XLR8R

People want products that feel personal, and no one puts more blood, sweat, tears, and hard-earned pennies into their craft than small label owners, who have to be part parent, part curator (and sometimes part dictator) to get the job done. As a result, independent labels are awesome reflections of the people who run them and their aesthetics–a personal touch that should ensure they last long after the BMG/Universals of the world crash and burn. Tons of new labels have surged forth in the last few years, making it again hard to pick our favorite indies–we had to leave some out because we sing their praises on a monthly basis, and we didn’t delve too deep into 12-inch-only imprints. After some agonizing, we whittled our list down to these 25 dependable outposts for good tunes–here are the labels we’re rocking and jocking…and you should be too.

20:20 Vision
Location: Leeds, England
Artists: Random Factor, Jesper Dählback, Dubble D, Inland Knights
Sound: Tweaky, bass-heavy house, pumping electro techno.
Best-seller: Fred Everything “Light of Day”
What’s in a name: “Our name literally means ‘perfect sight,’ with each artist having free rein with their own view of the 20:20 Vision sound,” says label manager Andy Whittaker.
Upcoming: Silver City’s self-titled debut, with remixes coming from Ewan Pearson, Lindstrom, Phonogenic, and Boogie Corporation.

BBE
Location: The Arsenal, London, England
Artists: Roy Ayers, Baby Blak, Jay Dee, The Foreign Exchange
Sound: True-school hip-hop, soulful house, and funk from the greats.
Best-seller: Jazzy Jeff The Magnificent
Funny story: “It’s always about Keb Darge,” proclaims co-founder Peter Adarkwah, “and it involves fighting, swearing, paying silly amounts for records, and not making it to the bathroom on time–the life and times of a Scottish legend.”
Upcoming: Albums by D’Nell and Alice Smith, a Radiohead tribute compilation, and The Kings of House: Mixed by Masters At Work on BBE/Rapster.

Carpark.
Location: New York, New York
Artists: Keith Fullerton Whitman, Animal Collective, Marumari, Signer
Sound: Electronic pop, post-punk reissues (on Acute), and modern psychedelia (on Paw Tracks).
Best-seller: Animal Collective Here Comes The Indian (Paw Tracks)
Funny story: “I was recently with members of Ariel Pink, helping them buy some gear at a Manhattan music shop,” says founder Todd Hyman. “After picking up a new amp and keyboard, the sales guy asked me if we were forming a band. I said, ‘It seems like it, but they’re actually playing at Tonic tonight.’”
Upcoming: A Greg Davis/Sebastien Roux collaboration, plus new albums from Casino Vs. Japan, Panda Bear, and Ariel Pink.

Dim Mak
Location: Hollywood, California
Artists: Pony Up!, Battles, Libretto
Sound: Like the best college radio station anywhere, from garage rock to electro-punk to hip-hop.
Best-seller: Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm
What’s in a name: “I started the label when I was 18 and Bruce Lee was a major role model in my life growing up as an Asian in America,” divulges founder Steve Aoki. “I wanted the label name to have some sort of mysterious connection with Lee, and some Chinese elders theorize that the dim mak (which means “death touch” in Chinese) is what ended up killing him.
Upcoming: A 12” from Mike Skinner’s side project, Grafiti, and new albums from The Rakes, Icarus Line, From Monument to Masses, and Neon Blonde (Johnny and Mark from Blood Brothers).

FatCat
Location: Brighton, England and now Brooklyn, New York
Artists: To Rococo Rot, Black Dice, Mice Parade, Him
Sound: Where post-rock, leftfield folk, and esoteric electronics meet.
Best-seller: Múm Finally We Are No One in the US, Sigur Rós elsewhere.
Funny story: “I traveled in a row boat with the Múm kids through high seas when they were trying to land on the rocky shores of their lighthouse recording studio in Iceland. I was almost shitting my pants the whole time...” says label founder Dave Cawley.
Upcoming: Releases from The Mutts, Songs of Green Pheasant, Charlottefield, and a new Animal Collective album.

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