Drag City (record label)

Drag City
Founded 1990
Founder Dan Koretzky
Dan Osborn
Country of origin United States
Location Chicago, Illinois
Official Website dragcity.com

Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.[1]

Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts. Among the bands that have released material on Drag City are Cave, Joanna Newsom, Pavement,[1] Royal Trux, Cynthia Dall, Faun Fables, Scott Walker, Bill Callahan, Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Palace Music, etc.),[1][2] Weird War, Jim O'Rourke, Six Organs of Admittance, Loose Fur, Scout Niblett, David Grubbs, U.S. Maple, Alasdair Roberts, Neil Michael Hagerty, The Howling Hex, Ghost, Flying Saucer Attack, Movietone, The Fucking Champs, Papa M, Pearls and Brass, White Magic, The Renderers, Espers, Silver Jews, Monotonix, Nig-Heist, Michael Yonkers, The Red Krayola, Om, Sic Alps, Edith Frost, and Sun Araw. In recent years, they have expanded their catalog to include alternative comedy releases, with recent outputs from Fred Armisen and Neil Hamburger, among others, and reissues, notably by Gary Higgins and Death.

Drag City's first release, 'DC1', was the single "Hero Zero" by Royal Trux.

The label released the US version of Scott Walker's Tilt in 1997, after the label approached him wishing to give the album a US release.[3] Walker described releasing the album on the indie as "an experiment".[3]

Several Drag City albums have been licensed to Domino Records for British release.

Several members of Drag City's staff have played in bands; press-chief Gene Booth played keyboards and guitar in USA, and Booth, head of sales Rian Murphy, and founder Dan Koretzky all played in Mantis.[4] Booth was also a member of Chestnut Station.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Howland, Don (1993) "Drag Kings: Chicago's Drag City is America's Best Record Label", SPIN, November 1993, p. 101-2, 152-3, retrieved 2010-12-05
  2. ^ Ayers, Michael D. (2009) "Will's World: Oldham Hones Indie Rock Niche with Drag City", Billboard, January 31, 2009, p. 30, retrieved 2010-12-05
  3. ^ a b Morris, Chris (1997) "Drag City Goes Full 'Tilt' on Walker", Billboard, August 23, 1997, p. 53-4, retrieved 2010-12-05
  4. ^ a b Morris, Chris (1998) "Declarations of Independents: Flag Waving", Billboard, June 13, 1998, p. 77, retrieved 2010-12-05

External links