Last Gang Records
Last Gang Records is a record label that was formed by Canadian music industry lawyer Chris Taylor and concert promoter Donald Tarlton in the Fall of 2003 at the Pop Montreal Music Festival.
As their music lawyer, Taylor had been working for the group Metric since the early days of 1998 and had literally "shopped" the band to over 100 record labels around the world but to no avail. He was prepared to release the album himself with his own money when he met with Tarlton. After viewing the Metric video for "Grow Up and Blow Away" (a single on a Metric album that would not be released until 2007) Donald offered to help Taylor realize his vision of introducing Metric's music to the world. They formed a joint venture company under the DKD label group Last Gang Records. Metric released their critically acclaimed Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? in September 2003[1] and Last Gang Records was born.
Last Gang was nominated as Independent Record Label of the Year at the Canadian Music Awards in 2006.[2] Metric was nominated for a Juno Award in 2005 and albums by Tiga and MSTRKRFT won Juno Awards in 2007. A recent signing, Crystal Castles, were featured on the cover of the NME (June, 2008) and playing major festivals around the globe. The Toronto-based company also has its hands in publishing, licensing, multi-format releases, management and legal, pushing forward-thinking, progressive dance and alternative acts.[3]
Recently, the label has expanded their roster signing Purity Ring, Bear Mountain, Egyptrixx, Ryan Hemsworth, Electric Youth, and more.
Last Gang Management
Last Gang Management is a music management company founded in 2004. Primary operations are based in Toronto and Los Angeles. Last Gang Management works in partnership with artist clients to oversee all aspects of career development, including navigating relations with record labels, music publishers, booking agents, sponsors, and other varied parties.
Current clients include Kay (JVC/Universal), FrancisGotHeat, Tre Mission, (Big Dada), Huoratron, Egyptrixx, and Lindi Ortega[4]
Last Gang Publishing
Last Gang Publishing is a music publishing company founded in 2006. Primary operations are based in Toronto and Los Angeles. LGP represents a wide variety of songwriters, both as a co-publisher and through client services including synch representation and royalty collection and administration. LGP is strategically partnered with leading independent music publisher ole to provide global synch and admin representation.
Last Gang Publishing has secured synch placements in various television shows (Glee, Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Nashville, Lost Girl)), large commercial ad campaigns (Motorola, Nike Action Sports, Vitamin Water, Kraft, Telus), blockbuster video games (Grand Theft Auto IV, Saints Row II, MMA, Shaun White Skate, FIFA 2010) and major motion picture films (Ghost Rider 2, Pitch Perfect, Date Night, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). LGP also acts as an independent music supervision consultancy, most providing supervision services on feature films Year Of The Carnivore, Daydream Nation, and more recently for upcoming feature film, Visitors.
Last Gang Publishing clients include Dubmatix, Egyptrixx, and Hiawatha among others. LGP also represents the songs of Last Gang Records recording artists, including, Lindi Ortega, Mother Mother, Silver Starling, Magneta Lane and O’Luge.[4]
Artists
Last Gang Records has released albums by:
- AC Newman
- Bang Lime
- Bear Mountain
- Billy Talent
- Boys Noize
- Chromeo
- Crystal Castles
- Dark Horses
- Datsik
- Death from Above 1979
- Dirty Ghosts
- Egyptrixx
- Electric Youth
- Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton
- Fan Death
- Femme Fatale
- From Fiction
- Fur Trade
- Sebastien Grainger
- Hiawatha
- Hot As Sun
- Huoratron
- The Jealous Girlfriends
- Kay
- The Kickdrums
- K-OS
- Leisure Cruise
- Let's Go To War
- Lights
- Lindi Ortega
- Magneta Lane
- Metric
- The Meligrove Band
- Mixhell
- Modern Superstitions
- Moon King
- Mother Mother
- MSTRKRFT
- The New Pornographers
- Nightbox
- O'Luge
- Ohbijou
- Panurge
- Purity Ring
- PVT
- Rush Midnight
- Ryan Hemsworth
- San Sebastian
- Silver Starling
- Slan
- Standish / Carlyon
- Mark Sultan
- Terry Lynn
- Ten Kens
- Tiga
- Tricky Woo
- The Two Koreas
- We Are Enfant Terrible
- Wolf & Cub
Gold & Platinum Certifications
Metric Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold[5] | 50,000 |
Death From Above 1979 You're A Woman, I'm A Machine
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold[5] | 50,000 |
Metric Live It Out
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Platinum[5] | 100,000 |
Metric Fantasies
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Platinum[5] | 80,000 |
Awards and nominations
Juno Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | A.C. Newman The Slow Wonder | Alternative Album Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2005 | Death From Above 1979 | New Group Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2005 | Death From Above 1979 You're A Woman, I'm A Machine | CD/DVD Artwork Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2006 | Metric Live It Out | Alternative Album Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2007 | Tiga Sexor | Dance Recording Of The Year | style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |
| 2007 | MSTRKRFT The Looks | CD/DVD Artwork Of The Year | style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |
| 2008 | Chromeo Fancy Footwork | Dance Recording Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2009 | Crystal Castles | New Group Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2010 | Metric Fantasies | Alternative Album Of The Year | style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |
| 2010 | Metric | Group Of The Year | style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |
| 2010 | Emily Haines & Jimmy Shaw for "Gimme Sympathy", "Sick Muse", "Help I'm Alive" from Fantasies | Songwriter Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2011 | Chromeo Business Casual | Dance Recording Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2011 | Crystal Castles (II) | Electronic Album Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2012 | Lindi Ortega | New Artist Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2012 | Lindi Ortega Little Red Boots | Roots & Traditional Of The Year (Solo) | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2012 | Mother Mother | New Group Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2012 | Mother Mother The Stand (dir. John JP Poliquin) | Video Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2013 | Crystal Castles (III) | Electronic Album Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2013 | Purity Ring Shrines | Electronic Album Of The Year | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2014 | Ryan Hemsworth Guilt Trips | Electronic Album Of The Year | style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit. Last Gang Records has had three albums make the short list, and 11 nominations on the long list.
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Metric Live It Out | Polaris Music Prize | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2009 | Metric Fantasies | Polaris Music Prize | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |
| 2013 | Purity Ring Shrines | Polaris Music Prize | style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated |