Blackout Records
Encyclopedia
Blackout! Records was an independent record label
which specialized in the hardcore punk
genre.
It was formed in 1988
by Bill Wilson – now forever known as "Bill Blackout" – and, together with friend Jim Gibson, the label released its first record – a New York hardcore
compilation album entitled Where the Wild Things Are, in 1989. The record included tracks from some of NYC's most popular bands of the day.
After this first release, Gibson amicably parted company to start his own record label, Noiseville Records. Blackout! continued to release more local hardcore, with EPs from Uppercut and Outburst, and a live single from Sheer Terror
. This was followed by a mini album from Crawlpappy and the U.S. edition of the Sheer Terror
album Just Can't Hate Enough.
Although the label released a pressing of a greatest hits from UK Oi! band The Business, a reissue of Rest In Pieces debut album, and EPs from The Icemen, American Standard, and Outcrowd, there was a lull in activity during the beginning of the 1990s as the local hardcore scene became more prone to violence – a fact which compounded the temporary demise of one Blackout band in particular, Killing Time
. During this period Wilson established another imprint, Engine Records, which had a more indie rock sound, releasing multiple records, including the acclaimed Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
EP from Guided By Voices
.
In 1992, Blackout! returned to punk when they chanced upon a female-fronted band, The Goops, playing at CBGB
's and decided to release their records. The Goops toured with Rancid
and after an appearance in the soundtrack to the Kevin Smith
film Mallrats
, signed to Kinetic Records, a part of Reprise/Warner Brothers in 1995. During the same time, Sheer Terror
signed to MCA
. The label also achieved its biggest independent success with the release of the debut album from H2O
in 1996. The band subsequently signed to Epitaph Records
.
From around 1995 onwards, there was a general explosion of a new wave of hardcore punk
– not only on the east coast of America, but also the opposite coast, where California
n labels Indecision Records
and Nitro Records
started releasing product. Along with Blackout! and Victory Records
, they were the main independent punk record labels well into the new millennium.
The label ended the 1990s with records from Killing Time
, Kill Your Idols
, and East Bay/ Berkeley bands Redemption 87
and Powerhouse. The early part of the 2000s brought some new blood, including Crime In Stereo
, NJ's The Banner
, The Procedure, and The Commercials. The last official Blackout! release was The Fire Still Burns in 2005. Although no longer releasing new music, the label still maintains a blog at its website which is infrequently updated and has the catalog available digitally on Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other major digital outlets through IODA.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
which specialized in the hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
genre.
It was formed in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
by Bill Wilson – now forever known as "Bill Blackout" – and, together with friend Jim Gibson, the label released its first record – a New York hardcore
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...
compilation album entitled Where the Wild Things Are, in 1989. The record included tracks from some of NYC's most popular bands of the day.
After this first release, Gibson amicably parted company to start his own record label, Noiseville Records. Blackout! continued to release more local hardcore, with EPs from Uppercut and Outburst, and a live single from Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror was an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band was one of the first to combine elements of heavy metal with a hardcore punk base, pioneering a heavier style of hardcore that would become popular in the following decades. Formed in late 1984, the band, stayed together...
. This was followed by a mini album from Crawlpappy and the U.S. edition of the Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror was an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band was one of the first to combine elements of heavy metal with a hardcore punk base, pioneering a heavier style of hardcore that would become popular in the following decades. Formed in late 1984, the band, stayed together...
album Just Can't Hate Enough.
Although the label released a pressing of a greatest hits from UK Oi! band The Business, a reissue of Rest In Pieces debut album, and EPs from The Icemen, American Standard, and Outcrowd, there was a lull in activity during the beginning of the 1990s as the local hardcore scene became more prone to violence – a fact which compounded the temporary demise of one Blackout band in particular, Killing Time
Killing Time (band)
Killing Time is an influential New York Hardcore band. From their beginnings in 1988, under the name Raw Deal, they went on to record two full-length albums and several EPs, singles, and compilation tracks. The band went through three hiatus before formally disbanding in 1998. However, the band...
. During this period Wilson established another imprint, Engine Records, which had a more indie rock sound, releasing multiple records, including the acclaimed Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle is an EP by Guided by Voices, released in 1994. Finished tied for 3rd in the EP category in the 1994 Pazz and Jop poll .-Side A:# "3rd World Birdwatching" – 0:42# "My Impression Now" – 2:07...
EP from Guided By Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
.
In 1992, Blackout! returned to punk when they chanced upon a female-fronted band, The Goops, playing at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's and decided to release their records. The Goops toured with Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
and after an appearance in the soundtrack to the Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
film Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
, signed to Kinetic Records, a part of Reprise/Warner Brothers in 1995. During the same time, Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror
Sheer Terror was an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band was one of the first to combine elements of heavy metal with a hardcore punk base, pioneering a heavier style of hardcore that would become popular in the following decades. Formed in late 1984, the band, stayed together...
signed to MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
. The label also achieved its biggest independent success with the release of the debut album from H2O
H2O (American band)
-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
in 1996. The band subsequently signed to Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
.
From around 1995 onwards, there was a general explosion of a new wave of hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
– not only on the east coast of America, but also the opposite coast, where California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n labels Indecision Records
Indecision Records
Indecision Records is an independent American hardcore punk record label which was started by Dave Mandel in 1995. It is based in Garden Grove, California. Until around 2001, it was based in nearby Huntington Beach. Both cities are within Orange County...
and Nitro Records
Nitro Records
Nitro Records is an independent record label created and owned by Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel . They started the label in 1994. The label is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most notably AFI...
started releasing product. Along with Blackout! and Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
, they were the main independent punk record labels well into the new millennium.
