American Recordings
Encyclopedia
American Recordings is a Los Angeles
-based record label
headed by record producer
Rick Rubin
. Formerly known as Def American Recordings (usually simplified as Def American), the label's most successful artists include Slayer
, the Black Crowes
, Danzig
, Trouble
, Tom Petty
, Johnny Cash
, and System of a Down
.
in 1988. Among the first acts to be signed were Slayer
(which followed Rubin from Def Jam), Danzig
, The Four Horsemen
, Masters of Reality
, and Wolfsbane
, as well as indie rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain
and controversial stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay
. Rubin continued his association with hip-hop music by signing artists such as the Geto Boys
and Sir Mix-a-Lot
. American had its first major success with The Black Crowes
' 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, which was eventually certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA. The group’s 1992 follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
, gave American Recordings its first No.1 album. Emcee Sir Mix-a-Lot
managed a number-one hit with the song "Baby Got Back
" as well as a platinum-selling album titled Mack Daddy
. Heavy metal acts Slayer
and Danzig
also enjoyed notable commercial success, with Slayer in particular, managing several Gold-certified albums. Rubin produces many of the recordings on the label, as well as directing other music-related ventures.
Rubin changed the name of the company to American Recordings in 1993 after seeing the word “def” in a dictionary. The company was renamed because he believed that finding the word in a notable source was against the anti-establishment image that he was trying to project for the company. A mock funeral presided over by the Reverend Al Sharpton
put the word to rest.
American had several sub-labels over the years, including Onion Records, Ill Labels, Wild West, Whte Lbls [sic
], and Infinite Zero, the latter of which was a partnership with Henry Rollins
that specialized in reissues of obscure albums. None of these labels made the distribution transition after American Recordings left Warner Bros. Records in 1997, and its recordings are out-of-print.
by Slayer
, which had a Def Jam
logo on its first pressing. A Def Jam Recordings logo was also present on its follow-up album. However, because Russell Simmons
felt that Slayer's music was not in line with Def Jam, and because Def Jam’s then-distributor, Columbia/CBS Records, refused to release it, it was released through Geffen Records
, and Rubin took the rights of the release to the new label with him after the split. Danzig's 1988 debut album
was the first release to actually bear the Def American logo. Initially, the label was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records
, but when Geffen refused to distribute the self-titled album by the Geto Boys
and the controversy it caused, distribution was absorbed by Warner Bros. proper, which released all subsequent Def American titles.
American's distribution has been handled through several labels over the years. American's first incarnation was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records from 1988 to 1990. After a falling out with Geffen over the content of the Geto Boys' only Def American release, Warner Bros. itself took over distribution duties from 1990 to 1997. However, sub-label Ill Labels was distributed by hip-hop specialist and former Warner Bros. subsidiary Tommy Boy Records as part of its deal. For a brief time during the 1990s, the label also distributed Too Pure Records in the USA.
Rubin signed a distribution deal with Columbia
/SME Records
in 1997, which distributed the label's titles until 2001. That year, Universal Music Group
(ironically, the owners of Geffen Records at that point), through its Island Def Jam Music Group division, took over distribution. In 2005, with the exception of the recordings of Johnny Cash, the label returned to the aegis of Warner Bros. Records
. Non-US distribution was handled by BMG until the deal with Columbia Records.
In 2007, Warner Bros. Records, which was American's home from 1992 to 1997, acquired the rights to the extensive American Recordings catalog, which included Johnny Cash
, The Black Crowes
, The Jayhawks, Slayer
, and Danzig
. However, American's current roster (except Tom Petty
) was transferred to BMG successor Sony BMG (now Sony Music Entertainment
) in mid-2007 after a legal battle between Warner and Rubin over the details of their former arrangement, in which American Recordings would sign and provide creative services for artists, while Warner Bros. was only to handle promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution because Rubin was prompted to move his label with his appointment to co-chairman of Columbia Records in the Spring of 2007.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
headed by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
. Formerly known as Def American Recordings (usually simplified as Def American), the label's most successful artists include Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, the Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, Trouble
Trouble (band)
Trouble is an American doom metal band noted as one of the pioneers of their genre, alongside bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. The band created a distinct style taking influences of the British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and psychedelic rock of the 1970s...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, and System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
.
