A2IM: American Association of Independent Music

According To Our Records (ATO Records) is a record label committed to artists and building their careers. ATO seeks out talented songwriters, musicians and performers for whom there is genuine passion and belief. ATO is steadfast in our commitment to maintaining that focus with the priority for the label being sufficient time and attention to develop each artist and each release.

Fine independent music since 1986.

Barsuk Records is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, started and still managed by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, in 1994 to release their band's material.

Represents 4AD, Matador, XL Recordings & Rough Trade Records

Big Picnic Records, distributed by Sony/RED, launched in 2013. The label has a strategic relationship with Paradigm Talent Agency. Paradigm's Marty Diamond will provide A&R support to label general manager Patti Hauseman. Big Picnic's first release was the Shoestring EP by British singer/songwriter WALL on April 2, 2013. Influenced by artists such as St Vincent and Patti Smith, WALL takes her lead from women with a strong sense of identity. Favoring rudimentary recording equipment over state-of-the-art studios, WALL creates sparse soundscapes, with only muted bass lines and scattered keyboards to frame her voice. Pitchfork said of the EP's title track, "'Shoestring' feels like having a necessarily intimate conversation in a busy public place: there may be bigger and louder things going on elsewhere, but right now hearing what Wall has to say is the only thing that matters." Big Picnic's initial roster also includes Foxes and JOHNNYSWIM. Foxes is the alter ego of the London-based singer and musician Louisa Rose Allen. Her debut single "Youth," with its resplendent synths, industrial percussion and by turns searing and soaring vocal, garnered more than two million combined Soundcloud and YouTube plays, and 13,000 Hypemachine 'likes,' plus synchs on CW's "Gossip Girl." She followed it up with the "Warrior" EP in the summer of 2012, and is the featured vocalist on Zedd's fast-rising EDM single "Clarity." JOHNNYSWIM is the Los Angeles duo of Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez. The two began writing and singing together in 2006 and found that their similar influences of folk, soul, and rock blended together lusciously. Nashville's daily newspaper, The Tennessean, describes JOHNNYSWIM as "a mix of Lauryn Hill and John Mayer."

Once upon a time there was a teenage rocker named Joan Jett. She was making rock and roll history in a teenage group called The Runaways. When that band broke up, she met hit songwriter/producer Kenny Laguna. They saw in each other a kindred spirit and set about to work together. Kenny thought she was great, and expected no problem convincing record labels to put out the record they had just finished. But he was wrong; Joan Jett was rejected by 23 labels. They turned down "Bad Reputation". They turned down " Do You Wanna Touch Me". They could not hear the potential of " I Love Rock n' Roll" or "Crimson and Clover". So Joan and Kenny decided to start their own record company, manufacture their own records, and sell them...sometimes from the trunk of Kenny’s Cadillac. Blackheart Records was born and Joan Jett became the first woman in rock and roll to own her own record company. Blackheart Records is currently home to such up-and-coming groups as San Antonio-based female threesome Girl In A Coma (Both Before I'm Gone, Trio B.C., Adventures in Coverland) and Los Angeles' pop-punk trio the Dollyrots (Because I'm Awesome) and of course Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. The label’s catalog includes The Vacancies, The Cute Lepers, The Eyeliners and more, while continuing to add new artists to its roster.

Group Description

Founded in 2007, Dead Oceans is the label responsible for sound recordings by The Tallest Man on Earth, Phosphorescent, Akron/Family, Bowerbirds, White Hinterland, Califone, Bishop Allen, the Luyas and more. Based in Bloomington, IN alongside Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans has released over 30 albums since its inception.

Dualtone's success is based on keeping things simple "We're not MCA. We're not Sony. We don't have all the tools they have to play those games. All we have are great artists and great records."

Epitaph is an independently owned and operated record label with an extremely diverse roster of top Punk, Indie & Hardcore bands. Founded in 1981 by Bad Religion guitarist/songwriter Brett Gurewitz, Epitaph established itself as an "artist friendly" label and experienced a great deal of success over the past fifteen years. Epitaph also owns and operates two sister labels: Hellcat Records, which specializes in Street Punk, Psychobilly & Ska, and ANTI- Records, which represents distinguished artists such as Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Elliott Smith, Neko Case and Jolie Holland.

FADER Label is an independent record label based in New York City. Founded in 2002 by Jon Cohen and Rob Stone, FADER Label has released a dynamic catalogue of critically acclaimed full-length albums by seminal recording artists, including Matt and Kim, Neon Indian, Editors, Yuna and Saul Williams.

Frenchkiss Records is an independent record label based in New York, New York. 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.

