediate taste of what is to come with the driving bass and drums, the spoken-word style vocalizations and layered intermittent guitars. The second track Candy’s room then energizes and introduces the synth sound addition and stretches the vocalizations to a bit more of a singing style, creating a great summation of what else is to come.

In the words of Craig Finn interviewing with Pitchfork in 2009, “The Hold Steady is a great band, but Lifter Puller would probably be a better movie”.

My Top Tracks:
Space Humping for $19.99
Nice, Nice

My Low points:
The outro to the final song is really jarring to me. The sounds just disturbs me. I think they are supposed to represent the end of Dwight and the Nice Nice, but sonically, they hurt, whether meant to or not.