Company history
The label was founded as Def American Recordings after Rick Rubin left Def Jam RecordingsDef Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
in 1988. Among the first acts to be signed were Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
(which followed Rubin from Def Jam), Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, The Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen (band)
The Four Horsemen were an American hard rock band, who enjoyed a brief popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their style was blues influenced heavy rock, but their fame was both fleeting and marred by tragedy.-History:...
, Masters of Reality
Masters of Reality
Masters of Reality is a hard rock group formed in 1981 by guitarist and singer Chris Goss and Tim Harrington in Syracuse, New York. The band is sometimes associated with the "Palm Desert Scene", which includes bands like Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age and many other stoner rock or "desert rock"...
, and Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (band)
Wolfsbane are an English heavy metal band. Formed in 1984, the band remained active until lead singer Blaze Bayley went on to join Iron Maiden in 1994. After a couple of reunion shows in 2007 and 2009, Wolfsbane officially reunited in June 2010...
, as well as indie rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
and controversial stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay is an American comedian and actor who played the lead role in the film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.Clay has been in several movies and has released a number of stand-up albums...
. Rubin continued his association with hip-hop music by signing artists such as the Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
and Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
. American had its first major success with The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
' 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, which was eventually certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA. The group’s 1992 follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the American blues-rock group The Black Crowes, released on May 12, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who was fired the year before.It features four hit singles;...
, gave American Recordings its first No.1 album. Emcee Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
managed a number-one hit with the song "Baby Got Back
Baby Got Back
"Baby Got Back" is a 1992 Number One single by hip hop artist Sir Mix-a-Lot, from his album Mack Daddy. The song samples the 1986 electro single "Technicolor" by Channel One. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's buttocks...
" as well as a platinum-selling album titled Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy is the third album by Sir Mix-a-Lot, and his first album with a Parental Advisory label. It was released on February 4, 1992, on Def American Recordings...
. Heavy metal acts Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
also enjoyed notable commercial success, with Slayer in particular, managing several Gold-certified albums. Rubin produces many of the recordings on the label, as well as directing other music-related ventures.
Rubin changed the name of the company to American Recordings in 1993 after seeing the word “def” in a dictionary. The company was renamed because he believed that finding the word in a notable source was against the anti-establishment image that he was trying to project for the company. A mock funeral presided over by the Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
put the word to rest.
American had several sub-labels over the years, including Onion Records, Ill Labels, Wild West, Whte Lbls [sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
], and Infinite Zero, the latter of which was a partnership with Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
that specialized in reissues of obscure albums. None of these labels made the distribution transition after American Recordings left Warner Bros. Records in 1997, and its recordings are out-of-print.
Distribution
The first-ever Def American release was Reign in BloodReign in Blood
Reign in Blood is the third studio album and the major label debut by the American thrash metal band Slayer. It was released on October 7, 1986 through Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve...
by Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, which had a Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
logo on its first pressing. A Def Jam Recordings logo was also present on its follow-up album. However, because Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
felt that Slayer's music was not in line with Def Jam, and because Def Jam’s then-distributor, Columbia/CBS Records, refused to release it, it was released through Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, and Rubin took the rights of the release to the new label with him after the split. Danzig's 1988 debut album
Danzig (album)
Danzig is the 1988 debut album of the American heavy metal band Danzig, led by Glenn Danzig who was formerly the songwriter and vocalist of the Misfits and Samhain....
was the first release to actually bear the Def American logo. Initially, the label was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, but when Geffen refused to distribute the self-titled album by the Geto Boys
The Geto Boys (album)
The Geto Boys is the self-titled album by the Geto Boys, which was released in 1990. The album contained 11 revamped tracks from its previous albums Grip It! On That Other Level and Making Trouble and three new songs...
and the controversy it caused, distribution was absorbed by Warner Bros. proper, which released all subsequent Def American titles.