Ingenious Records is a label based out of South Florida as part of the evolution and expansion of sister company Heiga Audiovisual. Looking to bring their music into the global scene, Ingenious Records' founder bring more than 20 years combined experience, shown on the label roster's prime quality, with artist like: Drew Parker, My Amends, 1ra Edicion, Unos Panas Ahi, Katey Douglass and Demori

Innovative Leisure is an Independent Record Label based out of Los Angeles and home to such artists as Nosaj Thing, Hanni El Khatib, Nick Waterhouse, Rhye, Feeding People, Allah-Las, Tijuana Panthers, Classixx, Crystal Antlers, Superhumanoids & More. http://innovativeleisure.net/

Started in Virginia, transplanted to Indiana, Jagjaguwar has been releasing sentimental noise and understated musical revelations for over fourteen years. Jagjaguwar is a home to music by Bon Iver, Okkervil River, Dinosaur Jr., Black Mountain, Gayngs, Lia Ices, Cave Singers, Oneida and Small Black amongst many others. (FYI, we refer to Jagjaguwar as "Jagjaguwar" never as "Jagjaguwar Records".)

Kanine Records is a Brooklyn/NY based independent record label. Our releases include debut albums by Grizzly Bear, Surfer Blood, Chairlift. Recent releases include Eternal Summers 'Silver', Pepper Rabbit 'Beauregard'. Upcoming releases by BRAIDS, Young Prisms, Dream Diary and Xray Eyeballs.

Kill Rock Stars is an artist-friendly independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in Olympia, WA. Since 1991 KRS and it's sister label 5RC have released upwards of 300 records. Some notable artists from KRS' past and present include Deerhoof, The Gossip, Xiu Xiu, The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Sleater-Kinney, and Bikini Kill. Although a business, KRS is not a profit-driven company, but rather driven by a love of the music and the people who make the music. KRS takes pride in working with any artist it loves, regardless of sales potential or lack thereof.

Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have run it together since.

Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, NC. Founded in 1989 by Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, Merge Records celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Superchunk’s McCaughan and Ballance started Merge as a way to release their own music and the music of their friends. Merge Records has grown from a group of friends assembling 7”s in Ballance’s bedroom to become one of the most influential independent record labels in the country, releasing the work of artists such as: The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lambchop, Spoon, M. Ward, Arcade Fire, Caribou, She & Him, Superchunk and many more.

Photo Finish Records is an independent record label located in New York, NY. The label was started in 2006 by booking agent Matt Galle. Photo Finish is known for its diverse roster including punk bands, indie rock bands, and hip hop artists. The label's first release was in November 2006 when they put out the debut Envy On The Coast five song EP. Shortly after, they signed Danger Radio, and released their EP and full length record. Photo Finish saw huge success with their next signing, 3OH!3. The band's debut album WANT debuted at #88 and peaked at #44 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Their hit Don't Trust Me soared to #1 on the Top 40 Charts and ended up selling over 2.5 million digital tracks.

On what would have been famed country icon Eddy Arnold's 94th birthday, Plowboy Records has launched to celebrate and nurture the legacy of the original Tennessee Plowboy and provide a home for recorded projects that focus on American music regardless of genre. Plowboy's founders are Arnold's grandson and musician Shannon Pollard, author and music historian Don Cusic, and punk legend Cheetah Chrome. The first Plowboy Records release will be a new album from Bobby Bare, the GRAMMY award-winning Outlaw Country artist who has over 30 Top 20 singles. Bobby is currently recording at famed RCA Studio B in Nashville cutting a mix of traditional folk and blues songs, and contemporary Americana with a band that includes Buddy Miller, Randy Scruggs and other members of Robert Plant's Band Of Joy. Also currently being recorded is an Eddy Arnold tribute album, produced by Chrome, that will feature interpretations of Eddy's songs by traditional country artists, alt-country and indie rock bands. "The goal of the tribute album is to raise some eyebrows by matching up artists from multiple genres with signature Eddy Arnold songs," says Pollard. Watch this video of Cheetah, Shannon and Don discussing Plowboy Record's mission: http://youtu.be/bIMOaNL83j4 Eddy Arnold is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. He released over 100 albums and placed 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts including "Bouquet Of Roses" and "The Cattle Call." He had at least one charting single for the past seven straight decades. He passed away in 2008. Listen to Eddy's hits on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/KtEKuD Plowboy President Shannon Pollard is a veteran musician, a partner in a commercial real estate firm and the grandson of Eddy Arnold. He fondly recalls listening to albums with Arnold in his Brentwood, TN office, the same space where Plowboy Records is headquartered today. Pollard has also taught History of the Recording Industry classes at Belmont University in Nashville. Plowboy Director of Special Projects Don Cusic has taught classes on the music business since 1982. He has published 22 books including an Eddy Arnold biography and two novels. Plowboy Creative Director/A&R Director Cheetah Chrome is a founding member of Rocket From The Tombs, The Dead Boys and The Batusis (w/Sylvain Sylvain) and an acclaimed author. He has lived in Nashville for the past fifteen years.

