Estrus Records is an independent record label

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:...

 from Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

 that makes surf

Surf music

Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...

, garage

Garage rock

Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

 and trash rock music.

They have released such bands as Soledad Brothers, The Drags, The Mummies

The Mummies

The Mummies are an American garage punk band from San Mateo, California formed in 1988.-Showmanship:Originally hailing from San Mateo, California, the band was formed by Trent Ruane , Maz Kattuah , Larry Winther and Russell Quan . They became a key part of San Francisco's burgeoning garage punk...

, Impala

Impala

An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...

, Man or Astro-man?

Man or Astro-man?

Man or Astro-man? is a surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama, in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like that of The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of...

, the Makers

The Makers

The Makers may refer to:*The Makers , a garage rock/rock-n-roll band from Spokane, Washington, formed in 1991*The Makers , a band formed around 1988...

, Gas Huffer

Gas Huffer

Gas Huffer was an American garage rock band from Washington state. They were known for their formal and comical lyrics and their antic stage presence.-History:Gas Huffer classified themselves loosely in the Garage punk genre...

, The Mooney Suzuki

The Mooney Suzuki

The Mooney Suzuki is an American garage rock band that formed in New York City in 1996. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Sammy James, Jr., guitarist Graham Tyler, bassist John Paul Ribas and drummer Will Rockwell-Scott, the band has released four studio albums – People Get Ready ,...

, DMBQ

DMBQ

DMBQ is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, whose name stands for Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet. They are heavily influenced by British and American rock music of the early 1970s, especially bands such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin.Shinji Masuko is a well-known...

, The Cherry Valence

The Cherry Valence

The Cherry Valence is an American garage rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group's sound is indebted to 1970s hard rock, and the group has the unusual distinction of two members who switch off on lead vocals and drums. They formed in 1998 and toured relentlessly across the US, releasing...

, Midnight Evils, Mono Men

Mono Men

The Mono Men were an American garage punk band, based in Bellingham, Washington. Their sound contained elements of grunge , but the Mono Men filtered these through a mimicry of 1960s Washington proto-punk, garage rock bands such as The Sonics.-History:The Mono Men rose up from the ashes of another...

, Federation X

Federation X

Federation X is a rock band, originally formed in Bellingham, Washington, though now shares members between Bellingham and New York, New York. Founded by Ben Wildenhaus , Bill Badgley , and Beau Boyd in 1998. The band has toured the US, and has had two European tours, and a tour of Israel...

, The Trashwomen

The Trashwomen

The Trashwomen was an all-female American garage punk and surf punk trio from the San Francisco Bay Area signed to Estrus Records.-History:Formed in 1991 by Tina Lucchesi and Danielle Pimm, and former Bitch Fight & later, Eight Ball Scratch guitarist, Elka Zolot, the band formed originally to...

, Satan's Pilgrims, Immortal Lee County Killers, The Dexateens

The Dexateens

The Dexateens are a five-piece rock and roll band out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Formed in 1998, the Dexateens have released five albums on the Estrus and Skybucket labels...

, and Southern Culture on the Skids

Southern Culture on the Skids

Southern Culture on the Skids, also sometimes known as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...

.

For many years Estrus hosted an annual festival, Garage Shock, at The 3B Tavern in Bellingham

Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

. Garage Shock featured bands from the labels roster, as well as others from around the world. The last Garage Shock, in 2001, was held at Emo's

Emo's

Emo's is a prominent nightclub located in Austin, Texas. Emo's got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992. The Houston location closed its doors in September 2001....

, in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

.

In January 1997, their entire mail-order inventory, private record collection, and some band gear was destroyed in a warehouse fire.