American's distribution has been handled through several labels over the years. American's first incarnation was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records from 1988 to 1990. After a falling out with Geffen over the content of the Geto Boys' only Def American release, Warner Bros. itself took over distribution duties from 1990 to 1997. However, sub-label Ill Labels was distributed by hip-hop specialist and former Warner Bros. subsidiary Tommy Boy Records as part of its deal. For a brief time during the 1990s, the label also distributed Too Pure Records in the USA.
Rubin signed a distribution deal with Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
/SME Records
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
in 1997, which distributed the label's titles until 2001. That year, Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
(ironically, the owners of Geffen Records at that point), through its Island Def Jam Music Group division, took over distribution. In 2005, with the exception of the recordings of Johnny Cash, the label returned to the aegis of Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. Non-US distribution was handled by BMG until the deal with Columbia Records.
In 2007, Warner Bros. Records, which was American's home from 1992 to 1997, acquired the rights to the extensive American Recordings catalog, which included Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, The Jayhawks, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
. However, American's current roster (except Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
) was transferred to BMG successor Sony BMG (now Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
) in mid-2007 after a legal battle between Warner and Rubin over the details of their former arrangement, in which American Recordings would sign and provide creative services for artists, while Warner Bros. was only to handle promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution because Rubin was prompted to move his label with his appointment to co-chairman of Columbia Records in the Spring of 2007.
Current artists
- The Avett BrothersThe Avett BrothersThe Avett Brothers is a folk rock band from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play the banjo and guitar respectively, and Bob Crawford who plays the stand-up bass. Joe Kwon, cello, and Jacob Edwards, drums, are touring members of...
- Howlin Rain
- The (International) Noise ConspiracyThe (International) Noise ConspiracyThe Noise Conspiracy is a Swedish rock band formed in Sweden in the late months of 1998. The line-up consists of Dennis Lyxzén , Inge Johansson , Lars Strömberg , and Ludwig Dahlberg . The band is known for its punk and garage rock musical influences, and its impassioned left-wing political stance...
- Gogol BordelloGogol BordelloGogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
- Dan WilsonDan Wilson (musician)Daniel Dodd "Dan" Wilson is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer...
- ZZ TopZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
Former artists
- Jazz Lee Alston (Rhyme Cartel/American)
- American Head ChargeAmerican Head ChargeAmerican Head Charge is an industrial metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, earning nominations at the Kerrang! Awards on two occasions.-Formation:...
- Dan BairdDan BairdDaniel "Dan" John Baird was born in San Diego, California and is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist from the chart-topping 80s rock band The Georgia Satellites. Baird formed The Georgia Satellites in 1980 and left the band...
- BarkmarketBarkmarketBarkmarket was a rock music group formed in New York City in 1987. Personnel were singer/guitarist and main songwriter Dave Sardy, bass guitarist John Nowlin and drummer Rock Savage....
- Frank BlackFrank BlackBlack Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
- The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
- Blackeyed Susans
- Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
- Chino XLChino XLDerek Keith Barbosa , better known by his stage name Chino XL, is an American hip hop lyricist, battle rapper, and actor of Puerto Rican and African American descent...
- Andrew "Dice" Clay
- Julian CopeJulian CopeJulian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
- DanzigDanzig (band)Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
- DeconstructionDeconstruction (band)Deconstruction was a band formed by former Jane's Addiction members, guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery. Originally their former Jane's Addiction bandmate drummer Stephen Perkins was slated to be Deconstruction's drummer but instead joined Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell's new...
- Digital Orgasm (Whte Lbls/Amercian)
- DJ KoolDJ KoolJohn W. Bowman, Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Kool is a rapper who, in the late 1990s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music...
- DonovanDonovanDonovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
- Pete DrogePete DrogePete Droge is an American alternative/folk rock musician from Vashon Island in Washington State's Puget Sound. His debut album Necktie Second, released by American records in 1994, featured the tongue-in-cheek "If You Don't Love Me ", , as well as the songs "Sunspot Stopwatch" and "So I am Over...