New York-based Razor & Tie Entertainment is one of the fastest growing independent entertainment companies in the United States and is the parent company of Kidz Bop, LLC. Razor & Tie successfully sells audio and video products through traditional retail distribution, direct response television advertising and ecommerce based websites. Founded by co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam, Razor & Tie is a vertically-integrated company that encompasses a record company with major label distribution, a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, an experienced marketing, promotion and sales team, a direct marketing operation and a growing database of entertainment consumers.

NY Indie label- still going strong after 30 years. From the Bad Brains to Lee Perry to Legendary Pink Dots to Bill Laswell to James Chance back on up to Dub Trio & Dr. Israel. Enjoy!

Secretly Canadian

Sound Performance has been offering CD, DVD, & Vinyl replication together with associated print and packaging to independent record labels for over 15 years. With offices in London, New York, Paris, & Belgium, as a group we place orders for clients in excess of 30 million units per annum.

Sub Pop is an independent record label founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington in 1986. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene.

Temporary Residence Ltd. is an independent record label based in Brooklyn, NY. It was founded in 1996 in Baltimore, MD by Jeremy deVine. To date the label has released over 200 albums in a variety of genres that can best be summed up as "the weird side of slightly normal." It is home to an array of innovative and influential artists, including Explosions In The Sky, Pinback, the Books, MONO, Eluvium, Zammuto, The Black Heart Procession, Ultraísta, William Basinski, Grails, Maserati, Coliseum, Young Widows, and more.

The Savant Guard is an independent 12" and digital-only label based in Brooklyn, NY and run with great ardor by NYC's favorite multimedia punks, the earthprogram ltd.™ known for their legendary NYC-defining underground parties in the 90's, highly sought-after design aesthetic, releases on their previous imprints - house label Warmth and drum n bass label Sound Gizmo, and their design book on the history of American rave flyers, Searching For The Perfect Beat.

12" releases feature custom artwork on beautiful color jackets, heavy loud european vinyl, and limited to the first and only pressing. Available at all finer record shops worldwide and direct through mail order. The coinciding digital release is available from all finer digital outlets globally, of course.

The Tummy Touch Music Group has developed from its roots as a cult UK record label and club night into an international group of companies with a 360° vision for the modern music landscape, incorporating record labels, a music publishing company, a production music company and an artist and catalogue management division. Our unparalleled hands on experience has given us a unique insight into all aspects of today's music industry. We have offices on both sides of the Atlantic and a network of partners across the world so are able to provide our artists, writers and clients with a true 24/7 “one stop” music service. With over 40 years of combined experience in producing, promoting and profiting from cutting edge recorded and live music, founders and managing directors Matt Smith and Tim Lee have their sights aimed high.

Volcom Ent. is a 100% owned subsidiary of Volcom and is distributed to traditional retail in North America through ADA. Some of our best-known artists include Pepper, Valient Thorr, Riverboat Gamblers, and Year Long Disaster. Volcom Ent. produced the Volcom Stage on the Vans Warped Tour for 10 years and now in 2007 have began our own annual national tour, simply called The Volcom Tour.

Warp Records is a pioneering independent English record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the most enduring artists in electronic music. Founded by Steve Beckett and the late Rob Mitchell from their experiences working at the FON record store, alongside producer Robert Gordon,[1] the label (whose name was chosen because the original name, 'Warped Records' was difficult to distinguish over the telephone[2]) soon became home to artists who would be highly influential in shaping the future of music.

X5 Music Group is European based with New York City offices. X5 is an Independent music label specialized in the digital download market. X5 licenses digital rights from selected media partners for the sales and marketing of music. X5 product portfolio currently contains about 80,000 masters in various genres. The products are marketed and sold via a wide range of on-line music stores, mobile operators and mobile handset manufacturers on a global basis.

Yamaha Entertainment Group is the champion of the musician. They create music. They promote music. They partner with artists to help sell music. Yamaha Entertainment Group is helping artists achieve long-term creative and financial success while providing consumers with the highest-quality music content and music related experiences available. Founded by Chris Gero, YEG is artist branding, recorded music production, concert production, content development, film production, tour support, product placement, and artist relations, all rolled into one. Backed by the power of the largest music manufacturer in the world, Yamaha Entertainment Group brings you digital downloads, albums, videos, websites, experiences, and one-of-a-kind merchandise. www.yamahaentertainmentgroup.com

Yep Roc Records is a label for music lovers. Rather than focus on one genre or niche of music, Yep Roc strives to release records that feature some of the best, most soulful music of any kind. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yeproc Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yeproc