Plan-It-X Records

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Plan-It-X Records
Parent company
independent
Founded 1994
Founder(s) Chris Johnston, Sam
Distributing label No Idea Records, as well as other independent channels
Genre(s) Punk rock, Pop-punk, folk-punk, folk
Country US
Web address http://www.plan-it-x.com/

Plan-It-X Records (PIX) is an independent record label in the United States. Originally based in Georgetown, IN, PIX lived most of its existence in Bloomington, Indiana, and is now located in Gainesville, Florida, after a brief stint in Olympia, WA. Some consider the label most notable for releasing an EP by the band Against Me! (Crime As Forgiven By). However, and with great disappointment to Plan-It-X, the band has since requested to repress the record on their band mananger's label after mass alienation from its former fan base associated with Plan-It-X.

Plan-It-X has also released other notable albums by This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Defiance, Ohio, Ghost Mice, Japanther, The Bananas, Operation: Cliff Clavin, and Antsy Pants (a project featuring Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches), and re-released albums by Fifteen, among others.

Founded in 1994 with a strict DIY punk ethic, the label refuses to sell any CDs for more than five dollars. PIX has a philosophy that is summed up in their slogan: "If it ain't cheap, it ain't punk". PIX strives to illustrate that the practices of the major record labels do not need to be duplicated by the independent record labels in order for smaller labels to be successful. They support other small labels and encourage others to do so as well (and even go as far as to suggest starting your own label - and many have done so, following the example set by PIX).

The label is run by Chris Johnston and his friends. Johnston currently plays in the band Ghost Mice, as well as his solo act Captain Chaos, and is a former band member of Operation: Cliff Clavin, The Devil is Electric, The Ted Dancin' Machine, Peanucle, and The Sissies.

Beyond the release of musical albums, Plan-It-X has released a book by author Greg Wells (Complete Control: An Anthology 1997-2005), the zine My Friend Bubby, as well as a DVD featuring live performances of bands filmed during Plan-It-X Fest 2004 (see below). A new documentary DVD is being put together from footage shot across the week of the 2006 Plan It X Fest.

Contents

[edit] Plan-It-X Fest

In 2004 Plan-It-X Records celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a three day festival in Bloomington, Indiana. A large portion of the bands involved with the label performed throughout the three day event.

With the success of the 2004 fest, Plan-It-X decided to take the festival on the road the following year in 2005 with a number of their bands in a school bus. The school bus toured throughout the eastern and midwest United States.

2006 saw the third Plan-It-X fest return to Bloomington, Indiana as a six-day "Punk Rock Summer Camp," with bands playing every night and workshops and other activities throughout the afternoon. Like the two previous fests, 2006's fest raised money for charity. This year a total of $8,200 was split amongst three different charities.

[edit] Bands

The following is an alphabetized list of bands that have worked with Plan-It-X to release albums or split albums on the label. It also includes Plan-It-X South bands (see below regarding PIX South).

[edit] Plan-It-X South

Plan-It-X South is a part of the main Plan-It-X label, but is run by Teddy Helmick of This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb. Plan-It-X carries all of the Plan-It-X South releases in their catalog. This arrangement benefits Chris Johnston, as Teddy operates and finances PIX South, so the burden is taken off of Johnston. And since the releases are distributed through the main PIX catalog, it allows Teddy the opportunity to take part in the production and release of more music, distributed through a channel already proven successful.

PIX South shares the same DIY punk ethic of its mother label.

[edit] See also


[edit] CDs featuring Plan-It-X Bands

[edit] External links