- Electric Company (Onion/American)
- FiresideFireside (band)- Members :* Per Nordmark - drums* Pelle Gunnerfeldt - Guitar* Kristofer Åström - Guitar, vocals* Frans Johansson - Bass- Discography :* 2003 - Get Shot* 2000 - Elite* 1999 - Fantastic Four - Remixed* 1998 - Hello Kids* 1997 - Uomini D'onore...
- FlipperFlipper (band)Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands...
- The Four HorsemenThe Four Horsemen (band)The Four Horsemen were an American hard rock band, who enjoyed a brief popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their style was blues influenced heavy rock, but their fame was both fleeting and marred by tragedy.-History:...
- The FreewheelersThe FreewheelersThe Freewheelers is the world's oldest gay classic car club, founded in 1978. There are over 350 members, who have over 1700 vintage and classic cars. The broad variety of cars in the club reflects the diverse tastes and interests of the membership...
- John FruscianteJohn FruscianteJohn Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
- Geto BoysGeto BoysGeto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
- God Lives UnderwaterGod Lives UnderwaterGod Lives Underwater was an industrial rock band from rural Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania , formed in 1993 by band members David Reilly and Jeff Turzo. God Lives Underwater was originally signed to American Recordings after being discovered by Rick Rubin, who subsequently produced the band's first...
- The JayhawksJayhawks (band)The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene during the mid 1980s. Their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 80s and 90s like Uncle Tupelo, The Gear Daddies and The Honeydogs...
- The Jesus and Mary ChainThe Jesus and Mary ChainThe Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
- KinfolkKinfolkThe general meaning of the term kinfolk is "relatives, family".It may also refer to:* Kinfolk , a 2007 Hip Hop album by Ali & Gipp* Kinfolk Kia Shine, a rapper and record producer...
- Kwest tha Madd Ladd
- LaikaLaika (band)Laika is a British alternative rock band founded in 1993 by ex-Moonshake members Margaret Fiedler and John Frenett, and producer/engineer Guy Fixsen. The band was named after the first animal to orbit the earth, the Russian dog Laika.-Sound:...
- Lords of AcidLords of AcidLords of Acid is a Belgian-American post-industrial/techno band, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the controversial new beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988...
(Whte Lbls/American) - Lordz of BrooklynLordz of BrooklynLordz Of Brooklyn now known as The Lordz are an American crossover Hip hop/Rock group composed of brothers and childhood friends of mostly Irish American and Italian American descent from Brooklyn, New York...
(Ventrue/American) - Loudermilk
- Love and RocketsLove and Rockets (band)Love and Rockets were an English alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash , David J , and Kevin Haskins . Former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983...
- Luna HaloLuna HaloLuna Halo is a rock band formed in 1999 by Nathan Barlowe and Jonny MacIntosh, as a replacement for their former band, Reality Check, which was well-known for its hip-hop and rock blend, its dancers, and its trumpet player.-History:...
- Manmade GodManmade GodManmade God was an American hard rock band from San Francisco. They gained prominence in 2003, touring with various mainstream acts and releasing one self-titled album in late summer...
- Masters of RealityMasters of RealityMasters of Reality is a hard rock group formed in 1981 by guitarist and singer Chris Goss and Tim Harrington in Syracuse, New York. The band is sometimes associated with the "Palm Desert Scene", which includes bands like Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age and many other stoner rock or "desert rock"...
- MC 900 Ft. JesusMC 900 Ft. JesusMC 900 Ft. Jesus is the stage name of Mark Griffin, a classically trained musician turned rapper and experimental musician born in Dallas, Texas....
- MedicineMedicine (band)Medicine is an alternative noise-pop/rock band from the San Fernando Valley, United States. They were formed in 1991 by guitarist Brad Laner and signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label the following year...
