Asbestos Records

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Asbestos Records
Parent company	Asbestos Records
Founded	1996
Founder(s)	Matt Flood Dave Leone
Genre(s)	Various
Country of Origin	US
Website	Official site of Asbestos Records

Founded in 1996 in Stratford, CT by Matt Flood, and Dave Leone (vocalist for CT ska/punk band Inverse Variation, and Streetpunk Band The Reformed), Asbestos Records was started as a vehicle to release albums and compilations for local bands, and to book DIY shows at the Newtown Teen Center. The label released their first release early in 1997 The Best Bands You'll Ever Hate was one of the rare comps to document the punk/ska scene in, and around Connecticut in the mid ninties. Containg tracks from bands such as Spring Heeled Jack, Big D and the Kids Table, Skinnerbox, Planet Smashers and more; the album was a smashing success selling tons of copies and helping to usher in the Ska Explosion that would envelope CT for the next few years.

The label went on to release albums from such notable CT bands as Slackjaw, Grover Dill, and West Beverly (who's members went on to such bands as Dropkick Murphys, In Pieces, Staring Back, and Punchline)before taking their first major steps. At this point Dave, bogged down with work and school left the label. Grover Dill scored a huge sponsorship from Subway and finagled their way to play with huge festivals across the country.

In 2002 Asbestos signed notorious "Nerd Core" act Treephort, and their members other project Synth-pop punk outfit Tastes Like Burning, as well as CT's Irish-Punk band The Bloodshot Hooligans, and CT's hottest pop punk band in Doozer. In 2003 the label hit the road on the Vans Warped Tour with Treephort and Doozer in tow and spent the summer crossing the country and sold an amazing 10,000+ copies of their first of many summer compilations to finance their way.

Since that first summer on Warped the label has released some of its best selling, and most well known releases, including mutliple albums from Treephort, 2 releases from Long Island's ska giants High School Football Heroes, CT's own Tip the Van, and post-skacore machine Bomb the Music Industry!.

The label also had the great fortune of being the home of the first four album covers by underground music's cult favorite, Artist Rob Dobi, most famously known for his parody send up of emo fasion How to Dress Emo and his clothing company Full Bleed.

In 2005 the label joined with CTSKA Productions into one entity and work together to continue to foster the underground pop punk / ska scene in and around CT. In 2006 they released their most ambitious release to date, a benefit compilation for their good friend Dan Lang-Gunn of Infamous Jake and the Pinstripe Mafia, The Flaming Tsunamis and most recently The Modern Day Saint who suffered a massive heart attack during a performance. The dual disc compialtion contains tracks by such punk legends as The Descendents, NOFX, Against Me!, Rise Against, and Avail.

Future Projects include vinyl only releases of Bomb the Music Industry!s back catalog (in cooperation with Quote/Unquote Records), as well as a Split CD from one man synth-punk pioneers Rick Johnson Rock and Roll Machine(R. Johnson of Mustard Plug) and The Emotron(Kyle Knight of Treephort)

[edit] Discography

ASB001 - V/A - The Best Bands You'll Ever Hate
ASB002 - The Reformed - Days of Our Youth
ASB003 - Slackjaw - Live on Three Legs
ASB004 - V/A - 18 More Reasons to Hate Asbestos Records
ASB005 - The Deadbeat Dads - s/t
ASB006 - Shada Blu - Where We Met
ASB007 - Grover Dill - Few and Far Between
ASBOO8 - Slackjaw - Self-titled
ASB009 - Wishlist - Focus Surrender Experience Understand
ASB010 - West Beverly - Its gonna be Awesome (complete discography)
ASB011 - For All its Worth / A Heart Fades Forever - Promise of Rebirth
ASBO12 - Saveface - s/t
ASB013 - Bloodshot Hooligans - s/t
ASB014 - Treephort - ...and the Streets Will Run Red with the Blood of the Non Believers
ASB015 - V/A - Better Late than Never (2 disc compilation)
ASB016 - Treephort - Kill 'em All
ASB017 - Elvis McMan - Punch in a Kiss
ASB018 - Greg Wood - Focus Surrender Experience Understand (re-release of Wishlist CD)
ASBO19 - The Halo Jump - Tools to Save Your Life EP
ASB020 - V/A - Last Nights Escape
ASB021 - Saveface - Rock Well
ASB022 - Doozer - So Much for Tonight
ASB023 - Tastes Like Burning - is Totally Decent
ASB024 - Treephort - Use Your Illusion III
ASB025 - High School Football Heroes - Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Handgrenades
ASB026 - Bomb the Music Industry! - To Leave or Die in Long Island 12"
ASB026a - Bomb the Music Industry! - To Leave or Die in Long Island (Picture Disc)
ASB027 - Tip the Van - Something Wicked
ASB028 - Bomb the Music Industry! / Rick Johnson Rock and Roll Machine - Presidents Day 7"
ASB029 - V/A - Skannecticut Invades
ASB030 - High School Football Heroes - We've Fooled Around Long Enough
ASB031 - V/A - Shine Some Light: A Benefit for Dan Lang-Gunn (2 disc compilation)
ASB032 - Covin - s/t