Propeller Records (Boston)
Encyclopedia
Propeller Records was an independent record label
formed in Boston
, MA
, in 1981
. The label, a collective, was formed by a number of Boston bands, including The Wild Stares, People in Stores
, The Neats
, CCCPTV and V;. Later members include Dangerous Birds, Art Yard, 21-645, Chinese Girlfriends, White Women, and Lori Green. The label was known for its anti-corporate, consumerist approach, labeling all releases with the phrase "Propeller Product" and the consumer-friendly admonition "pay no more than $2.00". The initial release, Propeller Product EP, featuring The Neats
, People in Stores
, CCCPTV and The Wild Stares, was a success in indy-label terms, achieving distribution through Rounder Records
and selling over 5,000 copies. In 1982, Propeller released a compilation cassette tape consisting of two songs from all of the label-member bands, which was another indy-success and sold over 1,500 copies.
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:...
formed in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, MA
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, in 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
. The label, a collective, was formed by a number of Boston bands, including The Wild Stares, People in Stores
People in Stores
People in Stores was a Boston-based band from the formative Punk/New Wave era of the early 80s. Playing with the likes of Mission of Burma, Wild Stares, Vacuumheads, CCCP-TV, V; and The Neats, PiS performed its own unique brand of original post-punk pop music in storied clubs around Boston such as...
, The Neats
The Neats
The Neats were a Boston rock band that existed from the late 1970s to early 1990s. They first recorded for the independent Propeller label, which in 1981 released the song, "Six", a swirling, Vox-washed slab of garage rock reminiscent of Question Mark & the Mysterians...
, CCCPTV and V;. Later members include Dangerous Birds, Art Yard, 21-645, Chinese Girlfriends, White Women, and Lori Green. The label was known for its anti-corporate, consumerist approach, labeling all releases with the phrase "Propeller Product" and the consumer-friendly admonition "pay no more than $2.00". The initial release, Propeller Product EP, featuring The Neats
The Neats
The Neats were a Boston rock band that existed from the late 1970s to early 1990s. They first recorded for the independent Propeller label, which in 1981 released the song, "Six", a swirling, Vox-washed slab of garage rock reminiscent of Question Mark & the Mysterians...
, People in Stores
People in Stores
People in Stores was a Boston-based band from the formative Punk/New Wave era of the early 80s. Playing with the likes of Mission of Burma, Wild Stares, Vacuumheads, CCCP-TV, V; and The Neats, PiS performed its own unique brand of original post-punk pop music in storied clubs around Boston such as...
, CCCPTV and The Wild Stares, was a success in indy-label terms, achieving distribution through Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
and selling over 5,000 copies. In 1982, Propeller released a compilation cassette tape consisting of two songs from all of the label-member bands, which was another indy-success and sold over 1,500 copies.
Releases
- Propeller Product EP (The Neats/Six, People in Stores/Factory, CCCPTV/Mindless Funk, The Wild Stares/Moving Targets)
- People in Stores Single (Metaphor / White Funk)
- The Wild Stares Single (Never Seen Before / You)
- So! The V; EP (Sirens, The Need, 1926, David Hild)
- Propeller Product Compilation Cassette [Various Artists]
- Propeller Product EP (21-645/Babble, Dangerous Birds/Emergency, V;/Schizted, Christmas/Close My Eyes)
- Dangerous Birds Single (Alpha Romeo / Smile On Your Face)