The label ended the 1990s with records from Killing Time
Killing Time (band)
Killing Time is an influential New York Hardcore band. From their beginnings in 1988, under the name Raw Deal, they went on to record two full-length albums and several EPs, singles, and compilation tracks. The band went through three hiatus before formally disbanding in 1998. However, the band...
, Kill Your Idols
Kill Your Idols
Kill Your Idols was a hardcore punk band from Long Island/New York City, New York. The band was active from 1995 through 2007. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records....
, and East Bay/ Berkeley bands Redemption 87
Redemption 87
Redemption 87 was a short-lived East Bay hardcore punk band containing ex-members of Unit Pride, Skankin' Pickle, and Token Entry, and contained future members of AFI and the Nerve Agents....
and Powerhouse. The early part of the 2000s brought some new blood, including Crime In Stereo
Crime In Stereo
Crime in Stereo was a Long Island-based melodic hardcore band. Comparable to Dag Nasty, Brand New, and Lifetime, the band released their debut, a split with New York's Kill Your Idols, in 2003 on hardcore label Blackout! Records...
, NJ's The Banner
The Banner (band)
The Banner is a hardcore punk and metalcore band from Bloomfield, New Jersey with influences that range from late '80s hardcore, punk rock, heavy metal and NYHC-style metalcore....
, The Procedure, and The Commercials. The last official Blackout! release was The Fire Still Burns in 2005. Although no longer releasing new music, the label still maintains a blog at its website which is infrequently updated and has the catalog available digitally on Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other major digital outlets through IODA.
Band appearing on Blackout Records
- A Well Thought Tragedy – Creep Records artist
- American Standard
- At A Loss
- Awkward ThoughtAwkward ThoughtAwkward Thought is a New York hardcore punk band that formed in the 1990s.After numerous compilation appearances and two demo tapes, Awkward Thought released their first full length CD/LP titled Mayday on a US label, Blackout Records, in 2000. It also came out the same year on CD only on I Scream...
- Blind Society
- BreakdownBreakdown (band)Breakdown was started in 1986, during the resurgence of the hardcore scene. Despite being a NYHC band, being based in Yonkers Breakdown didn't have the Lower East Side Crew-mentality of Warzone and Agnostic Front. By a similar token, unlike some of their other contemporaries like Gorilla Biscuits...
- Cranked Up! – Creep Records artist
- Crawlpappy
- Crime In StereoCrime In StereoCrime in Stereo was a Long Island-based melodic hardcore band. Comparable to Dag Nasty, Brand New, and Lifetime, the band released their debut, a split with New York's Kill Your Idols, in 2003 on hardcore label Blackout! Records...
- Danger O's – Creep Records artist
- DeadguyDeadguyDeadguy was a metalcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.-History:Formed in 1994, Deadguy took inspiration from bands like Unsane and Today is the Day. The band took their name from a line in the John Candy movie, Only the Lonely,...
- EnsignEnsign (band)Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in...
- Friendly Fire
- Grace Gale – Creep Records artist
- Guns On The Run; Creep Records artist
- H2OH2O (American band)-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
- I Farm – Creep Records artist
- Kill Your IdolsKill Your IdolsKill Your Idols was a hardcore punk band from Long Island/New York City, New York. The band was active from 1995 through 2007. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records....
- Killing TimeKilling Time (band)Killing Time is an influential New York Hardcore band. From their beginnings in 1988, under the name Raw Deal, they went on to record two full-length albums and several EPs, singles, and compilation tracks. The band went through three hiatus before formally disbanding in 1998. However, the band...
- M.O.D.M.O.D.M.O.D. was a crossover thrash band from New York City, fronted by former Anthrax roadie and Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano. The band existed from 1986 to 1997, and again from 2001 to 2008...
- Outburst
- Outcrowd
- Plow UnitedPlow UnitedPlow United is an American rock group formed in Wilmington, Delaware, The United States of America in 1992. They played fast punk rock with pop, thrashcore and hardcore influences. Their lyrics are sometimes labelled "emo" postfact...
- Powerhouse
- Protagonist
- Redemption 87Redemption 87Redemption 87 was a short-lived East Bay hardcore punk band containing ex-members of Unit Pride, Skankin' Pickle, and Token Entry, and contained future members of AFI and the Nerve Agents....
- Shadow Agency
- Sheer TerrorSheer TerrorSheer Terror was an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band was one of the first to combine elements of heavy metal with a hardcore punk base, pioneering a heavier style of hardcore that would become popular in the following decades. Formed in late 1984, the band, stayed together...
- The BannerThe Banner (band)The Banner is a hardcore punk and metalcore band from Bloomfield, New Jersey with influences that range from late '80s hardcore, punk rock, heavy metal and NYHC-style metalcore....
- The Commercials
- The Escaped
- The Finale; Creep Records Artist
- The Fire Still Burns
- The Goops
- The IcemenThe IcemenThe Icemen is a hardcore punk and metal band from New York City, New York, USAThe Icemen were created late 1982. Founded by Guitarist and Songwriter Marco Abularach, he was joined by Noah Evans on Bass and Mackie Jayson on Drums ....
- The ProcedureThe ProcedureThe Procedure is a New Jersey band that formed in 2001. The band features former Thursday and Purpose guitarist Bill Henderson.- History :The Procedure formed in 2001 at The College of New Jersey in Trenton, NJ. The band self-released a 4-song demo in 2002 and began performing in and around New...
- The Turbo A.C.'sThe Turbo A.C.'sThe Turbo A.C.'s are an American punk rock band from New York, formed in 1996. The band's high-octane sound has led to comparisons with the likes of The Supersuckers and New Bomb Turks.- Band history :...
- Uppercut
- Violent Society