Sub Pop

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Sub Pop
We're Not the Best, But We're Pretty Good
Parent companyWarner Music Group (49%)
Founded1986 (1986)
FounderBruce Pavitt, Jonathan Poneman
Distributor(s)ADA (US)
Outside Music (Canada)
Merlin Network (digital)
Genre
Country of originUnited States
LocationSeattle, Washington
Official websitewww.subpop.com

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement.[1] They are often credited with helping popularize grunge music. The label's roster includes Fleet Foxes, Tad, Beach House, The Postal Service, Sleater-Kinney, Flight of the Conchords, Foals, Blitzen Trapper, Father John Misty, clipping., Shabazz Palaces, Weyes Blood, Guerilla Toss, Bully, Low, METZ, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Kiwi Jr., TV Priest and The Shins. In 1995, the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group.[2]

History

Formation

The origins of Sub Pop can be traced back to the early 1980s, when

Seattle, Washington, and released the ninth and final issue of Sub Pop. While in Seattle, he wrote a column for local music magazine The Rocket titled "Sub Pop U.S.A.", a column he ended in 1988.[4][5]

In 1986, Pavitt released the first Sub Pop

Dry as a Bone EP for Pavitt's new label in June 1986; Pavitt couldn't afford to release it until the following year. When finally released, Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as "ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation".[6] Also in 1987, Jonathan Poneman provided $20,000 in funding for Sub Pop to release the debut Soundgarden single "Hunted Down"/"Nothing to Say" in July 1987, followed by the band's first EP Screaming Life that October.[7] Poneman soon became a full partner in the label. Pavitt focused on the label's artists and repertoire aspects, while Poneman dealt with the business and legal issues.[8] Both men decided they wanted the label to focus on "this primal rock stuff that was coming out," according to Pavitt.[9]

The "Seattle sound"

Advertising card to subscribe to Sub Pop's single club.

In early 1988, Pavitt and Poneman quit their jobs to devote their full attention to Sub Pop. Raising $43,000, they incorporated that April. "Of course that was spent in, like, thirty days", Pavitt recalled. "We almost went bankrupt after a month".[10] That August Sub Pop released the first single by Mudhoney, a band featuring former members of Green River. Sub Pop released the Mudhoney single "Touch Me I'm Sick" in an intentionally limited first pressing of 800 copies to create demand. The strategy was later adopted by other independent labels.[11]

Pavitt and Poneman studied earlier independent labels ranging from Motown to SST Records and decided that virtually every successful movement in rock music had a regional basis. The pair sought to create a cohesive brand identity for Sub Pop. The label's ads promoted the label itself more than any particular band. The label also sought to market a "Seattle sound", which was accomplished with the help of producer Jack Endino, who produced 75 singles, albums, and EPs for Sub Pop between 1987 and 1989. Endino recorded cheaply and quickly; in order to operate this way, he utilized some consistent studio techniques, which gave the records a similar sound.[12]

In November 1988, Sub Pop released "

Motown Records was to Detroit—and helped to secure the label's cash flow.[14] The original series was discontinued in 1993, followed by Singles Club V.2, launched in 1998 and discontinued in 2002.[15]

Some commentators have argued that Sub Pop reframed the history of Seattle's music scene as part of their marketing campaign. Even in the late 1980s, the peak of

avant garde post-punk.[16]

Mindful that garnering the attention of the American mainstream music press was difficult for all but the largest indie label, Pavitt and Ponemen took inspiration from alternative bands like Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, and Dinosaur Jr. and sought to publicize the label via the British music press. In March 1989, Pavitt and Poneman flew Melody Maker journalist Everett True to Seattle to write an article on the local music scene. As Pavitt had anticipated, the British press became enamoured with Sub Pop and the grunge sound. Pavitt said, "I really felt that the Brits and the Europeans wanted to see something that was unruly and that was more of an American archetype -- something that was really primal and really drew from the roots of rock & roll, which was very American."[17] Poneman explained the label's success: "It could have happened anywhere, but there was a lucky set of coincidences. Charles Peterson was here to document the scene, Jack Endino was here to record the scene. Bruce and I were here to exploit the scene."[14]

When Nirvana moved to

Warner Bros. Records (which had distributed Geffen since that label was founded in 1980; after 10 years under Warner, Geffen was sold to MCA Music Entertainment Group
), thereby ending Sub Pop's status as an entirely independent label.

