Non-RIAA affiliated Music

Or - How to find good music in ten minutes

Published on November 8, 2003 By kthxbye In Music

Aside from being a collective of all of the 'major' labels in the US, I think one of the reasons the RIAA's been able to run it's racket in the music industry for so long is because a lot of people simply aren't aware of the alteratives out there. So, I thought I'd simply take a few moments this morning and present a small list of wonderful sources.

Metropolis Records - Best. Label. Ever. Metroplis Records is the North American home of some of the world's primier Synth-EMB, Synthpop, Industrial (etc.) artists with a few other eclectic bands thrown into the mix as well (Such as Peter Murphy.) IIRC they're one of the largest 'independant' labels in the US, but still very much an independant label. A great bunch of guys, who just happen to be the label for all of my favourite groups! On their label you'll find the likes of Front Line Assembly, Funker Vogt, Decoded Feedback, Haujobb, VNV Nation, etc. and 100% free of any RIAA membership, or desire for.

Go-Kart Records - Like punk? If you do, chances are you already know these guys! The home of Anti-Flag and many others. Very strong in their anti-RIAA stance, they're also the home of the damned good punk. They've recently released the Go-Kart MP300 Raceway which they bill as the first commercial MP3 CD. A $10 double MP3 CD set, with 300 songs from 150 artists. They also offer many free downloads on their site.

Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) - I don't know where I'd be without these guys. An online collective for unsigned or independant bands. Most genres that you can think of are represented here. I discovered many of my favourite bands here originally, browsing through the site on my old Win 3.11 machine. They've been around since the last Ice Age.

DMusic - Another great online collective for artists. Like IUMA, it has artists who are wonderful, as well as artists who make you wonder why the hell they ever bothered picking up an instrument. (But then, aren't 'label' artists the same way?)

Rapstation.com - If you're into rap/hip-hop - this is the place. Originally created by Chuck D (or at least he had his hand it in it,) of Public Enemy and Confrontation Camp as a way for unknowns in the hip-hop world to get more exposure with their music. It's since took off and become a beast of its own.

Loca Records - An... interesting creature to say the least. A still small group with a vision. Tired of the way music corporations throughout the world conduct business - this is a group of people who have gathered together and created an Open Source music 'label'. Yup. Six artists (as of now,) whose works are released under the Creative Commons License.

And... Bands. Well, at least one band, since it's the only one I can think of right now (Waking up still.)

The Cruxshadows - Surprisingly good sorta-darkwave, sorta-goth, band from Florida with a rapidly growing popularity throughout the world. If you're into this sort of music at all, they're well worth a listen to! They've got five releases under their belts so far, and just keep getting better. Funny that I'd learn about them from a friend in Sweden. And Rachel's mighty cute, too.

Well, there you have it, for a start. There is music out there which doesn't carry any RIAA baggage and it's not so hard to find at all, either.

Comments

Jason Jystad

on Nov 09, 2003

Great Post! This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I try to keep an eye on label alternatives and whenever possible I try to by music directly from the artists themselves. After all, when we buy a CD or MP3 or such we are really trying to give the money to the artist because we like our music. I doubt any of us wants to pay Jack Valenti's salary.

I'd like to add a few more entries to your lists:
Labels/Collectives:
Nettwerk - This label was started by musicians and friends as an antidote to the "Big Five" and grew like mad. Not only a music label, they also have a management arm. Some big names too: Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Dido, Sum 41, and a bunch more.

Random Factors - A small "label" run by lovers of folk and filk music. They have a number of great artist available via their catalog, including one of my favorites, Joe Bethancourt.

Projekt - Darkwave, Goth, and "stuff"

Great label run by very cool people. About as independent as it gets. The labels owners are also members of the band Black Tape for a Blue Girl. Completely worth checking out.

MagnaTune - A fascinating experiment and one to watch. They are a newer record label with the byline "We Are Not Evil". They are making good use of technology to promote, sell, and distribute their artists. They give 50% of all proceeds directly to the artist and use non-binding contracts. Buy a CD from them for $8 and the artist sees $4. Think the music is worth more? Too poor to afford $8 right now? They have a sliding payment scale, you can choose to pay as little as $5 or as much as $18. Half of whatever you pay goes to the artist. They use Creative Commons and offer radio feeds of each genre they have so you can discover new artists. They also offer the ability to purchase liscencing for other uses, (TV, Conferences, etc.), online.

Artists:
Marcella Detroit - Formerly one half of the group Shakespear's Sister. I am not quite sure how to catagorize her music, go give it a listen. She is an excellent artist who sells her CDs directly. I can't recommend her enough. I love the album "Dancing Madly Sideways" but its all good.

Tony Levin - An awesome session bassist for the likes of Sarah McLachlan and Peter Gabriel. He has been the bassist for King Crimson on thier more recent material. He sells his own CDs solely via his company Papa Bear Records.

Ok, thats all I can think of at the moment. Have Fun!

Jason

kthxbye

on Nov 11, 2003

Woo! More stuff I've never heard of. ^.^ Though Projekt rings a bell, and while I haven't heard any of her non-Sister stuff, I was a big Shakespear's Sister fan.

I'm unsure about Nettwerk though - the RIAA homepage lists them in their membership list. :/ Still - the contributions are, of course, welcome!

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