- Messiah (Whte Lbls/American)
- MilkAudio TwoAudio Two were the Brooklyn, New York hip hop duo of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson, most famous for its first hit, the classic "Top Billin'." The members of the duo are also the older brothers of female hip-hop star MC Lyte.-History:The duo’s debut single, "Make it...
- The Mother HipsThe Mother Hips-Formation and Debut:Tim Bluhm , Greg Loiacono , Isaac Parsons and Mike Wofchuck met in 1990 while attending California State University-Chico, living off campus in Bradley Hall...
- Mouse on MarsMouse on MarsMouse on Mars is a duo from Germany who have been making electronic music since 1993. Their music is a sometimes quirky blend of IDM, krautrock, disco, and ambient with a heavy dollop of analog synth sounds and cross-frequency modulation...
(Too Pure/American) - Noise RatchetNoise RatchetNoise Ratchet were an alternative Rock band originating from California.Noise Ratchet began as a pop punk/ska band in February 1997 in San Diego, California. In 1998, they released their first independent album, Never Going Back, at Youth Wave 1998 while opening for P.O.D. The Supertones, Stavesacre...
- The NonceThe NonceFor Craig Gibb see NonceThe Nonce was a hip-hop duo from Los Angeles, California, that was active in the 1990s...
(Wild West/American) - Ours
- PaloaltoPaloaltoPaloalto was a rock band formed in Los Angeles, California. Their band is not named after the city Palo Alto, but rather the lead singer James Grundler's preschool. Their debut album was released on Rick Rubin's American Recordings label and was produced by Rubin...
- Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
- Jonny Polonsky
- PramPram (band)Pram are an experimental band who formed in the Balsall Heath/Moseley area of Birmingham, England in 1990.-History:Originally from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Rosie Cuckston and Matt Eaton went to school together. They moved to Birmingham in the late 80s, schoolfriend Andy Weir keeping in touch...
- Pretty Tone Capone (Ill Labels/American)
- PsychoticaPsychoticaPsychotica, formed in 1994 by Pat Briggs and Paul "ENA" Kostabi, were a seminal influence in Industrial Goth, releasing 3 albums to mixed reviews and varied success....
- Raging SlabRaging Slab- History :The group formed in 1983 when Greg Strzempka and Elyse Steinman, both guitarists, met in New York City. The two had a shared interest in the heavy rock sounds of 1970's style "boogie" rock and such contemporary punk rock groups as the Ramones and Black Flag...
- The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow
- Ruth RuthRuth RuthRuth Ruth is a pop punk band formed in New York City in 1993, initially playing gigs for free at New York City's Continental nightclub. Their occasional shows became a residency and by the following year, Chris Kennedy , Mike Lustig , and drummer Dave Snyder had signed a record deal with American...
- Sir Mix-a-LotSir Mix-a-LotAnthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
(Rhyme Cartel/American) - Skinny PuppySkinny PuppySkinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
- SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
- Stiffs, Inc.Stiffs, Inc.Stiffs, Inc. was a Victorian punk band formed in New York City in 1992. They played their final show on May 24, 1998.Brought together in New York City under the name ‘Stiffs, Incorporated’, the group were active between 1992 and 1998. Their early material is influenced by 70’s English punk...
- Supreme Love GodsSupreme Love GodsSupreme Love Gods were an alternative rock group from Fresno, California, active from 1990 to 1993.They signed to Columbia/Sony Music in 1991 and released an EP in England entitled Righteous on One Little Indian later that year. Early the next year, the group was dropped from Columbia, and bassist...
- Survival Research LaboratoriesSurvival Research LaboratoriesSurvival Research Laboratories is a machine performance art group credited for pioneering the genre of large-scale machine performance. After about 30 years in San Francisco, California, SRL spent most of 2008 moving to Petaluma, California....
- SwellSwell (band)Swell is an indie rock band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel and Sean Kirkpatrick decided to record an album.-History:...
