The Role of Indie Labels Today

As the world around us merges itself into a corporate monolith, our freedom of choice gets more and more limited. Sure, myriad brand names continue to be bandied about, but many of them fall under one of only a handful of corporate overlords. A parent company such as General Electric can have its hands in everything from light bulbs and jet engines to television shows and auto loans.

It's not surprising, then, that the trend would also take root in the music industry. For years now, record labels have been folding and merging and struggling along. Where there once was a diverse plethora of thriving companies with individual personalities, now stand the Big Four – Sony BMG, EMI, Universal, and Warner Bros.

Still, indie record labels continue to nip at their heels in an attempt to be heard. Of that ilk, Epitaph Records and the Beggars Group (including 4AD, Beggars Banquet, Matador, XL, Rough Trade, and more) are at the top of the pile trying to garner enough praise and sales to make their mark. Thanks to the current anti-big corporation climate, they seem to be hanging in there.

Epitaph boasts a roster that includes Social Distortion, The Offspring, Joe Strummer, Rancid, Death by Stereo, Bad Religion, The Hives, and others, with each artist adding its own sharp style to the edgy portfolio that is Epitaph.

Staking their territory as trend-setting alt-rock enthusiasts, Beggars can claim acts including The National, Bon Iver, Belle & Sebastian, Beck, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Vampire Weekend, Sigur Rós, and Devendra Banhart.

Another David to the proverbial Goliath is Vanguard Records. With a deep, rich musical history filled with legendary blues and folk recordings, Vanguard has taken its time and built itself up as a contemporary force to be reckoned with. Singer/songwriters are the genre of choice there, and quite a few major label refugees have signed on with Vanguard including Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Chely Wright, Levon Helm, The Robert Cray Band, and Merle Haggard.

From north of the border, Arts&Crafts has given us über-hip artists like Feist, Broken Social Scene, Memphis, Constantines, Ra Ra Riot, Stars, Phoenix, The Dears, and many others.

Other smaller ventures can't tout the same roster stature, but their doors are still open nevertheless. Artist-founded labels, in particular, seem to enjoy loyal fan bases. Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records is one of the best examples. The company is album to support a wide slate of non-Ani releases because of her followers. Andrew Bird was launched from that platform with Anaïs Mitchell now following his lead.

Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan of the band Superchunk formed their Merge Records in 1989 as a way to release their own music. Two weeks ago their artist Arcade Fire won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Other groups on the roster include Wye Oak, the Mountain Goats, Destroyer, and the Zooey Deschanel/M. Ward duo of She & Him.

Another independent label, Ramseur Records, also did well at the Grammy Awards as their Carolina Chocolate Drops brought home the prize for Best Traditional Folk Album. With the Avett Brothers (who performed with Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons on the Grammies) as the pillars of Ramseur, the little band of upstarts are kicking it hard.

In the end, like attracts like. If you want the big, pompous sounds of an artist like Josh Groban, you'll have to go through a big, pompous record company. But, if you prefer a less formulaic vibe, then chances are pretty great that there's an independent label releasing music that you'll love.

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