Since its inception, the independent, DIY spirit of punk rock often took its form in the record companies set up to the un-releasable and uncommercial music. Completely disrupting the status quo of the release of records by major record companies, the now vast array of independent labels – often established and run by the bands themselves – are an essential element of the release and promotion of punk rock music worldwide.
SST
Initially started by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn as an electronic component company in his teens, Ginn rebranded his company in 1978 to release the band’s debut 7” Nervous Breakdown. The label quickly branched out from Black Flag’s hardcore punk to become arguably the most defining independent label of the 1980s, with numerous iconic bands filling out its roster.
Key Releases:
Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime
Husker Du – Zen Arcade
Black Flag – Nervous Breakdown
Kill Rock Stars
Primarily serving the punk and indie-rock scene of the American Pacific Northwest, the label is also notable for releasing many key records in the early 1990s riot grrl scene. Quickly expanding into eclectic territory, encompassing everything from post-hardcore to spoken word, the label remains one of the most important and best curated of the 1990s to now.
Key Releases:
Bikini Kill – Pussy Whipped
Elliott Smith – Either/Or
Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out
Epitaph
Epitaph released the best selling independent album of all time (1995’s Smash by The Offspring), yet deals with its fair share of criticism for becoming larger and more successful than many punk fans were comfortable with. Riding the pop/skate punk explosion of the 1990s, the label which was initially formed by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz to release the band’s own music, was truly one of the most influential labels of the 1990s.
Key Releases:
The Offspring – Smash
NOFX – Punk In Drublic
Bad Religion – Suffer
Alternative Tentacles
Founded by Dead Kennedys’ frontman Jello Biafra, Alternative Tentacles made a mark on the punk scene by not only releasing the now classic albums by Dead Kennedys, but paying extra attention to the weirder side of alternative independent music, considered out-there by even liberal punk rock standards. Personally curated and overseen by the eclectic tastes of Biafra, Alternative Tentacles has consistently brought music to the world that may have completely slipped through the cracks.
Key Releases:
Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
NoMeansNo – Wrong
Wesley Willis – Greatest Hits Vol 1