- System of a DownSystem of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
- Thee HypnoticsThee HypnoticsThee Hypnotics were a 1990s British garage/psychedelic/hard rock band. They were part of the early alternative rock scene, releasing two full-length albums and an EP from 1989-1990 before taking an enforced hiatus due to their drummer breaking his back in a car accident while they were on tour in...
- Th' Faith HealersTh' Faith HealersTh' Faith Healers were a UK indie rock group who were active between 1990 and 1994 and part of the so-called Camden lurch scene. They recorded multiple EPs and singles along with two full LPs...
- Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments
- TroubleTrouble (band)Trouble is an American doom metal band noted as one of the pioneers of their genre, alongside bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. The band created a distinct style taking influences of the British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and psychedelic rock of the 1970s...
- UnidaUnidaUnida was an American stoner rock band that was formed after the dissolution of Kyuss and Slo Burn. The band originally consisted of John Garcia , Arthur Seay , Miguel Cancino and Dave Dinsmore . Dinsmore was later replaced by Scott Reeder, who was in turn replaced by Eddie Plascencia...
- Vell Bakardy
- Vitro
- V.3
- Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
- Wesley WillisWesley WillisWesley Willis was a musician and artist from Chicago. A diagnosed chronic schizophrenic, he gained an enormous cult following in the 1990s after releasing several hundred songs of simple but unique music, with emphasis on his humorous, bizarre, and frequently obscene lyrics...
- WolfsbaneWolfsbane (band)Wolfsbane are an English heavy metal band. Formed in 1984, the band remained active until lead singer Blaze Bayley went on to join Iron Maiden in 1994. After a couple of reunion shows in 2007 and 2009, Wolfsbane officially reunited in June 2010...
Soundtracks
- Big Daddy
- Chef Aid: The South Park AlbumChef Aid: The South Park Album-Episode reference:- Singles :* "Chocolate Salty Balls "CD1# "Chocolate Salty Balls " - Performed By Chef# "Oh Holy Night" - Performed By Eric Cartman...
- The Doom GenerationThe Doom GenerationThe Doom Generation is a film by director Gregg Araki. Released in 1995, it stars Rose McGowan, James Duval and Johnathon Schaech as two teenagers and a 21-year-old punk drifter who become involved in a ménage à trois. It is the second of a trilogy of films known as the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy,...
- Jackass: The MovieJackass: The MovieJackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
Infinite Zero Reissue Artists
- James Chance And The ContortionsJames Chance and the ContortionsJames Chance and the Contortions, led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, were one of the original punk jazz groups of the New York No Wave music scene. Their first recording, credited solely as Contortions, was on the 1978 compilation, No New York, produced by Brain Eno...
- DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
- FlipperFlipper (band)Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands...
- Gang of FourGang of Four (band)Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
- Louise Huebner
- Iceberg SlimIceberg SlimIceberg Slim aka Robert Beck was a reformed pimp and American author of urban fiction.-Early life:Born Robert Lee Maupin, in Chicago on August 4, 1918, he spent his childhood in Milwaukee and Rockford, Illinois until he returned to Chicago...
- Mississippi Fred McDowellMississippi Fred McDowellFred McDowell known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.-Career:...
- The MonksThe MonksMonks are a garage rock band, formed by American GIs who were based in Germany in the mid to late 1960s. They reunited in 1999 and have continued to play concerts, although no new studio recordings have been made...
- Matthew ShippMatthew ShippMatthew Shipp is an American pianist, composer and bandleader.Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford Brown....
- Trouble FunkTrouble FunkTrouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, DC. It helped to popularize that area's local funk subgenre known as go-go. Among the band's well-known songs are the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas." They released several studio albums including Drop the Bomb, In Times of Trouble, Live,...
- Alan VegaAlan VegaAlan Vega For several years other sources stated that he was born in 1948 – see 'Myth' section is an American vocalist, primarily known for his work with electronic protopunk duo, Suicide...
- Tom VerlaineTom VerlaineTom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
- Alan WattsAlan WattsAlan Wilson Watts was a British philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York...
- James White and the Blacks