Post-Pavitt

Poneman and Pavitt had a disagreement about the direction the label should take, with Poneman wanting the label to become larger and make more money.[14] In 1996, unable to take the new corporate culture following the Warner partnership, Pavitt left the label and was able to spend more time with his family.[18] The split between Pavitt and Poneman was not amicable, and they did not speak for seven years.[18]

The label opened offices worldwide and began major investment in new artists, but without achieving great commercial success, prompting a scaling down and a return to Seattle.[14]

In 2006, Sub Pop Records became the first Green-e certified record label. Through work with the Green-e program and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Sub Pop "greened" their label by purchasing enough renewable energy certificates to offset 100 percent of the

global warming.[19]

In early 2007, Sub Pop started a sister label by the name of Hardly Art.[20][21] This label is also partially owned by Warner Music. In August 2008, Sub Pop relaunched the singles club for one year to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.[22]

In 2009, they signed their second

hip-hop group, Seattle-based Shabazz Palaces – the first being The Evil Tambourines in 1999.[23] Ishmael Butler, one half of Shabazz Palaces and former member of jazz rap group Digable Planets became A&R for Sub Pop.[24]

Commercial success

Domestically, Sub Pop has released three albums that have been certified as platinum, for sales of over 1 million units, by the Recording Industry Association of America: Bleach by Nirvana, Give Up by The Postal Service, and Oh, Inverted World by The Shins.[25]

Ten albums released by the label have been certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies: Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away by The Shins, Fleet Foxes and Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes, The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart, Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin by Band of Horses, Our Endless Numbered Days and The Shepherd's Dog by Iron & Wine, and Depression Cherry by Beach House.[25]

Deluxe editions

Starting in 2008, Sub Pop has released Deluxe Editions of its top-selling albums, which features a remastered version of the album, as well as some live tracks and demos. The albums released under this were Nirvana’s Bleach, Mudhoney's Superfuzz Bigmuff, Sebadoh's Bakesale, Jason Loewenstein's Codes, The Postal Service's Give Up, and Red Red Meat's Bunny Gets Paid.

In popular culture

Sub Pop, its founders, and some acts on the label were featured on season 1, episode 5 of

Dark Side of the 90's entitled "Grunge and the Seattle Sound."[26]

In David Fincher’s The Killer, the central villain, played by Arliss Howard, wears a Sub Pop T-shirt.

See also

References

  1. ^ Robert Weinstein (April 23, 2001). "An Interview with Bruce Pavitt". trip. Tripzine. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Scanlon, Tom (January 27, 2008). "Sub Pop's got some kind of record | The Seattle Times". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Azerrad, p. 413.
  4. ^ Azerrad, p. 414.
  5. ^ Sub Pop USA - The original articles by Bruce Pavitt from the Sub Pop website.
  6. ^ Azerrad, p. 420.
  7. ^ Azerrad, p. 422.
  8. ^ Azerrad, p. 423.
  9. ^ Azerrad, p. 423-24.
  10. ^ Azerrad, p. 425.
  11. ^ Azerrad, p. 426-27.
  12. ^ Azerrad, p. 436.
  13. ^ Azerrad, p. 439.
  14. ^ a b c d e Jelbert, Steve (2008) "Labelled With Love", The Times, August 2, 2008.
  15. ^ "Singles Club V.2 is Dead 2002". Sub Pop Records. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved November 24, 2006.
  16. ISBN 9781570617874
    .
  17. ^ Azerrad, p. 441.
  18. ^ a b Yarn, Mark (July 2008). "Sub Pop Oral History: "Going Out of Business Since 1988!". Blender.
  19. ^ "Green-e certification (press release)". Bonneville Environmental Foundation. July 31, 2006. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  20. ^ Justin Sheppard (March 9, 2007). "Sub Pop founder starts new label, Hardly Art". Prefix. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008.
  21. ^ Todd Martens (March 9, 2007). "Sub Pop Launches Hardly Art Imprint". Billboard.biz. Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  22. ^ "Sub Pop Singles Club 3.0". Sub Pop Records. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
  23. ^ "The Evil Tambourines". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  24. ^ "Sub Pop Signs Shabazz Palaces' Ishmael Butler to A&R Team (Exclusive)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  25. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Sub Pop label". RIAA. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  26. ^ Topel, Fred (August 12, 2021). "Nirvana Blew up 'Monotonous' Music Industry, 'Dark Side of the '90s' Narrator Mark McGrath Says". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved September 27, 2021.

Bibliography

External links
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